Catering engagement playbook
Every order confirmed fast. Every guest gets a reason to come back.
What happens after someone orders catering. GoHighLevel runs the automatic steps; Mary confirms orders and handles quote calls.
The pipeline
Every request lands in the GHL pipeline as a card. It moves left to right.
From order to event, minute by minute
Fast confirmation builds trust. Quote requests still get a call: whoever calls first usually wins the order.
| When | Who | What happens | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 min | Automatic | Customer pays (or sends a quote request). They get a receipt email + text: “Mahalo! Kono's Northshore has your order KN-1042. You'll get a confirmation shortly.” | New order |
| 0 min | Automatic | Mary + Marcelo get the order email with three buttons: Confirm order, Call customer, Request changes. Also a text + GHL app push. | New order |
| 1 tap | Mary | Mary taps Confirm order. GHL moves the card to Confirmed and sends the customer a confirmation email + text automatically. | Confirmed |
| 30 min | Automatic | Not confirmed yet (store hours) → reminder to Mary. | New order |
| 2 hrs | Automatic | Still not confirmed → alert Marcelo. After hours: first thing at opening. | New order |
| Quote | Mary | Quote requests: Mary calls (script below), adjusts the order, sends a payment link. Day 1 / 3 / 7 follow-ups if unpaid. | Quote sent |
| Any time | Automatic | Missed-call text-back on the catering line starts a new conversation. | New order |
| −48 hrs | Automatic | Reminder to confirm the final headcount (last chance to change). | Scheduled |
| −24 hrs | Automatic | Pickup time or delivery window reminder. Prep list to the kitchen. | Scheduled |
| Event day | Mary | “Your luau is on the way!” text when the driver leaves (one tap in the GHL app). | Scheduled |
| +2 hrs | Automatic | Thank-you text with the private catering review link (review.html). Goes to Mary + Marcelo first. | Delivered |
| +30 days | Automatic | Office orders: “Team lunch again this month?” Others: seasonal offer. | Repeat |
| Nov 1 | Automatic | Holiday party push to every past catering customer. | Repeat |
How Mary confirms an order
One tap from her phone. No logging in.
- 1 · Order emailEvery new order arrives with the full details and a Confirm order button.
- 2 · Tap ConfirmThe button is a GoHighLevel trigger link. Tapping it marks the order Confirmed.
- 3 · Customer notifiedGHL instantly emails and texts the customer their confirmation.
- 4 · Safety netUnconfirmed after 30 minutes → reminder to Mary; after 2 hours → Marcelo.
Try it: place a test order on the Catering page, then tap “See what Mary receives”.
PAID $739.45
Dana Ruiz · Cypress Creek Dental
Delivery from West Road · 11:30am
12345 Example Pkwy, Houston 77070
| 1 × | Luau package · 40 guests (Huli Huli chicken) | $660.00 |
| Delivery · within 10 miles | $25.00 | |
| Tax | $54.45 |
Mary's call (quote requests)
Discovery: 4 questions
- “Tell me about the event. Who's coming?” (office, family, kids?)
- “How many people, and is that firm?” Note it: you'll confirm at 72 hours.
- “Pickup or delivery? What time do you want to eat?”
- “Do you have a budget per person in mind?”
Easy add-ons to offer
- A gallon of juice, lemonade or limeade for every 10 guests ($30)
- Servers for the event ($25/hr, booked now vs. double later)
- An extra protein platter if the planner shows “Light”
- Hot coffee for morning meetings (Waialua or Vanilla Macadamia)
- Leis for the guest of honor
Catering reviews inbox
Every catering review comes here first. Only you see it until you tap Publish. Then it appears on the Catering page.
Placeholder text. Real reviews from the review form land here.
Lower ratings stay private so Mary can follow up personally.
In GHL: the review form saves to the contact and a "Catering reviews" pipeline; publishing adds it to the site's review feed. Everyone also gets the Google review link, regardless of rating, to stay within Google's review rules.
What we measure every week
Targets to start with; we adjust after the first 30 days of real data.
Fields the form sends to GHL
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| event_type | Routes office orders into the monthly reorder track. |
| guest_count · budget_range | Mary sees the order size before she calls. |
| event_date · event_time | Already validated: noon cutoff, closed days, holiday notice. Drives reminders. |
| store · fulfillment · address · miles | Assigns the store and calculates the delivery fee. |
| order_lines · servers · total · paid | The full order, ready to prep. Paid orders go straight to Confirm. |
| sms_consent | Required before any automated text (A2P registration). |
| utm_* · gclid · fbclid | Shows which ad or post produced each booking, so we spend more on what works. |