After a tiring day at his IT office in Noida, Rahul craved a delicious biryani. He decided to order his favorite soy chaap biryani from 'Biryani Blue' via Zomato. With the app confirming a 45-minute delivery, Rahul eagerly anticipated his meal. However, as the deadline passed, his hunger turned into frustration. Constantly checking the location of the delivery boy, an hour passed, and still, there was no sign of his order.
Rahul checked the Zomato app, which showed his order was 'out for delivery.' Attempts to call the delivery boy went unanswered until, finally, the call connected. The delivery boy nonchalantly admitted, "Sir, I couldn't reach you, so I ate the biryani." Shocked, Rahul protested, asserting that his phone was on and he hadn't received any calls. Nevertheless, the delivery boy ended the call abruptly. Despite the gated society and intercom services providing contact means, no contact attempt was made.
Source: aajtak
Frustrated, Rahul reached out to Zomato's customer support. Instead of resolving the issue, they claimed attempts to contact Rahul failed, leading to order cancellation. The situation was worsened further by the deduction of ₹630 from his account. His follow-up actions for a refund hit a dead end, with neither refund nor action against the delivery boy happening.
Source: aajtak
The incident wasn't isolated. Ordering the same biryani again ended with a similar fiasco. Despite checking settings and inputting the correct number, the 'out for delivery' status lingered. When calling the delivery boy, Rahul received the same excuse, "Sir, I couldn't reach you, so I gave the order away." No further explanation followed, and once again, no biryani reached him, while the amount was deducted. Multiple complaints led to robotic responses without accountability or action.
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While Zomato efficiently delivers meals to millions daily, incidents like Rahul's raise critical questions about their delivery and support services. Both times, unfounded excuses were used to misuse his orders, despite Rahul claiming full phone functionality. His gated society maintains an entry record through the Mygate app, and calls from intercoms are standard, yet these were not utilized.
Rahul isn't alone in this ordeal. Many customers share similar stories of delivery mishaps and unresponsive support on social media platforms. To understand Zomato's policy on such issues, aajtalk.in reached out for clarification.
'We have robust systems in place to verify our delivery partners' claims, such as when they report unavailability of the customer. If a delivery partner selects the “customer not responding” option in the Zomato delivery app's help section, we promptly cross-check if their last call to the customer went unanswered or failed. If the claim does not hold up, the delivery partner is not allowed to proceed within the support process and is instructed to complete the delivery.'
'Should an order be canceled under questionable circumstances, our trained support agents verify the delivery partner's claims, including confirming details with the customer and flagging the order for manual review. If the claim is found incorrect, we waive any cancellation penalty for the customer. We enforce strict actions against delivery partners violating our code of conduct. Preventive training is provided initially, which clearly outlines the proper handling of deliveries. For customer complaints, we have a structured resolution process, with all our support channels publicly listed on our website for transparency and easy assistance. This includes real-time in-app chat support, email support for unresolved issues, phone support if chat or email resolutions are unsatisfactory, and even escalation to the Grievance Officer if needed. These steps ensure that every order is handled with integrity and any violation is addressed swiftly and seriously.'
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If chat, email, or phone doesn't resolve the issue, check the Grievance Officer details on Zomato's website, and lodge a formal complaint including order details, previous conversations, and evidence. If Zomato fails to offer a solution, like refunds or repeated issues, approach consumer forums for further action. Selecting Cash on Delivery (COD) for future orders minimizes payment risk if delivery fails.
