Frequently Asked Questions

Online Ordering FAQ

What if I need to cancel or delete an order?

You can delete and cancel orders if you need to, for example if the customer called you and cancelled their order, if the order was a mistake or if it was a test order. The orders are only stored on the GPRS printers so you are in total control of which online orders were real. Please be careful though as if you accidentally delete an order, there is no way of getting it back!

What is online ordering?

ZPos provide Online Ordering Websites. We build cutting edge online ordering websites for the restaurant and takeaway industry. The idea of online ordering (for a takeaway website) is to add e-commerce interactivity for the customer. The idea is to allow a customer to use their internet-enabled device, such as a laptop or mobile phone, to order a takeaway for collection or delivery instead of the traditional phone call. By allowing a customer to order online, both you and the customer will benefit from the streamlined ordering process. They will be able to browse your food menu in their own time and have the ability to customise the food, then pay online.

The typical takeaway online ordering process would be as follows:

  1. Customer searches internet for something like "pizza takeaway in london", they would then find your online ordering website in the list of search results.
  2. The customer would look at your website and enter their postcode to ensure they are in your delivery area.
  3. The customers browses your menu online, this includes all your options and possible customisations and adds items to their order.
  4. After they have chosen their food, they would proceed to a checkout where they would enter their contact information and choose the method of payment.
  5. If they choose to pay by card for their online takeaway order then they would be taken to the bank's website to pay.
  6. The order would be then completed and your customer would receive a confirmation email. You would receive notification too (by your chosen means; email, SMS, fax, phone call or auto printed on a GPRS printer).
  7. You deliver the food (or allow customer to collect).
  8. You then have the customer's contact information for your future marketing efforts to gain loyal customers.

There are some other online ordering website providers for takeaways however most of them are very basic and underdeveloped; often made offshore in another country by amateur web developers. There is no other product/service like ours, this is why so many takeaway owners and resellers rely on us. We have many resellers in the UK whom use our system as their own and you wouldn't even know it! So well done to you for finding the source of the best online ordering websites for restaurant and takeaways.

What is the length of your contracts

We do not believe in contracts, we believe in piece of mind. You should not be locked into an online ordering website services that isn't working for you. If we were to enforce a contract and for whatever reason you were not happy, the remaining time of your contract would be unpleasant for both you and us. We depend on good worth of mouth advertising and as such we will do whatever we can to not get into any conflicts. Our product and service is so good, there shouldn't be a reason to leave, but if you do want to go elsewhere for an online ordering website for your takeaway, all we would ask is a chance to make you happy, if we can't then we will do everything to help you move. Whereas we do not provide a contract length as standard, by doing so may result in a better price.

Are you like Just-Eat, Hungry House, Takeaway.com etc.

No. These companies are great at what they do however we are not like them. We do facilitate online ordering however we do it under your own name, brand and colours without promoting your competitors. We also charge a lot less than these companies. The named companies are known as "food portals" and are essentially a yellow pages directory with very basic (but expensive) ordering features. We work for you, helping you to gain more business and succeed in your restaurant venture with your own online ordering website. You can still use these portals but make sure you have your own site so you can get customers to order direct from you so you save money and control your customer's ordering experience.

Do I need a PC or broadband Internet?

No. We can send you the orders in so many ways. Of course, you can get Internet in your shop if you want, and if you do so you can view your orders online, but it is unnecessary. The most common way to receive online orders is via email, however this is not good enough as far as we are concerned. We provide a GPRS, 3G or WiFi online ordering printer which is completely standalone. The device fits neatly on the counter or in the kitchen, they can be set to print multiple copies if needed.

How much does online ordering cost?

It's up to you. We have priced our packages to suit any budget or preference in payment. Are you a new to online ordering? Then you can choose to pay a low commission on your online sales whilst you build up your online orders. When you get a lot of orders, or if you would prefer it from the start, we can put you on a fixed price monthly package which still includes your licence fee, support, hosting, domain name, email, SEO and service. You won't find another company doing what we do for cheaper, but if you find another company doing something similar then we might consider a price match, or even beat it. The best thing to do is contact us and we can work out what the cheapest option for you is.

Can I edit my website to update prices or pictures?

Yes. As part of your subscription, we will do your menu updates for you or add the images however you have the power to do this yourself easily too with your special control panel. From here, you can actually change your websites colours, fonts, logo, colours, pictures, icons, social media, menu items, special offers, voucher codes, loyalty schemes, gift certificates, orders and more!

Can you handle franchises & multiple branches?

Yes. We love multiple branches and can support your business with as much or as little help as you need to oversee your online ordering website. Some larger takeaway franchises would like to maintain their site which is fine, whereas some would like to rely on a professional company like us to manage it for them. We can set you up with emails and a franchise management portal so you can oversee all your shop's orders and data. We can send payments for the online orders to each of your branches individually each week and completely remove any hassle you may incur elsewhere. When a shop has multiple branches, the customer is greeted with a postcode box, coupled with a map based branch locator. To make it easier, our systems can use the customer devices' GPS features to locate their closest branch without them even having to do anything!

Will my website be based on a template?

No. We take pride in building a bespoke design just for you. Some larger companies will spend tens of thousands on a design however we include it as part of our £99 setup fee! This doesn't mean you get a substandard design, we believe you should have a great website design no matter what your budget is. In fact, if you want your site to look like someone else's then we will more than happily make it similar (whilst adhering to copyright law). If you want a template design then fine however we do not recommend it. Other companies will charge you a lot for just copy and pasting another one of their existing sites. Not only are you being ripped off but you also look exactly like another company!

How long does it take to complete?

This will vary depending on our workload and what your requirements are. Typically, it takes us 2 days to create a beautiful design for you, when you are happy with your design we will then build it. The build process takes around 7 days as we don't want to rush the design and we take a lot of care with your website - it needs to look great for the orders to pile in! It takes us about 4 days to enter your menu properly. We don't just type your menu as is, we try to find the best way to show it off online with extra options and more, it really is a puzzle to do properly. We can normally work on the menu and build at the same time. Then it goes through our checking and testing process which usually takes about 2 days. From start to finish you can expect a 2 - 3 week lead time however if you need it sooner or later we can either rush it or delay it's development as appropriate.

Will the website work on mobile phones/tablets?

Yes. As part of your online ordering website, we also build you a mobile website, tablet website and also an Xbox optimised website at no extra cost. Customers can order takeaway online using any of these devices.

Do you offer your services to my location?

Yes we do. We currently have 3 offices across the UK and we also have staff who can come to see you if you like. The great thing with websites and digital services is that all of it can be done over the internet and phone. We can discuss designs over the phone and email you samples, you can view your website whilst it is in development too. Our software is ready to serve the rest of the world too and we have proven this with providing our services to takeaways/restaurants in other countries.

Can you add online ordering to my existing website?

Yes we can. We can give you one line of code to add to your website which will put an "Order Online" button wherever you want. Or, we can give you a few more lines of code (which we can add for you) that will make a new page on your site. It usually works out better though (and doesn't cost you extra) for us to remake the website and match the existing one's colours and pages.

Why should I get an online ordering website?

Online ordering is the way forward for both you and the customer. We can help you save time and make a lot more money in a short space of time. Here are some other reasons why you should get an online ordering website for your takeaway:

  1. Your competitors will get one and customers will use them if you do not have one, which would mean you could lose your regular customers
  2. Gain new customers who are searching the internet for takeaways in their area
  3. Save money by not having to distribute printer paper leaflets
  4. Your staff have more time to make and deliver orders as they won't be wasting time on the phone
  5. Customers can browse your menu online and order easily
  6. Build your brand image
  7. Less to no mistakes when taking orders, there will be no language barriers or miscommunication as the order instructions will print in black and white
  8. Reduce costs from online ordering portals by encouraging customers to order from you instead, you do not want to be in a position where you rely on other companies to give you the customers as they can easily take them away if they want to promote another takeaway in your area
  9. Easily up sell products to your customers with items and options they may not even know about
  10. Capture customer data for future marketing or order/product analysis
  11. Quickly promote products that you need to get rid of quickly

EPoS FAQ

What is EPoS?

EPoS is an acronym for Electronic Point Of Sale. If you are serious about your business then you need to have a good EPoS behind the scenes of your restaurant or takeaway. Without EPoS your business will be subjected to unreliable hand written orders and manual calculations. A decent EPoS will provide you with order and customer management with automatic cash-ups and sales reporting. The term EPoS (Also written as epos, EPos and Epos), refers to both hardware and software as one entity. You can buy EPoS software and EPoS hardware independently.

EPoS hardware will normally consist of:

  • 15" or 17" touch screen monitor
  • Desktop computer (or an integrated all in one pc)
  • Receipt thermal printer (usually 80mm thermal, or 76mm dot matrix)
  • CallerID unit
  • Sometimes they will have a rear customer screen or pole mounts

In theory, if you have a piece of software installed on any device that can take orders, then you have an EPoS! For more information, please see our EPoS page.