As the demand for food delivery rises, so does the need for drivers. The food delivery market exploded in growth throughout the last couple of years, largely due to the pandemic. Two years later, delivery services remain wildly popular. According to our
, nearly 90% of people said they used a food delivery service in the last 90 days.
While the food industry is thriving, the delivery experience is less than stellar for customers and drivers alike. Customer service has always been a key issue between drivers and consumers. To ensure their services continue to boom, food delivery companies need improved communication methods for better customer service.
Food Delivery and Customer Service
Dealing with hangry folks can be detrimental, even with small inconveniences.
The main issue people claim to have with their food delivery experience? Communicating with the delivery drivers. Nearly 79% of consumers reported that they had an issue with their delivery and needed customer service.
According to our report, these were the top 5 issues customers had with their deliveries:
Drivers’ Struggle
Nobody’s perfect. Deliveries can derail at any moment and for a variety of reasons. When a problem comes up, every delivery driver needs some sort of communication. Whether it’s a hard-to-find address or an order substitution, nearly 3 out of 4 delivery drivers “always” or “usually” require communication with the customers.
Fluctuating gas prices aren’t the only thing causing delays, though.
Pump the Brakes!
What happens when drivers reach out, only to have their calls ignored? A negative experience from the customer’s eyes, no doubt. 69% of drivers said their call was ignored since the customer didn’t know who was calling. The problem? It’s harder for drivers to deliver satisfactory results when customers don’t answer.
One driver’s experience:
“There was an issue with a customer order that I tried to contact them about, but they never answered. They ended up leaving me a negative review because they assumed I chose to not deliver their order…they closed my account to be a delivery driver.”
Steering in the Right Direction
Over 61% of respondents said they missed the driver’s call because it wasn’t identified properly, and more than half (56%) said the missed call created a negative experience with the delivery service.
So, how can drivers fix this communication problem with customers?
The quicker the communication, the better. So, phone calls are on the up and up for delivery drivers. But how to get customers to answer the phone is another question.
A resolution could be one of First Orion’s Branded Communications Solutions INFORM® or ENGAGE®. With one of these solutions, clients have seen call conversion lifts, increased productivity, revenue, and improved customer satisfaction.
