Preparing an order so the courier is not waiting

The handover at your counter is a small moment that decides a lot. Done well, the courier is in and out in under a minute and the customer gets their order hot. Done badly, a rider stands in your shop while somebody looks for a bag, and everyone loses.

Accept only what you can make

The first discipline is upstream of the handover. Accept orders you can genuinely fulfil now. An accepted order that then takes twenty minutes because an ingredient ran out is worse than one you declined, because the customer has already been told it is coming.

Start when you accept, not when the rider arrives

A courier is dispatched when the order is accepted. If preparation starts when they walk in, the wait is entirely on them. The order should be nearly ready as they arrive.

Package for movement

The item is going on a motorbike or in a car through Accra traffic. Seal containers. Bag liquids separately. Tape the bag. Anything that can move will move.

A spilled order is a refund, a complaint and a wasted trip. The packaging is not an afterthought to the food; it is part of whether the food arrives as food.

Label it clearly

The order reference on the outside, visible without opening anything. A courier carrying two orders should never have to guess, and a receiver should be able to confirm at a glance.

Hand it over properly

Confirm the reference with the courier rather than pointing at a bag. Ten seconds of confirmation prevents the delivery that arrives at the wrong address, which costs an hour to unpick.

Why this is your problem and not only theirs

It is tempting to see the courier's time as the platform's concern. It is not. Riders learn which stores are quick and which are not, and that shapes how eagerly your orders are picked up at a busy hour.

A store known for being ready gets served faster. That is not a policy; it is just what happens.