One of the most eccentric burger shops in town has done it again. Over the weekend, myBurgerLab began accepting orders made via WhatsApp, connecting its customers in a manner that eventually resulted in an overwhelming response, forcing the company to issue an apology.
Last weekend, co-founder, Chin Renyi shared an announcement on his Facebook page, introducing ordering via WhatsApp for myBurgerLab – with no service charge whatsoever. Just place an order including the pick-up or dine-in location (be it at any of MBL’s three branches), and the time of pick-up – and confirmation of the order will be done in the conversation. It’s simple, fuss-free, and supremely convenient. Best of all, there’s no need to queue!
The eatery famed for its experimenting of different flavours and purveyor of the signature charcoal burger bun is also known for trying out various methods in offering customers more convenient ways of enjoying its burgers. It collaborated with startup, GoGet, to offer runners to purchase its burgers and deliver them to customers’ doorsteps, and also opened a store in Cyberjaya made from empty freight containers.
The experiment with ordering via WhatsApp is a highly interesting one, and mirrors what some startups are offering – though MBL’s version is highly focused. Besides GoGet, which has an app that lets you request someone to do virtually anything for a service fee, there’s also Be Malas, a startup that works the same way as Magic in the US: send a text message to a specified number with a request, and someone on the other end will reply with a quotation to get it done. Obviously, myBurgerLab’s WhatsApp orders is limited to what’s on the menu, but it is a fine example of the company’s philosophy of “beta-testing” new features to offer a better customer experience.
When contacted, Renyi said that the “beta test” offered really good insights into how it can improve its services. Over the weekend, the restaurant saw orders made from the popular messaging platform totalling about 10-20 orders per day. It does not sound like much, but Renyi noted that the orders were mainly substantial ones (totalling between RM50-RM100). This beta phase also helps MBL to gauge how many additional orders it can fulfil using this platform, in addition to the in-store customers. MBL also leverages on the instant messaging platform to provide real-time updates whether their orders can be fulfilled or not. If an order is made when there is a high amount of customers in-store, Renyi and crew would advise the customer to place an order at a later time.
Last weekend’s exercise was very useful, but it did come with some hiccups. The company issued an apology on its Facebook page after being unable to cope with the overwhelming demand on the day. In classic MBL fashion, the eatery contacted each individual who did not receive “the best customer experience”, and rectified it as best it could.
The beta testing phase will continue at MBL, but only on a small scale; the eatery does not plan to announce this feature on its official Facebook page just yet.
