Online ordering platform Swiftorder has enabled Tony’s Chip Shop in Shawhead, Coatbridge, to offer better prices, better value and a better service
When Covid hit in 2020, Tony’s Chip Shop in Shawhead, Coatbridge, was one of the thousands of businesses that flipped to online ordering, partnering with a market-leading aggregator in order to get its food to its customers. But with surging inflation putting pressure on margins and a growing number of customer complaints through the platform leading to automatic refunds, owner Hugh Innes felt the time was right to look at more cost effective options.
Last month, Tony’s went live with online ordering platform Swiftorder to take orders directly, a transition that Hugh describes as being “smooth” and popular with both staff and customers.
“It was really easy,” he says. “I simply sent my menus to Swiftorder, they built the website and the app, and added an ‘order here’ button to our Facebook page and our Google page so that customers can order in a number of different ways. The customers love it because it is so easy to order from, the staff love it because it is so easy to work with, and I love it because it’s more efficient for the business and it’s keeping the cost down for the customers.”
High monthly charges have been replaced by significantly lower fees, there’s no longer commission for Hugh to absorb or the 50p service charge for customers to pay on every order. It means Hugh can charge shop prices to all his customers whether they are walking through the shop door or opening their front door at home.
Hugh adds: ”I found it very daunting at first leaving a platform that promoted your business and had a bigger audience of people, but I thought I’ve got to run the business the way I want to run it. With Swiftorder, I can give my customers a better price, better value and a better service.”
As well as developing the app and the website, Swiftorder negotiated a competitive rate on card payments, with Hugh adding: “Katie was very approachable, she came up to the shop when the system went live and tried all our food. She even tried haggis for the first time and loved it!”
With Swiftorder at the end of the phone, Hugh has the peace of mind he can talk through problems or changes to the menu. “Although you can make changes yourself, because it’s all new to us, at the moment I call Katie, tell her what I need changing and it is done immediately.
“With everything getting more expensive – fish, potatoes, gas, electricity – it all has an effect on your business, and when we were putting about 15% on to the price of the product it was just too much. Swiftorder offers a friendly, reliable, efficient and cost effective alternative.”
Swiftorder 0117 325 9310 www.swiftorder.co.uk
