12 questions to ask before buying a restaurant phone order system
Quick answer: Before buying an AI phone ordering system, ask whether it connects to your POS menu, how it takes payment, whether callers can reach a person, who sets up your menu, what happens when it gets an order wrong, whether you keep your number, and the full monthly, setup and usage costs. Then call the demo line yourself.
Key takeaways
- Insist on calling a live demo line before you sign.
- Get all costs in writing: monthly, setup, phone usage, contract length.
- Make sure there's always a way to reach your staff.
The checklist
- Does it connect directly to my POS (for example Square) and use my real menu?
- How does it take payment? Does it ever take card numbers on the call?
- Can a caller ask for a person at any time? What happens then?
- Who builds my menu, modifiers and add-on rules, and how long does setup take?
- How do I update the menu or mark an item sold out?
- What happens if the agent misunderstands an order?
- Can I keep my current phone number?
- Do I get call summaries or recordings?
- How does it handle hours, holidays and closures?
- What's the monthly price per location, setup fee and phone-usage cost?
- How long is the contract and how do I cancel?
- Can I call a demo line right now?
How AYO for Restaurants answers these
AYO for Restaurants connects to Square and works from your Square menu, texts a Square payment link and never takes card numbers, hands off to staff whenever a caller asks, and includes menu and add-on setup with help from our team. Current pricing is on our homepage and confirmed in writing before you sign up.
Frequently asked questions
How much does AI phone ordering cost for restaurants?
It varies by vendor. See the AYO for Restaurants homepage for current pricing.
How long does setup take?
Setup involves connecting Square, menu and add-on rules, hours and a phone number. Ask any vendor for a timeline in writing.
Want every call answered? AYO takes phone orders from your Square menu and texts a secure pay link. See how AYO works.
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