Big tech companies know restaurant owners are busy and often strapped for cash, so they use a tempting sales trick: offering free setup and support to get you to sign up. While this sounds like a great deal, it’s a trap designed to lock you into their platforms, often with hidden costs. In this article, part of our series Big Tech Sales Tricks: How They Fool Restaurant Owners, we’ll explore how this tactic works, why it’s effective, and how to avoid it.
What Is the Free Setup Trap?
Companies like DoorDash Storefront and Toast often offer “free setup” or “free onboarding support” when pitching their platforms. For example, DoorDash Storefront promises to set up your commission-free ordering system at no cost, while Toast offers free demos and onboarding for their online ordering platform. Sales reps make it sound like they’re doing you a favor—saving you time and money while helping you get started quickly. But there’s a catch: this “free” support is a bait-and-switch tactic to get you hooked on their platform.
Examples of the Free Setup Trap
DoorDash Storefront, as we discussed in How DoorDash Storefront Uses Data Mining to Target Your Restaurant Customers, offers free setup to integrate their ordering system with your website. But once you’re set up, DoorDash collects customer data to drive re-orders through their high-commission app. Similarly, Toast’s free onboarding, highlighted in Is Toast Online Ordering a Scam?, gets you started quickly, but their platform shares customer data with third parties, risking your customer relationships.
Why This Tactic Works on Restaurant Owners
The free setup trap is effective because it targets your pain points:
- Time constraints: You’re busy running a restaurant—managing staff, serving customers, and keeping the kitchen running. Free setup means you don’t have to spend hours figuring out a new system, making it an easy yes.
- Cost concerns: Restaurants operate on tight budgets. The promise of “free” removes the upfront cost barrier, making the platform seem low-risk.
- Trust in support: Sales reps position themselves as helpful partners, building trust. You feel supported, not realizing the long-term risks of their platform.
This tactic exploits your need for quick, affordable solutions, but as we’ve seen in The Price of Free: How Big Tech’s Offer of No-Commission Ordering Comes With a Cost, “free” often comes with hidden dangers.
The Risks of Falling for This Trick
The free setup trap can lead to serious problems:
- Data sharing: Platforms like DoorDash Storefront use the setup to collect customer data, driving orders to their app, as we noted in How Third-Party Apps Like DoorDash Steal Your Restaurant Customers.
- Lock-in dependency: Once you’re set up, switching platforms becomes harder, especially if you rely on their support. This locks you into a system that may not serve your best interests.
- Hidden costs: Toast’s free setup doesn’t mention their non-ADA-compliant websites, which can lead to lawsuits, as we covered in Is Toast Online Ordering a Scam?.
How to Protect Your Restaurant
Don’t let the promise of free setup lure you into a risky platform. Here’s how to stay safe:
- Question “free” offers: Ask what’s in it for them. If it’s free, they’re likely profiting in other ways, like data sharing.
- Choose secure platforms: Opt for white-labeled platforms like Food Order Pro, which avoids data-sharing traps.
- Plan for the long term: Consider the risks of dependency and data privacy, as we’ve warned in What Happens to Restaurants If Third-Party Apps Like DoorDash Win?.
Stay Smart and Protect Your Restaurant
The free setup trap is a clever way big tech companies lure restaurant owners into their platforms. By exploiting your time constraints and budget concerns, they lock you into systems that may harm your business. Stay educated to avoid these sales tricks and protect your restaurant’s future.
Learn more in our series, Big Tech Sales Tricks: How They Fool Restaurant Owners, and explore related articles like How No-Commission Ordering Systems Sell Your Customer Data to Big Tech.
Ready to take control of your online ordering? Contact Food Order Pro for a demo to find a solution that prioritizes your restaurant’s success.
