Every sales demo looks great. The real difference shows up in the questions the vendor did not expect. Take this list to any meeting or call and write the answers down. A good vendor does not mind being asked. A shaky one gives itself away by how it dodges.
Ownership: who does all this belong to?
- If I leave, do I keep my domain name, my customer list, and my order history? A good answer is yes, with a way to export or request the data. A worrying one is “don't worry, you won't need that.”
- Is the app store account in my name, or does the platform publish under its own? If the account is the vendor's, you can lose the whole app when the relationship ends.
- Who owns my relationship with the guest? Will competitors or third-party ads appear inside my restaurant's pages?
Money: what exactly will I pay?
- What does the quoted price include, and what is billed separately? Ask for it in writing. A good answer lists the items. A bad one says “we'll sort that out later.”
- Is there a commission on orders? Setup or renewal fees? Who pays payment processing and app store fees?
- What happens to the price when I add a branch or a user? What if I move to a bigger or smaller plan?
- How long is the contract and how do I end it? Is there a long commitment that is hard to leave?
Daily work: will my team actually cope?
This is where many systems fail. Something that looks easy in the demo becomes a burden when the person at the counter uses it on a packed night.
- Can I change a price or switch off an item myself in under a minute, from my phone? Ask them to do it in front of you instead of taking their word.
- Can different staff have different permissions? A cashier does not need to change prices.
- How do new orders reach my team, and what happens if nobody notices one?
- Can I add a new branch without rebuilding everything?
- Is the interface available in Arabic and English, for guests and for my staff?
Support: who answers when things break?
- What are the support channels and hours, and are they in my language? A restaurant whose ordering breaks on a Friday evening cannot wait until Sunday.
- How long does launch usually take, and what must I prepare on my side? A good answer gives you a concrete list.
- Who do I talk to if there is a payment problem or an app problem? If the answer is “contact the payment provider,” at least learn where each party's responsibility ends.
Finally, ask for a real trial before you commit: a demo where you log in yourself, add an item, and place a complete test order. What you do with your own hands is more honest than any explanation, and it is what we suggest too when owners ask about Ordavya.