In this guide 6 sections
List what each order must carry: customer, event date, menu or arrangement spec, deposit and delivery slot. Build one intake form with those fields, keep WhatsApp as the conversation, and have staff copy each confirmed order into the system. After two weeks, let customers submit the form themselves.
List what an order must carry
Open your busiest week of chat threads and highlight every fact someone had to scroll back for, such as a gate number, a nut allergy or a ribbon colour. The same few fields repeat. They become your order record.
For a caterer the list includes headcount, menu items, dietary notes, serving style and venue access. For a florist it covers the arrangement, colours, card message, recipient name and any fragile stems.
Short test. Could a new colleague fulfil the order from the record alone? If not, a field is missing.
- Customer name, phone and billing name
- Event date and start time
- Menu or arrangement spec with quantities
- Deposit received and balance due
- Delivery address and time slot
Build one intake form
Make one form with a field for each item on the list. A shared sheet will do at first, provided every order uses the same columns and staff fill every cell before an order counts as booked.
Do not copy the whole chat. Paste only confirmed details, and keep a link to the thread for tone and special requests. The form is the truth; the thread is the memory of how you got there.
Add a status column: enquiry, quoted, deposit paid, in production, out for delivery, done. Everyone should see where an order stands.
Tie the deposit to the date
A booked date without a deposit is a hope. Hold a date only once the deposit is logged, and colour unpaid holds differently so the owner can see at a glance which ones still need chasing.
Record the deposit method and reference. A bank transfer screenshot buried in chat is hard to find when the customer says they paid.
Set a cut-off for changes. Headcount for a wedding lunch may need to be final seven days out, and the system can remind the customer on that date.
- Deposit amount and method
- Reference or receipt number
- Date by which headcount is final
- Cancellation terms accepted
Schedule production and delivery from the orders
Sort orders by event date. The kitchen then sees tomorrow’s cooking list with quantities added up. The flower shop sees how many stems of roses and eucalyptus to buy at the wholesale market for Saturday.
Delivery slots work the same way. Cap the slots per hour. One van cannot reach three venues at six o’clock.
Print a daily sheet for the kitchen or workbench. Paper is fine, provided it is printed from the system and never written on the side.
- Daily production list by event date
- Purchase list rolled up by ingredient or stem
- Delivery runs by slot and area
- Handover note for the driver
Move customers across in stages
Spend two weeks with staff entering confirmed orders from WhatsApp, and fix any field that proves awkward. After that, put a link to the form in your auto-reply so repeat customers submit their own details.
At the end of the second week, pick five past orders and check that each can be fulfilled from the record alone. Fix whatever is missing before you add more customers to the new route.
Order intake sheet for caterers and florists
A one page template in five blocks. The header holds customer and contact. The event block takes date, venue and headcount. A spec table lists items and quantities. The money block records deposit, balance and method. The last block covers address, slot and driver.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Do I have to stop using WhatsApp?
No. Keep it for conversation and photos. Move the facts of each order into a record so nothing depends on scrolling back through threads.
Is a spreadsheet enough to start?
For a few orders a day, yes, if columns are fixed and one person owns it. Move to an order system when double bookings or missed deposits start to happen.
How do I handle last-minute changes?
Edit the record first, then tell the kitchen or workbench from the updated sheet. Log the time and who agreed.
What about repeat customers?
Save their past orders and preferences. A returning customer can then reorder the same spec with a single message.