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Most restaurants providing poor delivery, study says

Sabert Corporation's study, conducted during the 2015 National Restaurant Association show, found that more than half of the food establishments evaluated provided poor to very poor overall delivery experiences.

June 11, 2015

Sabert Corporation, manufacturer of food packaging products and solutions, has announced the results of its 2015 Sabert Food Delivery Pressure Test. The test, conducted during the 2015 National Restaurant Association show, found that more than half of the food establishments evaluated provided poor to very poor overall delivery experiences.  

To conduct the study, the Sabert team placed orders at four select Chicago area restaurants at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15, during the height of the NRA rush hour, the company said in the announcement. Restaurants chosen included a high-end steakhouse, a dim sum restaurant, an Italian restaurant and an American restaurant. Using phone, mobile and web applications, Sabert ordered a variety of foods simultaneously that differed in range of temperatures

The team documented time of delivery as the orders came in, and conducted immediate inspections of packaging, presentation, quality and taste. They then recorded and analyzed the data.

The results of the test showed that restaurants are falling short of basic delivery thresholds, using packaging that is either not designed to withstand temperature-specific foods or ill-equipped to contain specific food types. One restaurant delivered hot and cold foods in a single bag, resulting in cold food, such as sushi and kale salad, reaching 80-degrees and 108-degrees, respectively, the company said.

"We developed this test as our way of taking a valuable snapshot of the state of food delivery at the biggest food show in the world," Sabert Marketing Communications Manager Jessica Burrell said in the press release. "While delivery may seem a secondary service to many food establishments, we believe our findings prove that packaging and delivery service can impact the overall delivery experience as much as or more than the food quality itself."

Key failure points include:

1. Placing hot and cold foods in close proximity – Hot and cold foods that were delivered in close proximity (i.e. same delivery bag or packaging container) compromised the integrity and safety of cold foods. In more than one instance, a restaurant delivered and stored hot and cold foods in a single delivery bag, causing cold foods to reach unsafe and/or unappetizing high temperatures.

Sabert insight: Cold and hot foods should always be in separate packaging and delivery bags to ensure all foods delivered mimic restaurant quality and are served at their appropriate temperature.

2. Partially filled packaging and inappropriate packaging per food type – Improper packaging sizes led some food portions to appear smaller than anticipated, creating the impression of low value. Additionally, unsuitable packaging used for fried foods caused condensation, leading to sogginess and poor texture.

Sabert insight: Have a variety of packaging options to fit multiple needs and appropriately fill food packaging to create a greater impression of value and increased visual appeal. Equally as important is ensuring that packaging is appropriate for certain food types, including wet foods, fried foods, messy foods, hot foods and cold foods, which will increase the quality of the food upon its arrival to the customer.

3. Unprofessional delivery person – Restaurants that outsourced delivery service to an unreliable external delivery person led to varying satisfaction levels with overall customer service.

Sabert insight: Ensure all delivery partners are aware of brand and service expectations prior to any food delivery. Delivery partners can be seen as an extension of the brand, and it is important to choose them wisely.

4. Inaccurate delivery estimates – Restaurants that did not provide a delivery estimate or those that were late upon arrival created frustrations with their service and scored lower than those that both provided an estimate and arrived early or on time.

Sabert insight: Always provide a delivery time estimate and ensure delivery person transports foods within the timeframe.

5. Unbranded packaging and delivery materials – Restaurants and eateries that provided packaging and delivery bags with branded images increased the overall food delivery experience, while those who had generic packaging saw no increase in overall satisfaction.

Sabert insight: Use branded images and logos on delivery bags, food packaging, and if possible, on the delivery person's attire. Doing so creates a professional, higher-end experience and creates a positive association with the establishment.