Why did we move to Fresho
We wanted to simplify our order, payment and invoicing service for customers, so that both our customers and Zest can reduce administration time.
This also helped to prevent ordering and delivery errors as well as missed payments.
It has streamlined the relationship with our customers, so that when we contact you, it won’t be to firefight issues, instead it will be for positive reasons, such as making special offers to save you money and catching up on a personal level, looking how we can improve our service further to benefit our customer.
When did we move to Fresho
We went live on March 11th 2024 after extensive beta testing with a select few customers. This gave us the time to get a full understanding of the Fresho system.
Why we didn't stay with the current setup
As a company we want to grow.
We want to provide a better customer experience.
We want to make the jobs of Zest staff more rewarding.
We couldn’t do any of these things in the past. Too many user error’s occurred in the old system, including incorrect orders and deliveries, missed or late payments and office staff doing more jobs than their role stipulates, stretching their time and patience.
Fresho has helped us cut-out unnecessary admin and given the customer much more responsibility and control over their fresh produce deliveries.
Is Fresho online only? - some of our customers like to do things the traditional way
Nobody understands the traditional way better than Zest or better than a lot of other fresh produce wholesalers who made the transition and jump to Fresho – and whom have never looked back.
Traditional can be another way of saying, long-winded, time-consuming, old-fashioned, manual, labour-intensive and behind-the-times.
Not our words – words from other fresh produce companies who left behind the traditional ordering system and joined Fresho before we did.
Traditional can mean doing the same thing more than once; for example placing an order:
The old way –
- Chef writes down their order or commits it to memory
- They then phone us to read it out to Zest staff or leave it on an answerphone message
- The Zest staff member had to enter it into the system or replay the answerphone message several times
- Whichever way they took the items down, they couldn’t enter the details into the old system as quickly as somebody can speak on a phone or message
The Fresho way –
- Chef logs on when they’re ready to order and selects all the items they need, quickly from favourites, seeing live prices as they do so and submits the order
- Zest staff member checks this and prints the order for the pickers
Does one method seem easier and quicker?
The Fresho ordering system has been made with traditional customers in mind. We know some people don’t like change, but that’s how we grow as businesses and individuals and we trust that Fresho will help keep this growth going forward.
So what are the benefits of Fresho
The ordering system is straightforward and clear. Everything is visible to you, the customer, including live pricing, so at the moment you place a order, you know exactly how much you’ve spent, both per item and as an overall total and this helps with budgeting.
Fresho prevents ambiguity in the ordering system. Before, you might place an order that’s difficult to hear or understand, which can lead to a Zest employee entering the wrong item or amount.
Now, you will have full visibility at the moment of submission, of every item in your basket and the amounts and weights, removing any element of blame from Zest staff and also making this a system a new starter can use without the need for guesswork or ‘knowing what that customer would mean’.
Not only can customers save favourites, ready for a quick checkout, instead of adding everything manually each time you shop; you can also view the total range of products Zest can supply, giving you easier and more visible knowledge of items you may have been getting elsewhere, wrongly believing Zest don’t carry the items.
This could mean extra items you order from Zest and less deliveries or accounts to worry about.
We can also lock out items, so they are not visible online, to allow our customers to choose what things can be ordered and by whom.
The 6 stages of the order process
There are 6 stages to the customer order; in progress, submitted, accepted, invoiced, paid and cancelled.
In progress: This is the stage when the customer is physically entering what they would like for delivery into the Fresho site. This Live status can be seen by Zest staff in real-time.
Submitted: The customer is happy with their selection and has finshed placing their order.
Accepted: Once a Zest staff member picks up the order on the system, they print a picking slip, which will be virtual picking slip sent to the tablet ready for the picking team
During this stage, as the pickers go about the business of putting the order together, they will update the tabs for each item on the order to one of several statuses:
To pick – item not actioned yet
Supplied – picked and measured
Not available – item unable to be supplied and removed from the order
Back order – item unavailable on the day and moved on to the next days order for check
Substituted – item unavailable and replaced by a previously agreed alternative
Once the order has been picked the overall status moves to stage 4
Invoiced: Order completed and placed for delivery
Paid: Depending on how the customer pays the invoice, will determine when this stage is ticked off
Cancelled: If an order is unable to be fulfilled for any reason, it can be cancelled by a Zest staff member.
Pickers like Fresho
When the picking sheet is uploaded to the tablets of the picking team, they can get to work. As the items are picked and the measurements entered into the Fresho app, the order is completed and won’t allow the system to move to stage 4 (Invoiced) until every item is picked, entered and completed.
The Fresho system should stop items being missed off and severely reduce the need for second deliveries for missed items. It should also prevent annoyance for chefs when second deliveries aren’t possible.
Once the order has been completed and invoiced, you’ll be able to see live in your account exactly what has been sent for delivery.
This is a major advantage for customers in the fresh produce industry which lives and dies by the Just-in-Time principal.
Our customers know all to well, as we do, that sometimes things just go wrong. A delivery from our suppliers might be short, missing produce or include produce which has slipped under the radar and is of too poor a quality to be added to orders.
As we get this information only when the delivery arrives, we are powerless to make up the shortfall, but at least with the new system, customers will be able to see if something has been missed, back-ordered or replaced with a substitute – which means if customers are desperate for an item they can still look to get it themselves on the way to work, because Fresho has displayed this information.
Bad news is bad news, but bad news not communicated is worse.
Zest is giving customers full knowledge of the process, because knowledge is power.
The budget benefit of Fresho
Keeping track of expenditure is vital to running a successful business and our customers are more price-sensitive than in other industries, which is a contributing factor in our churn rate – the rate at which we lose our customers to competitors.
Even though we probably won’t be the cheapest (that’s never our objective), we can be the most transparent and helpful to our customers. Fresho gives customers and ourselves a simple online account area that clearly displays orders, invoices, payment made and payment outstanding, as well as all of the usual financial details such as refunds, rebates and the like.
Payments for invoices can be set up to process at set intervals or on set dates and this enables the customer to see what they’ve paid and when. It can also be a powerful mechanism for budgeting and to keep up to date with payments, to avoid late fees and account restrictions.
That's why we choose Fresho
Fresho is a service that allows Zest to do our job better and to provide a better customer experience; from order selection to delivery to payment. Everything is online and visible wherever ourselves or our customers are in the world.
This removes ignorance, confusion and annoyance and paves the way for a time-saving, money-saving and ultimately, energy-saving, fun experience for the procurement of fresh produce to help our businesses run smoothly, without headaches or concerns.