Case study · Events and catering
End to End Catering Automation System.
An end-to-end automation system that replaced a catering business’s manual booking process.
- What we built
- Business automation and AI voice receptionist
- Stack
- VAPI, Retell AI, Make.com
- Services
- AI voice agentWorkflow automationIntegrations
About the project
What is End to End Catering Automation System?
This project involved building an end-to-end automation system for a catering business to replace a fragmented manual booking process. The solution connects inbound calls, web inquiries, email, scheduling, invoicing, payments, staff notifications and customer follow-up into one automated workflow.
Delivered in three phases
The business adopted core automation first, then progressively added reliability, visibility and operational improvements.
The problem
What was slowing them down.
- 01
Missed inquiries
Calls and inquiries outside business hours went unanswered.
- 02
Inconsistent channels
Multiple inquiry channels were handled in different ways.
- 03
Manual data entry
The same booking information was entered again and again across systems.
- 04
No invoice review
Invoices were created without an automated review workflow.
- 05
Out-of-sync records
Payment status and calendar information drifted apart.
- 06
Patchy reminders and follow-up
Kitchen and management reminders were limited, and post-event follow-up was inconsistent.
The solution
What we built.
Core automation
A centralised pipeline connecting the business’s existing communication, scheduling, payment and operational tools.
- A 24/7 AI voice receptionist handles inbound catering calls and captures lead details.
- An automated SMS sends customers an intake form after calls.
- Phone, web and email inquiries are routed into the same workflow.
- Google Calendar events are created and updated automatically.
- Draft invoices are generated and sent for internal review before reaching customers.
- Stripe payments automatically update booking status and notify staff.
- Gmail inquiries receive automated responses.
- Online catering orders are synchronised with the shared calendar.
Operational enhancements
Reliability and control added in later phases.
- Invoice revision handling.
- Live phone-line handoff.
- Duplicate prevention and event overlap controls.
- Automated staff reminders.
- Post-event review requests.
Results
What changed.
Key outcomes
24/7 call handling
Inbound catering calls are handled automatically, around the clock.
3 channels, one workflow
Phone, web and email inquiries are unified into a single workflow.
About 60 seconds
From successful payment to calendar update, staff notification and customer receipt.
For the business
Less manual coordination
Reduced duplicate data entry and manual handoffs.
More accurate invoices
Every invoice goes through automated staff review.
Better visibility
Kitchen staff, managers and ownership see the same up-to-date information.
Room to grow
Modular automation that can be expanded without rebuilding the system.
Key challenges
The hard parts, and how we solved them.
Booking information had to move between several platforms manually.
Connected the tools through a centralised automation layer in Make.com.
Calls could go unanswered outside business hours.
Implemented a 24/7 AI voice receptionist.
Invoice details could differ from booking information.
Automated draft invoice creation with internal approval before customer delivery.
Staff had to keep payment and event status aligned by hand.
Stripe webhooks automatically update calendar status and notify staff.
Reminders and post-event communication were inconsistent.
Automated scheduled reminders, follow-up emails and review requests, with duplicate prevention.
Tech stack
What it runs on.
- AI voice
- VAPIRetell AI
- Automation
- Make.com
- Communication
- Twilio SMSGmail APISlack
- Scheduling and orders
- Google Calendar APISpotHopperBentoBoxClover
- Payments
- Stripe
Process
How we got there.
01Capture
Customer contacts the business by phone, email or web form · AI or automation captures and structures the inquiry · Booking is added to Google Calendar
02Invoice and pay
Event details generate a draft invoice · Staff review and approve the invoice · Customer receives the payment link
03Confirm and follow up
Payment triggers calendar confirmation, staff notification and receipt · Staff receive automated event reminders · Customer gets post-event follow-up and a review request
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