Quick-service giant’s app adds more options for customers

Dunkin’ Brands is giving mobile customers another way to fulfill their caffeine fix.



In a bid to add more convenience to their “Order on the Go” service, the quick service giant is adding curbside delivery to its menu of order fulfillment options. Once customers place their order via their mobile app, they can pick up their order in-store, at drive-thru, or pull into a dedicated parking spot where an associate will deliver it to their car.



The idea was launched as a proof of concept among “a handful” of locations without drive thru windows in December. Early successes pushed the chain to expand the service nationally. By the end of August, franchisees company-wide will have the option to add the service, Paul Murray, director, digital innovation, Dunkin’ Brands said at the eTail East conference this week.



“We continue to push the envelope when it comes to taking the friction out of on-the-go orders,” Murray said.



“By enabling our customers to ‘build’ their own orders, we are increasing our margins and order accuracy successes,” he added. “We are also reducing the time and labor needed to make an order, and we can redirect those associates’ efforts to converting more customers at store-level — an effort that helps our franchisees drive their sales, as well.”



Order on the Go is one of many services integrated into Dunkin’s mobile app. What began as a tool to streamline the way customers pay for orders however, has become a vehicle that is driving loyalty, according to Murray.



By adding a CRM tool to the app, Dunkin’ stays abreast of customer preferences, and uses information to create targeted campaigns among specific customer segments or operating regions. “The app now does both: it streamlines checkout and is also a promotional engine,” Murray added.