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Text message orders · PlentyOrder

Text message orders, without retyping a single one.

Orders come in as three texts, a correction and an “oh and 2 more lemons.” Built to fold the whole thread into one order matched to your catalog, keep every message next to the line it changed, and wait for a person to approve it.

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Sample order · text thread · fictional restaurant · Text message orders
SMS SampleThu 8:56 PM
Sam Ortiz(631) 555-0171
Thu 8:56 PM
sam @ harbor lights. tmrw: 2 cs lemons, 1 bag carrots, 20 lb ground beef, 1 cs heavy cream
actually make the ground beef 30 lb
Got it Sam, 30 lb.
oh and 1 cs english cucumbers
What the desk decides on this order
  • MatchedAll 5 lines matched cleanly. One click to approve.
SO-31163Fri, Oct 23 · AM route

Harbor Lights Diner

Ready
Sam OrtizC-2283SMS
  1. 2cs
    Lemons, 115 ct
    LEM-115 · 40 lb case
    “2 cs lemons”
    $82.00$41.00/cs
  2. 1bag
    Carrots, jumbo
    CAR-JMB · 25 lb bag
    “1 bag carrots”
    $19.00$19.00/bag
  3. 30lb
    Ground beef 80/20
    BEF-GRD · 10 lb chub
    “make the ground beef 30 lb”
    Changed from 20 lb by the second text.
    $162.00$5.40/lb
  4. 1cs
    Heavy whipping cream
    CRM-HVY · 12 × 1 qt
    “1 cs heavy cream”
    $52.00$52.00/cs
  5. 1cs
    English cucumbers
    CUC-ENG · 12 ct case
    “1 cs english cucumbers”
    Added by the third text.
    $21.00$21.00/cs
5 lines · Est. total$336.00
Sample order: the message on the left, the ticket a person approves on the right. Try the buttons.
The problem

Why text orders eat the morning

01

One order, many texts

Customers text the order, then a correction, then an add-on. Someone has to stitch them together by hand. Here the thread becomes one ticket, and each line notes which text changed it.

02

Texts land on personal phones

When orders arrive on a rep’s cell, they leave with the rep. Forwarding the order number puts every text on the desk, where anyone can pick it up.

03

No record of what was asked

When a customer says “I said 30 pounds,” you want the text. Every ticket keeps the original messages, word for word.

How it works

Three texts, one order

  1. 018:56 PM

    First text

    Four items, with units.

  2. 028:58 PM

    Correction

    “Make the ground beef 30 lb” updates the line instead of adding a new one.

  3. 039:03 PM

    Add-on

    Cucumbers are added to the same order, not a second ticket.

  4. 046:00 AM

    Ready to approve

    No flags, so it’s a single click for the desk.

Reference

How follow-up texts are handled

Follow-ups are where retyping goes wrong. These are the patterns the thread reader is built for.

Customer textsWhat happensShown on the line
“make the beef 30 lb”Updates the existing line“Changed from 20 lb by the second text”
“oh and 1 cs cucumbers”Adds a line to the same order“Added by the third text”
“no cream this time”Removes the lineThe line is struck through, with the text
“same as last week”Copies that order’s linesThe source order number
“if no romaine send green leaf”Saved as a substitute instructionUsed if the line comes up short
FAQ

Questions about text message orders.

Do customers text a new number?

No. You forward the number restaurants already text. They don’t install anything or learn a new format.

What if two texts conflict?

The latest instruction wins on the ticket, and the line shows which text changed it, so the desk can check if it looks wrong.

Can it text the customer back?

Order confirmations can be sent as a reply in the same thread. Approval and posting still wait for a person on your team.

Does it work for group texts or multiple buyers at one restaurant?

Messages are tied to the customer account by phone number. A second buyer’s number can be added to the same account.

Related

All solutions

Available by request

See it on your own orders.

Fifteen minutes is enough to run a few of your real messages through it, against your own price list.

Request access Book a 15-min demo

The restaurant, people and order on this page are fictional sample data.