Ordoo: How tech can give you the customer-experience edge
We recently spoke with Tom Dewhurst, founder & CEO of Ordoo. His exciting mobile ordering platform enables food and drink businesses to understand and engage with their customers so they come back more often (and bring their friends, too!). Intrigued by the concept and how it can help independents, we delved a little further into the world of Ordoo…
What’s the journey been like at Ordoo?
It’s been a rollercoaster! I saw the opportunity to build an app that would save busy people time ordering just over two years ago. Since then, we’ve been through three names (Ordo/Ordable/Ordoo) and into four cities. We initially developed the service to be a marketplace that would drive new customers to independent cafés and coffee shops. Towards the end of last year, we realised that the best Ordoo customers were the ones who were already regulars at our partner venues and just wanted a better ordering experience.
Subsequently, we’ve developed the platform to harness the power of the customer-centric data we’ve been collecting. This is being really well received by our 69 partner companies and it’s helping them engage with their best customers so they come back more frequently and bring their friends. We now want to share this platform with as many new companies as possible.
How does the app work?
We’ve developed the app to do one thing really well – mobile ordering! A customer can browse the menu of their favourite places; select what they want and customise their order; say when they want it; pay with a saved card; and simply swing past and pick it up when they receive their notification. We’ve even got a re-order feature so customers can order, say, their morning coffee in three taps.
What benefits does Ordoo provide for quick-service venues?
We see mobile ordering as a way for venues to build up information about their customers. If a customer pays by cash or card, you have no idea about their past purchases, how frequently they visit or what would be the best item to upsell. If customers order via a smartphone, you can analyse detailed customer-centric data to ensure they don’t churn, and you can tap into their habits. The best bit, our Customer Engagement Platform, does this for you and automates these communications based on customer behavioural triggers.
The end result of this is:
• 65% of customers who receive a 30 day inactivity push notification visit again
• An improved customer visit frequency of 1.2 per month
• An increase in average basket size by 8%
What can venue owners do to improve customer experience using technology?
In this increasingly competitive environment, customer experience is becoming the new battleground. A Gartner report suggests that 89% of businesses will mostly be competing on customer experience, with customers expecting higher standards. Embracing technology can give venues an edge and provide unparalleled opportunities. Our experience suggests you need to:
Be efficient – Great customer service can turn a bad situation into a good one, and servicing customers quickly and efficiently can have them (ironically) lining up for more. Pre-ordering can even remove the need to queue completely, enabling a seamless walk in-walk out encounter.
Be personal – Studies show that 38% of customers attribute a good experience with personalisation. You don’t need to collect the life story of everyone who walks through the door; mobile ordering could hold all the data you need. When using the Ordoo app you can greet your customer by name (just in case you forget), remember when they brought their friends back or ask them why they haven’t visited in a while. Personalising this information will blow your customers away!
Be appreciative – You could blame what your competitors are offering for turning your customers’ heads, but actually, only 9% leave because of this. Surprisingly, 68% of businesses have lost a customer due to them feeling like the business is indifferent to them instead. A digital thank you needs to have a place in your customer service experience. Luckily for you, mobile ordering apps provide the perfect platform to send a little thanks their way. And not just any thanks – special thanks just for them.
Remember, good restaurant service is all in the delivery, and mobile ordering apps are on hand to help. The fight for your customer is on and your weapon is an unrivalled customer experience brought to you by Ordoo.
What does the next year have in store for Ordoo?
Over the last few months, our ears have been burning with the amount of news surrounding mobile ordering. The pioneers Starbucks now do over 8% of their US transactions through their mobile order-and-pay feature. More big brands are joining the party, with McDonalds, Burger King, Wetherspoons, Costa and many more launching mobile ordering apps.
I am trying to position Ordoo as the leading mobile ordering platform in the UK to take advantage of the trend. Independent venues, small and medium-sized chains will need this technology and it makes sense for them to join Ordoo. Customers don’t want a suite of apps that do the same thing (mobile ordering and loyalty) and we aim to provide the best technology for this market.
We’ve already got some really exciting brands in our pipeline. We’re now looking to work with more awesome venues that want to use mobile ordering technology as a competitive edge. We’re providing the tools for these venues, so they can enhance their specific customer experiences.
How does a business sign up with Ordoo?
The benefit of working with us versus building your own mobile ordering app is the simplicity. We can set you up on the Ordoo platform within seven days of you expressing interest, with minimal input. We recommend that owners find out more about our product on our website or find out more about mobile ordering and how technology impacts on customer experience on our blog. Once you’re happy, just email us and we’ll get in touch. We like to be as efficient as our technology!
