Okay but, and hear me out here, I hate talking on the phone. I cannot stand the difficulties of mutual accent-interpretation and talking over restaurant crowd noise. I will always use an app/website to order if it's an option, even if it's technically less efficient. (Similarly, I also hate ordering at drive-throughs because the intercoms are generally terrible. I'll get out of my car and walk inside to order if that…
Phone is still the best way to order pizza
261–270 of 456 posts
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#262Most of the comments here are focused on the question of why you would prefer an app to calling. The author's point is a great one though, and something I've wondered a lot. Why should I create an account to order a pizza? The app should reduce friction even from the very first order. Instead it adds, and adds for every order... Got to go look up coupon codes! On the phone I just ask the guy what their best deal is i…
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#263Earlier quoted context omitted.
Uber Eats sent my order to restaurants that were absolutely not open. After two times, and two refunds, they stopped refunding me because of a “pattern of suspicious behavior”. No way to escalate review to a human. None at all. So maybe be aware of your choice
Moreover, you can't even phone Uber Eats! I had a huge delivery of Chinese food left on my doorstep (it was still quite hot). Obviously, delivered to the wrong address. The bill was fully itemized and stapled to one of the Uber bags and it came to just short of $200 but there was no correct address and no telephone number to be found on it anywhere. Anyway, I did my best to contact Uber Eats to get the delivery perso…
Ironically, that's exactly what the intended recipients were complaining about too!
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#264Most of the comments here are focused on the question of why you would prefer an app to calling. The author's point is a great one though, and something I've wondered a lot. Why should I create an account to order a pizza? The app should reduce friction even from the very first order. Instead it adds, and adds for every order... Got to go look up coupon codes! On the phone I just ask the guy what their best deal is i…
I use Uber Eats for ordering food exclusively exactly because when there is a screw up and I receive the wrong item or none at all, I get refunded immediately by Uber with a few taps.
When my kid doesn't get the meal we ordered for them, they don't really care that Uber Eats was quick to refund the order.
They're still hungry.
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#265Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#266Most of the comments here are focused on the question of why you would prefer an app to calling. The author's point is a great one though, and something I've wondered a lot. Why should I create an account to order a pizza? The app should reduce friction even from the very first order. Instead it adds, and adds for every order... Got to go look up coupon codes! On the phone I just ask the guy what their best deal is i…
The author's point isn't a good one. You have an "account" regardless. Putting in your name and e-mail is near irrelevant since he indicated it might be reasonable to provide a credit card. Unless he can say, "Large Pizza for Pickup, I have a CC", which is usually the case. The only thing better about calling or app is dependent on when and how you want to pay.
I think this might differ if you're in the U.S or out, here in Europe often it is like this:
In the app/website you have an "account" that you get by entering data into form fields which takes a while, and which then gets stored into a database and is saved forever unless you go through some extra steps to make sure it doesn't which will be complicated by how well the app / website has been programmed to handle these potential extra steps (if at all)
On the phone you have an address that the guy writes down on the piece of paper for the delivery guy and is thrown out afterwards.
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#267Earlier quoted context omitted.
The author's point isn't a good one. You have an "account" regardless. Putting in your name and e-mail is near irrelevant since he indicated it might be reasonable to provide a credit card. Unless he can say, "Large Pizza for Pickup, I have a CC", which is usually the case. The only thing better about calling or app is dependent on when and how you want to pay.
>You have an "account" regardless. I think this might differ if you're in the U.S or out, here in Europe often it is like this: In the app/website you have an "account" that you get by entering data into form fields which takes a while, and which then gets stored into a database and is saved forever unless you go through some extra steps to make sure it doesn't which will be complicated by how well the app / website…
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#268Estimates for when the food will be ready tend to be way more accurate over the phone (as the person taking the order actually knows how busy the restaurant is). In my experience, most online ordering estimates are padded by 20-30 minutes (so the website will say it'll be ready in 40 minutes, but it's actually ready in 10), presumably because the restaurant doesn't have the time/ability to be updating ETAs throughout the night, and it's better to overestimate than underestimate.
You also have the option of easily cancelling your order if it's going to be too long - I've even had a restaurant warn me it was going to be a long time:
> > Name of Restaurant, how may I help you?
> I'd like to order for pickup.
> > We're very busy right now, it would be at least an hour.
> Oh, nevermind, thank you.Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#269Okay but, and hear me out here, I hate talking on the phone. I cannot stand the difficulties of mutual accent-interpretation and talking over restaurant crowd noise. I will always use an app/website to order if it's an option, even if it's technically less efficient. (Similarly, I also hate ordering at drive-throughs because the intercoms are generally terrible. I'll get out of my car and walk inside to order if that…
The Taco Bell and Chick-fil-a apps are amazing. I spend as much time as I want going over the menu, customizing my items as I see fit (steak instead of ground beef, or creamy salsa dressing instead of avocado lime), and pay for it before I get in the car. When I drive up, I just say "online order for function_seven" and they say, "cool, we'll have it at the window". The staff taking orders from the speaker are often…
Their app's frequent customer program maxes out at 500 points display. I have 11000+ points. 2500 points is redeemable for a large ice cream cake. The staff writes me love letters on my box. Seriously, I have pictures.
How to do a food app right: 1. Let me customize my order with all available options 2. Store my payment details 3. Let me re-order with one or two taps.
I get hungry while coding, open app, tap recent orders, order again, pay, and I am done.
By the time I walk into the store, my food is ready. I walk past all waiting customers and enjoy my meal. :)
Re: Phone is still the best way to order pizza
#270Who on earth has ever ordered just a "large pizza for pickup"? Without specifying ingredients, type of crust, anything. This is like ordering a chair by phone from a furniture store by dialing the number, saying "Armchair for pickup" and heading on over to the store. Why reserve books online from the library? Just call them and say "10 books for pickup" and then hang up.
> Who on earth has ever ordered just a "large pizza for pickup"? Without specifying ingredients, type of crust, anything. LOL. All the time. Me: "One large pie." Them: "Anything else?" Me: "Nope." Them: "15 minutes." In NY/NJ, pizza is a language unto itself.