Transform Your Restaurant's Phone Orders with AI Automation

Challenges faced by Restaurants in Manually Handling Customer Direct Orders Over the Phone:

  • Missed Calls During Peak Hours: During busy periods, staff may be too occupied to answer incoming phone calls, resulting in lost orders and frustrated customers.
  • Errors in Order Entry: Manually taking orders over the phone often leads to mistakes, such as misheard items, incorrect quantities, or wrong customer details, which can damage the customer experience and lead to order waste.
  • Inefficiencies in Order Processing: Manually punching in orders into the POS system slows down the process, creating bottlenecks and increasing wait times for both phone orders and in-house customers.
  • Limited Cross-Selling: Staff may overlook opportunities to suggest add-ons, promote daily specials, or upsell higher-margin items due to the pressure of handling multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • Taking Payments Over the Phone: Handling credit card information over the phone without an automated system can lead to errors and security concerns, increasing the risk of fraud and slowing down the transaction process.

Strategies for Automating Customer Phone Orders Using AI:

  • 1. Implement an AI-Powered Phone System for Customer Orders:
    • How It Works: Deploy an AI-driven solution that answers incoming calls, recognizes returning customers by their phone number, and automatically pulls up their profile and order history. The AI assistant can guide customers through the entire ordering process without requiring human intervention.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Customer Recognition: By identifying the customer’s phone number, the system can automatically greet returning customers by name, recall their previous orders, and suggest popular items they’ve ordered before.
      • Efficient Order Processing: The AI system eliminates the need for staff to manually take down orders and punch them into the POS, freeing them up to focus on in-house guests and improving overall service speed.
  • 2. Guide Customers Through the Ordering Process:
    • How It Works: The AI assistant engages customers in a conversational manner, asking for item selections, confirming choices, and recommending daily specials or limited-time offers. It can also provide answers to questions about the menu, allergens, or customization options.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Personalized Menu Suggestions: Based on the customer’s preferences and order history, the system can make tailored recommendations, including upsell opportunities like appetizers, desserts, or beverages.
      • Real-Time Updates: The AI system can inform customers about real-time promotions, discounts, or daily specials, ensuring they’re aware of the best deals at the moment.
  • 3. Automate Cross-Selling and Upselling:
    • How It Works: During the order process, the AI solution proposes additional items based on what the customer is ordering. For example, if a customer orders a pizza, the system might suggest a side of garlic bread or a soft drink.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Strategic Cross-Selling: The system intelligently suggests add-ons that complement the customer’s order, driving up the average check size without being intrusive.
      • Real-Time Discounts: To encourage larger orders, the system can offer limited-time discounts on certain items, such as “Order two entrees and get 10% off,” enticing customers to add more to their cart.
  • 4. Take Payments Over the Phone for Seamless Transactions:
    • How It Works: : After confirming the order, the AI system securely processes payments over the phone, saving the customer time and offering the restaurant peace of mind with secure, PCI-compliant payment processing.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Payment Convenience: Customers can pay for their orders directly during the phone call, eliminating the need to handle cash upon pickup or delivery.
      • Fewer Errors and Fraud Risks: Automating payments reduces human errors in processing credit card details and ensures secure transactions, reducing the risk of fraud.
  • 5. Fully Integrate with POS and Kitchen Systems for Streamlined Operations:
    • How It Works: Once the AI assistant has completed the order, it automatically pushes the details to the restaurant’s POS system. The order is then routed directly to the kitchen without any manual input from staff, ensuring accurate and timely preparation.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Seamless POS Integration: Orders flow directly into the POS system, allowing for accurate tracking of sales, inventory management, and real-time updates to staff.
      • Efficient Kitchen Communication: Orders are sent immediately to the kitchen staff, reducing lag time between order placement and preparation. This ensures a smoother workflow and minimizes the risk of mistakes.
      • Reduced Labor Costs: Automating phone orders reduces the need for dedicated staff to take and input orders, especially during peak hours, allowing staff to focus on other essential tasks.
  • 6. Handle Both Pickup and Delivery Orders Effortlessly:
    • How It Works: The AI-powered system asks the customer if they want to place a pickup or delivery order. For delivery, it verifies the customer’s address, provides delivery time estimates, and integrates with third-party delivery services or in-house delivery teams.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Streamlined Pickup Orders: For pickup orders, the system confirms the customer’s preferred pickup time and sends notifications when the order is ready, ensuring efficient customer flow and reduced wait times at the restaurant.
      • Efficient Delivery Management: The system can manage delivery orders by calculating accurate delivery times and tracking customer addresses, seamlessly coordinating with delivery drivers or external services.
  • 7. Offer Post-Order Confirmation and Notifications:
    • How It Works: After the order is placed, the AI assistant sends a confirmation via SMS or email, providing a summary of the order and estimated preparation or delivery time.
    • Features and Benefits:
      • Customer Confidence: Sending a confirmation reassures customers that their order has been received and is being processed, reducing any concerns about errors or delays.
      • Timely Pickup or Delivery Notifications: For pickup orders, the system can notify customers when their order is ready, minimizing their wait time at the restaurant. For delivery orders, real-time tracking can be provided, ensuring customers know exactly when to expect their food.

By fully automating customer phone orders with an AI-powered solution, restaurants can streamline the entire order process, reduce manual errors, and improve customer satisfaction. Automation allows for efficient customer recognition, guided ordering, cross-selling, secure payment processing, and seamless integration with the POS and kitchen systems. This not only saves time and reduces labor costs but also enhances the customer experience, whether for pickup or delivery orders, resulting in smoother operations and increased revenue potential.

How does FOSA fully automate Phone orders from restaurants?

Ready to transform your restaurant’s phone ordering into a seamless, hands-free operation? Meet FOSA, your ultimate voice assistant and the smartest sidekick your business could ask for. With FOSA, phone ordering is fully automated—every call, every order, handled effortlessly and professionally. Imagine your customers receiving instant greetings, personalized recommendations, and secure payment options, all while you stay focused on what matters most: delivering a great in-restaurant experience.

Here’s how FOSA makes it happen:

  • Instant Customer Greetings, Every Time:
    Imagine every call greeted instantly, no hold times, just a warm, welcoming “hello” that feels just like a personal touch. FOSA’s AI-powered voice assistant makes this a reality, giving your customers the VIP experience from the first ring.
  • Smooth, Effortless Conversations:
    Your customers talk directly with FOSA throughout the entire order process—just like speaking to a live person. FOSA’s smooth conversational AI can handle it all, making phone ordering feel natural, simple, and engaging.
  • Smooth, Effortless Conversations:
    Your customers talk directly with FOSA throughout the entire order process—just like speaking to a live person. FOSA’s smooth conversational AI can handle it all, making phone ordering feel natural, simple, and engaging.
  • Say Goodbye to Waiting:
    Long waits are a thing of the past. FOSA jumps on every call immediately, so your customers never have to wait on hold, and your phone lines stay free and efficient.
  • Customer Preferences Remembered:
    FOSA remembers past orders and preferences, tailoring suggestions to what each customer loves. Whether it’s their favorite appetizer or a go-to main, FOSA personalizes the experience and keeps them coming back.
  • On-the-Spot Promotions:
    No more generic discounts! FOSA dynamically generates personalized promotions during calls, driving up order values with meaningful offers that your customers can’t resist.
  • Total Order Handling for All Needs:
    From table reservations and pre-orders to pick-ups and deliveries, FOSA covers it all. Every phone order is seamlessly processed according to your specific needs and is placed directly in FOSA’s POS or your current POS system, with loyalty points, discounts, and item availability managed effortlessly.

Let FOSA fully automate your phone ordering, taking it off your hands while giving your customers an experience they’ll love. Sign up today and watch FOSA transform every call into a hassle-free order!

Why Automating Phone Orders Doesn’t Mean Losing Touch with Customers

Restaurant owners and managers often express concerns that by automating phone orders, they might lose that personal connection with their customers, which could lead to a decline in loyalty and repeat business. While this concern is understandable, the reality is quite the opposite. Automating phone orders with an AI solution can enhance the customer experience in ways that are difficult to achieve manually, allowing restaurants to maintain, and even deepen, their connection with customers. Here’s why:


  • 1. More Personalized Customer Interactions:
    • Myth: Automating phone orders removes the personal touch.
    • Reality: AI technology actually enhances personalization.
      • Customer Recognition: AI systems can instantly recognize returning customers by their phone number, greet them by name, and recall their favorite orders. This kind of personalization is difficult to achieve manually when staff are busy juggling multiple tasks.
      • Tailored Recommendations: AI can suggest specific items based on customer preferences and order history, providing a level of customization that most staff can’t offer during a hectic shift. It remembers details such as dietary preferences, favorite dishes, and even special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, ensuring customers feel valued and known.
      • Consistent Attention: With AI handling orders, no customer is left waiting on hold or rushed through an order due to a busy staff member. Every customer gets consistent, quality service, every time.
  • 2. Freeing Up Staff to Focus on In-Person Guest Experience:
    • Myth: Staff are losing opportunities to interact with customers when orders are automated.
    • Reality: Automation allows staff to focus more on the in-person dining experience, where interactions truly matter.
      • More Time for Guests: By automating phone orders, staff no longer have to juggle answering calls with managing tables. This means they can devote more attention to in-house diners, offering better service, faster response times, and more personal attention.
      • Enhanced Table Service: : Instead of being distracted by phone calls, servers can engage more with guests—providing recommendations, answering questions about the menu, or even making small talk that enhances the dining experience.
      • Proactive Issue Resolution: Without the pressure of handling phone orders, managers can walk the floor, engage with customers directly, and resolve issues before they escalate. This hands-on approach can build stronger relationships and ensure customers leave satisfied.
  • 3. Improved Efficiency and Faster Service for All Customers:
    • Myth: Automating phone orders disconnects restaurants from their customer base.
    • Reality: Automation streamlines operations, allowing restaurants to serve more customers efficiently.
      • No More Missed Calls: A busy restaurant can easily miss customer calls during peak hours, leading to lost orders and frustrated customers. An AI-powered system ensures no call goes unanswered, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
      • Accurate Orders, Every Time: : Manually taking orders over the phone can lead to mistakes due to miscommunication or distractions. AI removes the possibility of errors from mishearing or miskeying orders, resulting in consistently accurate service, which keeps customers coming back.
      • Better Wait Time Management: AI can provide real-time order updates, ensuring customers are well-informed about their order status and reducing frustration over long waits. Whether for pickup or delivery, knowing exactly when their order will be ready boosts customer confidence and trust in your service.
  • 4. Deeper Insights into Customer Preferences:
    • Myth: Automation means losing valuable customer data and insights.
    • Reality: : AI provides more detailed customer data and trends, allowing restaurants to offer better, more personalized service.
      • Comprehensive Customer Profiles: AI tracks ordering habits, allowing restaurants to gather more information about what customers like, when they order, and how often they visit. This data can be used to create targeted promotions, personalized offers, or loyalty rewards that resonate with each individual customer.
      • Informed Promotions: : AI can automatically suggest cross-sells and upsells based on past behavior, offering customers what they are likely to enjoy. Additionally, it can offer real-time discounts or exclusive deals, creating opportunities for greater customer engagement and increasing check sizes.
      • Actionable Feedback: : With AI handling phone orders, it’s easier to collect feedback post-order through SMS or email, allowing the restaurant to continuously improve its services based on real customer insights.
  • 5. Focus on High-Quality Human Interactions:
    • Myth: Automated systems eliminate the “human touch” that builds relationships.
    • Reality: Automation enhances the quality of human interactions by allowing staff to focus on meaningful, in-person engagements.
      • Focus on Memorable Moments: With phone orders being handled efficiently by AI, staff can focus on delivering exceptional in-restaurant experiences, like celebrating special occasions or providing memorable service during peak times.
      • Human Connections Where It Matters: AI takes care of repetitive tasks, allowing staff to spend more time on activities that truly build relationships—engaging with guests, sharing stories behind menu items, and personalizing table service. It enhances the guest experience in ways that directly impact loyalty and repeat visits..
  • 6. Seamless Integration with POS and Kitchen:
    • Myth: Automation disrupts the flow of operations.
    • Reality: AI integration with POS and kitchen systems streamlines the entire ordering process.
      • No Manual Entry Needed: With AI handling phone orders, the system automatically pushes orders to the POS and the kitchen, eliminating manual data entry. This not only speeds up the process but also reduces errors, ensuring smooth operations.
      • Efficient Order Flow: Whether for pickup or delivery, orders are seamlessly routed to the kitchen, where staff can prepare them on time, ensuring fast service. No more juggling between phone calls and order preparation—everything is automated, leaving staff free to focus on quality control and presentation.

Conclusion: Strengthening Customer Relationships with AI

By automating phone orders, restaurants are not losing touch with their customers—they are creating opportunities for deeper connections and more efficient service. AI allows for personalized customer interactions, freeing up staff to engage more meaningfully with in-house guests. It ensures orders are handled accurately and efficiently, improving both the customer experience and operational flow. With AI handling routine tasks, staff can focus on what truly matters: building lasting relationships with customers through exceptional service, personalized interactions, and memorable dining experiences.

AI Phone Ordering System FAQ

  • 1. How can an AI phone ordering system benefit my restaurant?
    • An AI phone ordering system can revolutionize your restaurant operations by:
      • Reducing Missed Calls & Boosting Revenue: Capture every order, even during peak hours, and prevent lost revenue from missed calls.
      • Minimizing Errors & Waste: Eliminate manual order-taking errors, ensuring accurate orders and reducing food waste.
      • Freeing Up Staff Time: Allow your staff to focus on providing exceptional in-house dining experiences and personalized service.
      • Increasing Efficiency & Customer Satisfaction: Streamline the order process, reduce wait times, and improve order accuracy, leading to happier customers.
      • Driving Up Revenue: : Boost average check sizes through strategic cross-selling and upselling driven by AI insights.
  • 2. Will automating phone orders make my restaurant feel impersonal?
    • Absolutely not! In fact, AI can enhance the personal touch:
      • Personalized Greetings & Order History: The system recognizes returning customers, greeting them by name and recalling their order history for a personalized experience.
      • Tailored Recommendations: AI suggests menu items based on individual customer preferences and past orders, making customers feel valued and understood.
      • Consistent & Attentive Service: Every caller receives prompt and efficient service without being rushed or put on hold, ensuring a positive experience for all.
  • 3. How does AI handle cross-selling and upselling without being pushy?
    • The AI system uses intelligent algorithms to suggest relevant add-ons:
      • Complementary Suggestions: It recommends items that naturally complement the customer's order, such as a side dish with a main course, enhancing their dining experience.
      • Personalized Offers: Based on past behavior, AI suggests items the customer is likely to enjoy, increasing the chances of upselling without feeling forced.
      • Real-Time Discounts: The system can offer limited-time promotions or deals on additional items, enticing customers to enhance their order.
  • 4. Is taking credit card payments through an AI system secure?
    • Yes, security is a top priority:
      • PCI Compliance: AI phone ordering systems adhere to strict Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) to protect sensitive customer information.
      • Secure Encryption: All payment data is encrypted during transmission and processing, minimizing the risk of fraud and data breaches.
      • Reduced Human Error: Automating the payment process removes the potential for human error in entering credit card details, further enhancing security.
  • 5. How does the AI system integrate with my existing POS system?
    • Integration is seamless and efficient:
      • Automatic Order Transfer: Once the AI takes the order, it's instantly pushed to your POS system without any manual data entry, eliminating errors and saving time.
      • Real-time Order Tracking: Your staff can monitor order progress in the POS system, ensuring smooth kitchen operations and timely order fulfillment.
      • Centralized Data Management: Integrating AI with your POS provides a centralized hub for sales data, customer insights, and order history for improved business analysis.
  • 6. Can the AI system handle both pickup and delivery orders?
    • Yes, the system is designed to manage both order types:
      • Pickup Orders: AI confirms pickup times, sends notifications when orders are ready, and helps streamline the pickup process for customer convenience.
      • Delivery Orders: It collects delivery addresses, calculates estimated delivery times, and can integrate with third-party delivery services or your in-house drivers.