GRAB FOOD: A UX Research Case Study 2022
OVERVIEW
The quick growth of the online food delivery industry caused the increase of new platform providers in 2021. Customers have more options of online food delivery service providers.
As one of the competing providers, GrabFood needs to stay relevant in answering users' needs and maintain its competitiveness through further improvement of the existing features.
I was in a team of three people from UI/UX Bootcamp batch 10A by dibimbing.id. We challenged ourselves to find room for improvement through research for this Southeast Asia’s leading super-app.
MY ROLE
Role: UX Researcher
Scope: Conducting user research, analyzing data, creating research reports.
Timeline: 3 weeks (7th — 26th Feb 2022)
Tools: FigJam, Google Sheets, Google Forms, Zoom, and Google Meet.
ABOUT GRAB
Grab offers essential everyday services to over 670 million people across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
One of the essential services offered is GrabFood which allows users to get various tasty foods all day with great discounts, delivered right to their doorsteps.
In Indonesia, GrabFood competes with other big and surging companies, like: GoFood by Gojek, ShopeeFood by Shopee, and Traveloka Eats by Traveloka.
OUR RESEARCH GOAL
To find room for improvement of the existing GrabFood features, we tried to understand matters related to the usage of GrabFood, such as:
- Users’ behavior
- Users’ pain points
- Users’ in-app unfulfilled needs
- Users’ expectations regarding the app
- Users’ perception regarding the app
- Comparison of users’ behaviors when using competitors’ apps (GoFood, ShopeeFood, Traveloka Eats)
CONDUCTING USER RESEARCH
Why chose the in-depth interview method?
Without pre-existing insights, my team picked an in-depth interviews method to explore users’ general behaviors, pain points, needs, expectations, perceptions towards online food delivery services, and how their behaviors compare between GrabFood and its competitors.
How was the interview done?
We created a discussion guide to guide our exploration in answering our research objectives. We also made and spread screening question forms to find suitable respondents who fulfilled this list of criteria below.
- Scope of area: National (Indonesia)
- Male/Female, 18–55 y.o.
- Ordered food deliveries online with GrabFood min. 5 times in the last month.
- And ordered food deliveries online with GrabFood’s competitors' app min. 3 times in the last month.
The criteria above were made to gain insight from active users of GrabFood in Indonesia who are also relatively active in using GrabFood competitors, so they could share the different experiences between the app.
During 7th — 20th Feb 2022, we scheduled and interviewed 6 respondents via Google Meet/ZOOM/in-person.
Here is the summary of the 6 respondents.
- 3 Females, 3 Males.
- 4 Private employees, 2 students
- 5 users from Jabodetabek, 1 user from Central Java.
- 5 users use Grab >10x in the last month, 1 user uses grab 5–10x in the last month.
- 2 users use Grab’s competitors >10x in the last month,
2 users use 5–10x in the last month,
and 2 users use 3–4x in the last month.
ANALYZING DATA & REPORTING
After the interview sessions with our respondents, we processed the interview notes with an affinity diagram to map patterns and themes based on users’ stories about their experience using online food delivery apps, including GrabFood and its competitors.
We also created a persona, Johanna the busy private employee, who is a crystallization of our findings of the users we elaborated on below.
1. Users’ Perception Regarding The App
What Do Users Think About Online Food Delivery Apps?
Online food delivery apps help people to get their food, especially those who have limited mobility & without enough time/room/energy to cook, especially during pandemics.
They can easily access various kinds of food within their hand reach. Which sometimes leads to excessive expense.
More business opportunities for food sellers who are adept at technology and challenges for those who are not.
GrabFood vs. Competitors
2. Users’ Behavior
What motivates users to use an app and why?
- Promo - All users mentioned this as their main source of motivation in using an online food delivery app. Promo helps them get the menu they want at a cheaper price with convenience.
- Merchants - Majority of users prefer an app that provides more merchants, especially their favorite merchants. So they can satisfy their need for food variation and conveniently order from their phone w/o needing to queue on the spot.
- Weather - Weather plays a significant role in the drive to use Food Delivery apps, not just because it hinders them to buy the food on their own, but also affecting the majority of users’ mood to eat.
- Distance - The greater the distance between the user and the restaurant also motivates some users to use the food delivery app. But distance also affects delivery fees.
- E-wallet - Some users choose a Food Delivery App that ties to a certain E-wallet they regularly use, so they don’t need to top-up repeatedly. The decision usually falls on how much the balance is on the said E-wallet.
- Lightness - Some of the interviewed users would gravitate towards smaller size, lighter-to-boot apps, so they swiftly use the app to order their meals.
- Interface - A few users mentioned user-friendly interface with less distraction is influencing their preference of an app (e.g. unused services icons, banners, flashy colors). It helps them access what they want immediately with less eyestrain.
- Service variations - A few users mentioned service variations other than online food delivery offered by the app influenced why they use and keep the app.
User Habit in Ordering Food Deliveries Online
- WHAT do they order?
The majority of the users order their lunch and or dinner using the app. - WHEN do they order?
Majority of the users order during lunchtime or/and bad weather.
Some order at dinnertime or/and a-get-together. - WHERE do they order?
Majority of the users ordered from their office and
Some from their residence. - WHO do they order it for?
All users order for themselves.
Some ordered for their family members & friends (incl. themselves). - HOW many portions?
Majority of the users order for 1–3 people in a single order.
A few order bulk portions for 1–3 days ahead. - WHY do they order?
The majority of the users order because of so many ongoing promos, are busy or are too lazy to go out.
A few stated are because they are too lazy/ can’t cook their own meal or no one is available to take them to the resto. - HOW do they order?
A common pattern was found during our observation. We turned it into a customer journey map below. With multiple apps and many merchants offering similar services, users usually compare prices between in-app merchants or between apps before they decide to place an order.
User Habit in Using Promo
WHAT kind of promo do they use?
- The majority of the users prefer a direct reduction of the total price compared to cashback, point rewards, or delivery fee discount, and promo with no or less min. order.
- A few prefer promo with flat-priced menu (e.g. all 10k) and asked when there will be another opportunity where they can get a discount for ordering their lunch menu the night before.
- A few users avoid promo from bank’s credit card (CC) due to concerns related to CC info’s safety.
HOW do they find the promo?
- The majority of the users use the promo from the specialized section for resto with promo (discount until 100k).
- Some from resto’s available offers, promo list before checkout, or unused promo list.
- A few got promo info outside the app (friends or unofficial social media).
HOW do they use the promo and its effects on how they search their menu?
- Majority of the users use the promo coupon to determine which resto they will choose.
- Some users applied their promo from the resto they chose before picking their menus then picking the menus and adjusting the amount of the order to match the coupon applied because they really want the menu from that specific resto.
- A few users apply promo right before checkout because they really want the menu from that specific resto or simply don’t want to waste time/energy to find promo.
HOW it affects their spending on the app?
- The majority of the users rely on the biggest promo to decide whether they will order from the app or not.
HOW Do Users Search Their Restos and Menus?
- Promo prioritization
Majority of the users use the amount of price reduction offered by promos that are affiliated with a certain restaurant to determine their choices. - Search the names
Some users directly search the restaurant name on the search bar and considered it as the most effective way to look for the restaurant they want to eat from. Users from this category has already known the restaurant they want to eat from so they spend less time on deciding where they what to eat. When they use this method, most of the users don’t think much about the promo availability. - Favorite list
Some users had already favorite the restaurants they frequent or haven’t tried before (from friends’ recommendations or social media adv./influencer). So when the time comes for them to eat, they can just pick from the list of restaurants they like. - Previous order
Some users feel repeating order from the restaurant they’ve ordered before are the safest and easiest way to grab a quick meal with little consideration. - Credible vs. edible: rating, recommendation, & review
Some users worry and are skeptical about reviews whether they are true or made up. A few said they don’t want to risk ordering an unknown menu or from an unknown resto. Some users even said they didn’t trust in-app reviews. They prefer reviews from someone they know (friends/family). - Social media ads. & celebs
Social media ads. & celebs affect a few users’ curiosity to try the restaurant they advertised. - Challenges for more fortune
A few users use the in-app challenge on exploring different menus and restaurants giving opportunities to varied restaurants to be chosen by the challenge-loving users. Completing such challenges can reward the users with a very high price cut with less to no minimal order. - Pictures & presentations
Some users use the picture & description of the food to determine its electability, especially if it’s their first time trying the menu/resto. So missing descriptions and pictures, or blurry pictures are frustrating to some users.
Finding Better Price
There are various ways the users find the better price based, such as
- Comparing the same restaurant price between apps.
- Comparing available in-app and between app promo.
- Comparing similar menus between different restaurants in the same app.
- Promo from using the different payment methods.
- Choosing a nearer merchant to reduce the delivery fee.
- Order in bulk or for a group.
- In-app subscription (free delivery fee subscription, monthly discount subscription)
- Choosing specific restos from an in-app challenge.
- Comparing the final price displayed before order placement.
From those various ways to find a better price, most users decide to order their food based on the lowest final price displayed before checkout (included delivery fee, packing fee, order fee, etc., and discount from the promo).
They will compare the final price if the merchant is also available in a different app.
Payment Method Users Prefer
WHAT payment method do users prefer and WHY?
- The majority of the users prefer e-money they regularly use, like OVO, Go-Pay, & Shopee Pay because they give more benefits & more commonly used as a payment method by others merchants outside the app.
- Some users prefer debit cards so they don’t have to top up too many e-wallets.
- A few users avoid promo from the bank’s credit card (CC) due to their concern related to CC data safety (fear of data leak/hack/misuse/money lost).
3. Users’ Pain Points and Unfulfilled Needs
Problem Related to Promo
- Hidden promo
Some users said that unless they explore the app, they won’t find a ‘hidden’ promo. What is considered a hidden promo is the promo outside the promo list users access right before checkout. - Trial and error checking promo availability
Some users check promo availability (whether the Terms and Conditions are fulfilled) by pressing each promo one by one. But none of the users complained about it.
The majority of users prefer seeing lots of promos they could test its availability, compared to seeing only the available promo for their current transaction because they associate it with less promo. - Promo expires before expiration term
A few users mentioned the promo they wish to use disappeared before its expiration term. They said it’s annoying because it ruined their plan to purchase a specific menu using the promo. They said it’s better to say it upfront that it’s limited.
‘Hidden’ Additional Price
‘Hidden’ additional prices are prices other than the meal price that are only visible when checking out. This includes packing fee & tax.
‘Hidden’ additional price is a pain point that some users stated in the interview.
When they review their order summary, they realized that the price has gone up more than they expected it to be because of this hidden additional price.
This causes disappointment because the promo they use sometimes becomes less impactful since it doesn’t directly reduce the menu price.
Notes for Special Request
Usually, the app provided clickable special request/instruction so users don’t need to type their special request/instruction.
Here the users personalized their order, such as adding toppings, removing/adding some ingredients, and knowing how it affects the menu price.
A few users mentioned they can’t find specific instructions they want in the options. So they ended up typing it manually before checkout.
When It’s The Resto’s Fault…
Some users mentioned the need to contact the resto directly for a problem caused by the resto that is not related to the drivers or the app.
The example of the case where they prefer to directly contact the resto are:
- Something bad in the food (hair, debris, etc.)
- Bad taste
- Wrong amount of food
- Wrong menu
- Special request not fulfilled
They contacted the resto through in-app customer service which usually only receive complaint.
The users don’t know whether it’s forwarded to the resto or not.
Regarding this matter, Grab has already facilitated a chat with the resto/merchant. But it seems the user didn’t know about this feature yet.
Order Cancellation & Complaints
- WHY do users cancel their orders?
Some moments a few users need to cancel their order after they place their order, most of them because of uncertain time of arrival of food order & no feedback from the driver. - WHY do users complain about their order?
A few users complained about their order after the transaction because of the long wait or bad experience with the food, including:
- Something bad in the food (hair, debris, etc.)
- Bad taste
- Wrong amount of food
- Wrong menu
- Food spilled or messy due to rough handling. - WHY do users complain about cancellations?
A few users complain about the difficulty to cancel their order in GrabFood. They need to report to customer services before their order is canceled. Sometimes this takes a long wait or queue to end the transaction. Some moments it affects their regular eating behavior because it wastes their time have to reorder different food.
4. Users’ Expectations Regarding The App
The importance of confirmation
Some users expect confirmation after they placed their order. The confirmation helps the users to manage what they have to do next.
WHAT kind of confirmation do users expect and WHY?
- The process of the food
To know their order is processed. - Estimated time of arrival
So they don’t have to waste time waiting outside for the driver. - Food stock/availability
So they can immediately decide on menu replacement in case their chosen menu is unavailable. - Merchant up-to-date operating hours
So they don’t accidentally ask the driver to order from a closed merchant.
WHAT do users expect when they complain?
A lot of users here are active workers or students that had little time to prepare food because of fix schedule they have. So they expect fast service and a good result that didn’t affect their daily life.
A few users wished the complaint was processed effectively with efficiency, so it won’t interfere with their regular life.
5. Opportunity and Recommendations
Here are 8 opportunities we found during this research and the recommendations for the next actions.
- Weather plays a significant role in the drive to use food delivery apps, not just because it hinders them to buy the food on their own, but also affecting the majority of users’ mood to eat.
Recommendation:
Create a special section for food recommendations related to specific weather. - Some users said that unless they explore the app, they won’t find a ‘hidden’ promo. A few users mentioned the promo they wish to use disappeared before its expiration term.
Recommendations:
Create tabs that categorize promo in the promo list (E.g. expiring promo, cashback promo, discount promo, CC promo, restaurant promo, delivery fee promo, etc.) Or create a tag and filter for promo so it’s easier for the users to seek their type of promo. - Some users prefer reviews from someone they know (friends/family).
Recommendations:
Create a feature where users can add each other as friends to share and see each others’ food experience/review/recommendation and favorite list. - Some users tend to use the picture & description of the food to determine its electability, especially if it’s their first time trying the menu/resto.
Recommendations:
Standardize photo resolution and description and communicate it to the merchants. Provide photography service for merchants with difficulty making their own photos. - ‘Hidden’ additional price is a pain point that some of the users stated in the interview.
Recommendations:
Give additional info below the restaurant’s info about tax and packing fees. So users can see it before choosing their menu. - A few users avoid promo from the bank’s credit card (CC).
Their concern is related to CC data safety (fear of data leak/hack/misuse/money lost).
Recommendations:
Create short tutorials to educate and assure CC users about the safety of their CC’s data before they approve and process their order using CC. - Some users mentioned the need to contact the resto directly
for a problem caused by the resto that is not related to the drivers or the app. Grab already provided the feature to chat with the merchant, but users seem to not know about it yet.
Recommendations:
- Create short tutorials to raise users’ awareness of the chat feature after they place their order.
- Educate merchants to actively use the chat feature to make sure the chat feature is used properly and communication with users is maintained.
- Provide a special line from Grab to assist restaurants that can’t or don’t have personal admin to handle the in-app chat with users - A few users complained about the difficulty to cancel their order in Grab Food. They need to report to customer services before their order is canceled. Sometimes this takes a long wait or queue to end the transaction.
Recommendations:
- Understand and simplify the current cancellation process.
- Create automated flow to cancel the order when there is no feedback in a specific duration from merchant/driver/users to prevent disadvantages/loss due to unattended order. The flow will automatically send notification and confirmation of the canceled order.
Lesson Learned
- I learned about how to conduct qualitative research from interviews and analyze the data. I also learned how important to stay curious and probe deeper to better understand the reason users feel, think, do, want, or need something.
- One that surprised me during the user research process is when I consider randomly checking promo availability by pressing each promo one by one as a pain point. But none of the users complained about it.
Even more baffling is when I know the majority of users prefer seeing lots of promos they could test its availability compared to seeing only the available promo for their current transaction because they tend to associate it with less promo. - The hardest part of this research is processing the qualitative data. Thankfully, I got a team and a mentor to discuss this. They helped me see the insights from a different point of view, extract them, and organize them into this report.
- This qualitative research was a huge learning experience, especially in knowing how different each person can think or feel while experiencing the same apps, let alone different apps. This reminded me of the importance to remember that we are not our users.
- Shout out to my team members Satya Farma and Pradiantoro for working together with me in this research, and our mentor, Muhammad Yusuf Arezany. Without the teamwork and guidance from our mentor, this report won’t be here like today.
- In the end, I realized there is always room for improvement in this research. I’m glad to receive feedback or suggestions.
