All restaurants deserve to have a healthy and happy relationship with couriers. But it’s not always easy. Like any good relationship, it takes a little work to get to a good place, but when you do, everyone wins. Being a food delivery company, we make sure that customers are happy, couriers get more tips and you get more orders. So what’s the best way to interact with couriers? Though the interactions themselves are typically only 30 seconds long, a lot can happen in that time.
But First, What Makes A Good Courier?
- They have the tools of the trade, ready to go (we’re talking thermally insulated with proper closures)
- They close the bag properly when they’re taking out the food so it arrives warm to your customers
- They put customers first
Tip #1: Treat Them Like a Team Member
If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this: it’s important to build good relationships with your couriers as you do with the rest of your team and your clientele. Think about it, if a customer walked in and someone was impolite to them, they’d walk right back out the door. And because couriers are independent contractors, they can just as easily turn down orders. So if you set things off on the right foot, right off the hop, you can’t go wrong. Greet them when they come in, be polite, don’t talk down to them—a little goes a looooong way.
Also, Skip only wants couriers who try their best to deliver quality service. Please use the Courier Review tool in the Skip app to help us find and keep only the top-of-the-line couriers on our team.
Tip #2: Make Your Pick Up Area POP
To keep things running smoothly, you should have a designated pick up area clearly marked with appropriate signage. If you don’t have one, this would be an excellent time to set one up. It doesn’t take much, just a separate table with a sign or two to help it stand out will do the trick. The smoother the handoff, the sweeter the experience, all around.
Tip #3: It’s The Little Things
Small gestures are everything in a courier’s world. If a restaurant becomes a place that they like to pick up from, they’re more likely to accept orders and tell other couriers to do the same (remember what we mentioned earlier—they’re independent so they don’t have to take every order). Let them use the washroom if they need to, fill their water bottle, even put a little dish of candy in the pick up area. Trust us, they’ll be singing your praises.
Tip #4: Pass Notes
The key to any good relationship? Communication. So, if there is some need-to-know info about pick-ups at your business, it’s important to let them know. Helpful tips for getting your address? Or finding a safe place to park? Use the restaurant notes feature in the App to offer couriers some handy details.
Tip #5: Seal the Deal
Within minutes of the courier’s arrival, package up the food, seal the bag with a sticker or staples and make sure the order number is clearly marked on the bag (including how many bags come with that order). This one’s super important, especially during busy times. Nothing derails a dinner rush like getting orders wrong. And always confirm the last four digits of the order number with the courier on the final pass just to be certain.
Tip #6: Bid A Fond Farewell
If everything is in check, it’s time to let your courier go off into the sunset. And again, you should send them off just like you would any other customer leaving your restaurant, on a positive note. Maybe throw in a smile and a goodbye for good measure.
And that’s that. Follow these simple tips to keep your courier relationships going strong. Until you meet again!
The relationship between you and couriers is an important one. You work hard to create great meals for your customers, and count on couriers to deliver them on time. Approaching each other as teammates with the same goal is the key to success!
Want to know what we’re telling our couriers? Read our Courier Help story here.
