Since launching in 2015, Uber Eats has landed international partnerships with more than 100,000 restaurants,  joining the ranks of Deliveroo, Just Eat and Delivery Hero in the world’s top ten food delivery services. As its parent-company, unicorn peer-to-peer ride-sharing service Uber prepares for an IPO later this year, the platform seems to be fine-tuning its offering as it rolls out several changes to its mobile user experience.

Speaking to their customers in a blog post published earlier this week, Uber Eats’ Global Head of Product Design, Andy Szybalski shares how the design team has been ‘inspired' by user feedback to transform the company’s mobile application. Prior to the changes, the food-delivery service provided mobile users with basic updates that let them know when their meal was being prepared and when it was on its way. The new app now provides information on when an order has been accepted, when it is being prepared and when the courier is on their way to the restaurant. Below, we explore the three key takeaways from the announcement:

1. Customer Feedback is a Key Ingredient for Success

The Uber Eats design team arrived at the new look for the app following feedback from the platform's community. To date, there has been some less than satisfactory comments regarding customer’s experiences as users of the iOS and Android apps. While it currently has a 4.8-star rating overall, negative reviews shared for the app on Apple’s App Store often feature detailed anecdotes of unexplained missing or cancelled orders and an inability to get customer service on the phone. 

Rather than taking its overall rating at face value, Uber Eats’ decision to dig deeper and seek out its problem areas shows a dedication to truly providing a customer experience that serves all customers, even if those who are unsatisfied are the minority. And, in an age of social media – where opinions can be shared, retweeted and made viral at the click of a button - feedback-proofing customer touchpoints is an excellent way to ensure their experience is as enjoyable as possible without the risk of negative public kickback for the company. 

2. There is Still a Hunger for Human Interaction

The revamped app now provides customers with improved support via call or chat following complaints about the difficulty to speak to a service agent when they have questions about their order. While the creation of Uber Eats as a mobile application fits in with the wider trend in the move to digital self-service platforms, it would be naïve, and dangerous, to think that customer’s engagement with this technology is an indication of their aversion to speaking with real human beings. 

It is frequently reported that one of the most frustrating factors of customer experience is an inability to interact with a real person when a problem arises. Customers want to have the option to find a solution to their problem or query by speaking to someone who they are confident will understand them and can also offer the unique human-connection we are all inevitably drawn to.

3. Design is a Huge Slice of the Pie

While sometimes overlooked as merely ‘bells and whistles’, design plays a critical role in creating positive customer experiences. Uber Eat’s investment overhauling its app design demonstrates their belief in its ability to refine the service it provides to its customers. Companies should take note of this and question how they can improve the design of their customer touch points to make them not only more visually appealing, but easier, more efficient and more enjoyable to engage with.