As technology continues to evolve, new businesses have opened their doors, making customers’ lives easier. Numerous cloud kitchens and restaurant chains are opening up each month and extending their services pan India through advanced home food delivery apps. These online food ordering apps are introduced with intelligent features and tools to enhance customer experiences.
With the rising online food ordering trend, you should master the art of ordering your dishes to maximize the food delivery experience. Therefore, here are some hacks and tricks you should know while ordering meals through online food delivery apps.
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Order Early so It’s Ready When You Reach Home
Although we recommend this when you are sure you will be reaching home shortly or if you have someone else to receive your order, it is best to enjoy your food instantly after getting back from a long day at work. On days when ordering food is your only option because you cannot prepare a meal, plan ahead and place your order while on the way. You don’t want yourself and your family to starve for long.
If somebody is at home to receive the order, order your food before starting from work or while waiting to pick up your kids from school. And when there is no one home, roughly estimate the time you will reach home.
Even if you miss receiving the delivery, you can leave a note on the app while placing the order. For example, you can instruct the delivery driver to leave the parcel at the designated place where your food will be safe. Avoid keeping the delivery agents waiting as they have other orders to deliver.
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Switch To Healthy Options
We understand that fast food can satisfy your taste buds and stimulate the release of dopamine – the feel-good hormone in your brain. However, they come with many health hazards if consumed regularly. Let us switch to healthier food options, such as soups, salads, legumes, etc., and include more fruits and vegetables in our diet.
We should have a well-balanced diet, including the required amounts of all the vital nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber, water, carbohydrates, and fats, to maintain optimal health. Therefore, instead of opting for fast foods every time, try healthier options the next time you use food ordering platforms.
Today’s smart food delivery apps have a separate healthy food category that offers a variety of nutritious low-fat salads, gluten-free ice creams, protein bars, keto-friendly sandwiches, high-protein khichdi, high-fiber idli, vegan gravy, and more. Watch out for this section to explore various healthy dishes to maintain a balanced diet.
Even though it is a popular choice among health and fitness enthusiasts, it is recommended for all. Prioritize your health and limit the intake of fast foods. You can order healthier meals on alternate days between your favorite delicacies. So, in between your junk food cravings, throw in a few guilt-free, nutritional dishes to maintain variety.
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Buy More, Save More!
Whether you are throwing a house party of 20–30 members or feeding a few starving kids, try to choose a bigger position size. For example, if you are ordering chicken nuggets, go for the large pack. Its cost may seem slightly higher, but you will be the gainer in terms of quantity.
The larger packs offer more quantity compared to smaller ones, helping you save in the long run. Calculate the per nugget cost to calculate the savings you can make purchasing larger packets. Similarly, a larger portion size of biryani or noodles will save you money compared to buying half plates.
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Signup for a Special Subscription
If you are a regular customer of food ordering platforms, it will be a wise decision to subscribe to the delivery service to receive the extra benefits and perks. Besides, you can save a lot of money by getting special discounts on every order.
A subscription food delivery model also provides free delivery, helping you make huge savings. Some platforms also offer a free trial period to give you a glimpse of how it works and how much money you can save.
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Watch Out for Coupons
Before placing an order, check out for the available discount coupons and special offers on specific cuisines or restaurants. These coupons may reduce the amount to be paid from the total bill, saving you some extra bucks.
Some coupons offer free shipping or special discounts on festive days, such as Diwali, Navaratri, Christmas, Eid, etc. What’s more, some food ordering apps also provide personalized discounts on special events or days, such as birthdays and anniversaries.
You can receive these coupons through push notifications sent by the app. You can also receive special deals in your email, provided you have subscribed to their list or submitted your email ID while signing up. So, be on their email list to receive these personalized promotional offers.
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Participate in Referral Programs
Referral programs can help you receive special benefits and discounts apart from the one-off offers and deals. You can earn points and rewards by sharing your experience with the home food delivery platform with your friends and asking them to join and use the same. You can redeem these points to pay for your bill on your upcoming purchases, thus reducing your billing amount.
So, invite your friends to install the app and sign up using your referral code. It will be beneficial for both parties, as you and your friend will receive points and rewards for every signup.
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Skip the Extras
We know it’s tempting to add some extras, including coke, ice cream, juice, beer, wine, sauces, cheese, appetizers, etc. But avoid ordering much stuff just to satiate your sudden cravings. Such stuff will double your bill, and you end up paying a lot more than your expected budget. So, tick them off from your cart and save up if you are on a budget.
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Go Through Customer Reviews
Always consider what other customers feel about a particular dish or restaurant. Delivery apps have a rating and review section. Check out all the positive and negative reviews submitted by genuine customers.
You can learn many things about the portion sizes, taste, quality, packaging, and the platform’s or restaurant’s services. You can also get an idea about the best-selling dishes and the ones that are less recommended by a majority of customers. The option of other food lovers is vital to enhance your food ordering experience.
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Use Local Food Delivery Apps
It’s best to go local. Avoid ordering food through multinational food delivery platforms. There are good reasons for it. Firstly, they are expensive compared to local apps specializing in food delivery app development. Local food delivery platforms, with their emphasis on local markets, offer excellent services at affordable prices.
Secondly, you will get strong customer support from local apps. That’s because they understand the local market better than multinational platforms, which have to take care of services across different nations. So, their attention is diverted, unlike the local home food delivery apps, which will take utmost care of their services and offerings, which are often personalized for the local market.
Final Words
The above tricks and hacks for ordering food online would help you save big on your orders. Try implementing them in your next purchases to improve your food ordering experience. You deserve to enjoy and relish your favorite dishes in the comfort of your home!
Read more: Exploring the Different Cuisines of Mysore Through Online Food Ordering
