Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you have the phone number of your favorite restaurant, you can always book a table by calling it. Some also let you order the food over the phone. But what if you don’t know what’s on the menu, or just don’t like talking on the phone? Well, there’s an app for that, and it’s made in Malaysia, for Malaysians (who live in the Klang Valley). Prepp is a new service in town, and it was just launched during the penultimate week of April, 2016. It it a mobile food ordering app that also indirectly reserves a table for you at the restaurant. Currently, Prepp is only available on iOS, but the company promises an Android version in a month or two.
Prepp said that during its launch in April, it was only serving 10 outlets around Bangsar, Bukit Damansara, and Hartamas, but 10 more will be added before the middle of May 2016, covering new areas including Damansara Uptown and Subang. When asked when will the Android version of Prepp be available, co-founder Eda Tan said that it will be coming in May or June of 2016, depending on testing.
Clik here to view.
Founding members of Prepp
If you’ve been following TechAttack for a while now, you might have read about about Slurp, another similar homegrown service. However, Slurp, at least during launch, only allows you to order once you’re seated, by scanning a QR code on the table to let the staff know where you are. Prepp lets you order and pay for the food before you even arrive, and in effect, the restaurant will also reserve a spot for you.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Using the app is pretty straightforward if you’re already familiar with services like, say, Uber or even GSC. Simply fire up Prepp, select your preferred restaurant, choose the time of arrival, order from the restaurant’s complete menu, pay by credit card or via bank transfer, and when you arrive, just show your order number to be served. After you’re done, just walk out, because you’ve already paid earlier. By the way, besides automatically securing a reservation once you’ve ordered, another beauty with Prepp is that you can pick the time you’ll be there. In other words, you can order your food at any time of the day, and the kitchen staff will already be aware of the order and will prepare the food right before you arrive. Just don’t be late.
Tan was quick to point out that while Prepp does act as a restaurant reservation service, it is not their angle. During their testing phase, 60% of customers either cancel or were late to their reservations. Because Malaysians. Ultimately, the restaurant reserves the right to let go of your table or shuffle you around if you’re late. If the restaurant is fully occupied, it will signal Prepp, and the app will update all customers that they won’t be able to order due to that fact. If customers choose to proceed with their orders after knowing this, they will still get a priority in the waiting list, mainly because they’ve already paid for their meals.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
That said, from Prepp’s observations of around 50 transactions a week and a half prior to the launch, the (10) restaurants serve almost 5–10 minutes after customers arrive, even though the mean preparation time is usually around 15–20 minutes. Customers can also use Prepp for a takeaway if they so choose.
On the restaurants’ side of things, Prepp charges them a “clear cut” fee of 5% per transaction. There doesn’t seem to be a restaurant-facing app, and the outlets will receive orders via email, which can be viewed via a browser. I’m not sure if the web app itself could deliver notifications on modern browsers, but the nature of it means that restaurants can use any device they wish, as long as it has an internet connection, a browser, and an email client. This is a different approach from Slurp, who takes over the restaurant’s point of sale (PoS) system and charges RM4,888 for the complete PoS package (pricing as of early 2015). While Prepp did not reveal its starter package (if any), The way Prepp operates doesn’t interfere with the restaurant’s existing PoS system. If only Prepp has a customer-facing web app for folks who don’t own a smartphone, but then that’s asking too much.
Update (May 19th 2016): Prepp just updated us that it has changed the business model with a monthly fee option, as restaurants are more receptive this way. The pricing is now at RM69 per month or RM499 per year.
To give it a whirl, visit http://www.getprepp.com/. You can also follow Prepp’s developments on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
The post Homegrown Prepp lets you order, reserve a table, and pay, before arriving at the restaurant appeared first on TechAttack.my.