As the fear over the current situation continues to grow, people are hesitating in
ordering food or essentials online which is causing a lot of issues for food delivery
services such as Swiggy and Zomato. Both these apps have been advocating their safe
methods and have asked people not to worry. However, the recent incident of the pizza
delivery boy being tested positive for COVID-19 sparked a new fear among consumers
even though none of those in contact with the individual was tested positive.
“Contact-less options”
Apps are working towards developing contact-less options to reduce the risk of
contracting the virus and stopping the spread to ensure that the consumers can utilize
their services without worrying.
Paytm on Monday said it has developed a ‘contactless in-store ordering’ solution to help
restaurants and eateries minimize physical contacts for menu, billing, and cash
transactions after these businesses open after the lockdown to ensure that safe
practices are being continued and thus preventing risks of a future boom of cases.
The digital payments major aims to onboard over one lakh restaurant for the solution. It
is looking at tapping into top-30 cities to start with, and then rolling out to other cities.
“How it works”
In a statement, Paytm said it has developed a QR code that will be displayed at these
restaurants that users can scan from the Paytm app to browse the menu and place
orders. Paytm Mall plans to partner with over 10,000 kiranas or small family-owned
stores to deliver essentials.
This will avoid the need to touch the menu card that could be unsanitized and also
minimize interaction with the servers, it added in its announcement.
“Payment options”
Paytm said its solution supports each of the payment methods, including Paytm Wallet,
Paytm UPI, net banking and cards, and offers live order updates on the Paytm app, the
statement said. “In the first phase, the company is in the process of onboarding over a
lakh restaurant which will help them to ensure social distancing amidst COVID-19 fears.
This, in turn, will also enhance the restaurant’s efficiency and trust for the customers to
recover their business while reducing cost overheads,” the statement said.
The company added that it will extend this solution to all leading quick-service
restaurants and dine-in brands.
“We understand that after the lockdown, our country will require a safe dining and food
ordering experience. Therefore, we have built this technology to help restaurants and
their customers to follow social distancing norms. With our ‘contactless in-store
ordering’, they will avoid touching menu cards and cash for a safer experience,” Paytm
Vice-President Nikhil Saigal said.
“Following the same direction”
Online food aggregator and delivery platform Zomato has also said it is working
towards adding new features on its app that will allow diners to use online menus, place
orders, and make payments when they visit restaurants after the lifting of the lockdown
imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus infection.
“A new perspective in consumer behaviour”
Efforts like these seem to revolutionalize the way consumers behave and interact with
the shops and restaurants. It also holds the potential of changes consumer behaviour as
many will be cautious in the days to follow in the post-COVID era. Contact-less
innovations are becoming the need of the hour as human touch threatens the spread of
the virus for which there is no cure found yet.
