Sometimes a delivery order is missing an item or has an item that doesn’t correspond with a customer’s order (i.e. missing main item or side item, incorrect item or quantity received, etc.), which can disappoint and frustrate customers. Unfortunately – according to recent research – 73% of customers who had a bad experience at a restaurant told their relatives and friends about it. Luckily, the DoorDash Merchant Portal makes it easy to identify missing or incorrect items on customer orders, and we’ve included some other tips below.
How to improve my online ordering and avoid an issue with a DoorDash order
Missing or Incorrect rate measures the percentage of delivered orders with at least 1 item marked missing or incorrect. The ideal Missing or Incorrect rate is less than 2.25%.
How to reduce Missing or Incorrect items
Optimize your menu
A clear, concise menu leaves less room for customer confusion and can reduce accuracy errors by 20-50%. Here’s how to optimize your menu:
Ensure your menu is up to date at all times by marking items out of stock via the Merchant Portal or by POS/Tablet. Monitor your stock levels frequently, especially at the end of day and during promotions; this will help you keep your customers happy and coming back for more.
Provide accurate item photos (for example, a “burger” item should only picture a burger, not a burger with a drink and fries)
Ensure menu items contain accurate descriptions with all standard included ingredients
Include the option to add or remove modifiers. However if this becomes an issue during fulfillment, consider simplifying modifier choices, so it’s easier for your team to customize orders.
Disable special instructions if you’re not able to accommodate non-standard requests (e.g., ingredient addition/removal, dietary restrictions, etc.).
How to ensure accuracy when packing & handing off orders
Avoid missing or incorrect items in your customer orders by designing an effective process for packing that’s easy for your staff to follow.
Attach and/or label multi-bag orders: Attaching bags together with staples, stickers, or tape will help ensure Dashers get the entire order. You can also clearly label bags that are part of the same order.
Check off items on the receipt as you pack: Check off items as you bag them using a pen/highlighter and a printed expeditor ticket.
Label bags with the customer’s name: Write the customer’s name on the bag(s) to help ensure Dashers pick up the right order.
Set up a dedicated space for order prep and bagging: Putting items within easy reach of your expo space is key. If space is extremely limited, add a pick-up rack for fast and easy Dasher handoff.
Support a dedicated “digital make” line: Set up a display system or printers so that each make line only displays either dine-in or digital orders. You can also set aside space specifically for digital order packing prep, and train your staff on the different processes.
Ask Dashers to identify their order: To keep track of your orders, it's important to identify your Dashers. By asking Dashers to confirm the customer’s name, the order they are picking up, and which platform they are delivering for, you are minimizing the risk for error.
Have a staff member double check the order: Ensuring that orders are double checked by your host or a staff member is good practice. They can also ask to view the Dashers phone to confirm the order ID, customers name, and ordered items to ensure the order is correct before leaving the store.
Rate your Dashers: If you observe a Dasher mishandling an order, you can submit a Poor rating in the Orders Tab of the Merchant Portal and click Block. The Dasher will no longer be offered deliveries for any of your locations. Alternatively, if on your tablet, select the order you think was mishandled and click Block to prevent the Dasher from picking up deliveries from you again.
Monitor trends in the Merchant Portal: The Merchant Portal provides comprehensive analytics on menu performance, operations and customer feedback. Utilize the Operations Quality tab to track important metrics like missing items, order accuracy, DoorDash wait time, and customer rating.
Regularly check in with your DoorDash account manager: Schedule quarterly check-ins with your DoorDash account manager to review important macro metrics such as order accuracy rate, Dasher wait time or customer reviews.
Where to find an issue with a DoorDash order
Getting to the bottom of an order issue as quickly as possible will help ensure increased customer satisfaction. Here's how you can pinpoint the specific details about the problem:
In the Merchant Portal, click on the Insights drop-down menu.
Navigate to the Operations Quality section, where you’ll find your recent orders.
3. Next, in the bottom right corner click on View Error Charges, there you’ll find the issues with that specific order.
DoorDash Missing Items FAQ
What is the DoorDash error rate?
In the Merchant Portal in the Operations Quality section, you’ll also see the Missing or Incorrect Rate. This measures the percentage of delivered orders with at least 1 item marked missing or incorrect. The ideal Missing or Incorrect rate is less than 2%. This score factors into if your restaurant is included as in our Most Loved program.
How do you avoid an issue with a DoorDash order?
Certain items or categories of items are more prone to order errors than others — like combos, drinks, desserts, and sauces. Check the Operations Quality tab in the Merchant Portal to analyze what items are frequently reported as missing or incorrect at your store, then add in-store signage to draw attention to these items at the point in your process where errors may occur (e.g., the assembly line and expo station). If these items are added to the bag right before the Dasher handoff, consider adding reminders so that these items aren’t left out.
What is Most Loved?
Most Loved rewards the top-rated and most reliable restaurants on DoorDash with opportunities to get more visibility, increase your earning potential, and enjoy exclusive perks. Want to be included in Most Loved? Learn more.
By leveraging the Merchant Portal, you can proactively avoid orders having DoorDash missing items, ensuring accurate and complete orders for your customers. Delivering a seamless and enjoyable experience will help you minimize customer disappointment, while also promoting positive word-of-mouth that will help your restaurant build a solid reputation and increase growth.
Want to dive into even more data? Learn how to utilize DoorDash analytics.
