Requesting Dispatch (on-demand only)

Open the order

When a customer places a delivery order:

Log into the Partner Portal
Access the order:
- Through the Upcoming orders tab
- Under the Action Needed section
- In the Delivery tab by going to Deliveries

Request Dispatch

You can Request Dispatch:

After accepting the order and choosing Request Dispatch in the pop-up window
When viewing the order details page, under the delivery section
By going to Delivery → Deliveries

To Request:

Select Request Dispatch from one of the views listed above
Confirm your request to have a Dispatch partner requested

Once requested:

ezCater will match the highest performing available partner in your area
The order will update and show you the name of the partner assigned and the pickup time

Viewing the order and pickup details

View the order details page to confirm all Dispatch information:

Pickup time
- The time the Dispatch driver is expected to arrive at your store
- Shows at the top of the order

The driver pickup time is different than the customer event time. Make sure your team knows the difference!

Dispatch partner
- The name of the partner assigned for delivery will show under the delivery section under "Partner"

Best practice

Treat the pickup time as your internal deadline
Have all food packed, labeled, and ready before that time

Printing the order

Printing the order helps with both kitchen accuracy and handoff to the Dispatch driver

Why you should print every Dispatch order

Use the printed order to:

Act as a kitchen prep list so nothing is missed
Use as a paper backup if devices are down or slow
Confirm the order number with the driver
Confirm the full order with the driver before they leave
Mark the order ready for pickup

How to print the order

From the order details page:

Click Print order
Check/uncheck "show prices" and "display items descriptions"
Click print order sheet

We recommend:

Printing copies for your kitchen and front of house staff
Hanging the order in your kitchen for all staff to see
Circling/highlighting the pickup time

Food Ready for Pickup tool

Mark the order "Ready for Pickup" in your Partner Portal (web) for time-stamped proof that your order was ready on-time for Dispatch.

This step is highly recommended but not required

What the Food Ready tool is

The Food Ready tool lets you signal that

The order is fully prepared and packed
The order is ready for the Dispatch driver to pick up

This helps to:

Increase transparency and reduce disputes
- Provide package counts creating a clear handoff that improves accuracy and minimizes disputes with Dispatch drivers
Speed up hand-offs and reduce delays
- Streamline pickups, reduce wait times, and improve overall on-time performance.
Improve financial and operational control
- Reduce unnecessary compensation payouts, minimize missing item claims, and confidently manage your Dispatch orders.

Think of this tool as an insurance policy, showing time-stamped proof that your order was ready and complete by the driver pickup time

How to use the Food Ready tool

Methods to mark the order ready for pickup:

Click Mark ready for pickup from the order details page and scan the QR code with your mobile device

Scan the QR code on the order printout

Then complete the workflow:

Enter the number of items in the order
Take a picture of the order ready in your restaurant as proof of readiness

Important Notes

The order will be marked "Ready" when you begin the mobile workflow
You will be able to access the photo of the order when viewing the status of the delivery
If logged in on your mobile web-browser, you will be brought directly to the workflow after clicking "Mark ready for pickup"
The QR Code will only be available if it is within 12 hours of the delivery time

Tracking Dispatch drivers and orders

You can monitor Dispatch order status and driver location directly in the Partner Portal

Live driver tracking

You can access live GPS tracking of your driver starting 15 minutes before the driver pickup time:

From the order details page
- On the right hand side of the page
From Delivery → Deliveries
- Scroll down to in-progress or completed deliveries

To access live tracking:

Use the "view" button to open a map and see the live location of the driver

Live tracking will be available all the way through fulfillment to the customer so you have visibility every step of the way

Tracking order status

From the Delivery tab

Navigate to Deliveries
Scroll down to in-progress or completed deliveries
View the order status and timestamps for each step of the delivery process:
1. Picked up from the restaurant
2. Arrived at the drop-off location
3. Food delivered

Click "view photo and feedback" to access photos and feedback provided by the Dispatch driver

Tips

Use the live driver tracking to make sure your driver is en route to the restaurant as the pickup time nears
View the setup photo to ensure that the order was delivered accurately
Communicate any issues immediately to ezCater (read more here)

By following this Dispatch order lifecycle: