Operational Metrics: definitions and best practices
Operational Metrics are calculated over a rolling 90‑day window. This gives you a current view of how reliably you’re serving ezCater customers and how you compare to ezCater standards.
Rejection rate
Definition
The percentage of orders you reject out of all orders you receive
Goal
Keep your rejection rate at or below 0.5% over the last 90 days
Why it matters
Every rejection creates a stressful scramble for the customer
High rejection rates can reduce your visibility in search and can lead to operational pauses for that location
Best practices
Set realistic lead times so you only receive orders you can fulfill
Use capacity limits to avoid overloading your kitchen on busy days
Before rejecting, ask
Can we move the time window
Can we adjust headcount or product mix
Can ezCater support with Dispatch instead of turning the order away
Cancellation rate
Definition
The percentage of orders canceled by the restaurant out of all orders you accept
Goal
Aim for 0% cancellations
Any cancellation should be rare and treated as a serious event
Why it matters
Cancellations are more disruptive than rejections because the customer already believes the order is confirmed
Even a small number of cancellations can quickly hurt your metrics and trigger accountability steps
Best practices
Avoid accepting orders unless you are confident you can fulfill them
Use Temporary Closures and holiday closures to avoid day‑of surprises
Call ezCater before canceling when possible
We may be able to adjust timing, split the order, or find solutions so you can still say “yes”
On‑time delivery
Definition
For delivery orders, the percentage of orders that arrive within the promised delivery window
Very early and very late deliveries can both count against this metric
Goal
Maintain 95% or above of orders delivered within the scheduled window
Why it matters
Customers plan meeting start times around your delivery window
Late food (or food arriving too early and going cold) can derail important events
Best practices
Aim to arrive at the start of the window, not after it
Build in time for traffic, parking, elevators, and building check‑in
Use the order printout as a checklist or packing list
Have food ready on time so drivers can leave as scheduled
On-time delivery will only be measured for self-delivered orders and takeout orders. This metric will not be affected when utilizing Dispatch for delivery
Order accuracy
Definition
The percentage of orders that do not have a customer‑reported issue such as missing items, wrong items, or unfulfilled dietary needs
Goal
Maintain at or above than 99% order accuracy
Why it matters
Accuracy issues force customers to scramble for backup food or adjust their plans
Good accuracy builds trust and strong reviews
Best practices
Use the order printout as a checklist while packing
Double‑check
Item counts
Dietary and special requests
Packaging type such as individual vs group
Clearly label boxed lunches and dietary meals
Designate a final checker for large or complex orders
Ready for Dispatch
Definition
For orders using Dispatch, the percentage of orders where food is ready at the scheduled handoff time
Goal
Keep your food‑ready performance at more than 95% for Dispatch orders
Why it matters
If food isn’t ready, Dispatch drivers may have to wait or leave without the order
This can cause late deliveries, order issues, and poor customer experiences
Best practices
Use the kitchen printout as a production schedule
Plan to have all items packed and sealed before pickup time
Use the “Ready for Pickup” tool to confirm the order is ready
Delivery tracking
Definition
The percentage of delivery orders that have driver assignment and status updates recorded, giving the customer tracking visibility
Goal
Achieve more than 99% of delivery orders with tracking and status updates
Why it matters
Customers expect real‑time visibility into where their food is
Tracked deliveries reduce “where is my order” calls and support better dispute outcomes
Best practices
Assign drivers in the Partner Portal
Make sure drivers understand how to start and complete deliveries
Have drivers download the app to:
enable live GPS tracking
provide time-stamped photos of the order setup
Use Dispatch for orders where you cannot track effectively on your own
Delivery tracking is automatically provided to customers when using Dispatch for delivery. For these orders, the delivery tracking metric score will always be 100%
On‑time acceptance
Definition
The percentage of orders accepted within 15 minutes of submission during your operating hours
Goal
Reach 100% on‑time acceptance
Every order should be accepted within the first 15 minutes during your open hours
Why it matters
Fast acceptance gives customers confidence that their event is covered
Strong on‑time acceptance supports a better customer experience and can help your store perform better in search
Best practices
Turn on SMS, email, and app notifications for multiple users
Treat ezCater orders like a primary channel, not an inbox you check occasionally
Keep a tablet, POS screen, or back‑office computer with the Partner Portal open during operating hours
Accepting orders outside of the 15-minute window will not negatively affect your placement in the Marketplace, but reaching goal for this metric can help to increase your placement!
Star rating
Definition
Your average customer rating across recent ezCater orders
Goal
Keep your average rating at or greater than 4.8 stars
Why it matters
High ratings build customer trust and support better Marketplace performance
Reviews often mention both food quality and reliability
Best practices
Focus on the fundamentals above
On‑time acceptance
Don't cancel or reject
On‑time delivery
Order accuracy
Address repeat feedback patterns such as temperature, packaging, or labeling
Use reviews as a coaching tool with store leaders and staff
A star rating below 4.8 will not negatively impact Marketplace placement, but a score of 4.8 or above will help increase your placement in search results!
Using the Operational Metrics tab
The Operational Metrics tab in the Partner Portal gives you a central place to review these metrics over the last 90 days. You can see performance for your brand as a whole and for individual locations, and drill into specific issues when needed
Accessing Operational Metrics
To open Operational Metrics
Log into the Partner Portal at https://partnerportal.ezcater.com
Click the Operational Metrics tab in the main navigation
You’ll see a dashboard with the core metrics listed, each showing
Your current performance
The target standard or goal
Whether you are meeting, near, or below expectations
Brand view vs store view
Brand view
Shows metrics rolled up across multiple locations
Helps you:
Spot overall trends such as rising rejections or cancellations
Identify which metrics are driving your overall reliability
Store view
Shows metrics for a single location
Helps you
See which stores are excelling and which need support
Connect metrics to real conditions such as staffing, hours, or capacity
How to switch views
Click on the Operational Metrics tab - this is the brand view.
From the brand view, click a specific location to view the store view
Operational scorecards
Clicking into each individual metric scorecard will open a side panel for a deep-dive into your score.
Here you can:
See orders impacting this metric
For example, click into your rejection rate to see which orders were rejected and why
Click on an order to view the order details page to investigate further
Learn tips and tricks for improving your score
Using drill downs effectively
Look for patterns, not just single incidents
Are rejections concentrated on certain days or times?
Do cancellations cluster around certain locations or staffing patterns?
Use what you learn to adjust:
Lead times
Capacity and closures
Training and staffing
Create a report
To export a report for your Operational Metrics performance for the last 90 days:
Login to your Partner Portal (web)
Navigate to Operational Metrics
On either the brand or store view, click "export" in the top right hand corner
This report shows:
Your performance metrics for the last 90 days, for each location in your account
Reliability Rockstar status
Store at risk and store paused status (true/false)
Making the most of Operational Metrics
To turn metrics into results
Review the Operational Metrics tab on a regular cadence
Brand leaders might review weekly
Store leaders might review at least once per month
Pair metrics with Operational Best Practices
Use what you see to decide where to focus
Reduce rejections
Improve on‑time acceptance
Tighten order accuracy and labeling
Celebrate your wins
Recognize stores and teams with strong metrics and great reviews
Use success stories to teach other locations what “good” looks like
When you treat Operational Metrics like a scoreboard for reliability, you give your team clear goals and a way to track real progress over time. That leads to better experiences for customers, stronger visibility on ezCater, and more catering revenue for your restaurants