A method is disclosed by which a customer places an order for the provision of a service with one of one or more vendors that utilize electronic ordering terminals to process service orders, by transmitting information between the customer's computer and a server. The disclosed method comprising the steps of associating with each vendor a plurality of coordinate points defining the vertices of a polygonal geographic region within which region the vendor provides service, receiving information from a customer indicating the location to which service is to be provided; converting the received information into a coordinate point indicating the point to which service is to be provided; selecting each of the defined polygonal geographic regions that encompass the customer coordinate point; identifying the vendors associated with the selected polygonal geographic regions; choosing the vendor with which the order is to be placed, and placing an order with the chosen vendor.