How to Improve Order Accuracy in Restaurant With Restora POS

The food business is one of the fastest-growing businesses worldwide. It is a business where order accuracy is important. Whether it is a busy casual restaurant, a fine dining establishment, or a fast food corner, you must focus on the order accuracy. order accuracy kpi ensures that you're delivering the right order every single time. This also involves providing excellent customer service by following the order requirements. However, a wrong order can turn your happy customers into frustrated ones. It can negatively impact your restaurant or food business by reducing efficiency and profitability. So, as a food business entrepreneur, you must know how to improve order accuracy in restaurants. In this article, we will go over ways to improve order accuracy.

What is Order Accuracy in Restaurants?

In restaurants, order accuracy refers to consistently and correctly managing all the orders. It covers all aspects of order management, including both offline and online orders. Order management accuracy guarantees the correct receipt, preparation, and delivery of orders to customers.

Moreover, order accuracy measures how often guests are getting the food they ordered. It includes the right amount of dishes and the additional customization items. When an order is completed accurately, it means the guests have gotten their meals exactly from start to finish. 

For more clear understanding, let's give an example. Suppose you run a restaurant, and you get 50 orders. And, out of 50 orders, 47 customers receive their food according to their exact needs. So, the order accuracy percentage for the 50 orders is 47%. 

This procedure is how we can find out the order accuracy in restaurants. The more order accuracy you can achieve, the more your customer will be satisfied.

Why Order  Accuracy Matters?

Order accuracy is very important for restaurant businesses. It is considered as the satisfaction, meaning higher accuracy means higher satisfaction. 

Furthermore, an incorrect order is a threat for the business. It damages the company's reputation and reduces the customer base. Moreover, when an order is incorrect, it increases operational costs and food wastage. And, to correct the order, the restaurant needs to prepare the meals again, which is costly and needs more time and staff. 

From different statistics, we can see that when an order is incorrect, it increases customer turnover. About 60% of customers deny visiting the restaurant again. It poses a significant threat to other aspects of the business. 

Moreover, customers are now more on the social sites and continuously provide reviews and comments. Incorrect orders can therefore diminish the authenticity, reputation, and online values of your restaurant. 

Common Causes of Order Inaccuracy

There are multiple reasons for order inaccuracy. Before starting the restaurant business, you must know the common causes of order inaccuracy. If you can properly find out the reason for the order inaccuracy, you will definitely reduce the rates. And it is very important for the restaurant business's success. 

Let's find the reason that is responsible for order inaccuracy in the restaurant.

1. Poor Communication Between Front and Back of House

The major cause of order inaccuracy is poor communication between the front and back of the house at the restaurant. It happens due to miscommunication with the kitchen staff and restaurant server. When any order is written unclearly or passed verbally, there are chances to make mistakes.  These types of mistakes happen when the restaurant is open during busy hours. 

2. Manual or Handwritten Orders

Manual or handwritten orders are another reason for order inaccuracy. And it basically happens when the order is managed manually or handwritten. Suppose you have a restaurant and manage orders manually, and the guest requests some customization, like gluten-free or sugar-free. But the staff forgets or misunderstands the customization, or the kitchen staff makes the mistakes. And the order is served without customization. It is considered a serious order inaccuracy.

3. Menu Complexity and Customizations

Menu complexity and customization also cause order inaccuracy. Today's modern diners are more into customization. They want to add different types of options for their meals. As the modern dining experience is already very complicated, moreover, some extra add-ons can make it more complex. As a result, kitchen and restaurant servers got very confused, especially the staff who are new. So, definitely, menu complexity and customization play a significant role in order inaccuracy.

4. Decreased Staff Energy and Lack of Training

Working under pressure for a long time can lead to order inaccuracy. It happens when the staff are on duty at the busy hours and providing consistent services. Due to pressure, staff have lost their energy and cannot give proper attention to order customization. Moreover, lack of staff training can also cause problems. So, the restaurant should arrange training sessions and provide some break time so that the staff can work better under pressure. 

5. Poor Workflow Design

Poor workflow is a major concern for order inaccuracy. It happens when restaurant layout and flow of communications are not structured properly. So, it increases natural order inaccuracy. Poor workflow creates confusion about order taking, order confirmation, and delivery. Alternatively, a well-organized restaurant layout and workflow design can ensure the exact order placement and minimize the confusion regarding orders.  

6. Outdated or Faulty Technology

It is not always about the staff or kitchen mistakes. Sometimes order inaccuracy is caused by outdated or faulty technology. For example, you run your restaurant with backdated restaurant POS software, so while taking orders, it can glitch or can have connectivity issues. Resulting in the kitchen getting a wrong order, which is very risky for the restaurant business. Moreover, an outdated POS system can lead to delayed ticket printing. So, it will be wise to stay up-to-date with the system and trends. 

How to Improve Order Accuracy in Restaurant for Success

Running a restaurant is more complex than starting a new one. Improving restaurant online order accuracy is not just fixing an error. It is connected to make a solid customer base by providing the exact order every time. Getting high-order accuracy is a combined task that is connected to trained staff, advanced technology, and strategies.

Here, we will go through the process of how to improve order accuracy using advanced technology like Restora POS. So, let's get into the article and learn how can order accuracy be improved. 

1. Train Your Staff Effectively

Staff are the core pillar of accurate service. So, you must train your staff and make them stronger to be more effective. A well-trained staff can reduce mistakes and perform better in busy hours. There are multiple things you can implement for staff training.

• Implement Structured Training Programs

First you have to implement structured training programs. It should be available for both new and existing staff. Make sure your training programs include all the criteria, such as menu knowledge, restaurant take out, order taking, order accuracy rate, order cycle time, shipment accuracy, customer handling, communication, etc. 

• Encourage Order Confirmation

Encouraging order confirmation is another important factor that should be added to your training. It teaches staff to repeat the order before finalizing. As it helps to find the order error before it sends it to the kitchen. So, it is a good practice to repeat the order so that it can be more accurate.  

• Maintain Internal Communication Clarity

Keep a session for restaurant staff to maintain internal communication clarity. It ensures secure and consistent communication among the staff, like the server, cashier, chef, cleaner, busser, etc. In that case, using smart devices can reduce error. 

• Conduct Regular Performance Reviews

Train your staff regarding conducting monthly meetings for performance reviews. In the discussion, analyze the staff's mistakes, customer feedback, and motivation for those who work better. It will help to maintain quality standards.

2. Utilize Technology to Streamline Orders

To reduce order accuracy, you should use modern technology. It can transform the entire restaurant operation. When you have the right tools for your business, you can reduce error and improve efficiency.  

• Adopt a Modern Point of Sale (POS) System

The most effective way to improve order accuracy is to adopt the best technology. An advanced point of sale system ensures order placement instantly. For example, suppose you have restaurant POS software called Restora POS. It has a dynamic dashboard, where you can manage the entire restaurant operation.

• Use a Kitchen Display System (KDS)

Kitchen Display System (KDS) is an advanced technology in the restaurant business. It replaces the ticket system with the digital display system. It provides real-time visibility on orders, updates, customizations, and operational states. So, integrating with the KDS is highly beneficial for restaurants. 

• Enable Mobile or Tablet Ordering

Equipment like mobile or tablet service ordering is very popular. It eliminates the need for a memory-based ordering system. Using mobile and tablet devices, guests can customize their orders directly to the kitchen. It reduces miscommunication and improves the business profits. 

• Integrate Online Ordering and Delivery Platforms

Integration with online ordering with the help of restaurant POS software is beneficial. It re-receives that mismatch and eliminates missing order issues. Moreover, automated sync ensures the restaurant operations are running smoothly and data is updated automatically.

3. Design a Clear and Organized Workflow

Lack of organized workflow is another cause of order inaccuracy. When you have a clear and detailed working roadmap, it helps in ensuring better dine-in services and making more happy customers. 

• Define Clear Responsibilities

A clear concept of responsibility is crucial. So, you must make a list of your employees and inform them about their roles. It would be better if you defined all the responsibilities and roles when you hire them. It reduces overlapping duty and removes confusion. With the help of clear role alignment, staff can provide better performances. 

• Set Up an Order Verification Station

Order verification stations are a great way to improve order accuracy. Suppose you have an order verification station, and it verifies the order before it goes to the kitchen. This process is called the final inspection. 

• Organize Kitchen Stations

An organized kitchen station improves the entire kitchen operation. As we know, the kitchen section is considered the heart of the restaurant business. You can divide the kitchen into different types of sections. For example, the grilled section, salad section, and dessert, and label them with the names and tools. It ensures a smooth kitchen operation.

4. Standardize Recipes and Preparation Processes

The standard recipe and preparation method directly influence the restaurant order. So, for better services, you should set the recipe standard and preparation method. It helps to maintain consistency in menus and planning processes. 

• Create Detailed Recipe Cards

For standardized recipes, you must create a recipe card. Your recipe cards include all the ingredient lists, cooking methods, temperatures, portion sizes, etc. It helps to maintain consistency in men and taste.

• Use Measuring Tools

Using a measuring tool can scale up your services. For these you can use portion cups, scoops, or a scale to ensure exact quantities. It ensures every time you are providing the exact quantity of food by maintaining consistency. 

• Conduct Consistency Checks

Supervision should be done effectively. You must supervise the dishes. It makes sure your menus are consistent and exact. When you do the tasks regularly, your restaurant standards remain very high and increase customer satisfaction. 

5. Double-Check Orders Before Serving or Packing

As you are using the best restaurant POS software in the UAE, still now there is the possibility to make human errors. This is the reason for double-checking the order before serving it. It is a reliable way to make your order more accurate. There are ways to do the tasks. 

• Create a Designated Checking Station

You must create a checking station where the order will be reviewed. It is very crucial for restaurant business while you are in the peak hours. 

• Assign a Responsible Team Member

You can assign a team member to supervise all the menus. It includes dine-in, takeaways, delivery orders, etc. By integrating this strategy, you are ensuring all the orders are manually checked and delivered the right way to the customers.

• Use a Printed or Digital Checklist

You can use a simple or digital checklist. It ensures all the orders are packaged or ready according to the orders. It helps to maintain the special instruction with all the customizations.

6. Collect and Analyze Order Error Data

If you really want to know how to improve order accuracy, you must collect order error data and analyze them. It will help to solve the issues in real time with an efficient solution. So, you can take better steps for providing excellent customer service. Here are the ways to collect and analyze customer data.

• Track Every Error in Digital System

You have to create a record file where all your mistakes or order inaccuracies are noted. It includes wrong dishes, incorrect modifications, missing items, delayed orders, customization errors, etc. And, you can use advanced restaurant management software to easily track and keep all the records.

• Categorize Errors for Clarity

For restaurant order accuracy, you can categorize your error data into different sections. For example, front-of-house errors, kitchen errors, delivery errors, communication errors, etc. When you categorize them, it will help you to better find and improve them. 

• Record Key Details for Each Error

When you have recorded a file or order error data, you can make a report. In the report you must provide all the details of the error. And, you can apply a strategy for each and every recorder error so that you get a better solution. 

7. Create a Customer Feedback Loop

One effective way to improve order accuracy in restaurants is by obtaining customer feedback. If you can perform this task effectively, you can enhance output and increase business sales and profits. There are several proven methods to utilize customer feedback for better performance.

• Collect Customer Feedback

First, you need to collect customer feedback. You can do this by creating a poll or by randomly asking customers to provide their feedback regarding your services. Additionally, you can gather feedback through QR codes, comments, or online reviews. Ensure that you focus on feedback specifically related to order accuracy. 

• Analyze Order Accuracy Data

After you have collected all the feedback, you can begin analyzing the data related to order accuracy. In this analysis, you need to determine the accuracy rate and the customer satisfaction rate, among other metrics. Additionally, it is important to identify the root causes of any errors.

• Implement Small but Continuous Improvements

Now, it is time to implement the solutions for the errors. You can address all the problems quickly, but it's important to start small and be patient for significant improvements. This approach will help you enhance order accuracy and make your restaurant business more profitable. 

Conclusion

Order accuracy is a measuring tool for restaurant success. It directly impacts customer satisfaction and retention. When orders are consistently accurate, patrons are more likely to return and recommend the establishment to others. So you cannot ignore the trends if you want to sustain yourself in the market. It reflects your restaurant's reputation. So, if you are a new or existing person in the restaurant business. You must know how to improve order accuracy in restaurants. Remember, order accuracy is not just fixing the order errors. It is about building trust and making a solid customer base.