Deepinder Goyal offers a job to a user who highlighted the flaws in Zomato's new feature to reduce food waste.
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Food loss has become a significant social issue in many developing economies, with India being one of the most affected countries. In particular, the privileged class that has enough resources to order online is contributing to this situation. Deepinder Goyal, CEO of Zomato, highlighted in a post that this issue impacts not only the vendors but also the Zomato platform itself and the delivery personnel.
To reduce food waste associated with canceled orders, Zomato introduced a new initiative called Food Rescue. This strategy will allow canceled orders to be offered to nearby customers at attractive prices. In subsequent posts, Goyal explained that the app will show these options to users within a 3 km radius, ensuring that the orders will be available for only a brief period to guarantee their freshness. It is important to note that this option will not apply to orders that are still being prepared. Goyal stated that Zomato will not profit economically from this new feature, emphasizing that order cancellations generate enormous food waste.
Despite strict policies and a no-refund policy in case of cancellations, over 400,000 orders are still canceled for various reasons. The details of the new tool indicate that canceled orders will appear in the app for users within a 3 km radius of the delivery person carrying the order. To maintain freshness, the option will be available for only a few minutes.
Amid the introduction of the new feature, some users made suggestions to improve the system, pointing out that it should not be available for cash-paid orders, that cancellations should be restricted when the delivery person is less than 500 meters from the destination, and that joint cancellations for discounts should be prohibited. Goyal acknowledged the validity of these suggestions and expressed interest in connecting with one of the users to explore potential collaborations, indicating that many of their proposals were already under consideration.
Meanwhile, other internet users have also expressed their desire to collaborate, contributing ideas and suggesting improvements for Zomato's services. The dynamic on social media reflects a community interested in contributing to the growth and enhancement of the platform.
