Skip to main content

Using UberEat, I can't Get My Food

Food delivery platform pop up like mushrooms in Hong Kong, first there was only FoodPanda, then Deliveroo and recently, UberEat.

I had good experience with Uber, the Ui is very pleasant to use, and there is always a car around.

So I guess UberEat will be fine as well.

I am next to my computer, so I decide to try their website first.

I want to order from a Kabab restaurant in North Point, I selected the dishes and put them into my cart, everything seems fine.

But I can't find the PROMO CODE column. 

I am a bit frustrated, but as a product manager, I am not surprised. It can be the company had been focusing on the mobile application and not enough on the website. Some features get reprioritized.

It is likely that I can find this feature in the mobile.

So I download the mobile application and start logging in my account.

It asks me to use the verification code to verify the mobile number, although I have already verified this number on the website.

Confused, I entered the same verification code I received before.

It came back as an invalid number.

Which actually is an expired number.

But anyway. I click on the "Resend the Code" button.

Nothing happend.

I click again. I knew there won't be any differences, but still, human nature.

Of course, nothing happend.

Frustrated, I click on the "Change Mobile Number"button, and I enter my number, hoping that the reason I can't get verification code is because the database fail to write my number in and it will just do it but also, the chance of my hope actually become true is minimum because the account take-over prevention will not allow such thing to happen.

The App throw back an error message.



At first I was in shock that the error message is so poorly written, it is a consumer facing message, so what is server and request doing here.

How many of the people ordering their lunch and dinner will know what this is about?

And how is that in anyway helpful in assuring the users with what happend or when it will get fixed?

And should I go with another app?

Desperate, I look into my account session, hopping that at least I can change my mobile from there and problems will be sorted.

Tapping on my avatar image or name does nothing, which is counter intuitive to me as it is the common behavior and expectation from the users.




Eventually, I found "Edit My Account" function under the Setting. But when I open, it is showing "Uber" instead of "UberEat". I think it is fine since all over the world knows they are related, now we just also know that they share the log in (not sharing the address table through since my addresses under Uber does not seem to sync with my UberEat, but this actually can also be a bug...you never know)





It then open the web page of Uber account, and finally at least I am able to understand it is indeed mobile number that has been messed up.



I click on the mobile number.

Nothing happen.

At this point I already spend 30 minutes from ordering to trying to fix my account.

And I have not even placed my order.

And it takes 40-60 minutes for them to deliver.

I get Uber decide it will not send my lunch today; and probably also not dinner.

To be sincerely honest it has been a terrible experience and I am ashamed as a product manager to see an application like this. I guess Uber streched too much for what it can actually deliver; maybe it feels the revenue pressure to diversify into other business ( but the margin for good delivery is actually lower than car rides by the way); I hope it gets better in the future but as a customer, I am not coming back.

Uber is known about my friends for its generosity, in other words, the various kinds of FREE rides it offers; and also in this case, I initially choose it because it is giving HK$50 discounts for first time order (and actually it is also selling HK$100 voucher at HK$25 on GroupOn and I am so glad that I did not buy that one).

But I have realized that the time and effort UberEat made me waste has offset the benefits; and even worse, the frustration it brought to the user is not health for the user and in this sense, I choose not to be a user because I don't want to tolerate the thought that because there is discount and promotion, users should bear with the bad user experience and try to make it work. 

Making users hungry in their stomach is not good for their health; making users frustrated in their mind is even worse. 


Uber, don't eat.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Storyboard 101

Since I made up my mind to go into the field of user experience and design, I’ve been constantly amazed by how many different concepts and terminologies we have come out in different professions to mean the same thing. One of them is the concept of a storyboard. Today I joined a design meetup event by “Design by Night”, the theme of which is to draw a painting to illustrate how we solve a problem using a possible solution. We drew the problem and solution from two boxes and no matter if they make sense to us or not, we have to build the connection. The problem I drew was mosquitos, and the solution, Jack Ma. Just the perfect solution. I can think of a zillion ways how he can solve the problem. One possible way is for Alibaba to sell Mosquito Repellent to everybody in the world, delivering through ship, plane, truck,  motorbikes  and even on foot. We will apply them to ourselves and to all animals around us. Mosquitos will have nothing to eat and...
Post a Comment
Read more

8 Takeaways on Productive Usability Tests

Please, test it.  The fact you believe in your idea, or that your investor do as well, it means a lot about creating a wonderful team and culture. It does not mean your customer will buy into that.  There is a long way between what the market opportunity (as the market analysis and the founder’s vision is) and what the actual product is. Of the thousands of products in different countries that seems to solve the same problem (you may call them competitors if you want), which one will win the customers’ favor now and in the future? Usability test helps to provides insight on that. Or in other words. usability test tells you, at the current state of mind, your customer will most likely find your product to be value if you do … in the following way … and … in the following way ... As you can see, these findings can be translated to what you can include in your MVP, why a certain design or feature did not meet the expect...
Post a Comment
Read more

6 Ways Machine Learning AI Will Transform Retail Experience

Machine learning utilizes big data to understand users' needs and to provide them relevant information. To a retailer, how will machine learning improve the way they interact with their consumes? In this article, I will talk about 3 pioneers that has already been using AI to provide a better user experience and what are 5 areas you, as a consumer, can leverage on the AI power to improve your shopping experience. In terms of machine learning, currently, most of the implementation is focusing on the awareness/discover stage. Understand your need and suggest the right products:  The North Face shopping assistant powered by Watson through agency Fuild, then you go on the website to search for the perfect garment, all you need to do is to answer from simple questions, and the shopping assistant will find a list of results base on your needs. Give directions when shopping in store: Macy’s On Call powered by Satisfi and Watson help consum...
Post a Comment
Read more