Small restaurant owners say missing Skip, Dash and Uber orders taking a bite out of business – CBC.ca
Small restaurant owners in London say they’re hearing from an increasing number of angry customers missing food placed through third party delivery apps, and that it’s hurting their bottom line.
CBC News reached out to several restaurant owners who use Doordash, Uber and SkipTheDishes who explained they receive calls every week about food not arriving at all, or items missing in an order that’s been delivered.
“It happens two or three times [a week],” said Paul Anda, manager of Aria Pizza in London. “Delivery drivers, they come in, take the order and then the driver clicks on a button where it says the order wasn’t ready, and they just take the food home with them.”
Anda said he always refunds the customer, and that he can receive compensation from the delivery service, but he said he regrets the time, effort and ingredients that he’s lost in the process.
“It drains the business big time,” said Anda. “It’s always going out of the restaurant pocket because we have to make the order again and then the delivery service assigns another driver. So it’s always our loss.”
‘We’re losing profit’
Nirav Patel, owner of Butterbites Café and Restaurant in east London, said he’s had similar experiences, and estimates food loss is costing him approximately $100 each month.
“We’re losing profit,” said Patel, who joined DoorDash and Uber Eats during the pandemic. “The amount of sales we do with Uber and DoorDash is only $1,000 a month or sometimes $1500. So that’s almost like 10 per cent that’s gone.”
Patel said Doordash and Uber have refunded him when he’s contested a missing food time, but he says it can be time consuming and the refund is not always guaranteed.
In an email to CBC News, DoorDash said it’s paid the bill for many orders that have gone missing but disagrees the problem is as significant as restaurant owners say it is.
“The vast majority of customers on DoorDash receive their order as expected,” said a spokesperson for DoorDash. “In rare instances where issues may arise, DoorDash thoroughly investigates the scenario to reach a fair resolution for all parties involved.”
SkipTheDishes did not respond to a request for comment but Uber specified there are requirements that need to be met if it refunds a customers through the restaurant.
“Multiple factors are considered in each refund decision, and we have measures in place to protect restaurants from fraudulent customer or delivery person reports,” Uber Canada spokesperson Keerthana Rang said.
Restaurant owners are also able to provide feedback on drivers and are able to select a box recommending the driver not be offered deliveries in the future.
Former Uber driver
Jatian Mehta was an Uber Eats drive for one month before he took on a job driving for Leo’s Pizza and Grill in Byron last year. He said he’s not surprised that some food items are going missing, and he warns customers to not accept deliveries where the seal is broken.
“I don’t think it’s the food retailer’s mistake or anything, it’s something that the driver is doing in between,” Mehta said. He said it’s likely they are eating the food because they make less than minimum wage and may actually be hungry.
