Takeaway orders on WhatsApp without commission: how to organise them

Delivery apps bring visibility, but they generally keep a significant percentage of every order. For customers who already know you, the ones who order every week, that commission is a cost you can avoid.

WhatsApp is the channel your customers already use. The problem is that, without organisation, it becomes chaos: voice messages, incomplete orders, unclear times.

The problem with orders taken "by hand"

• The customer writes "two margheritas and a diavola for tonight", with no time.
• You have to reply, ask, confirm: time taken away from the kitchen.
• Extras and options get lost between one message and the next.
• At peak times the messages pile up and someone gets left behind.

The solution: the customer orders from the menu, you receive the order already written

With a WhatsApp ordering system the customer opens your digital menu, adds dishes to the basket, chooses a collection time from those available and sends. On WhatsApp you get a tidy message with dishes, options, total and time.

This is what an order looks like when it arrives complete: no questions, no calling back.

How to organise collection slots

1. Divide the evening into slots of 15 minutes.
2. Decide how many orders you can handle per slot, based on your oven and your staff.
3. Set a minimum notice, for example 30 minutes.
4. Keep a pause button for the moments when the kitchen is full.

How much you can save

Let's take an example. If every week you receive 80 takeaway orders of £25, and a platform keeps 20 per cent, you pay about £400 a month in commission. By moving even just half of those orders to your own direct channels, you save about £200 a month, far more than the cost of a subscription.

How to let people know about the new channel

• A QR code on the pizza box and on receipts: "Next time, order here".
• The link in your Instagram bio and on your Google profile.
• A message to regulars who have given consent.

Set up WhatsApp Business properly

If you still use ordinary WhatsApp for your venue, switch to WhatsApp Business: it's free and gives you useful tools for orders.

• A complete profile: opening hours, address, link to the menu.
• A greeting message for people writing for the first time, with the link to order.
• An away message outside opening hours, explaining when you reopen and how to place an order for tomorrow.
• Quick replies for the phrases you write most often, such as the order confirmation.

Hi! To order, use our menu: choose your pizzas and collection time, and it all reaches us here. [link] We reply within a few minutes.

Always confirm, in a few seconds

A customer who has ordered wants to know the order has arrived. A short confirmation, with the time, is enough. If there's a problem, such as a product that has run out, suggest an alternative straight away instead of asking "what would you like to do?".

Got it Marta, see you at 20:15. The capricciosa will be without mushrooms, as you asked.

Mistakes to avoid

• Accepting voice orders: they have to be listened to, interpreted and often called back. Reply with the link.
• Not asking for a time: every order must have its slot.
• Using a personal number: the venue's number must stay with the venue, even when staff change.
• Sending promotions to everyone: promotional messages go only to those who have given consent.