How to Improve Your Business’s Curbside Pickup

Curbside pickup is a staple during these pandemic times and demand tripling over the last year, as more people want the option to quickly pick up their purchases without going inside a store or restaurant.

This service is what’s allowed many small businesses to stay open during the rough weeks and months when people might not feel comfortable going inside to shop or dine. If you run a business that offers curbside pickup, you’ve probably also found that it’s a great way to reduce stress on your employees while helping to keep everyone safer.

We’re huge fans of this service, and we’ve especially pleased when we work with a business owner who sees the value in setting up a dedicated phone number just for curbside pickup calls. 

How can a dedicated number improve your curbside pickup?

Think of it this way. In “normal times,” your business was getting calls from customers placing orders, asking if you carried a specific item, wanting to know the location, asking about nearby parking, checking to see if you’re open, etc. etc. etc. 

When you add curbside pickup into the mix, that means you’re ALSO getting lots of calls from people announcing that they’re parked outside, waiting for you to bring out their order. And how annoying will it be for them to listen to a busy signal or wait on hold for ages? All because you’re spending 20 minutes patiently trying to explain to an elderly customer that, yes, you really are located on the corner of Elm and Main, even though she recalls you being located elsewhere in town. (Sigh.)

Having a dedicated phone number just for curbside pickups allows you to separate and organize this growing part of your business.

Doesn’t it just make more sense for your customers to have a special, dedicated phone number they call for curbside pickup? You (or one of your employees) will know exactly why that line is ringing. You’ll know it will be a 15-second call — “You’re here! Awesome. We’ll be right out.” — and you know you’ll be offering fabulous customer service by answering it right away and hustling their order straight out to their car.

You can assign a member of your team specifically to answer calls to your dedicated curbside pickup line, or you can use this number for placing orders. This frees up your main phone line for other calls from customers and vendors — while also providing your customers with a faster pickup experience.

(Heck, if you’re really busy, designate one number for placing curbside pickup orders, and a second “speedy pickup” phone number for when customers arrive to pick up their orders. Talk about leveling up!)

Here at Hushed, we specialize in secondary phone numbers.

It’s easy to set up as many secondary numbers as you’d like, in only minutes, and you don’t even have to make a huge commitment. Temporary numbers are totally fine — especially if you only plan on offering a service like curbside pickup for a short time.

Unlike going through the phone company to get a traditional “new phone number,” we keep things simple. Much lower overhead, no lengthy contracts, and no need to hang onto the number any longer than you want.

We want you to focus on the important things, like hurrying those orders out to your customers’ vehicles. Whether it’s a bag of groceries, a container of yummy take-out, or a last-minute birthday gift, we see you and we appreciate you!