Summary
Handoffs by Otter is a best-in-class order handoff solution that lets you manage orders throughout their entire lifecycle from preparation to ready for pickup to handoff.
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Optimally manage customer and courier front-of-house traffic to eliminate chaos.
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Reduce order issues and mistakes, ensuring the right order is given to the right person every time.
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Increase customer and courier satisfaction and protect your food quality by efficiently passing off delivery orders.
The key features include:
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Smart Check-In Flow: Provide couriers and pickup customers with order status information and notify the kitchen upon arrival. The check-in process can be done via a QR code or a tablet located in the premises.
- QR Code Check-In Configuration: Contactless check-in allows for couriers to check-in for their orders while avoiding the shared Check-in tablet. By scanning a facility-specific QR code, couriers can alert facility staff of their presence, know when they may expect their order to be ready, and receive order notifications (US-only).
- Pickup Feed: Provide order status information and alert couriers & customers when their order is ready through our customer-facing display.
- Processing Feed: The Processing Feed displays all orders that are scanned in to a handoff bin (Cubby, Locker, rack, etc.), as well as the courier status, order location, and time spent in handoff.
How does it work?
Smart Check-In Flow
Smart Check-in (SCI) is a new way for guests to pick up their order simply by showing their phone screen to a check-in tablet. Using the front-facing camera and optical character recognition (OCR) on the tablet, Smart Check-in quickly and accurately finds orders and allows for more drivers/customers to locate their order or see their order status.
QR Code Check-In Configuration
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Visit the specific location’s page within the Facilities UI
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Select the Check-In tab from the navigation bar
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Click Download QR Code
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Print QR code and display in courier pick-up area
Pickup Feed
- The pickup feed is installed in a visible area outside your restaurant.
- Orders marked as “ready for pickup” in Otter’s Order Manager (by clicking on the bell icon) are displayed on the screen.
- Once ready, the courier or customer grabs the order at the handoff point defined by the restaurant.
- Once the order has been marked as “handed off” to the courier/customer in Otter Order Manager (by clicking on the bag icon), it disappears from the pickup feed.
Processing Feed
The Processing Feed displays all orders that are scanned in to a handoff bin (Cubby, Locker, rack, etc.), as well as the courier status, order location, and time spent in handoff.
Processing Feed Image Legend:
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Configurable fields
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Courier status
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Order Ready notification when Courier checks in or Courier Arriving Signal received from OFO
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Order Issue Notification for long order wait
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Timer indicating total time order has been in the Processing Center
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Short Display Name for stores
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Processing metrics
For orders with a different fulfillment provider than the ordering source, you’ll see a second icon indicating as such:
Processing Feed Configuration
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Visit the specific facility’s page within the Facilities UI
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Select the Feeds tab from the navigation bar
Configurable Fields
- Alert Thresholds: Set the threshold for total time an order waits in the Processing Center before an alert is triggered on the Feed.
- Order Identifiers: Set the order detail fields that will be displayed in the Processing Feed that will be most useful for processing orders.
- Alert Sounds: Set which events should trigger an audio alert and the type of audio to be played with each alert (chime, warning tone, voice)
Frequently Asked Question
- How do I access the Processing Feed?
- The Processing Feed is available in the Feeds dropdown, which can be accessed in the upper left of the top navigation bar of any facility feed.
Check-in
| Do we have check-in notifications via WhatsApp or SMS? | Not yet |
Processing Feed
| How do I access the Processing Feed? | The Processing Feed is available in the Feeds dropdown, which can be accessed in the upper left of the top navigation bar of any facility feed. |
Definition
| What's the pickup feed? | Provide order status information and alert couriers & customers when their order is ready through our customer-facing display |
| What's the check-in flow? | Provide couriers and pickup customers with order status information and notify the kitchen upon arrival. The check-in process can be done via a QR code or a tablet located in the premises. |
User
| Does the pickup feed work for courier and collect? | Yes. The pickup feed allows us to show the order for the courier or the collect customers |
Setup
| Does the restaurant require wifi to have the pickup feed? | Yes. |
| What's the best device to display feeds? | A computer (Chromebox, PC, Mac etc) is recommended. |
| If I don't have a computer, what's the best device to display feeds? | You can use a smart TV that has the following requirements: HDMI port, open power outlet, wifi |
| Is there a device that can reliably support the processing feed? | Chromecast with Google TV is an inexpensive HDMI streaming device and it can do some local processing, and you can run apps off of it (rather than just cast a Chrome tab to it). It’s running a fork of Android and can install apps from the Google Play Store. |
| Is it recommended to plug the Chromecast power adapter into the USB port? | No. If staff turn off the TV at night, the Chromecast will also probably turn off, meaning someone will need to use the remote and open up the browser again. |
| What happens if the Chromecast turns off? | If the device gets powered off, the browser app will not automatically re-open when the device is powered on. Someone will need to use the remote to open the browser app and ensure the Feed loads |
| Is Chromecast available for Android TV? | No. The only option would be Third-party web browser apps... Odin Browser is the only one that hides the UI elements (address bar, etc) so that the display shows the most info possible. |
| Which Google account should I use? |
It is not recommended to use your personal Google account (nor the store’s). An account has been created for this use case: Username: otterhandoffs Password: otterhandoffs2021! |
| Do I need Google home app on my mobile device to install the feed? | Yes, it is recommended as it will allow you to connect the monitor and set it up. |
| My Chromecast keeps going to sleep. | Go to settings > developer option > enable it and toggle on "stay awake". Also, go to settings > energy saver > and set the display to never go to sleep. |
| What's the best browser to display the feed? | Odin browser. Odin Browser is the only one that hides the UI elements (address bar, etc), so that the display shows the most info as possible |
| Where should I install the pickup feed? | We recommend to be installed in a visible area outside your restaurant or inside but facing outside |
| Do I need an Otter device to have pickup feed? | No. You can use your own device but we can also sell you an Otter tablet to manage the order flow. |
Operations
| Do I need to mark an order ready for pick up and order handed off always? | Yes. It is recommended as it will allow you to add and remove orders from the pickup feed. |
| Where can I mark orders ready for pickup and handed off? | Within Otter’s Order Manager system, we have enabled orange buttons to mark the order as “ready for pick up” (bell) or “picked up” (bag). When you click the bell (ready for pick up), the order will appear on the pickup feed monitor. When you click the bag (picked up), the order disappears from the pickup feed monitor. It will still be available in your history tab for further review. |
| Can I customize the pickup feed? |
Yes. You can set up the following parameters on your pickup feed: Order type: displayed as “ready” or “cooking” Add the delivery partner logo Show customer name and order ID Group orders by channel Only display orders if check-in is required |
| How does the check-in flow work? |
If you have it, orders will not appear in the pickup feed until the courier or customer checks in with it. -Courier/eater arrives at the restaurant and checks in with their mobile device via QR code or directly in a tablet. -Courier/eater selects the delivery service, enters the name of the eater, and confirms the order details. -The restaurant is notified within the Otter tablet that the courier/eater has arrived. -Depending on the check-in configuration, the order will appear on the pickup feed monitor once it’s marked as “ready for pickup”. |
| Where is the courier? | While Otter, and our notification system, will relay information to the courier about the status of an order, we are unable to verify where the courier is via the Otter application. If you need information about the location of a courier, please contact and/or refer to the Food Delivery Partner/Application for this information. |
| How quickly will the courier receive information once they arrive? |
First alert: when the courier is checked in Second alert: when the order is marked as “ready,” the courier will receive a text message confirming that the order is ready for pick up. |
| What do the statuses on the processing feed mean? |
PENDING A courier has not been assigned to an order. ASSIGNED A courier has been assigned to an order. UNKNOWN The system has not received a courier status signal from the OFO. CHECKED IN A courier has checked in using our notification system. PICKUP An order is marked as ready by the Otter App. |
| What happens if a courier inputs the wrong number in the check-in app? |
If they do not immediately receive an "Order in Progress" text, that means: We could not send a message to that number (it may be blacklisted/opted out of receiving messages) The phone number was not inputted correctly For the latter, they should attempt to check-in again and correct the number |
| How do I access my processing feed? | You can access the processing feeds at https://processing.cloudkitchens.com/feeds/processing/tv |
Still need help? Reach out to our team:
| Chat with support by clicking the chat icon in the bottom right corner of the Otter Dashboard. |
+1 (888) 681-8837 Send us a text to the number above for assistance over text message. |
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