Uber Eats - Very Late

Grumpy_chap

Not really a question here insofar as I won't do anything about this but I am wondering on people's thoughts.

We ordered a Uber Eats delivery yesterday and it was predicted to arrive in 40 minutes or so.  
It got delayed, so actually took over 90 minutes. 
As is normal, the app keeps doing updates and the messages got more apologetic as the original time window passed. 

Then the last message was along the lines of "really sorry about the very late delivery, but don't worry we've got this for you.  We use this type of data to improve our service in the future."

Now, I initially read the "we've got this" part to infer that Uber were paying for the meal.  That would actually be overly generous tbh, but I did then think they might discount the service charge or the delivery charge.

Anyway, the full cost of the meal has shown as a payment to the credit card.

So, I won't do anything about this but I just wondered how others would have interpreted the "we've got this message"? 
Perhaps there is someone from Uber who actually knows what that is meant to be interpreted as.

Debbie9009

Based on the message I would be thinking they would be giving a discount of some sort, or maybe a money off voucher for a future delivery.

lr1277

I frequently order from Just Eat and it was many months before I realised I could complain about specific orders. There is an online help, which leads to complaining about the order. I have to choose a reason for the complaint and sometimes provide evidence.

So if an item is missing, you just list the missing items.

For other reasons, though I can't remember all the reasons why, I had to take pictures of the food that had arrived and return the -hoto(s) to Just Eat.

Whilst I have had orders that were incredibly late, at the time I did not know how to complain. The advantage is that usually Just Eat show a delivered time. So if I get a late order now, I would complain but I don't know the exact steps that Just Eat would make me take.

Remember to have a camera/smartphone that can take picture(s) of the order (perhaps before you eat it), so you can send the picture(s) back to Uber if required.

I have had cases where once the entirely wrong order was delivered. In this case I had to take a picture of the delivered food and the order receipt stapled to the bag. In this case I got a full refund.

I had another case where the order was delivered to the wrong address and I was fortunate that the resident of that address did not collect the order. In case you ask, I live in a block of flats and heard the delivery driver coming up the stairs and going to the other side of the stairwell. Then I saw on the app that the order was delivered but there was no food in front of my door. So I went and picked up the order myself from in front of my neighbour's door. I got a full refund for that order.

In terms of the refund, it mainly used to be a refund to a credit card. Nowadays I only get a refund amount to my Just Eat account, which is then offset against my next order.

Finally if I try to contact the restaurant to complain about an order, usually one of the following happens:

1) Can't get through because nobody answers, or it goes to a recorded message where you cannot leave a message

2) The restaurant says they have no drivers to re-deliver so they tell me to complain on the app and get a refund.

3) In one case the phone number given on Just Eat for the restaurant, if memory serves, called Just Eat. I can't remember if they answered or it went straight to voicemail. Either way there was no help in getting the correct order.

So now if I am dissatisfied with an order, I put in a complaint. I usually don't bother trying to contact the restaurant, unless I know the restaurant will do something about it.

And to answer your question based on messages I have seen on Just Eat:

1) Sometimes the delivery window time keeps getting put back, but at least the restaurant is aware and doing something about it

2) Sometimes the restaurant calls and apologises (once I think), then tell me the order is on the way or gives me an estimated delivery time.

3) Sometimes the delivery window time passes, doesn't get updated and I may nor may not get a delivery. Though to be fair, I think I have always had a delivery however long after the delivery window estimate.

I personally have found late deliveries primarily happens on a restaurant's busy days (i.e. Friday and Saturday evenings) or on a day when Just Eat or the restaurant are doing some kind of promotion/money off offer.

Oh and the worst case of lateness I can remember was either 60 or 90 minutes after the end of the delivery window. Again on a Friday or Saturday.

Finally I don't know how Uber works, but you mention 40 minutes. Is that 40 minutes after your order was placed? Again on a Friday or Saturday, the restaurant may not get to my order till 60-90 minutes after I placed the order and then there is food preparation/cooking time (which could be 20-30 mins) and delivery time (of 10-20 mins) on top.So in my view, the delivery time is an estimate based on a quiet day with very few orders. This time is not updated for busy days or when there are many orders to be fulfilled at a particular time.

HTH

RogerBareford

lr1277 said:

I had another case where the order was delivered to the wrong address and I was fortunate that the resident of that address did not collect the order. In case you ask, I live in a block of flats and heard the delivery driver coming up the stairs and going to the other side of the stairwell. Then I saw on the app that the order was delivered but there was no food in front of my door. So I went and picked up the order myself from in front of my neighbour's door. I got a full refund for that order.

I'm surprised they gave you a full refund when you actually had the food. Did they know you went and got the food or did you make it sound like you never received it?

Manxman_in_exile

Grumpy_chap said:

... So, I won't do anything about this but I just wondered how others would have interpreted the "we've got this message"? ...

I'd take it to mean either that they were just about to deliver the order or had already done so.

I certainly wouldn't take "We've got this... " to mean either that you were getting a free meal or even a discounted one.

If they'd actually said "We'll pay for this... "  or "Don't worry - you won't have to pay for this... " that would be different.

lr1277

RogerBareford said:

lr1277 said:

I had another case where the order was delivered to the wrong address and I was fortunate that the resident of that address did not collect the order. In case you ask, I live in a block of flats and heard the delivery driver coming up the stairs and going to the other side of the stairwell. Then I saw on the app that the order was delivered but there was no food in front of my door. So I went and picked up the order myself from in front of my neighbour's door. I got a full refund for that order.

I'm surprised they gave you a full refund when you actually had the food. Did they know you went and got the food or did you make it sound like you never received it?

I told them everything; including not ringing my buzzer (which most other drivers do, but not always so not surprised this driver didn't ring), then I mentione they had come up the stairs, and then I heard the door on the other side of the stairwell open and then looking on the app, the food was delivered. I expect contactless delivery so keep my door closed.

I can't remember how much of the following I mentioned.

The other mistake the driver made was that door numbers are clearly on the door. How did this driver deliver to the wrong address when at least the door number was on the front of the door to which the delivery was made?

I suppose the full refund was also because of the aggravation of having to collect the order when I am trying to minimise contact with people even though I am not infectious. Also theoretically the resident at the delivered address could have picked it up and said thank you very much! If this would have happened, I would have not known to which flat the order had been delivered. And I would have had to report an undelivered order.

In case you ask, I did check the delivery receipt to make sure it was my order when I picked it up. And yes the delivery slip did show my address correctly.

IvanOpinion

I would put 'we've got this' down as an Americanism, which basically means 'we haven't forgotten about you and are trying to sort it out'.