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Demand for delivery could be set to decline
The food delivery industry saw a boom during the pandemic, but with a natural decline since restaurants reopened for eat-in dining, the demand for delivery may decrease further. In our recent consumer research, we asked respondents about how they anticipated the cost-of-living crisis would impact their spending habits. The results showed that delivery and take-away were what they would cut back on first - this was in comparison to eating/ drinking out as well as holidays and retail.
With consumers becoming more choosy, it's more important than ever that operators can trust their third-party delivery company to provide the ultimate guest experience, at every touch-point across the delivery journey.
Upholding standards beyond the premises
There are challenges to expanding a business beyond the physical premises, where operators are in full control of the guest experience provided. When working with suppliers and delivery partners, operators often lose visibility of how the brand comes across during the delivery process. There are various touchpoints along the customer journey, starting from the placement of the order to the customer tucking into the meal that can either enhance the experience, or potentially ruin it.
Consumers take notice of the little things, and based on guest feedback from our Delivery Assessments, one of the most common things diners point out is that the garnish was missing from the dish. But without the ability to do a 'check-back', how can operators know? Another issue that really rubs customers the wrong way is when their food is delayed - this is often accompanied by food getting cold, which just exacerbates the problem. Our consumer research shows that 58% believe that if food arrives late, it is “the responsibility of both the delivery company and restaurant”, so there's potential for reputational damage every time there's an issue with delivery.
Gain visibility and increase ratings
HGEM recognised a gap in the market for a tool to help operators gain more visibility in the customer experience, when working with third-party delivery partners, and developed a product to help monitor the guest journey from start to finish, ensuring brand standards are met and the customers are left delighted.
With our Delivery Assessment module, brands remain in control even when the product leaves the physical premises; improving consistency, strengthening the brand-customer relationship and increasing the likelihood of repeat orders. Our clients that implemented the Delivery module have also seen an increase of up to 16% in ratings on delivery apps. Read more about the key features of the module here.
