At South of Seoul our volunteers are truly dedicated to listening to the community and finding solutions for issues people are having while living in Pyeongtaek. Over the past three years we have had regular requests for the following:
- access to online menus in one central location.
- an English language app for ordering delivery or pickup from restaurants.
Up until now, we have tried to find another service to fill this void, however, there never has been anyone or anything that did it quite right. So we finally took it upon ourselves to build a simple solution that we hope will fill this niche. The Beta Test for this new pickup and delivery ordering system begins today. We are testing with three businesses in Songtan: Wings and Things, Happy Teriyaki, and Sawatdee Thai. Here is where you can find it in the app:
As always, we run on no budget and we don't like to get between businesses and their money so we were creative in how we put this together. It absolutely wont be as flawless as something built by Google or funded startup. Instead, it's going to be a simple solution that addresses the unique needs of our community built as simply as possible. That means we all still might need to learn a few tricks to make it work as smoothly as possible. Go slow, click all the buttons, discover how it works and let us know if anything is so confusing you can't figure it out. This is the Beta Test to make sure it's feasible and helpful so feedback is important.
Even though we are nervous as heck about launching this we are also VERY excited about the new Pickup and Delivery system! It's way cooler than we ever dreamed we could create for you guys. It's especially good because it gives each business control over their menus, store hours, delivery fees, and more. That means it's a sustainable system for us and them. Here is how we are handling two of the most sensitive aspects of building a system like this:
- PAYMENT: Although you will order through South of Seoul, you will not pay through the app. Just like with the Ride-share Reservations, money will be COD or handled through each individual restaurant. If everything goes well for users, for us, and for businesses we may try to add payment integration later, but for now, it's outside our comfort zone.
- DELIVERY FEES: Each business will have their own delivery fees which will be added after checkout. We have placed these in the banners so that you can clearly see what they will be. Some businesses may charge more if you are further than 2km from their shop.
The app will make it easy for you to get delivery because you pre-load your address and phone number into your profile. When you enter the Delivery area click on the three lines with a down arrow. This is going to allow you to access your orders and your account information. You can get your address all pre-loaded here so that it automatically sends when you place your order. Pretty awesome! Make sure this is accurately filled out to make this as easy as possible. Ask your realtor to enter your physical address if you don't know it.
In addition to having your address loaded in your profile, there is also a white field in check-out where you can add more specific information about your location.
This system is for Pickup AND Delivery! That means you need to clarify which you need when you check out. When we built this addition to the app we realized that there is as much need for pickup ordering as delivery. Lot's of us want to order ahead when we are in the area. Please let the business know if it's pickup or delivery when you check out. Just write it in the white box (the grey area always says pickup IGNORE THAT FOR NOW!lol) :
- To add to your cart you hit the plus sign.
- To check-out, you tap the cart in the top right.
Once you have put in your order to might get a call to clarify payment options if they have any questions, so once again, make sure your profile information is all updated and accurate.
FINGER COSSED THIS ALL GOES WELL!!! Easy pickup and delivery ordering is soooo needed.
