Domino’s Pizza, a global leader in pizza delivery and digital ordering platforms, was the first pizza company to launch a pizza ordering skill on Amazon Alexa last year. Now Domino’s is taking that skill to the next level to offer a customized ordering experience with no saved account or previous order necessary.
Anyone can place an order for Domino’s with Alexa by saying, “Alexa, open Domino’s.” Once in the Domino’s skill, the customer will be guided through the ordering process, from building a pizza to placing an order. Customers who ask for a deal can receive 20 percent off every menu-priced item in their order.
Chris Roeser, Domino’s director of digital experience, told Loyalty360 that the enhanced online ordering tool will increase customer engagement.
“By opening this experience up to guest users, and expanding the ordering capabilities to new orders, we’ve created another way for customers to order Domino’s,” Roeser explained. “When we think about engagement here, it’s not about how much time they’re spending talking to us–it’s more about how quickly we can get them what they want. Whether it’s trying a new type of pizza or tracking their order, they can do it all without lifting a finger!”
Domino’s recorded had global retail sales of nearly $10.9 billion in 2016, with more than $5.3 billion in the U.S. and more than $5.5 billion internationally.
From coast to coast, pizza restaurants are omnipresent, which has made this space hyper competitive. And this is an environment that Domino’s understands well. As one of the leading American restaurant chains and top international franchise pizza delivery corporations, Domino’s knew that the only way it could succeed in a marketing landscape that was extremely competitive and rapidly evolving was to make heavy investments in digital technology and customer intelligence analytics.
“Domino’s is always looking for ways to improve the ordering experience for customers,” Roeser explained. “Full ordering through Amazon Echo gives them yet another way they can choose to order Domino’s, without being limited to an Easy Order or most recent order.”
The expanded online ordering tool launched on Aug. 1.
Roeser talked about the progression of online ordering in recent years at Domino’s.
“Domino’s reached 60 percent of sales via digital ordering channels in the U.S. at the end of 2016,” he explained. “More than half of those sales were through mobile.”
Roeser said Domino’s has always been focused on “being where our customers are, and on building experiences that help connect people to pizza in the most convenient ways possible. As our customers have gravitated toward mobile experiences, we’ve worked to be there for them. Our focus on the creative use of technology has been pretty consistent.”