Nando's LTV and Wallet Share

1. Background and Context

In March 2018, CXG implemented a centralised ordering contact centre for Nando’s South Africa, designed to support over 300 Restaurants through a single, centrally managed customer ordering capability. The initiative was embedded within the Maharishi Institute, creating a continent-first “learn and earn” contact centre model that combined commercial outcomes with social impact.

The centralised ordering solution integrated e-commerce, app and contact-centre transaction channels, enabling customers to place orders through a single professional point of contact while restaurants were relieved of direct call handling responsibilities

2. The Core Challenge

Nando’s faced multiple challenges that required a centralised approach:

• Fragmented order handling across all restaurants

• Inconsistent customer experiences driven by in-store call answering

• Distraction of restaurant teams from walk-in customers

• The need for a commercially sustainable model that aligned Nando’s and CXG

• The requirement to onboard all restaurants within a 4-month glide path, including training, technology enablement and operational stabilisation

These challenges had to be resolved without compromising brand experience, operational performance and cost efficiency.

3. The Centralised Ordering Solution

DSG designed and operates a centralised sales and ordering contact centre that:

• Manages all inbound ordering calls for Nando’s CASA restaurants

• Supports e-commerce, app and voice ordering channels

• Operates 365 Days a Year

• Uses a hybrid workforce model comprising students and permanent employees

• Is fully integrated with Nando’s technology ecosystems

All restaurant telephone numbers were ported to a centrally managed SIP-based service, ensuring calls route directly to the contact centre and are actively monitored by IT specialists.

4. Measurable Business Impact

The centralised ordering model delivered clear, evidenced outcomes:

• 98% forecast accuracy in managing unpredictable call demand with a student demand based resource component added

• 90%+ of calls answered within 20 seconds

• 98% answer ratio

• 75% order conversion rate (orders placed vs calls)

• Average basket value of R320 or $15

• 25% improvement in throughput

• 30% uplift in upsell performance

Quality assurance scores averaged 92%, measured independently across customer experience, business risk and upsell effectiveness.

5. Financial & Operational Value

• Initial investment: £13,350 per month during a 6-month glide path

• CASA service charge model: £50–£800 per restaurant per month

• Centralised ordering cost represents <4% of contact-centre-generated sales

• Significantly lower than in-house alternatives (~6% of sales)

• Improved order tracking, customer insight, wallet share and lifetime value understanding

Restaurants benefitted from reduced operational burden, allowing managers to focus on in-restaurant experiences rather than phone-based order handling.