Offer Curbside Pickup to Your Customers

In 2021, it was estimated that more than 69 percent of online shoppers in the U.S preferred using curbside pickup services as opposed to traditional delivery and store pickup services. Many eCommerce sites had resorted to implementing the curbside pickup strategy due to movement restrictions imposed by the U.S government during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And many restaurants have continued to use the curbside pickup strategy despite easing the pandemic restrictions. 

Curbside pickup has remained hugely popular because it is a viable solution for meeting the bottom line of all online retailers: cost minimization and profit optimization. From the point of view of the average customer, curbside pickup is widely seen as a quick, convenient, and cost-effective way to order items from an online store. With the curbside pickup option meeting the needs of both retailers and customers, it is no wonder that this type of online order placement is more than a trend; instead, it is a strategy that is here to stay. 

What is the Difference between Pickup and Curbside?

Even though curbside pickup is fast gaining in popularity, not every restaurant owner is fully aware of its potential for business growth. The main difference between in-store pickup and a curbside pickup strategy is how customers receive their ordered goods. 

With a regular in-store pick-up, your customer orders for an item and then set out to pick up the goods either in person or through a third party from your store. With an in-store pickup, your customers or their representatives would usually be required to provide proof of purchase and present a valid form of identification before they can be allowed to pick up their purchased items. 

So what does curbside service mean? With a curbside pickup, your customers would be instructed to pick up their order by pulling up to the curb of a designated pickup station. With a curbside pickup order, your customers are not required to enter a designated location or leave their vehicles. In most cases, your customers only need to provide their name, order, or reference number, and the store representative speedily brings the food to the curbside pickup point.

How to Implement Curbside Pickup? 

Now that you know what is a curbside pickup and what is the difference between pickup and curbside, you might be wondering how to implement curbside pickup for your restaurant business.

You seriously need to consider certain things to successfully implement a curbside pickup initiative, so what do you need for curbside pickup? 

Essentials To Offer A Curbside Pickup

A Savvy Curbside Pickup Tech System  

The first consideration you need to make is the type of curbside pickup tech solution you choose to adopt and implement. Your tech stack should be able to seamlessly facilitate your restaurant's inventory control and order management while also handling all customer communications with ease. In addition to this, your curbside pickup system should include software that is designed to intuitively handle all the real-time point of sale, online sale, and inventory activities on your restaurant app or site without failing. 

Dynamic Payment Options

Your customers should be able to place their orders through different channels on your site or app and successfully make payments without encountering hiccups. The payment methods on offer need to be flexible to meet the needs of a wide variety of customers. Payment options like bank transfers, debit or credit cards, e-wallets, and e-vouchers are trendy amongst today's customers. 

Reliable Alerts & Notifications

The curbside pickup system you adopt should provide your customers with quick alerts, and milestone notifications such as order received, cooking, or is out for delivery. A payment to fulfill an order should instantly notify your customers via email or SMS. Also, your customers should be immediately notified of the pickup station; they should go to the curbside pickup service. 

There should be no delay in the alerts and notifications, as your customers may be placing their orders while in transit with the hope of picking up their order along their route. All logistics issues should be carefully thought out, and solutions should be offered to ensure the smooth running of your curbside pickup strategy. It summarizes how to use the curbside pickup for your F&B business.

Consider A Variety Of Curbside Pickup Marketing Initiatives 

Before your curbside pickup system is in place and deciding how to offer curbside pickup services to your customers, you should consider different curbside pickup marketing initiatives. You need to consider those marketing options that will best encourage your regular and prospective customers to choose your curbside pickup option when they place their orders with your restaurant.

Below are a few effective marketing initiatives that you could adopt today:

• In-store and Online Signage: You could have in-store signage informing customers to choose your curbside pickup option when placing online orders. You could also have a banner on your online store informing and encouraging online users to select the curbside pickup order option.
• Email Marketing: You could send emails to your subscribers encouraging them to pick curbside pickup over other online order options. The email should state the benefits to anyone who places orders using a curbside pickup. 
• Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook (Meta), YouTube, and so on are useful marketing tools for promoting curbside pickup services; you can explore these options. 
• Infographics: Infographics offer a fun way to educate your customers on how to make a curbside pickup without boring them. Research has proven that most online users have a short attention span. But with a concise infographic presentation on your social media, you can effectively and quickly get your point across to prospective and regular customers.
• Other Marketing Options: You can engage in online advertisements with popups on high-traffic sites. You can also update the Google Business Profile of your retail store to reflect your curbside pickup service.

Benefits of Curbside Pickup To Your Customers

Your curbside pickup strategy can minimize costs while boosting your sales turnover and profit margins. But to happen, it needs to offer your customers some key benefits. The main advantages to your customers for choosing your curbside pickup option should include the following: 

• Cost-Saving Benefits: Rather than pay high shipping and delivery fees, your customers can save money with your curbside pickup option, free of additional costs.
• A Fast Option: Your customers should be made aware that your curbside pickup service is a faster option than the other pickup services available in your portfolio. But for this to happen, you must have a tried and tested, well-coordinated curbside pickup system. 
• Convenience: The one thing that all customers want is convenient shopping. Make sure you have a good spread of designated pickup stations in your area of operation. Your customers would appreciate short-distance curbside pickups.
• Security: Curbside pickups are usually done in the open, so security is a big concern, especially in rough neighborhoods. However, ensuring that your customers spend a short amount of time at a curbside pickup and providing security will go a long way in curbing this issue. Also, customers can benefit from the high level of package security that a curbside pickup service can offer them.

It is important to note that curbside pickups were an essential part of business operations at the onset and during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of curbside pickup during that time was because customers had less chance of being exposed to the health dangers of physical contact in a large crowded public space, as is commonplace with most in-restaurant pickups. 

So in closing, one of the quickfire answers to the frequently asked question of what do you need for curbside pickup is not an open, crowded marketplace but rather a thoroughfare drive-in curb that offers your customers easy drive-through entry and exit without unnecessary delays.