Online versus offline foods ordering method

Achoice of ordering foods using online platform or going directly to the outlets has been an available option for everyone to choose in a long time, of course, this will refer to take away food’s idea. There are many online platforms in the market, whereby several small, medium to big restaurants will be ready to serve your favorite foods.

Previously, it is most common that people will prefer to go directly to restaurant to order their fav foods even for take away, because at the same time, you can do eyes shopping as well as mind refreshing and relaxing.

Nowadays, with the encouragement to stay home more aiming to protect your health and others and also to stay safe, ordering foods using online platform become more and more popular.  Depending on which online platform you choose, there will be guidelines, terms and conditions, do’s and don’ts that you will need to follow.

In this writing, I want to highlight several points that you will experience when ordering foods via offline versus online ways.

1. Select your preferred restaurant

Offline ways are checking the restaurant location, how long to get to the venue, what method of transportation to use, how about the traffic, don’t forget your going out dress code.  But then, it is always good to have a chance to go out time to time, isn’t it, either to feel the atmosphere of your favorite restaurant, wear your nice clothes, style your hair and also to relief your stress.

Online ways are you can be flexible to choose the restaurant although its location might be a bit further from your home, you just need to calculate on how long the delivery time will be.  You can use the time to do other things while waiting for your order to arrive and be relaxing with your house dress code.

2. Choose your today’s favorite foods to order

You can choose any of your favorite menu with the quantity that you want in both methods, offline and online.  The different is you need to go from one restaurant to another if you order via offline and take some of your time if another restaurant is a bit far.

While using online, you can almost order foods in several restaurants with little time differences and then, the foods can arrive at relatively same time at your home.

3. Any special request while ordering

When you are at a restaurant, you can highlight your special request while ordering and also when the order is being processed, such as, extra sauce, extra sup, etc.

When you order foods via online, you must note your special request while ordering otherwise, it might be too late already.  Another option is you can try to call the restaurant and only if the restaurant agrees to take your request via call not via online platform as your initial method of order.

4. Amount to spend

There is what I call a convenience fee when you order foods via online platform.  The food prices in online platform can be a slightly higher than ordering directly to restaurant. But then again, it is a one stop shopping, meaning you will only need to order, process, pay and wait for the foods to be delivered, hence, this is so convenient.  Sometimes, there are special promotion which you can end up spending less than the normal menu prices.

When ordering direct to the restaurant, you will need to pay the total amount as per menu prices, except if there is any ongoing promotion either launched by the restaurant or applied by any applicable payment method.

5. Method of payment

Cashless and card-less nowadays become the preferred payment method because it will require less contact with the seller.  Online platform will provide their own contactless payment method that you can top up with the amount need to spend or alternatively, with cash upon delivery, although paying in cash is less favorite.

While at the restaurant, you can choose several methods of payment on the spot which sometimes, there will be some promotion too, such as, cash back, bonus points, etc.  Payment using QR code is also now suggested to enhance contactless situation.

So, which method you’d prefer for ordering foods, is it offline or using online platform or a combination of both method?

Happy shopping.