Takeaway call answering and order taking service: how it works and what it costs
Phone orders still matter to many takeaways, and the busiest hour is exactly when nobody can pick up. A call answering service puts a trained person on the line in your restaurant's name so the order or message is not lost. This guide explains how it works, what to ask a provider and what it should cost.
What a missed call costs you
Most people who get no answer ring the next takeaway on the list. The loss is easy to estimate with your own numbers.
Worked example (assumptions in bold)
If you miss 10 calls a week that would each have been a £18 order, that is £180 a week, or about £9,360 a year, in sales that went elsewhere.
These are example figures. Count the calls you miss in a typical week, and use your own average order value.
How a call answering service works
The setup is simple. Calls to your number are answered in your business name using a greeting and script you agree in advance. The call handler then does one of three things:
- takes the order, with name, phone number, items and address or collection time, and sends it to you
- takes a message, for example a table booking, a complaint or a question
- answers common questions such as opening hours, delivery area and minimum order
Orders print in real time in your shop, so the kitchen can start straight away, and a dedicated support team on WhatsApp handles notifications and communication. Nobody has to listen to voicemail.
Phone order taking: what a good handler does
An order taking answering service is more than picking up the phone. A good handler follows a set routine on every call so the kitchen gets a clean ticket:
- Greets the caller in your business name
- Asks for collection or delivery, and checks the postcode is inside your delivery area
- Takes the items and options from your menu, and repeats the order back
- Takes name, phone number and the collection time or address
- Confirms how the customer will pay, the way you already take payment
- Passes allergy or special-request questions to your team, or answers only from the written information you have supplied
This is the difference between phone order taking services that reduce mistakes and ones that just take a message. Ask any provider to walk you through a sample call.
Answering service or extra staff?
Worked example (assumptions in bold)
Covering the 6 busiest hours a day, 7 days a week with an answering service at £3 an hour is £126 a week. Compare that with the wage and employer costs of a member of staff on the phone for the same hours, who also has to cook, serve and pack.
Use your own wage figures. The point is that you pay for cover only at the times calls actually arrive.
In-house, voicemail or an answering service?
Staff answering the phone works until you are busy, which is when calls come in. Voicemail loses most callers, because people hang up rather than leave a message. An answering service gives you cover for the hours you choose, without hiring and training someone for a shift that only needs two hours of cover.
What to ask a provider before you sign
- Which hours are covered? Peak evening hours, weekends and bank holidays matter most.
- How do orders reach your kitchen? Printed in real time, on a screen or into your EPOS, and who you contact for updates.
- Who writes the script? You should approve the greeting, menu details and how mistakes are handled.
- Where is the team based? You are entitled to a straight answer, and so are your customers. Ours is a UK partner in Lancashire with a remote support team that includes staff in Pakistan.
- What happens to the customer data? Ask how it is stored and who can see it.
- Is there a long contract? You should be able to change or cancel with notice.
What it costs
Providers price either per call, per minute, or per hour of cover. At Tech Talk Solution, call answering is £5 £3 per hour of cover, and you choose the hours. Covering 6 hours a day, 7 days a week is 6 × 7 × £3 = £126 a week. In our takeaway package at £150 a week, peak-hours call answering is included along with EPOS, direct ordering and SMS marketing.
See the full price list, or our Lancashire page if you are local.
Frequently asked questions
What is an order taking answering service?
It is a team that answers your calls in your business name, takes the full order from your menu, and passes it to your shop so your own staff do not have to stop what they are doing.
How much does phone order taking cost?
At Tech Talk Solution, call answering is £3 per hour of cover (was £5), and you choose the hours. Six hours a day, seven days a week comes to £126 a week.
Can handlers answer allergy questions?
Handlers should only answer from the written allergen information you give them, and pass anything else to your team. Ask any provider how they handle this before you sign.
Will customers know it is an answering service?
Calls are answered in your business name using the greeting you approve. Handlers follow your menu and script so customers get a clear, friendly answer.
Can I keep my existing phone number?
Yes. Calls to your existing number can be forwarded to the answering team, so customers keep ringing the same number.
Can the service take card payments?
Orders are passed to you, and payment is handled the way you already take it, for example on delivery or collection, or through your own ordering website.