Smart Service Starts with Smarter Systems: What Foodservice Can Learn from Telcos, Ticketing, and… Taxis?

Foodservice distribution is a high-touch business—but many customer experiences still feel disconnected and reactive. The secret to creating loyalty in 2025? Look outside the industry. Telcos, event platforms, and other service-heavy sectors have already built customer journeys that are seamless, data-informed, and sticky. Here’s what foodservice suppliers and distributors can learn from the best in the business.

Telecommunications

What they do:

Telcos personalise offers based on call usage, data trends, and contract renewal timelines.

What foodservice can learn:

Foodservice teams can use their customer order data to:

• Suggest promotions to customers relevant to what they actually buy

• Flag if order volume drops suddenly (and follow up before churn hits)

• Auto-recommend top-up products before busy seasons

Make customers feel seen—and they’ll stick around.

Events

What they do:

Platforms like Eventbrite or Ticketek manage sales, updates, reminders, and feedback — all in one place.

What foodservice can learn:

Distributors can provide their customers with:

• A unified digital space for order tracking, past invoices, and delivery schedules

• Feedback capture to learn what went wrong (or right)

• Smart prompts for add-ons or limited-time SKUs

Think of your touchpoints as an end-to-end experience—not just a transaction.

Rideshare Apps

What they do:

Companies like Uber or Lyft set expectations early (ETA, cost, driver), use real-time updates to reduce anxiety, and follow up with review prompts post-ride.

What foodservice can learn:

Distributors can apply the same logic to deliveries:

• Give ETAs with live updates so venues aren’t left guessing

• Allow customers to track trucks in real time

• Ask for quick, one-click feedback to catch issues early

Clarity and consistency build trust—and trust builds loyalty.

Foodservice might be about relationships, but relationships are built on experiences. The most loved B2B businesses today are taking a cue from B2C champions—by putting data, personalisation, and responsiveness at the core of their service. Want to keep customers coming back? Don’t just deliver products. Deliver peace of mind.

At FOBOH, our AI Agents work behind the scenes to make foodservice smarter and more responsive—without adding to your admin load.

What foodservice can learn (and do right now):

• Use FOBOH’s AI Agents to track orders and flag churn risk before it’s too late

• Let your team focus on relationships while AI handles repetitive tasks like order entry and follow-ups

• Turn your sales team into proactive advisors with insights that tell them what to recommend and when!

You already have the data. FOBOH makes it work for you.

Want to create a seamless, proactive experience your customers actually remember?

Book a demo with FOBOH and meet your new AI-powered team member—designed to supercharge your sales and service.