Unidentified Phone Numbers Are Causing CX Problems For On-Demand Food Delivery Platforms

On-demand food delivery services have a customer support problem, according to a new study released by First Orion, a leading provider of communication transparency solutions. Half of the 2,000 survey respondents said the top reason for needing to connect with the delivery service’s customer support team was the late delivery of their food order. However, 62% had missed a call about issues with their delivery because they didn’t recognize the phone number calling, leading to dissatisfaction (more than 80%), not to mention hungry customers.

There’s been a recent surge in the use of popular on-demand food delivery platforms like GrubHub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash (First Orion’s study found 92% usage of these services), yet despite the convenience of mobile app ordering and contactless delivery, problems still occur. When they do, more than 80% of survey respondents said they want to receive a phone call and 93% expect problems to be resolved in less than 10 minutes. When asked how important it is to be able to identify an unknown phone number by the business name, 81% said very or extremely – otherwise, they simply won’t answer.

It’s clear from the research that food delivery has ways to go before improving answer rates and customer satisfaction. Right now, too many customers are hangry when there is a potential issue with their order. Consumers are willing to answer the phone when they see a brand’s logo or name, driving greater engagement, loyalty, and a positive experience overall. We have seen this firsthand with another on-demand service. In just nine months after adopting First Orion ENGAGE, they saw a 92% answer rate, which dramatically increased their customer satisfaction and experience. It meant that drivers were no longer waiting outside for 10-15 minutes and customers were not wondering where they were, but instead at the ring of their phone, it notified the customer they had arrived.

While late delivery accounted for 50% of the top reasons people needed to connect with the food delivery service, these were the other most common problems:

• Incorrect order (37%)
• Food was cold / not fresh (36%)
• Driver needed directions (33%)
• Food never arrived (26%)
• Delivery driver attitude/behavior issue (14%)

First Orion helps the world’s leading carriers, enterprises, and mobile apps provide mobile users with the protection they need from scams and the identity verification they need to answer trusted calls. The company’s flagship First Orion Call Protection Suite currently provides call control, blocking, transparency and management solutions to tens of millions of mobile handsets.

Additionally, First Orion’s Call Enhancement Suite, INFORM® and ENGAGE®, tells mobile subscribers who is calling and why, empowering them with the ability to take action, while also providing businesses the ability to verify their identity when calling their customers. Nearly 87 percent of calls go unanswered because consumers don’t recognize the number or don’t trust the identity. With First Orion – enterprises, hospitals, government entities, non-profits, last-mile logistics, banks, and more can now deliver critical communications and have their calls answered.

Processing over 90 billion calls annually, First Orion​ powers communication transparency solutions for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, Sky, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint Prepaid mobile networks along with PrivacyStar and other mobile apps. Established in 2008 and led by Charles Morgan (former Founder & CEO of Acxiom), First Orion is headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, has offices in Seattle, London, and Dubai, and employs nearly 250 people globally.

PrivacyStar, First Orion, ENGAGE, and INFORM are trademarks of First Orion Corp. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.