iFood UX Case

iFood is a Brazilian technology company founded in 2011 that operates as a marketplace. Instead of producing or selling food directly, it connects four groups: consumers, restaurants and other businesses, couriers and the platform itself.

Initially focused on restaurant delivery, the service expanded to supermarkets, pharmacies, pet shops, convenience stores and other retailers, becoming an ecosystem for local commerce and fast delivery.

Competitors

Competitors vary by segment: food delivery, groceries and fast delivery.

A manual analysis of 20 app reviews showed that 35% reported problems related to delays, cancellations, payment and support.

The main problem is what happens after a delay: the customer tries to solve it and, if support is slow, the journey ends in frustration. With efficient support, it ends with a satisfied customer.

Usability test

Goal

Observe how easily users find help or support in the app when something goes wrong with an order.

Participants

4 frequent users of delivery apps, aged 22 to 35.

Task

“Imagine your order is more than 20 minutes late. Find where in the app you can talk to support or request a cancellation/refund.”

Method

Moderated test using the Think Aloud technique (thinking out loud while navigating).

Main problems found

1. 01

   Hard to find the help option

   3 of the 4 users hesitated when looking for the direct support channel on the order status screen, clicking secondary menus before finding it.

2. 02

   Ineffective automated replies

   Participants felt the support bot did not understand specific problems, creating a “loop” of questions that delayed human contact.

3. 03

   No visibility on response times

   None of the participants clearly found how long support would take to reply after opening a ticket.

Insights

1. 01

   Friction in a crisis journey

   Hungry and with a late order, users are highly anxious. Navigating hidden menus increases frustration.

2. 02

   Transparency builds trust

   Users were calmer when support made their place in the queue or the estimated response time clear.

3. 03

   Direct access

   Users expect a visible “I need urgent help” button on the order tracking screen itself.

Improvement proposal

• A fixed “I need help” button on the order tracking screen, visible without scrolling.
• An estimated support response time indicator.
• An automated cancellation button with an immediate refund when the delay goes past a tolerable limit (e.g. 30+ min beyond the original estimate), reducing the load on human support.

iFood’s problem lies in the crisis journey: when an order is late, support is hard to find, the bot does not solve the issue and the user is left without information about response times.