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David Wogan
Energy economics, optimization modeler. Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

I’m a believer: I ordered sushi delivery via WhatsApp

It was Thursday afternoon and a group of coworkers and I gathered to figure out dinner plans. We have a “film club” where we meet at the end of the week (which is Thursday for us) to eat dinner and watch a movie.

The dinner decision more complicated than it sounds because we live and work together on a compound in Riyadh. Our film club is composed of all expats, and none of us currently own a car. So if we want something for dinner that’s not available at our on-compound mini mart, we have to book a taxi or get delivery from a place that a) delivers and b) can find our compound. There aren’t formal adresses here as you would find in the west. Instead you provide descriptions (“off Airport Road, across from the university”) which doesn’t always work, especially if the person on the other end doesn’t speak English (and you don’t speak Arabic). The results are mixed and there is room for error.

And this is where I had my first experience ordering online via a messaging app. I have read stories over the past year or two (like this one https://medium.com/chris-messina/2016-will-be-the-year-of-conversational-commerce-1586e85e3991) saying how messaging apps are expanding to become platforms (ala LINE or WeChat) or conduits for commerce and customer service. I was intrigued but hadn’t experienced it myself.

This week’s movie was Spectre and someone suggested sushi delivery. We had a bazaar several months ago and a local sushi vendor came and was apparently very tasty. We looked at the menu on their website and figured calling them would be best. So we rang them up and asked questions (can you deliver to us? can we pay in cash?). Satisfied that they remembered us we tried to order.

“Sir, please place your order on WhatsApp.”

Confused looks around the room. And then a nod.

“Okay.. we’ll give it a try.”

As an expat I’m accustomed to experiencing new things, and this was no different.

I added their phone number and then got to ordering:

I want to order everything like this. Here’s why:

  • I did not have to struggle with the guy’s accent, and he didn’t have to struggle with mine.
  • He could take his time reading my order and I didn’t have to worry about speaking slowly and enunciating.
  • There was a record of my order. Right there!
  • I could also see when he had read my order.
  • I could update my order after already placing it (someone asked to hold the mayo).
  • I can send my location! It’s much better than “enter the gate with the security guards across from the other gate at the university”.
  • Ironically, the experience was more personal than speaking on the phone or via an online form.

I was genuinely happy with the whole experience. I even threw in some sushi emojis because I was so happy when the sushi arrived.

There is a more meta story here and that is how technology is enabling people to create businesses and express themselves, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia. I have no idea if these people have a brick and mortar location. It doesn’t matter. They have a guy with a phone with WhatsApp who just earned 700 Saudi Riyals ($186). The sushi vendor is just one example of people who here who run their own businesses on Instagram or Snapchat.

One last comment. Mobile truly is an enabling technology, especially in the developing world, and from my experiences it isn’t in the form of dumbed down apps or operating systems or cheap phones for poor people. In my experience it’s people using the same tools you and I use (iPhones, Samsung, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat).