DoorDash remains a standout choice for food and grocery delivery. It offers immense convenience and is available 24/7. However, errors remain a possibility. An example is when your order is missing some items or is incomplete.
You do not need to panic when this happens, especially for the first time. You only need to report the missing items to DoorDash.
This guide discusses reporting such orders, avoiding mistakes, and general tips for better accuracy. But first, let’s see some of the reasons for most “missing items” complaints.
Reasons for Most Missing Items Complaints on DoorDash
1. Your order was delivered to the wrong address
If a tracking update says “delivered” and you are yet to receive your package, there is a big chance that such an order arrived at the wrong address.
This is very common for no-contact deliveries and can be tricky to resolve because drivers are rarely aware of such mistakes.
2. Your order was unassigned and may arrive late
DoorDash drivers cannot cancel orders. Instead, they ‘unassign’ them (hand it over to another Dasher). They do this when their vehicle becomes faulty midway into a delivery or must attend to other emergencies.
As a result, an order that should arrive around 2 p.m. may not arrive until 3 p.m. This may tempt a customer to believe that their order has gone missing. Before you file a missing item complaint, try to contact the Dasher to know the whereabouts of your food.
3. The item arrives but is incorrect
It is also possible for your order to arrive on time and be missing some items. Sometimes, the order may arrive in the wrong size or fail to fulfill your special instructions.
Before reporting to DoorDash, you must double-check the menu to confirm if it has been updated. This is because sometimes customers place orders out of complacency.
After confirmation, you can report to DoorDash if your order is not exactly what was delivered.
4. The Dasher ate your food
While this is rare, there have been cases where DoorDash drivers satisfied their craving with a customer’s order. However, restaurants now seal takeout bags with a DoorDash sticker to curb this habit.
A broken seal may eventually be the only proof you need to report missing items or tampering.
5. Your Neighbor has the package
If a Dasher arrives with your order and you are unavailable at your residence, they drop it in a secure location within your property. However, nobody knows your environment better than you and your neighbors.
A neighbor may help you keep the package if they sense any danger regarding where it was dropped. Reach out to them and ask questions regarding any delivery before contacting DoorDash.
How to Resolve Missing Items on DoorDash
There are 2 ways you can resolve a “missing item” case on DoorDash: LiveChat or reporting to the Support team on the web.
1. Reporting Missing Items via live chat
Live chat allows drivers and customers to communicate before and up to 30 minutes after delivery. Follow the steps below to report your experience via live chat:
- Click on “Help” (for iOS) or “?” (for Android) in the top-right corner of the app
- Select “Something Else” and click on “Start Chat”
- A new window will appear with a field where you can narrate your experience and begin a conversation with a customer support agent.
2. Reporting Missing Items on the web
Alternatively, you can log in to your DoorDash account via the web and follow these steps:
- Select the order with missing items from the “Orders” tab.
- Click on “Help” in the top-right corner
- Select “Order Issues” > “Missing items” or “Items made incorrectly”
- Follow the prompt on the screen to describe your experience and await a response.
What Happens After You Report Missing Items on DoorDash?
You should get a message from DoorDash within hours of submitting a report. You will likely get a refund (partial or complete), depending on the outcome of DoorDash’s investigation.
Please note that it may take 5–7 days before such money or credit is reflected in your bank or DoorDash account. Conversely, your complaint may be discarded if there is no adequate evidence to support your claim or if you have a track record of complaints.
Mistakes to Avoid When Reporting a Missing Item
As much as you wish to resolve this issue quickly, some steps or actions may be inappropriate. Popular ones include:
1. Contacting the restaurant directly
This is usually a waste of time because you will be redirected to the DoorDash. You should also note that you can only modify your order on DoorDash if it is yet to be completed. To do this:
- Go to the “Orders” tab
- Select the active order you wish to modify
- Click on the “Help” and the “Make adjustments to this order” prompt that follows.
2. Contacting DoorDash before delivery
Most customers contact DoorDash (after waiting too long) for their order instead of calling the delivery driver. DoorDash will only ask you to be patient if your order is active.
This is because several (uncontrollable) factors may be responsible for the delay. You should only report a missing item to DoorDash after the order has been delivered.
How to Reduce Missing or Incorrect Items in a DoorDash Order
1. Double-check your order thoroughly
The only way customers can avoid missing items in a delivery is to ensure they are ordering exactly what they want. This is because restaurants modify their menu regularly.
A menu with 5 different items may have been modified into 4 and will still maintain its name. Check the details of your menu thoroughly to avoid self-made errors.
2. Optimize your menu
Merchants or restaurants on DoorDash can reduce errors by optimizing their menus. Some of the effective ways they can do this include:
- Ensuring only available menus are displayed on DoorDash. Temporarily unavailable ones should be boldly marked as “out of stock.”
- Ensuring the menu features accurate descriptions, such as a picture and ingredients used. This means a “burger” should only appear as a burger, not one with fries or a drink.
- Feature options to include or remove extra items or special instructions. Only include instructions that you can accommodate.
3. Ask Dashers to Identify their orders
Before handing over an order to a Dasher, ensure they confirm the composition of the order. While stating what this order entails, have a staff member double-check it before handing it over.
Restaurant staff can also request the Dasher’s phone to confirm the order ID, customer name, and ordered items.
4. Proper packaging
Restaurants can also reduce errors via proper packaging techniques such as:
- Labeling multiple or large orders with the customer’s name
- Using staples, tape, and stickers ensures the Dasher gets the entire order.
- Designing a special space for preparing and packaging orders. Limited or tight spaces give room for misplacements and errors.
- Check out items on the receipt as they get bagged using a pen and a printed expeditor ticket.
5. Rate your Dashers
Most restaurants and restaurants overlook this due to their busy schedule. As a result, they may have forgotten or not know how to rate DoorDash drivers.
Rating Dashers regularly is one way to ensure they know you are watching them and can block them at any time. An employee can take on this role if the manager is very busy.
6. Monitor trends and check in with your DoorDash account manager
Access to comprehensive analytics on menu performance and customer feedback can help restaurants make informed decisions to improve their service.
You should also review macro metrics such as order accuracy and missing items with your account manager.
FAQs
How do you know if DoorDash food was tampered with?
Such orders will likely be delivered with a broken seal and some items missing.
Is it possible to cancel a DoorDash order?
You can cancel a DoorDash order only if the merchant or restaurant has yet to confirm the order.
What happens if you get scammed on DoorDash?
Contact DoorDash customer service via the app or call them directly. Contact your bank first if your payment information has been compromised.
Final Thoughts
The concept of food delivery was designed for convenience and will never be a perfect science. This is why DoorDash and other rideshare services have policies to manage mistakes and errors such as “missing items.”
The first thing to do when you receive an incomplete order is contact DoorDash. How the company chooses to resolve your complaint is entirely to them.
I hope you found this guide helpful. If you did, please learn how to handle a late delivery.
Thanks for reading.