Setting Group Budgets

Setting Group Budgets

Managing group orders can be a breeze with Tacoter's budget features. Whether you're handling a large catering order for a corporate event or a team lunch, setting a budget helps keep things on track. You can set a total budget for the entire order and/or a per-person budget, giving your customers clarity and control.

Understanding Budget Types

Tacoter offers two main types of budgets for group orders:

• Soft Budget: This is a helpful guideline. If an order goes over a soft budget, the system will flag it, but it won't prevent the order from being placed. This allows you to review and approve the extra cost.
• Hard Budget: This is a strict limit. Once the hard budget is reached, no more items can be added to the order. This is perfect for situations where spending must not exceed a certain amount.

You can also specify a Total Budget for the entire order and a Per-Person Budget for each individual ordering within the group.

Step-by-Step: Setting Budgets for a New Group Order

Here's how to set up budgets when you're creating a new group order in Tacoter.

1. Start a New Order:
2. From your Tacoter Dashboard at tacoter.com/dashboard, navigate to the section for new orders.
3. Click on Create New Order or a similar button. [[screenshot: Button to create a new order]]
4. Select Group Order:
5. When prompted, choose the Group Order option. This will open the settings specific to managing multiple participants.
6. Find Budget Settings:
7. As you proceed with setting up the group order details (e.g., date, time, delivery address), you will encounter a section dedicated to budget settings. This might be labeled Budget Options or similar.
8. Set Total Order Budget (Optional):
9. Locate the field for Total Order Budget.
10. Enter the maximum amount you want the entire group order to cost.
11. Choose whether this is a Soft Budget or a Hard Budget using the provided toggle or dropdown menu.
12. Set Per-Person Budget (Optional):
13. Look for the field labeled Per-Person Budget.
14. Enter the maximum amount each individual participant can spend.
15. Again, select if this is a Soft Budget or a Hard Budget.
16. Review and Confirm:
17. Double-check all your budget settings along with other order details.
18. Once everything looks correct, proceed to Save or Create Order.

Step-by-Step: Adjusting Budgets for an Existing Group Order

Sometimes, plans change! You can modify budgets even after a group order has been created.

1. Access the Order:
2. Go to your Dashboard at tacoter.com/dashboard.
3. Navigate to your list of Active Orders or Upcoming Orders.
4. Click on the specific group order you wish to modify. This will take you to the order's dedicated page.
5. Find Budget Management:
6. On the order's page, look for a section like Budget Settings or Manage Budgets.
7. Adjust Total Order Budget:
8. You can edit the amount in the Total Order Budget field.
9. You can also change it from Soft Budget to Hard Budget or vice-versa, if needed.
10. Adjust Per-Person Budget:
11. Similarly, you can modify the amount in the Per-Person Budget field.
12. Crucially, you can raise the per-person budget for everyone participating in the order from this page. This is a common adjustment if the group decides to add more items.
13. You can also switch its type between Soft and Hard.
14. Save Changes:
15. After making your adjustments, click Save Changes or Update Order to apply the new budget settings.
16. Remember, most changes to an order can be undone within 24 hours from the action card if you need to revert.

Using El Jefe Chat for Budget Management

El Jefe Chat is your intelligent assistant, ready to help with budget adjustments.

1. Open El Jefe Chat:
2. Click the chat icon at the bottom right of any Dashboard page.
3. Request Budget Change:
4. Type a clear request, such as "Change the per-person budget for order #12345 to $25 soft budget" or "Set a hard total budget of $500 for the upcoming catering order." El Jefe understands both English and Spanish!
5. Review and Confirm:
6. El Jefe will present a preview card showing the proposed changes.
7. Review this card carefully. If it's what you intended, click Confirm. The changes will only be applied after your confirmation. Unconfirmed previews expire after 15 minutes.

A Note on Tips

Don't worry about budgets affecting tips! The option to add a tip is presented to the customer at the payment stage, independent of the budget settings you configure.

Need help? Email ir@tacoter.com or call (800) 503-2670.