From WhatsApp and Excel orders to a real system

Where WhatsApp and Excel orders fall apart

WhatsApp keeps a conversation. Excel keeps what someone enters. A customer can change an address after someone has copied the original request. A spreadsheet can hold order history, but staff must consistently record orders against the right customer.

Nexara has searchable order history and customer records with addresses and past orders. New orders entered into the platform build that history, giving the next employee a record to work from.

Does an Excel to POS move mean replacing your till?

No. Separate taking an order from recording a sale at the till. Replacing the till alone may leave the same copying work in place.

Nexara brings website and installable app orders into one queue per branch, alongside phone orders entered through the call-center screen and table QR orders. Talabat and Careem intake in Jordan depends on partner approval.

Keep your till. Reconcile the day manually or using the cashier reconciliation report as a separate closing procedure.

Your branded ordering website lets customers select items and submit their own orders. For customers who need an employee to take the request, use the call-center screen, available on Pro. The phone-order entry guide explains that route; the Nexara features overview covers the order board and printing.

Nexara has a free plan and paid plans per branch in Jordanian dinar, with current rates on request. Budget for the route you will actually use: website checkout with kitchen printing has different plan requirements from staff-assisted call-center entry.

Nexara charges no commission on your own website, app or call-center orders. Talabat and Careem retain their own commission on orders they bring.

What should you prepare before the first live order?

Start with the menu customers can actually buy. Nexara supports products, modifier groups and per-branch availability. Make choices explicit so an employee can distinguish a paid extra from a note.

1. Check the current menu. Match item names and prices to what the branch sells, including sizes and paid extras.
2. Confirm delivery coverage and branch details. Check that the ordering route sends work to the intended branch.
3. Clean reference records. Correct phone numbers and addresses you still need, and restrict access to historical files.
4. Assign order acceptance. Name the employee who checks that every accepted request appears on the board.

Keep old chats and spreadsheets in a controlled archive, and agree any historical transfer separately during setup. Begin the new process with checked menu details and customer information confirmed when the customer next orders.

New orders attach to customer records the restaurant owns. Orders and customers can be exported as CSV files. The customer records ownership guide explains how addresses and purchase history stay with the business.

What should the first week on Nexara look like?

Your Nexara ordering link can be available on signup day, and the printer usually works the same day. Use the following first-week schedule to check the process before expanding it across service.

Give each order one route into production. When an employee enters a WhatsApp request, tell the customer it has been recorded. Send the ordering link for their next purchase, avoiding a second submission of the same meal.

The call-center screen looks up customers by phone and displays saved addresses and past orders. It also warns about unsaved orders. Have staff practise finishing the entry before handing work to the kitchen.

How do you test the kitchen handoff and connection backup?

Nexara Printing runs on the branch's Windows printer PC and supports standard ESC/POS thermal printers over USB or network. Tickets can carry Arabic and English. Submit a test order containing Arabic item names and modifiers, then have the cook read the printed ticket back.

Both entry routes reach the branch order board before the kitchen works from its printed ticket.

• Check routing: each product category reaches its intended printer.
• Check readability: staff can identify the item and extras from the ticket.
• Check recovery: find a waiting ticket and, if another printer is configured, practise re-routing categories from the dashboard.
• Check connectivity: test a phone hotspot beside the printer PC.

Growth includes 1 printer; Pro includes unlimited printers. Free and Starter exclude printing. Check the existing printer's model and USB or network connection during setup before buying a replacement.

If a printer fails, the order stays on the board and its ticket waits in the print queue. Staff can re-route categories from the dashboard, or use automatic failover where a backup printer is configured.

What stays on WhatsApp after the switch?

Keep the chat. Move the orders. Use your existing WhatsApp process for support and marketing to customers who have agreed to receive it. Nexara's WhatsApp inbox lets call-center staff list chats, open conversations by phone number and load chat history.

When a customer asks to order, send the website link before an employee starts entering the request. The restaurant ordering website guide covers this route. Nexara's branded website supports Arabic and English and can be installed from the browser as an app.

Keep staff-assisted entry available for customers who need help. Read back the address and selected items before submitting the order. At shift handover, check the board for unfinished work.

Excel can remain useful for analysis and archived records. Retire it as a second live dispatch list. The Nexara FAQ covers data ownership and setup questions to settle before the switch.