What to know before Zogu answers your phone

01What happens on a call

Can AI take a restaurant's phone orders?

Yes. Zogu takes the order from the menu in your POS, asks only what each item needs, reads the order back once with the total and asks "Shall I place the order?" Nothing is sent without a yes. On our test calls it started replying a median of 1.3 seconds after the caller stopped (how a call works, step by step).

Will my customers know they're talking to AI?

Yes. Every greeting says "this is the automated ordering assistant," and Zogu adds that line to a custom greeting that leaves it out. See AI disclosure and call transcripts.

Can it put callers through to my staff?

No. There's no staff number, and it never promises a call-back. That's enforced in code, because on one test call the model offered a transfer anyway (what happened). Complaints are pointed to the restaurant.

Does it speak Spanish?

No, English only. If many of your callers order in Spanish, Zogu isn't right for you yet.

Will it sound right to American callers?

Not fully yet. Prices are in dollars and totals end "before tax," but some wording is still British, like "postcode" and its word for pickup. US wording isn't built yet, and we haven't run a US restaurant's menu.

What if something breaks during a call?

The caller always hears something: "One moment." on a slow turn, a request to repeat on a failed one, and an apology and goodbye after two failures in a row.

02Your menu and the order

Does it work with my POS?

It works with Toast, Square, Clover, Oracle MICROS RES 3700 and Foodhub (integrations). It uses your POS items, options, prices and hours, and a change applies from the next call.

Can it get an order wrong?

It can mishear, so it checks. Items are confirmed as they go on, the order is read back once, and Zogu's code works out prices and refuses totals that don't add up. When it doesn't know, it says so: "Sorry, I don't have the ingredients for the Mega Burger. Would you like to order one?"

One known bug: a name correction plus a new item in one breath at the read-back places the order before the item goes on. That gets fixed before any restaurant goes live.

What happens after the caller says yes?

Zogu waits for your POS, not the kitchen, then gives the total and ready time and hangs up. Your accept or reject only updates the record, so following up on a rejected order is yours.

Can callers order ahead or book a table?

It can book a table: see reservations by phone. Orders are for now only, and there are no dine-in orders. See what Zogu doesn't do.

Can it answer allergy questions?

Only from your menu data, with "For a serious allergy, please check with the restaurant before ordering." It gives no allergy advice beyond that.

03Payment and sales tax

How do customers pay?

At pickup or on delivery. Zogu never takes card numbers.

Does the total include sales tax?

No. It reads your menu total, then "before tax." If your prices include tax, tell us.

04Phone numbers and setup

Do I need a new phone number?

Yes, one per restaurant. Give it out, or forward your line to it; we haven't tried forwarding with a real restaurant yet. If Zogu is off, callers hear "Sorry, phone ordering isn't available right now," so turn forwarding off too.

Can the number have my area code?

We'd buy one in your area code through Twilio if one is free, or another US number if not.

What do I need to get started?

A POS that Zogu works with. Connect Zogu to your location, and we link your store, give it a number and set your greeting and voice. There's no owner login yet, so our team makes changes for you.

05Call recording, transcripts and consent

These answers describe what Zogu does and how we read US law. They aren't legal advice, and US counsel will review them first. For UK law, see the UK FAQ.

Does Zogu record calls?

Not as audio. It keeps a written transcript of each call and the order as sent.

Do callers have to consent?

It depends on the state. Some, including California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington, require everyone on the call to agree. A transcript still captures what the caller said. The greeting doesn't say the call is transcribed yet; where counsel says it must, we'll add it before taking calls in that state.

06Privacy, the CCPA and the TCPA

What does Zogu keep about callers?

Their number, name, any delivery address, the order and the transcript. The number is used to greet returning callers by name. No voiceprints are made. Twilio carries the call and Cloudflare runs the AI and stores the data. Retention will be set in our US privacy policy before any US restaurant goes live.

Where does Zogu fit under the CCPA and CPRA?

Your restaurant is the "business" and Zogu your "service provider," as our US terms say. We don't sell callers' data or share it for advertising. Many single restaurants fall under the CCPA thresholds; ask your counsel.

Does the TCPA apply to Zogu?

Not today, as we read it: the TCPA covers calls and texts a business sends out, and Zogu only answers calls. Pay by link, built but switched off, would text a payment link, and this answer changes before it's switched on. US counsel will confirm.

07Cost and availability

What does it cost?

We haven't set prices yet. To talk it through, contact us.

Is any restaurant using Zogu?

Not yet. It has only run on our integration platform's test system with one US test number, so there are no customers or results to quote.