On meal delivery applications, more and more consumers are committing fraud by claiming unjustified reimbursements. Faced with these scams, establishments opt for protective measures.
It has become a habit for many of us, and not just in big cities anymore. From now on, when you don’t want to cook or want to treat yourself while remaining in the comfort of your sofa, Having a meal delivered is the perfect option. The advantages of the restaurant and those of an evening at home combine, and the French have understood this well. In France, there are 7.5 million monthly active users on Uber Eats alone. The undisputed market leader, the platform holds 45% of the market share, followed by its two main competitors Deliveroo (30%) and Just Eat (20%). In short, almost a quarter of French people regularly use one of these famous applications to have food delivered. And obviously, the more customers there are, the more abuse there is.
In recent years, complaints have become much simpler on these platforms: simply report a missing item to almost always obtain a refund. The problem is that some people see this as a new opportunity to commit fraud, by falsely declaring that their order is incomplete or never even arrived. A real shortfall for restaurateurs, since Uber Eats or Deliveroo will deduct the amount paid to the dissatisfied customer, in addition to the already high commission that applies (around 30% on average). So, to deal with these scams, establishments are putting in place solutions.
Although they can file appeals with the platforms, these are often laborious: they must prove that the order was intact at the time of sending. For this, many restaurateurs choose to take photos of their preparations, but this is not always enough. And above all, it’s also a waste of time. Thus, another solution is increasingly essential, namely artificial intelligence. Several software programs already exist, such as CamAnalytics for example, responding to a growing demand from professionals in the sector: the application photographs the packaging of all orders, and is itself responsible for transmitting the evidence to Uber Eats or Deliveroo in the event of a customer complaint. Thus, the user can concretely measure the impact of avoided reimbursements on their turnover.
While the AI solution may prove too expensive for small restaurateurs, others see it as a real opportunity. Near the Echoesa manager at the head of seven Pizza Cozy establishments explains that reimbursements represent up to 4% of revenues generated on delivery platforms, and 2% of total activity, or no less than 13,000 euros per year for each of its points of sale. “The whole point is to know if it’s a scam or an error made on our side.”explains the restaurateur to our colleagues. This is where software powered by artificial intelligence reveals its effectiveness: above all, it allows you to determine where the fault comes from.
