User Centered

graste writes:

It's the small things in life, that create joy. A very simple and nice feature. Nothing needs to be explained. :)

Papa John's would definitely get my pick for Pizza Usability. I was 'blown' away by the first time I used their website and the idea of actual Online Ordering with options, scheduling, paying via credit card.

It's not that I don't like talking on the phone or getting the "Papa John's can you hold please." (same with any other busy pizza place). It's not that I don't like having to figure out which Papa John's is closest to my current location. It's not like I don't like repeating my address every time I call in. It's that I hate doing those things

Papa John's is compatible with Opera, they have a website that is on the front edge of usability and their pizza is great! Papa John's really set the standard for online ordering of food and I have yet to see a fast food website even close.

There is always room for improvement but they have everything from credit card orders with automatic tip calculations to making sure that you can have 4 toppings on half a "2-topping special pizza", the other half cheese.

It is truly pizza for the Internet Age.

Bravo for bringing up this good example.

It also makes me laugh to read all the different saved addresses, it's like a historical guide.

Great feature, for a pizza site! I'm not sure if there's a pizza site close to me, that provides online orders?

The usual situation when I use a pizza service is when I have guests. Then it is always a big discussion to compile the list. "Is 2x mini cheaper than one big? What do you want if artichokes are out? I would share your pizza, but could we remove the onions?"

Then, one is chosen to make the phone call. And, as expected, the guy on the other end gets everything wrong... (nah that's exaggerated)

Maybe an online service would indeed be more comfortable (I didn't try yet).
But then, what about the talking, the background noise, the mental image of a busy kitchen, the discussion after the call, riddling if the order was understood?

Maybe the future online pizza service contains a livecam of the kitchen (with audio), and a voice chat once you've placed your order?

Pizza Hut's pizza ordering website has always driven me nuts. First, my wife loves green olives on her pizza, a fairly standard item, but they're not available on the web site order form, only by calling the store. Secondly, my house that's been built and occupied for 4 years still doesn't show up as a valid address on their online page. The store has no problem finding my address when I call, and can't tell me why the web store doesn't have it. So now I just go to Papa Murphy's or make it myself!

Schneemann, that is an excellent point!

The visual inspection ability of a large group of people to look at the order and say, "Yeah, that's what I want," is awesome. No longer have to yell over a crowd of friends to say, "HEY! DO WE WANT SODA WITH THIS?" because we forgot to make that decision before calling.



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