Author Topic: Pizza IVR Telephone Orders (Read 13173 times)

avigopinath · « **on:** January 26, 2009, 02:03:22 PM »

Hello,

I am an IVR(Interactive Voice Response System) consultant by profession and just had a thought would it be a good idea if we were able to order pizza over the phone through an IVR.

What if I could just speak to an automated system that can take my orders and process it ? Imagine the amount of time and effort it could save the Pizzeria.Customer service will not be affected at all since its an automated system and would not get tired during busy hours.

Costs can be cut dramatically as the whole process is automated

Let me have your thoughts friends do you think it would be a good idea ?

-- Avi

jeff v · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2009, 02:27:46 PM »

If I called to order pizza and an automated system tried to take my order I'd hang up...and not call back.

Jeff

avigopinath · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2009, 02:38:15 PM »

Hmm.. fair enough I thought so too.But would it be more effective if the automated system was a speech driven system like a woman taking orders and offering menus etc.

What if it was designed in a way where the lady would gather information from your call say, you had placed an order earlier and she asked would you like to repeat your last order ?

If you say 'yes', she confirms repeating your last order and if you say 'no' she will take an order starting with for example : what size pizza (Small, medium,Large)
Next what toppings would you like ? (Reads out )

and so .. just like the normal process and finally you just key in the credit card number and your sale is done !

Lets hear.

---Av

JConk007 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2009, 02:58:25 PM »

Not that I purchase too many pizzas these days. I agree with Jeff V But we tend to think alike. I think if I wanted to go HTP (high-tech-pizza) I would do the on-line order thing. If the ordering process were generic computer questions, whats the pizza gonna be like? I can see the robots now "Circle - sauce - cheese." Could a robot make a pizza and apply the toppings based on the selections you make on your phone order? Hell they can make a car

I can see it now. If you want D.O.P. San Marzano Crushed tomatoes press #1. If you want 6 in 1's press #2, Please enter your thickness factor using the # keys on your phone.... Better place for this question might be over on the PMQ think tank mostly pros there. good luck
John

November · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2009, 03:02:05 PM »

avigopinath,

You sound a little automated yourself. Posting your question in three threads? Many would regard that as either narcissistic or amnesic.

Frankly, typical IVRs are not equipped to handle the kinds of questions people often have about their order. Can I get extra cheese on today's special? Can you put pepperoni on just a fourth of the pizza? Are the mushrooms canned or fresh? Do you have Canadian bacon instead of ham or bacon? There are dozens of questions like this that would make an IVR useless. There is already a solution for ordering pizza using an automated system. It's called the Internet, and more smart phones today are capable of connecting to it for such an order. With the Internet, at least you don't have to wait to hear all the options before making a selection. IVRs are not dynamic and are designed for the lowest common denominator. I've ordered pizzas online in less than 30 seconds. Even humans on the phone have never processed me that quickly.

sourdough girl · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2009, 03:24:09 PM »

Quote from: November on January 26, 2009, 03:02:05 PM

avigopinath,

You sound a little automated yourself. Posting your question in three threads? Many would regard that as either narcissistic or amnesic.

Narcissistic, amnesic or... non human.
I agree and also find it interesting that the response to jeff v was identical in two threads. The other two threads have now been deleted.

~sd

avigopinath · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2009, 03:25:54 PM »

Apologies for posting in two threads guys.Please leve your opinions here it would be much appreciated and by the way I AM HUMAN

Pete-zza · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2009, 04:01:52 PM »

Avi,

It looks like an IVR system for ordering pizza as you have generally described it already exists: http://www.800pbx.com/panel-videos.php. If you call the telephone number given under "Try" just below "Pizza Ordering (IVR)", you can access a test demo. There are some limitations (e.g., you can't specify different toppings on different parts of the pizzas) but one can order multiple toppings on a single pizza, several pizzas, as well as appetizers, drinks, use promotional codes, charge to credit cards, etc.

Peter

November · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2009, 04:55:31 PM »

Quote from: Pete-zza on January 26, 2009, 04:01:52 PM

There are some limitations (e.g., you can't specify different toppings on different parts of the pizzas)

I'm guessing it also lacks the ability to specify a delivery address or a delayed time (e.g. call at 4:17 PM for a 6:30 PM pick-up). Other common requests I heard while working in the business were: Don't put the pizza under a heat lamp. Slice the pizza into twelve slices instead of eight. Heat the dipping sauce. Don't salt the breadsticks. One might as well just have the caller record special requests like those for the employee to playback when making the pizza, but then you lose the sense of automation. A delivery address and delayed time are especially important to get right in an automated system or else the customer might not ever get their pizza. There's a lot of room for error that defeats the purpose of having an automated system.

avigopinath · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:08:08 PM »

All these feedbacks are really constructive and I appreciate your comments.Please feel free to criticize, appreciate and give us all your thoughts.

Great stuff guys !

---Avi

petef · « **Reply #10 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:22:24 PM »

Quote from: avigopinath on January 26, 2009, 02:03:22 PM

Hello,
I am an IVR(Interactive Voice Response System) consultant by profession and just had a thought would it be a good idea if we were able to order pizza over the phone through an IVR.

Yes and no. Allow me explain.

Many people would view the automated system as annoying and it would cause lost sales.
HOWEVER, people could come acustomed to it if it provided some kind of benefit.

I recently walked into a local convenience store to order an Italian Hoagie and they
had a new automated computer system that allowed you to customize your order.
The clerk walked me through all the choices and initialy I hated it because there
were so many choices and screens to go through versus talking to a human and
telling them what I wanted. It was too overwhelmng. However, after I used this
automated system a few times, I grew to love it and preferred it over the old
fashioned way. Now I wish I could enter my name and it would remember how
I like my Italian hoagie so I can order the same one with a single button.

With all that said, I think the pizza automated ordering system would have to
offer a choice of speaking to a human or using the autmomated system. The
automated system should be setup as a customer database (based upon
phone#/caller ID) so that a regular customer could re-order the same kinds
of pizza that they have in the past without having to go through complex
menus.

Like this...

Hello, thank you for calling ABC Pizza.
Press 1 to place an order or speak to Joe.
Press 2 to order using the automateded sytem and receive a $1 discount.

Caller presses..2

Hello, caller from 555-555-1234, please select the
first item you want to order today. Your choices will
be based upon past orders you've recenty made.

Press 1 for large pizza with sausage & mushroom.
Press 2 for medium pizza - plain.
Press 3 for large pizza - plain.
Press 4 for large pizza with pepperoni.

Caller presses..1

Press the number of "large pizza with sausage & mushroom"
pizza's you'd like to order.

Caller presses.. 2

Press 1 for pickup, press 2 for delivery.

Press 1 to order another item, press 2 to submit & confirm order.

The automated system would then report to the caller
the entire order and total bill amount and aproximate
time it will take.

The system I described above would require a human
at the store to initially enter each customer's favorites
based upon their phone# and past history of orders.

If a customer calls in and their phone# is not in the database,
they will be connected directly to the human who will take
the order.

PS: For my idea above to be feasbile, someone would have to
tell us whether most customers tend to order the same few
items over and over?

---pete---

avigopinath · « **Reply #11 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:38:22 PM »

Hi pete,

Thanks for the comments were very interesting and I fully agree with you.

The system that I was mentioning about would have a database and as the systemis used it would gradually build up caller profiles and last orders placed as I myself as a pizza consumer have re-ordered the same pizza on various occasions.

Secondly the system would be speech driven and does not require, using the keypad to input choices but rather can have speec commands for example "Large Pizza" "Mushrooms" "Diet Coke " etc etc.

The interesting part in your comments were where you mentioned eductaing and encouraging the customers to use the automated system by giving them a discount.This would actually ease off the stores pressure to handle returning customers.

The IVR however will have an option to speak to operator in this instance the waitress or the person who can take the manual order.

Thanks for the comments appreciate it.

--- Avi

JConk007 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:45:32 PM »

Pete Thats the quick Check here in Jersey same sub sandwich computer set up, and I admitt that its not that bad to get thru it. However theres the guy on the other side you can get to should there be a problem with order making or the product you recieve and a place to enter special instructions for you r special sandwich. can the ivr do that?
Its still No for me for now on the IVR pizza call
John

Pizza_Not_War · « **Reply #13 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:47:45 PM »

I have not ordered a pizza in years. Why would I? But I see that all the younger Gen X,Y,Z or whatever have phones with internet and making a simple to use website order form accessible from a cell phone would be a far superior product that would be worthy of development time.

RANT
Nobody wants to talk to anybody anymore. Zip in zip out with your food. As a kid getting a slice of pizza meant you had a 5 minute conversation with Bruno, he of course was curious why you were not in school at the moment LOL. In my town I knew the names of most of the employees and owners of many of the restaurants and grocery stores that I went to. It was a town of 50,000 people so I am not talking about a tiny place. When you got a hamburger and a coke, Archie would talk with you if he was not swamped - I miss that greatly!

Put the Genie back into the bottle please!

PNW

Essen1 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:54:45 PM »

Just remember how difficult it is nowadays to talk to a human being when one calls their Cable company, Bank or Phone service provider.

It seems the personal touch has been greatly reduced to a monotone, digital voice making one jump through hoops galore before one is actually getting a real human being on the line.

Call me old-fashioned but I agree with PNW.

sourdough girl · « **Reply #15 on:** January 26, 2009, 07:07:38 PM »

Quote from: Pizza_Not_War on January 26, 2009, 06:47:45 PM

I have not ordered a pizza in years. Why would I? But I see that all the younger Gen X,Y,Z or whatever have phones with internet and making a simple to use website order form accessible from a cell phone would be a far superior product that would be worthy of development time.

RANT
Nobody wants to talk to anybody anymore. Zip in zip out with your food. As a kid getting a slice of pizza meant you had a 5 minute conversation with Bruno, he of course was curious why you were not in school at the moment LOL. In my town I knew the names of most of the employees and owners of many of the restaurants and grocery stores that I went to. It was a town of 50,000 people so I am not talking about a tiny place. When you got a hamburger and a coke, Archie would talk with you if he was not swamped - I miss that greatly!

Put the Genie back into the bottle please!

PNW

I think PNW has hit the nail on the head and, being "of a certain age", I have the same memories he does.

With connectivity on the rise, I would think that phone orders would begin to dwindle as internet orders increase. If you want to keep your customers calling on the phone, I think a human voice is the way to do it.

I think adding a system like the one proposed to a pizza place is just one more way to disconnect from the human race. It might make life easier for the pizza operator, but that's not the point... the operator needs to have a human connection with his customer. If I called and got the automated system, it would be the last pizza I would order from that company.

Why would I want to order food from someone who doesn't want to talk to me??

~sd

petef · « **Reply #16 on:** January 26, 2009, 08:28:35 PM »

Quote from: JConk007 on January 26, 2009, 05:45:32 PM

Pete Thats the quick Check here in Jersey same sub sandwich computer set up, and I admitt that its not that bad to get thru it. However theres the guy on the other side you can get to should there be a problem with order making or the product you recieve and a place to enter special instructions for you r special sandwich. can the ivr do that?
Its still No for me for now on the IVR pizza call

Yeah, I hear ya, John. That's why I say the very first choice must be
for the customer to choose the old fashoined way or the automated
way. Bottom line, the automated method has got to have some great
advantage, otherwise it will only lead to lost business.

I don't think the automated system would be very good for making a
custom order for pizza, but I think it would be fine for ordering items
that I order time and time again. In other words, if I need to order
something special, I use the human. If I'm ordering the same old
large pie with sausage and mushrooms that I usuallly order, I'll
use the automated system. But ALWAYS give the customer the
choice of using the old way that he is comfortable with.

---pete---

petef · « **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2009, 08:46:32 PM »

Quote from: sourdough girl on January 26, 2009, 07:07:38 PM

I think adding a system like the one proposed to a pizza place is just one more way to disconnect from the human race. It might make life easier for the pizza operator, but that's not the point... the operator needs to have a human connection with his customer.

I agree with most of what you say above. It should not be about making life easier
for the pizza operator. To have a sucessfull automated system, it has to make life
easier for the customer. That's why I say it's best suited for ordering the same
favorite items just the way you like them.

The automated system could prove to be better if it was designed right.
For example, say I always order a large pizza with sausage & mushrooms
and I like my crust extra crispy and a bit extra on the sauce. The automated
customer database would hold that info and it would help ensure that I
received the same product each time. Whereas, calling in an order, the
specifics may get misinterpreted, depending upon who was taking the order.

I don't think anyone wants to talk to a machine saying... LARGE PIE,
EXTRA CHEESE, MUSHROOMS, DIET COKE, BOTTLE, and then have to
confirm each item and/or correct the errors. That could wind up being
a total disaster.

---pete---

Essen1 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2009, 09:02:10 PM »

I can't understand why anyone would advocate an automated system over personal customer service in the first place? Because of efficiency and lower costs? Maybe. But it also bears the risk of losing customers if things go wrong.

I know big corporations do it in order to keep costs down, while raking in profits, but IMHO the individual and personal interaction between client and business is being neglected, if it hasn't been lost completely. If I'd run my business that way I could close up shop in a New York minute.

David · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2009, 09:09:53 PM »

The only IVR i've been satisfied with has been the system used by my local Pharmacy to re-fill my anger management medication.