Food delivery service platform DoorDash is integrating AI technology for their restaurant clients, which will see customers communicating their food orders to AI-powered bots instead of busy in-house staff.
According to an Aug. 28 announcement from DoorDash, the new AI-powered voice ordering system will answer customer phone calls, which will be available to “select operators.”
The company’s 2023 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends report revealed that while 20% of customers prefer to order their food via phone, up to 50% of customer calls are left unanswered — leading to significant unrealized losses for restaurants.
“Customers expect more from restaurateurs, and in return, restaurateurs expect even more technology-forward solutions from us — including support for phone channels to meet customers where they’re ordering,” said DoorDash’s head of product and design Rajat Shroff.
According to the statement, DoorDash will combine a mix of AI and human operators to ensure that all customer calls are answered within a short time frame, allowing restaurants to keep up with increased demand during peak times.
Additionally, DoorDash says its AI system will be able to provide a personalized customer experience by answering calls in multiple languages.
Third-party food delivery apps have grown significantly in popularity over the last two years. The company’s report found that 34% of respondents begin their food ordering process by looking at a third-party app like DoorDash or UberEats, more than double that of 15% in 2021.
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The AI-enhanced ordering system will also provide customers with potential recommendations to fill out their meal — a move DoorDash says will increase overall sales for restaurants.
In May, fast food chain Wendy’s made waves when it announced that it would be introducing an AI-powered chatbot dubbed “Wendy’s FreshAI” to take orders from drive-thru customers.
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