finnUse cases
From catering inquiry to confirmed order.
Follow a catering inquiry through headcount, menu choices, kitchen capacity, quote approval, deposit checks, and a clear handoff to the production team.
“Can you cater lunch for 45 people next Thursday?” The answer depends on the menu, timing, delivery location, dietary requirements, and what the kitchen can produce that day. This illustrative workflow shows Finn coordinating those details so the customer receives an accurate offer and the team receives a usable order.
Collect the details that change the job.
Confirm the date, timezone where relevant, serving time, headcount, location, delivery or pickup choice, and the service requested. Ask for menu preferences and dietary requirements in the business’s approved format. Keep what the customer already provided so each follow-up advances the order rather than repeating an intake form.
Treat dietary and allergen questions carefully. Use approved menu and ingredient information, and route uncertainty to the responsible food-service person. Do not infer that an item is suitable because an ingredient is absent from a short menu description. A substitution may require a fresh review and customer acceptance.
Check kitchen and delivery capacity.
Read the current menu, stock or purchasing information, production commitments, staffing, and delivery arrangements available to the workflow. Identify what is confirmed and what needs the kitchen’s decision. A product listed for sale does not establish that the requested quantity can be prepared at a particular time.
Bring exceptions together for review: a large quantity, a tight preparation window, unavailable packaging, or an unusual delivery requirement. The kitchen should receive a concise request with the facts required to decide. If capacity is uncertain, present the offer as pending that decision rather than promising the order.
Prepare an offer the customer can inspect.
Show menu items, quantities, delivery or service fees, applicable charges, timing, and the offer’s validity. Identify minimums, payment conditions, and the process for changes using the business’s current terms. Check calculations against the underlying quantities and prices. Do not turn an old proposal into the price authority for a new order.
The offer should distinguish alternatives from confirmed items. If the customer changes the headcount or menu, prepare a revised version and make the differences visible. Approval needs to refer to the version that will become the order.
| Offer detail | What the team verifies |
|---|---|
| Date and serving time | Preparation schedule and delivery window |
| Menu and quantities | Availability, portions, and kitchen capacity |
| Dietary requirements | Approved ingredient information and staff review |
| Price and fees | Current rates, arithmetic, and approved exceptions |
| Payment condition | Whether the required payment is actually recorded |
Confirm acceptance and any required payment.
Record the customer’s acceptance of the exact offer. If a deposit is required, check the payment system for the correct amount and order reference. Opening a payment link or sending a screenshot does not by itself establish a settled payment. Handle pending, failed, or duplicated payments according to the business’s process.
Qonto’s published financial-administration workflow separates prepared work from the customer’s final decision. The useful parallel here is an inspectable proposal followed by recorded acceptance and verified financial state. It does not change the restaurant’s commercial terms or grant an agent new authority.
Sources: Anthropic: How Qonto delegates financial administration
Give the kitchen one current order.
Save the accepted order and create the production and delivery handoff. Include items, quantities, event timing, packaging, reviewed dietary notes, delivery details, payment status, and the responsible person. Identify the current version so a printed list and a later email do not quietly diverge.
If the customer makes a later change, check capacity and pricing again and obtain the appropriate acceptance. Update all affected records and alert the team to the specific difference. An extra five guests can alter preparation, packaging, and delivery requirements even when the conversation sounds like a small edit.
Measure a correct handoff, then fulfillment.
Track inquiry-to-offer time, accepted offers, verified deposits, corrections, production exceptions, and fulfillment outcomes. Keep a confirmed order distinct from a delivered event. The first workflow may stop when the kitchen has accepted the handoff; later Tasks can track preparation and delivery if those actions are included.
Finn can connect customer conversations, employee decisions, business records, and recurring checks. Test a changed headcount, unavailable menu item, unresolved dietary question, failed payment, and late revision. A useful catering workflow makes the order easier to run for both the customer and the team.
Common questions
When is a catering order confirmed?
When the business’s acceptance conditions are met: the exact offer is accepted, required capacity is approved, any required payment is verified, and the order is saved.
Can AI answer allergen questions from a menu?
Use approved ingredient and allergen information. A short menu description may be insufficient; uncertain suitability or substitutions should be reviewed by responsible staff.
What happens if the customer changes the headcount?
Recheck quantities, capacity, pricing, and delivery needs. Record acceptance of the revised order and update the operating team with the specific changes.