Delivery Hero cuts rider escalations with Twilio voice

Twilio said Delivery Hero has deployed automated voice calling across its rider operations, reporting lower rider-to-agent escalations and higher customer answer rates during last-mile handovers.

The companies said Delivery Hero now uses Twilio's voice tools to trigger automated calls from within the rider app when a delivery reaches the doorstep and the customer does not respond through other channels. Delivery Hero operates across around 70 countries and runs 11 consumer brands, including foodpanda, talabat, foodora, HungerStation, and PedidosYa.

Delivery Hero said the approach cut overall rider contact rates by 25%. It also reported more than 60% fewer rider-to-agent escalations in "customer unavailable" scenarios. In Spain, Delivery Hero said automated interactive voice response calls reached a 65% answer rate.

Last-mile issues

Food and grocery delivery platforms face high volumes of time-sensitive doorstep interactions. Missed handovers can lead to delays, spoilage, customer complaints, and additional support workload. In markets with multiple languages and varying phone practices, riders and customer service teams often handle a broad range of edge cases.

Delivery Hero said riders previously ran into delays and language barriers when customers could not be reached at the door. It said riders also faced personal call costs and long waits for agent support. Delivery Hero also pointed to privacy and regulatory concerns in markets where riders relied on personal phones.

"We need customers' attention at the right moment," said Philip Grefe, Product Manager, Rider App, Delivery Hero. "If the final handover fails, everyone loses. The customer doesn't receive their order, and we're left holding goods that can't be used elsewhere."

How it works

Twilio said Delivery Hero built a workflow that triggers an automated call through a single tap in the rider app. It said the call uses a local phone number and plays a message in the customer's preferred language. Delivery Hero said riders no longer need to use personal devices for these calls.

The implementation uses Twilio Programmemable Voice, phone number pooling, and text-to-speech. Twilio said Delivery Hero built the interactive voice response workflow in Twilio Studio and integrated it with existing systems.

The companies said the IVR flow lets customers confirm availability or cancel deliveries without an agent joining the call. Delivery Hero also described a rollout from initial development to thousands of daily calls in under three months. It said the system now provides a consistent calling experience across dozens of languages and markets.

"At Delivery Hero, connecting riders, vendors, and customers is what drives our business - and Twilio helps us make that connection seamless," said Grefe.

Support workload

The companies tied the operational results to changes in how frequently riders had to contact customers and escalate cases to support agents. Delivery Hero said fewer escalations occurred when customers did not answer at the doorstep. It said this reduced pressure on agent queues during peak periods.

Twilio also said the approach lowered operating costs and improved delivery reliability. It said the process did not slow riders down. Delivery Hero said the Spain results provided performance data that it now uses to identify invalid phone numbers. It also said those insights feed into improving future one-time password validation.

"Delivery Hero's use of Twilio shows how programmable communications can remove friction at critical moments," said Jake Kanter, Vice President of Sales, EMEA Communications, Twilio. "By combining global coverage with local trust, they've turned last-mile delivery into a measurable, scalable, and customer-first experience."

Broader deployment

Delivery Hero runs a rider app used by a global base of active riders. The company said the platform fulfils more than 10 million orders a day. It spans restaurant meals, groceries, pharmacy items, flowers, and specialty retail.

The companies positioned the voice automation as part of a broader effort to standardise customer communications across diverse markets. They said the use of local numbers and language selection makes customers more likely to pick up calls compared with unknown or foreign numbers.

Twilio said it provides communications tools to businesses across 180 countries. Delivery Hero said it plans to continue scaling the automated voice experience across additional markets and languages as it expands doorstep communication workflows inside the rider app.