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How to Handle Customer Disputes as a Delivery App Merchant

Tap a step to follow along in order.

  1. Identify the type of dispute first

    How you respond and who's responsible can differ depending on whether the issue is a missing or wrong item, damage, a foreign object, or a late delivery.

  2. Gather evidence

    Photos of the food before and after packaging, the order details, and any message history with the customer are all worth saving in advance as evidence if a dispute comes up.

  3. Contact merchant support or request mediation

    Explain the situation through your merchant portal's or app's support channel, and request platform mediation if needed.

  4. Check refund and redelivery policies

    Refund and redelivery rules and who bears the cost differ by platform, so it's worth reviewing your platform's specific policy in advance rather than during a dispute.

  5. Fix the root cause of repeated complaints

    If the same type of dispute keeps coming up, review your packaging method or cooking process to address the underlying cause.

  6. Why this matters

    Responding to disputes through the proper process with evidence in hand β€” rather than reacting emotionally β€” reduces the chance of taking on unfair responsibility and protects your restaurant's reputation.

Keeping a habit of documenting things helps the most

When a dispute arises, records are what actually help you. Getting in the habit of photographing food before and after packaging, and saving screenshots of messages with customers, puts you in a much stronger position if you need to explain your side to the platform later.

Dispute-handling patterns look similar across platform businesses

The general flow of explaining a situation through chat, gathering evidence, and requesting mediation is similar across other platform-based businesses too, not just food delivery β€” the same evidence-first approach tends to work well anywhere a third-party platform is involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to issue a refund whenever a customer asks?

No. Refund and redelivery decisions should be based on the platform's stated policy and the evidence available, and if the issue genuinely wasn't your fault, you can present your case with supporting evidence.

Can I dispute a mediation decision I disagree with?

Many platforms have a process for requesting a review, though the specific steps vary β€” it's best to check with merchant support for how that works on your platform.