How To Handle Tough Customers In Your F&B Business?

Imagine receiving a $500 catering order. Your team works tirelessly, sourcing fresh ingredients and preparing trays of food. But when the collection time comes, no one shows up and no payment was ever made. Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario happnes in Singapore’s F&B industry. Fake bulk orders are more than just a prank they have serious impacts on your F&B business. Why Fake Orders Are Dangerous Drain on Resources Fake bulk orders consume valuable ingredients, packaging, and prep time. The loss isn’t just the food — it’s the hours of staff effort that could have been spent serving real customers. Direct Financial Losses A large fake order can amount to hundreds of dollars of wasted food. For small operators, one incident can wipe out days of profit. Over time, repeated cases can cripple a business. Missed Opportunities While preparing a fake bulk order, the kitchen may reject real customers or compromise on their service quality. These lost opportunities are often harder to quantify but just as damaging. Staff Morale Impact It’s demoralizing for employees to see their hard work wasted. Chefs and service staff lose motivation when fraudsters exploit the system, especially if incidents happen repeatedly. Practical Steps to Protect Your Business Require Deposits Set a policy where orders above a certain amount (e.g., $100 or more) require a deposit or full payment. This simple barrier eliminates most pranksters. Use Online Ordering with Payment Integration Adopt a system that collects payment before order confirmation . Customers can browse, order, and pay instantly — ensuring your kitchen only works on real orders. Verify Unusual Orders If an order seems unusually large or urgent, confirm details by calling the customer or requesting ID verification. A few minutes of due diligence can save hundreds in losses. Block Repeat Offenders Track suspicious numbers and repeat no-shows. Modern POS and CRM systems make it easy to identify patterns and flag bad actors. How MEGAPOS Helps MEGAPOS Online Ordering was designed with these challenges in mind. By requiring upfront online payment , merchants eliminate the risk of cooking for fake orders. Every order flows seamlessly from the customer to the POS and into the kitchen. Benefits include: No more unpaid bulk orders Guaranteed revenue collection Efficient kitchen operations Staff focus on genuine customers Final Word Fake bulk orders aren’t just an inconvenience they’re a serious threat that wastes ingredients and cost as well as de-moralizes staff in Singapore’s F&B industry. The solution isn’t to hope for better customers, but to adopt better systems. With MEGAPOS Online Ordering, every order is real, paid, and worth your team’s effort. Contact us to discover how MEGAPOS keeps your F&B business protected by clicking here

T urning diners into loyal promoters is the best way to get new customers. Arguably even better than social media marketing. Referral marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your profits while building a strong community around your brand. Why Referrals Work Referrals work because they rely on trust and personal recommendations , which are far more persuasive than traditional advertising. Customers who come via referrals are already pre-disposed to like your brand—they’re more likely to return, spend more, and even become repeat advocates themselves. Advantages of Referral Marketing: Cost-Efficient Growth Traditional advertising can be expensive, especially for small F&B businesses. Referral marketing leverages your existing customers as promoters, drastically reducing your marketing spend. Each happy customer essentially becomes a free marketing channel. Stronger Retention Referred customers already have a level of trust in your brand. This makes them more likely to come back multiple times , try new menu items, and participate in loyalty programs. Brand Advocacy and Credibility Word-of-mouth is the ultimate credibility booster. When someone recommends your restaurant, it positions your brand as trustworthy and reliable. This is particularly valuable in the F&B industry, where trust and reviews influence customer decisions heavily. Exponential Reach Each customer has multiple friends, family members, and colleagues. A well-designed referral program can turn a single loyal customer into a network of potential repeat customers , multiplying your growth opportunities. How to Implement a Referral Program Incentivize Sharing Offer tangible rewards such as discounts, free menu items, or loyalty points for successful referrals. For example: “Refer a friend and get 10% off your next visit” “Your friend gets 10% off their first order, and you earn loyalty points” Incentives motivate participation while also ensuring the reward is tied to actual customer acquisition. Digital-Friendly Tools QR codes, mobile apps, and social media sharing links make referrals effortless. You can integrate these directly into your ordering system, e-wallet, or loyalty app to track successful referrals automatically . Personalized Messaging Generic messages are easy to ignore. Craft personalized invitations like: “Hi Sarah, invite a friend and both of you enjoy a free dessert on your next visit!” Personalization improves engagement and encourages customers to actively participate. Create Shareable Experiences The more memorable the experience, the more likely customers are to share it. Think visually stunning dishes, unique beverages, cozy interiors, or excellent customer service. Encourage sharing by adding Instagram or TikTok handles on receipts or table displays. Leverage Existing Loyalty Programs Combine referral programs with your existing loyalty system. For instance, customers can earn double points when they refer a friend , providing an added layer of incentive. Track and Optimize To ensure your referral program is effective, monitor: Number of new customers acquired through referrals Repeat visits and average spend of referred customers Engagement rates with referral campaigns (QR scans, app shares, clicks) Adjust your program based on insights. For example, if digital referrals outperform physical coupons, invest more in mobile-friendly solutions. Takeaway Referral marketing isn’t just a promotional tool—it’s a profit accelerator . By rewarding loyal customers, making sharing easy, and creating memorable experiences, your F&B business can enjoy sustainable growth, stronger customer loyalty, and higher revenue . If you are looking for F&B solutions like POS systems, QR ordering, self ordering kiosks and a CRM that helps you manage referral programmes, click here to find out more