Uber Eats Sri Lanka Lead Bhavna Dadlani on new tipping feature and more

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of many, particularly businesses that relied on consumers to have mobility and free access on a whim. Uber Eats, which has become a household name in Sri Lanka since its inception, has been a major part of connecting restaurants and their customers in the island and since the pandemic hit, they’ve played an even more urgent role in the process. According to Uber Eats Sri Lanka Lead Bhavna Dadlani, they’ve gone the extra mile in ensuring that both parties experience a smooth transition throughout these difficult times. 

Bhavna dove deep into the new “tipping system”, which was introduced by Uber Eats in an attempt to support the restaurant and food industry and provide an opportunity for consumers to have a hand in the process of rebuilding. 

She shared that as the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on everyone, including their delivery and restaurant partners, they have introduced the tipping feature to help support the industry during crucial times like this, after receiving several requests from their users to engage themselves in the process as well. She added that they believe a collective effort by Uber Eats, restaurants, delivery partners, as well as the users showcases both solidarity and provides support for the industry when they need it the most. 

The tipping feature allows Uber Eats users to contribute and support the restaurant industry, by choosing to tip their favourite restaurants Rs. 150 and/or tip their delivery partner who completes their food order any amount of their choice, above Rs. 20. All tips will be credited directly to the accounts of restaurants and delivery partners.

How the tipping process occurs is, once you reach the checkout page, select the option to tip your restaurant/store and courier. For restaurants/stores, choose to offer a tip of Rs. 150 at the top of the checkout page. For couriers, enter the amount you wish to tip at the bottom of the checkout page. 

She further shared their thoughts behind Uber Eats’ involvement with Instagram in providing delivery services via the social media platform, stating that it was primarily in order to support small and independent restaurants which were struggling during the curfew, and therefore UberEats has linked the “order food” buttons on their Instagram profiles and “order food” stickers in their stories, directly with the app. Both these Instagram features will link directly to each restaurant’s specific Uber Eats menu, thereby enabling a seamless order experience for consumers. Restaurants will also be able to re-share their stickers on their own stories to help drive awareness of community support for the industry. 

Bhavna shared that they recognised the immense challenges that come with guiding a business through these unpredictable times. Communities want to rally around the businesses they love. This is why they have linked themselves on the Instagram platform to enable our restaurants to activate these new features, so that users can support the restaurants they love. This initiative is one of their many efforts to support and uplift the restaurant industry in Sri Lanka, during these trying times.

Bhavna also shared some of the concerns Uber Eats had to address when providing these services for the public during this time, stating: “Our biggest concern is the safety of our restaurant partners, courier partners, and consumers. Safety is essential to Uber and it’s at the heart of everything we do. We continue to work closely with public health authorities to keep our community safe.”

She added that as social distancing becomes more commonplace, they would like to remind all Uber Eats users that they can request orders to be left on their doorsteps to facilitate a contactless delivery. During essential supply deliveries, their partners are provided with masks and sanitisers, along with a special safety training exercise via telephone, to ensure hygiene and safety standards for themselves and the community at large. 

“We continuously send reminders to our delivery partners through in-app messages and emails, reminding them of basic steps they can take to help prevent the spread of the virus, drawn from advice given by public health authorities. We also support delivery partners who are diagnosed with Covid-19 or placed in quarantine by a public health authority, by offering compensation for a period of up to 14 days,” she said. 

Bhavna also shared with us the response they’ve received form their partners, stating that they’ve gotten a great response from their delivery partners who want to #movewhatmatters to support the communities and earn a livelihood. 

She noted: “As mentioned before, the safety of the entire community is our biggest concern and we have taken the necessary measures to equip our delivery partners with masks and sanitisers, and educated them on the health guidelines they need to follow.” 

Finally, about Uber Eats’ hopes for the future in the island, she said: “As a country, we’ve always been resilient. The road to recovery will by no means be an easy one, but we have confidence in the strong infrastructure that our consumers, delivery partners, and restaurant partners have helped us build. The safety of our communities remain our top priority, and this will remain at the heart of everything we do to help restaurants and delivery partners bounce back, while ensuring consumers still have access to the food they love.”