Customer Communication & Order System
Cafe & Hospitality Wellington 300-400 customers/day, 3 baristas, 2 servers

Customer Communication & Order System

AI phone ordering, catering automation, and SMS loyalty program for a busy CBD cafe serving 300-400 customers daily.

85%
AI-Handled Calls
+$14,200/mo
Revenue
+23%
Repeat Visits
The Client

A busy cafe in the CBD serving 300-400 customers daily during weekday rush hours (7-9am, 12-2pm). They had 3 baristas and 2 servers, and phone orders were constantly disrupting counter service during peak times.

The Challenge

Phone Interruptions During Rush

Staff answered phone calls for takeaway orders during the busiest hours, causing delays for in-store customers.

Missing 30-40% of calls during peak times.

Catering Inquiry Chaos

Corporate catering inquiries came in via phone and email at all hours. Staff forgot to follow up, losing an estimated 3-4 catering orders monthly.

Lost catering revenue worth $200-500 per order.

No Customer Recognition

Regular customers weren't remembered. Opportunities to build relationships and loyalty were missed every day.

Missed upselling and retention opportunities.

No Loyalty Program

No system to reward regular customers or encourage repeat visits.

Lower customer lifetime value compared to competitors with loyalty programs.

What We Built

We built a complete communication system that handles ordering, catering enquiries, and customer loyalty in one place.

AI phone agent for taking takeaway orders during busy hours
Website chatbot for catering inquiries and order questions
SMS-based digital loyalty program
Automated birthday and special offers via SMS
Customer preference tracking (regular orders, dietary requirements)
Results

After 90 Days

85%
Phone Orders Handled by AI

Staff focused on serving in-store customers

0
Missed Calls During Peak

Every order captured

+12
Additional Catering Bookings

Automated follow-up converted inquiries to orders

+$14,200
Additional Monthly Revenue

$8,400 from captured phone orders plus $5,800 from catering

420
Loyalty Members Enrolled

35% of the regular customer base signed up

+23%
Increase in Repeat Visits

SMS offers brought customers back more frequently

+14%
Average Order Value Increase

Customers ordering full meals instead of just coffee

How We Did It
Week 1-2

Phone Order System

  • Set up AI voice agent to answer calls during peak hours (7-10am, 11:30am-2pm)
  • Programmed menu items, prices, and common questions
  • Created order confirmation system via SMS
  • Set pickup time estimates (15-20 mins during rush, 8-10 mins otherwise)
  • Integrated with existing POS system for order tickets
Week 2-3

Website Chatbot for Catering

  • Added chatbot to website for catering inquiries
  • Programmed qualification questions (date, number of people, dietary requirements, budget)
  • Set up instant SMS and email responses with catering menu PDF
  • Created follow-up sequences: immediate confirmation, +24hr quote reminder, +3 day check-in
Week 3-4

Digital Loyalty Program

  • Built SMS-based loyalty system (text "JOIN" to sign up)
  • Created simple point system: $1 spent = 1 point, 100 points = $10 off
  • Set up automated birthday messages with special offer
  • Programmed "rainy day" promotions (auto-sent when weather is bad)
Week 4-5

Launch & Staff Training

  • Trained baristas on new phone order flow
  • Created QR codes at counter for loyalty sign-up
  • Added "Text us" signage for takeaway orders
  • Soft launched with existing regular customers
During morning rush, the phone used to ring non-stop and we'd miss half the calls. Now the AI takes those orders, texts customers when ready, and we can focus on the customers in front of us. Plus the catering follow-ups alone paid for the system in two months.
Owner
Cafe Owner
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