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How to Avoid Missing Items in Food Delivery
Nothing frustrates hungry customers more than receiving the wrong order. Especially if there are missing items, they will still have to report and wait for a resolution. And that can make customers more furious. These mishaps in your service can lead to a bad rep.
On top of it, resolving these issues leads to more costs. There are the reshipping, resources, and the value of losing a customer forever. The cost-per-error can be very damaging for smaller businesses. You can never replace time, money, and effort wasted with missing items on your food delivery. But there are ways you can prevent it from happening.
Always check and be detail-oriented
It always helps to double-check. The more, the better so long as you don’t waste too much time and resources. Count off every ordered item. Tick off everything on the list. Even for bundled items, you have to check if they’re the right mix. Otherwise, a wrong bundle can affect your stock figures and lead to more problems in the future.
Automated food delivery apps are reliable. But it helps to rely on manual checking before dispatch. Perhaps, a double check system could work too wherein there’s both manual check in the establishment and point of delivery.
Build reliable delivery partnerships
You can have multiple courier services or food delivery platforms you can trust. But do extensive research based on credibility and customer feedback. This narrows the chances of bad delivery or system errors that may result in missing items. As a business, you want to trust your partners to keep an honest service like you do.
Document every item
The delivery follows a process. Missing items can get lost as a fault of the restaurant, the rider, or upon point of delivery. To avoid blame on negligence, it helps to document every item before delivery. It gives you proof of honest service when a customer reports a mistake that is not your fault. You can put a person in charge, take a photo, or call the customer for confirmation. Anything that proves you are not missing out on any order.
Update your inventory
Missing items can also be due to lack of supplies. When this happens, your customer has the right to know. Keep your inventory checked so you don’t miss out on your orders. If an item is missing, contact your customer and let them know other menu options. Don’t ever surprise them upon delivery then apologize later.
BONUS: Offer an apology compensation
If it so happens that your food delivery has a missing item, you can still earn back your customer’s trust by offering a worthy compensation. Perhaps a discount on their next purchase, or a freebie with the missing item. By doing this, you cut down on the chances of losing your customer’s trust forever.