Just-Eat, Skip the dish and local restaurant

[yobi5888]

Hi All,

I'm looking for some local experiences and opinion about website like Just-Eat and Skip the dish, from both a customer perspective and business owner.

I currently own and operate three locations of a franchise and we offer both pick up and delivery services with our own drivers, recently we've been approached by company like Just-Eat and Skip the dish offering to put our menu on their website.

I'm trying to determine the feasibility of this whole thing and if this is the "way" to do business in the food and beverage industry nowadays.

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences?

2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?

3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without?

4. How can a restaurant get your business? What kind of promotion you'd like to see?

All other comments are welcome as well.

Thanks

[lasimmon]

I think I have used both to restaurants in Kensington.

Great experience with both.

Easy and quick to order and pay online then just show up to pick up the food.

I don't think whether they have this or not would determine if I order from there or not. I am more of a "I want this kind of food" guy and then go get it from where ever.

[jwslam]

I've used TasteAway a few times, only when there's a promotion though, like 20%+ off, Not sure how this affects the business' revenues... I've always done pickup, never delivery because I'm never close enough.

All positive experiences, with exceptions:
-one time where the person running the till didn't communicate to the server that I had paid online and chased me into the parking lot asking for a payment.
-one time where they called and said they were too busy to field my order in 45min, and asked for 1.5hr so I cancelled.

Also noticed a lot more closed/unavailable restaurants on the website recently though.

edit: seems they're out of business. Guess my $xx worth of points went down the drain.

[Dave P]

I used it yesterday from here: http://www.vietnamrestaurantcalgary.com/menu/

Worked flawlessly, even got a $5 voucher code that worked.

I would use again.

I was picking that place anyways, so the online order was just a plus.

[ExtraSlow]

1) I have previously used waiters en route, which is a similar concept. I preferred using them for some ethnic restaurants, because with thier drivers, I knew that the credit card machine would work at the doorstep, which was very hit and miss with some "independent" drivers.

For eat-in, I have used OpenTable many times because I knew WHEN I wanted to eat, and needed to quickly find a restaurant that had a table at that time.

2) I prefer to order from a website over ordering over the phone whenever the order might be a little complex, or I'm not familiar with the menu. Also, I don't keep menu's around for all the places I want to order from, so the website works better for that.

3) First choice always goes to a place with a known quality of food, but when choosing between unknown restaraunts, I can honestly say I would give the place with the website ordering option my business probably three out of four times if the food and price looked similar.

4) getting my business is easy, promotions aren't the first thing, having a reputation for quality food at a reasonable value. Getting good reviews on the many online sites is a good first step. Sometimes I use zomato or yelp to find places. Ratings matter, if you are getting poor ratings, fix your food and service before you put any effort into anything else.


you mention this is a franchise. If it's a well known chain, and you are successfully meeting that chains quality expectations, then I wonder if people are having trouble finding you, or if your chain just isn't terribly popular.

Also, keep in mind the demographic shift taking place. For many folks under thirty years of age, the telephone is no longer used for voice communication. It's just a data device.

Anyway, that's kind of rambling, but hopefully some of it was helpful.

[A790]

I use SkipTheDishes at least once a week.

[Strider]

Originally posted by yobi5888
Hi All,

I'm looking for some local experiences and opinion about website like Just-Eat and Skip the dish, from both a customer perspective and business owner.

I currently own and operate three locations of a franchise and we offer both pick up and delivery services with our own drivers, recently we've been approached by company like Just-Eat and Skip the dish offering to put our menu on their website.

I'm trying to determine the feasibility of this whole thing and if this is the "way" to do business in the food and beverage industry nowadays.

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences? I use just-eat.ca, it's quick and easy to order, menus are online in a fairly standardized format, the orders are accurate, and picking up without paying is smoother/more efficient than paying upon pick up.

2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?Usually the phone is answered by someone for whom English is not their primary language in a noisy/busy environment. Ordering online is easier and more accurate than repeating myself 10x on the phone and crossing my fingers that they understood or heard correctly.

3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without? Depends. If I've already decided on a particular restaurant that I want to order from, I'll order on their website or on the phone if they don't have online ordering. If I haven't decided what to eat / where to order, I visit sites like just-eat and see what's available, that way I don't have to go hunting for websites and hoping that menus are posted online.

4. How can a restaurant get your business? What kind of promotion you'd like to see?No promotions necessary if the food is good and prices are reasonable.

All other comments are welcome as well.
Definitely up to you as the owner to weigh the benefits vs cost. Also, if it's a small / family run business that I like or care about, I'll usually call in my order so they don't have to pay fees to the third party. Maybe offer some kind of incentive (maybe a stamp card?) for others doing the same (unless it violates the terms of service).

[gqmw]

Use both regularly, can't beat the convenience of having dinner delivered to my building when I'm working late.

Allows me more variety. Sometimes I just browse on the site to see what there is and whatever I feel like that day. Both work well, you can pay/tip online and then you don't need to bring money down when they deliver.

If the restaurant uses the just-eat or skipthedishes system then you can track your order and it shows GPS location of the driver.

Don't typically use this if I'm not at the office though, I prefer to call and grab takeout from the restaurant on the way home or just go eat at the restaurant.

[?????]

Originally posted by yobi5888
Hi All,

I'm looking for some local experiences and opinion about website like Just-Eat and Skip the dish, from both a customer perspective and business owner.

I currently own and operate three locations of a franchise and we offer both pick up and delivery services with our own drivers, recently we've been approached by company like Just-Eat and Skip the dish offering to put our menu on their website.

I'm trying to determine the feasibility of this whole thing and if this is the "way" to do business in the food and beverage industry nowadays.

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences?
We've used Tasteaway, just eat, and skip the dishes before. Experiences with all of them have been great. If there are any problems with the order the restaurant or ordering service will give you a call. Weather its a delay in ordering time or unavailable items from the restaurant.

2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?
We usually only order from the websites if there is a discount especially from new restaurants we've never tried. But it has brought us back to some places to be repeat customers even without a discount.

3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without?
No, as long as the food is good and price is reasonable.

4. How can a restaurant get your business? What kind of promotion you'd like to see?
With the website ordering service we only try new restaurants that have discounts usually from the ordering service and not the restaurant. But as mentioned above this has made us repeat customers to some places.

All other comments are welcome as well.
With Tasteaway going under you should be careful with which companies you plan on dealing with. I assume the discounts sometimes up to 50% all come from the ordering service. If you pay online with a credit card it is directly charged from the ordering service and not the restaurant. When something like this happens the restaurants probably do not get paid. Tasteaway had ridiculous promotions almost every week.
I've noticed a rise in promotions from Just-Eat after Tasteaway went under so I would be cautious.

Usually when a restaurant uses a ordering service they use all the main ones from what I've noticed. There is a few select restaurants that only use one.

[jdmXSI]

When you mentioned that you have 3 franchised stores, is there anything in your franchise agreement with regards to advertising like this?

[BlueHaloGirl]

I have never used the websites you mentioned. I will go online to check out the menu of a restaurant prior to going to see what type of food they serve.
I only once every tried to use the online ordering for Dominos pizza, lets just say I gave up and called my order in instead. I prefer to talk to a person so I can clarify my order and confirm they got it right. I also prefer to call and make a reservation with an actual person over doing it online. I'm old school I guess.
Commonly if I'm looking at trying a new restaurant I will log onto Yelp and take a look at the reviews, with an open mind, as some people do nothing but complain. I look for the genuine constructive criticism and decide if I'm going to give the place a try. I'm all for trying new places out and I love to share my experiences with other by writing my own reviews.
I tend to stick to restaurants close to my community unless it's a special occasion and I found a place I really want to try.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by yobi5888
[B]

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences?

Yes, I've used JustEat and Skip the Dishes a number of times

2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?

Most of the places I'd order from via the phone have two major problems - the phone is in a noisy area, and the person taking orders has broken English. It's way easier to just pick out the menu items and hit Submit than calling up the place and struggling to get your order across and repeating everything a half dozen times.

3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without?

No amount of convenience will outweigh bad food, but if two places are similar and one has online ordering, I'm more likely to order from them.

[max_boost]

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences?

- No

2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?

- Nothing

3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without?

- No

4. How can a restaurant get your business? What kind of promotion you'd like to see?

- Generally positive reviews.

All other comments are welcome as well.

[Xtrema]

No idea Just Eat is a $3B company trading at $400-$500 in the last year.

How much do they charge per transaction? User pays or restaurant pays?

[carson blocks]

Originally posted by yobi5888
Hi All,

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences?

No, I only order off the restaurant's official site. If they don't have at least a menu posted on their site, I move on. I find in the towns I go to, so few restaurants are on those services, I don't even bother. Real website or don't bother. That said, if the price is reasonable for you, it certainly couldn't hurt business.

Originally posted by yobi5888
2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?

A website is easier, and I'd rather place my order online than make a call, especially when ordering food from places where there is likely to be a language barrier increasing the chances of a wrong order. Also, if I have a special request, like "no mustard" or something, it's less likely to be fucked up if I type it in myself rather than hope the person on the other end of the phone gives enough of a shit to ensure it gets entered that way.

Originally posted by yobi5888 3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without?

I travel a lot for business. If a restaurant doesn't have at least a menu online, I don't even consider it. Online ordering is definitely a plus. I never use the aforementioned services, only the restaurant's website (a real website too, not a goddamned facebook page)

Originally posted by yobi5888 4. How can a restaurant get your business? What kind of promotion you'd like to see?

A good website with a menu and preferably online ordering, and for a first time purchase, good reviews on urbanspoon or zomato or whatever the hell it is nowadays. For repeat purchases, quality and ease of ordering trumps all.

I don't personally give a shit about promotions, post your menu clearly, describe your dishes accurately (no secret fucking sauces that aren't mentioned on the menu), and sell quality food and I frankly don't give a shit about the cost. A $2 off coupon means nothing compared to quality and ease of ordering.

[Amysicle]

.

[shakalaka]

I called the local restaurant to order food directly and they said they can't take the order and has to be done online. That pissed me off. I ended up doing it anyway, but felt it was a lot more work. I'd say in day and age though it's probably not a bad idea to be affiliated with such services.

[rx7_turbo2]

Used www.skipthedishes.com tonight, we've used it a few times without issue but tonight was a whole other matter

Order placed at 6:40 (Vietnamese, stir fry, vermicelli, salad and spring rolls etc)

Restaurant confirms at 6:43

The driver doesn't pickup order till 7:47

Here's where it gets interesting. Since it took so long to pickup the order I tracked the order while watching T.V. We live on the west side of Shaganappi, driver left centre St. & 16th ave and drove directly to the airport then sat at the airport not moving for 12min.

At this point I contact skipthedishes. No phone number online chat only. I'm told they contacted the driver and he had gotten lost. How the fuck is that possible. I can track his exact location but he doesn't know he's literally gone to the other quadrant of the city, bullshit. And WTF was he doing for the 12min?

At 8:19 driver finally shows up, young guy, stoned as fuck. Take dinner inside, open the bags, it's missing 1/3 of the items

I hop back on chat and demand a manager contact me immediately. Manager calls me, hands me the same "got lost" bullshit. I ask for a refund for the missing items, which after a fair amount of arguing I finally received.

Here's my beef though, the refund was from the restaurant. I'm 99% sure it's not their screw up, the missing food is sitting in dudes car for when he gets the munchies later.

Lesson learned, just go get it myself next time

[jwslam]

Originally posted by rx7_turbo2
WTF was he doing for the 12min?

At 8:19 driver finally shows up, young guy, stoned as fuck. Take dinner inside, open the bags, it's missing 1/3 of the items

HMM...

[flipstah]

Originally posted by yobi5888
Hi All,

I'm looking for some local experiences and opinion about website like Just-Eat and Skip the dish, from both a customer perspective and business owner.

I currently own and operate three locations of a franchise and we offer both pick up and delivery services with our own drivers, recently we've been approached by company like Just-Eat and Skip the dish offering to put our menu on their website.

I'm trying to determine the feasibility of this whole thing and if this is the "way" to do business in the food and beverage industry nowadays.

1. Have you use any of these online food ordering website/apps? If yes, how was your experiences?

2. What attracts you to order food from a website instead of calling the actual restaurant?

3. Will you give your business to a restaurant only because they have an online ordering features instead of one without?

4. How can a restaurant get your business? What kind of promotion you'd like to see?

All other comments are welcome as well.

Thanks

1. No, because usually I find the places that sign up for these apps aren't that great. Otherwise, you'd call them directly.

2. The perk that I could see is reading the menu, because usually if I call to order, I'm holding the menu in front of me. This could be rectified with an online menu for the restaurant.

3. No. Then I'd be missing out on great potential if I did.

However for reservations, I find apps like OpenTable to be so useful and I usually use that as the 'swing vote' if:

a.) I can't decide
b.) Reviews are on-par with one another

It's funny because I can also call and ask for a table (sometimes I got a table calling when OpenTable said there were no openings ).

4. Good food at a great price. Word of mouth goes far.