The platform for food delivery services DoorDash is integrating AI technology for its restaurant customers, allowing customers to submit their food orders to AI-powered bots instead of busy in-house staff.
According to a DoorDash announcement on Aug. 28, The new AI-based voice ordering system answers customer calls and is available to selected mobile operators.
The company’s 2023 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends report found that While 20% of customers prefer to order their food over the phone, up to 50% of customer calls go unanswered, resulting in significant unrealized losses for restaurants.
“Customers expect more from restaurateurs, and in return, restaurateurs expect even more technologically advanced solutions from us, including support for phone channels to meet customers where they are ordering,” said Rajat Shroff, Head of Product and Design at DoorDash.
According to the statement, DoorDash will combine a mix of AI and human operators to ensure all customer calls are answered in a short amount of time, allowing restaurants to keep up with increased demand during peak periods.
Aside from that, DoorDash claims its AI system will be able to provide a personalized customer experience by answering calls in multiple languages.
Third-party meal delivery apps have grown in popularity over the past two years. That was the company’s report: 34% of respondents start their food ordering process by looking at a third-party app like DoorDash or UberEats, more than double the 15% in 2021.
The AI-powered ordering system will also give customers potential recommendations on how to complete their meal, a move DoorDash says will boost the restaurant’s overall sales.
In May, the fast food chain Wendy’s caused a stir by announcing it would launch an AI chatbot called “Wendy’s FreshAI” to take orders from drive-thru customers.
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