‘Good thinking btw’: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal offers job opportunity to X user who impresses him

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, impressed by a social media user’s insight into the new Zomato feature, ‘Food Rescue’, has offered the individual a job. Once Goyal asked the user for more personal information and offered a chance to “work together”, more suggestions on the new feature poured in. 

Zomato’s new feature allows customers to buy a cancelled order at a discounted price. “The top concern for us, the restaurant industry, and even the customers who cancel these orders, is to somehow save the food from going to waste,” said Goyal. 

A social media user on X responded to Goyal with certain insights on the new feature. He said that the feature should not be applicable to cash on delivery, cancellations should not be allowed if the delivery reaches within 500 mt of the destination, and only two cancellations should be allowed per month. He also said that two users might share meals through this feature by ordering and then cancelling orders and getting the same for a discounted price. 

Impressed by the feedback, Goyal responded: “All this and more already in place. Good thinking, btw. Who are you and what do you do? Would love to know you more, and see if we can work together? DM me please if you wanna chat more.” 

The user, based in Bengaluru and working as a product manager in a startup company, said that he regularly uses BlinkIt and keeps giving suggestions to improve services. He said he has always wanted to reduce the negative impact and improve service delivery. 

Goyal’s response opened a floodgate of feedback. While some suggested a feature of scheduling orders, some suggested not prioritising people cancelling orders as a penalty. Someone suggested that the person cancelling the order should be given a choice whether they want Zomato to handle the cancelled order or if they can redistribute it to someone in need. Yet another user suggested setting up a ‘wall of kindness’ or a ‘food bank’, a well-tested method in many countries.

Zomato’s Food Rescue feature will allow a cancelled order to appear on the app for customers within a 3 km radius of the delivery partner.  This pop-up will be available for only a few minutes to ensure freshness. Customers can then book the cancelled order at a discounted rate. Customers who cancel the order and those nearby will not see the offer.

Goyal said that despite strict policies, including a no-refund rule, over 4 lakh 'perfectly good orders' are cancelled every month for various reasons.