Offer phone-based ordering
Government Programs
2 July 2025
Offering phone-based ordering is a simple way to support customers who may find online ordering difficult. With Cookaborough, it’s easy to enter these orders manually and provide a more accessible, personalised service.
Make your service more accessible
Not every customer is confident ordering online. For some, particularly older Australians, people with accessibility needs, or those living with a disability, phone ordering is simpler and more reassuring.
This is especially true for Home Care Package (HCP) customers, who may need help understanding the menu, choosing meals that align with their plan, or simply feel more comfortable speaking with a real person.
Offering phone-based ordering creates a more inclusive experience, supports customer independence, and helps you build trust and loyalty with those who might otherwise struggle to place an order.
Best practice for phone orders
The most effective approach is to set a dedicated time each week for phone ordering, giving you space to process orders before your menu closes.
For example, if your order deadline is Friday, you might offer a phone ordering window on Thursdays between 10am and 4pm.
Nominate a team member to handle the calls and aim to take them in a quiet space without background noise. Sticking to consistent hours helps customers form a routine and keeps things manageable for your business.
Phone orders made easy with Cookaborough
Cookaborough includes built-in functionality for creating manual orders, making it easy to process phone-based orders directly through your dashboard.
This feature is designed to be fast, flexible and reliable, so you can support customers over the phone without disrupting your workflow. You can quickly find or create a customer profile, build their order from the current menu, and apply any necessary adjustments.
You can also add notes to manual orders, both for the order itself and for delivery instructions.
If phone orders take extra time to manage, you can choose to enable an assisted order fee. This is optional and can be adjusted per order.
Promote your phone ordering option
Once your phone ordering process is in place, let customers know it’s available. You can promote it in your About section, FAQs, weekly menu emails, and in promotional posts.
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