We ask that you check orders as soon as you receive them, and let us know right away if you can't accept an order for any reason. If you've already confirmed an order, and realized you are unable to execute it, please call or email us as soon as possible. There is no way to cancel an order from your dashboard. ZeroCater will then send you a cancellation email once we have confirmation from you that you are unable to fulfill an order that you had previously accepted.
Specific contact information for each region is listed below for your convenience:
San Francisco & Los Angeles - hello@zerocater.com or (844) 229-9376
New York - hello@zerocater.com or (855) 692-9376
Chicago - hello@zerocater.com or (844) 246-9376
DC - hello@zerocater.com or (202) 800-3130
Austin - hello@zerocater.com or (512) 599-9710
The Culinary Partner Handbook is always accessible here.
It’s rare, but sometimes our customers cancel their meals. While we try to never say no to a customer, we understand that food preparation takes time and money. We never want a cancellation to hurt you financially.
Below is our policy for client order changes or cancellations. The cancellation policy is based upon business days from the meal eat time (not including weekends).
Orders for 1-299 people
- Cancellations made with fewer than 24 hours notice
Client pays 100% of subtotal. ZeroCater takes standard commission of 20% for orders below
$1,000 and 22% on orders above $1,000 of the meal subtotal. The remaining amount is paid
out to the culinary partner.
- Cancellations made with 25 hours - 48 hours notice
Client pays 50% of subtotal. ZeroCater takes standard commission of 20% for orders below
$1,000 and 22% on orders above $1,000 of the meal subtotal. The remaining amount is paid
out to the culinary partner.
Orders for 300+ people
- Cancellations made with fewer than 48 hours notice
Client pays 100% of subtotal. ZeroCater takes standard commission of 20% for orders below
$1,000 and 22% on orders above $1,000 of the meal subtotal. The remaining amount is paid
out to the culinary partner.
- Cancellations made with 49 hours - 72 hours notice
Client pays 50% of subtotal. ZeroCater takes standard commission of 20% for orders below
$1,000 and 22% on orders above $1,000 of the meal subtotal. The remaining amount is paid
out to the culinary partner.
Because we are the liaison between you and the customer, we need to know the status of orders at all times. Rather than call you repeatedly, we’ve devised an easy way for you to keep us informed. If you miss any of these confirmations, expect a call from us.
1. Dashboard Confirmation: When we email you orders, please click the “Click here to confirm” link in the email, or log in to your dashboard and confirm the order there. This lets us know that you have reviewed the order PDF and can complete the order. Make sure to check the attached order PDF for accuracy and appropriate quantities. Review any notes (in italics and bold at the top of the email), the delivery time, and delivery location. Let us know as soon as possible if there are any issues, if there isn’t enough food, the dietary or portion information is incorrect, or if you have suggestions for alternative menu choices.
2. 24-Hour Confirmation: At 4pm the day before an order (or on Friday for orders over the weekend/Monday), you will receive a text message asking you to confirm that you are ready for your ZeroCater order(s) the following day. Follow the instructions to confirm. You have until 6pm to confirm via text message before someone from our team will call to confirm the order(s).
3. Arrival Confirmation: Each order has a 15 minute Arrival Window. You will need to confirm as soon as you arrive at the building. To confirm that you have arrived, please text (415) 408-7007 (or call) and input your specific 4 digit code, found on the top of the Set-Up Sheet. If you arrive and text before the Arrival Window, you will receive a text back indicating that you should wait until the start of the Arrival Window enter the building. Wait until the beginning of the arrival window, re-text your confirmation code, and enter the building. Failure to reconfirm when you enter the building may result in an Early Meal comp.
Note: You should receive a confirmation text saying, ‘Thanks for confirming this delivery!,” but if you don’t, please call the ZeroCater main line right away to report the problem and we will resolve it.
4. Photo Confirmation: After fully setting up the meal, please take a photo of the final meal set-up and text that to (415) 408-7007. If the client is requesting no photos are taken for privacy/confidentiality reasons, you do not need to take a photo of the meal. Be sure to contact us at culinary@zerocater.com to let our team know.
The #1 reason customers stop using ZeroCater is late meals.
Each order has a specific day and Arrival Window (e.g. Tuesday between 11:00 AM and 11:15 AM) when you should arrive at a client site. It is crucial that you arrive with the food within the Arrival Window. Follow the instructions on your Set-Up Sheet for exact details for each order.
While we expect food to arrive within the Arrival Window and be set up as close to the Client Eat Time as possible, we understand that things happen and it’s impossible to account for all potential delays. Here are some good tips to keep in mind:
We ask that culinary partners allow some buffer time in the event there is traffic, construction, or issues with getting into the building. Larger orders may take more time to set up, so please plan accordingly!
If you arrive early, please wait until the “Arrival Window” time on the Set-Up Sheet before you go inside and set up.
If you ever have issues with an order delivery or anticipate you will be late, please call the Support hotline (512-599-9710). If we know what is going on, we can communicate with the customer and manage their expectations. Do not call the client unless the instructions direct you to do so.
The order forms are designed to be used as a checklist. Checklists have been proven to improve performance and reduce errors. They are also split into a kitchen prep and set-up sheet so that you only have the relevant information you need during each respective part of the order. With a colleague, go through the order checking off items as you complete them and pack them into your delivery vehicle. There is a checklist on each sheet so that you can check twice that you have all the necessary items for the delivery.
Please contact us right away so we can update the information and resend the order so it's correct on your end when presenting the food to the client. Crossing things out or editing the labels manually is not acceptable.
Our clients work with us because of the excellent turnkey service we provide them. We ask our culinary partners to always provide labels, plates, napkins, and utensils when they're requested. A suggestion is to store extra labels and utensils in your car in the event that you realize you've forgotten these items on the way to a delivery. Not doing the delivery? Provide your staff with these tools.
Most likely not.
If you're a caterer, and normally provide chafers or a client requests it, please bring chafers.
If you don't normally bring them, and they were not requested, it is understood that you won't bring chafers.
When an order is delivered, it should be unpacked and set up (with labels and serving utensils) in a cohesive way. Similar items should always be grouped together, with salads and starch sides at the beginning of the line. Food handler gloves must be used when setting up all food items.
Salads and starches go at the beginning of the line, followed by protein. A meal is ready for the client when the food has been placed in the appropriate area of the office, covers have been removed, food has been “fluffed,” labels have been displayed, and serving utensils are in each tray.
Before leaving, make sure to dispose of bags or other trash. Lastly, make sure you do not leave your ZeroCater Set-Up Sheets on-site.
Family style is also known as catering style. We believe in our clients coming together over food and this is done well when food is served this way. The majority of our orders are requested this way.
Consistent presentation is crucial for all ZeroCater meals. We require you to use the labels provided with each order. They should be printed on cardstock and cut with a paper cutter, to ensure presentation of the labels is neat and uniform.
Below are some possible paper resources:
- Nennah Paper available on Amazon
FOR ALL OUR CULINARY PARTNERS:
ZeroCater charges tax to its clients and collects it and pays it directly to the state. The culinary partner is no longer responsible for paying taxes on the food as of January 1, 2014.
The #1 reason customers stop using ZeroCater is late meals. Every time we lose a customer, there are fewer clients to send to our culinary partners and everyone’s revenue decreases.
Please consult the culinary partner handbook for a specific list of penalties applied for early/late orders.
Please contact our Support Team (512-599-9710) immediately, so we can find a practical solution together.
We take these mistakes very seriously. You will be not be compensated for the original meal, and will also be responsible for the any food sent to or purchased by the company in place of the original order. Your account will be flagged, and you will undergo a review period to ensure this issue does not occur again.
If it’s deemed that the food was not properly cooked, inedible, or a foreign object is found in the food, you will be charged a minimum of 50% of the subtotal (after ZC commission) and the full cost of supplementary food needed to replace the meal. This includes food poisoning.
During the onboarding process, we work with you to understand your portion sizing. This is crucial to ensure we order enough food for our customers. If we ever order less food than you believe is necessary to feed the designated headcount, please let us know as soon as possible.
In the event a customer runs out of food, we will discuss the situation with both you and the customer and review the order carefully. If this continues to be a problem, we may need to dissolve our partnership.
You also may be subject to covering the full cost of supplementary food for that specific meal.
Per our policies, we require 30-days notice for any changes to menus or delivery information that negatively impacts the client. Please note that any changes that negatively impact the client (increased pricing e.g.) may drastically reduce the number of orders you will receive, as you may be priced outside of some clients’ budgets.
If you have any changes, please contact our Culinary Partnerships Operations Team at culinary@zerocater.com.
That’s great! We’re always interested in new opportunities that might benefit our clients.
Please direct them to our website, where they can submit an interest form themselves.
Culinary Partners are paid on a bi-monthly basis. Each vendor receives two emails per month containing the invoice statement from the previous billing period.
Please consult the culinary partner handbook for specific details regarding our payment schedule.
*Order specific questions – anything to do with quantities, order instructions, delivery location, etc.:
San Francisco & Los Angeles - hello@zerocater.com or (844) 229-9376
New York - hello@zerocater.com or (855) 692-9376
Chicago - hello@zerocater.com or (844) 246-9376
DC - hello@zerocater.com or (202) 800-3130
Austin - hello@zerocater.com or (512) 599-9710
*Menu updates, blackout dates, updated contact info, general concerns, etc.:
SF, NY, CHI, DC, ATX, and LA: culinary@zerocater.com | (512) 599-9712
*Questions about checks, invoices, or any other billing related questions:
SF, NY, CHI, DC, ATX, and LA: ap@zerocater.com
ZeroCater © 2016
