In the data store we maintain users and channels that get created by SendBird. The chat service handles communications between the data store and SendBird platform APIs. Mobile clients connect to the chat service to get the chat user and chat channels. The in-app chat entry points have been added to all of DoorDash’s mobile clients. Our system design consists of four main components: mobile clients, chat service, data store, and SendBird SDKs. It also provides elegant pre-built UI components. Comparing SendBird and Pubnub, we finally decided to go with SendBird because of its easy-to-use chat API and a fully-managed chat platform on the backend. Twilio got excluded from our analysis almost immediately because it does not provide a customizable UIKit and lacks some of the features that SendBird and Pubnub provide. We evaluated each option thoroughly and decided to go with SendBird. Our survey of chat technologies resulted in a shortlist comprised of SendBird, Twilio, and Pubnub. A few secondary requirements included content moderation, high quality documentation, and the ability to integrate chatbots. VoIP adds the capability for voice chats, which can, at times, be more effective than text chat.
The user interface kit lets us integrate the chat interface into our apps while preserving the DoorDash look and feel. Both the chat history and read receipts help our customer service agents review interactions and solve issues. Push notifications ensure that Dashers and customers know they’ve received a message. Customizable user interface kit ( UIKit).The critical features for chat in the DoorDash apps included: Seeing no need to reinvent the wheel, we determined our requirements and then evaluated which existing technologies could give us those capabilities and integrate with our platform. Chat is almost as old as the Internet, and there are many products enabling it. Evaluating chat optionsĪs with any significant new feature, we first needed to consider whether to build it or use existing technology.
The ability to see communication between the two parties, along with other delivery data such as order, pick-up, and drop-off times, helps our agents arrive at satisfactory solutions for all concerned. If there were a misunderstanding between a Dasher and a customer, our agents would have little context to help resolve the issue. Although this method may be effective, it requires the Dasher to switch away from the app, which shows the delivery address and other important details.Ĭommunication through such external channels cannot be reviewed by our customer obsession team. The problem with external communication channelsīefore we implemented in-app chat, a Dasher attempting a delivery might try to call or text the customer if finding the location proved difficult or other issues arose. The resulting communication channel has led to an overall better experience for Dashers and consumers. Relying on a third party solution contributed to a rapid development time for this project. After settling on a chat technology, we integrated it into our platform and apps. Our chat client creates a buffer between Dashers and customers, ensuring privacy for both parties, and lets us better resolve customer support issues.Ĭreating a chat client requires quite a bit of engineering and, given our past success integrating existing solutions, we began this project by evaluating third-party software. However, building our own chat client has several advantages over these external channels.
This variety of circumstances and the timely nature of contact makes communication essential, which is why we built chat into the DoorDash apps.īuilding chat into our apps may seem redundant, as smartphones already support calling and texting. Dashers (our term for delivery drivers) meet customers in a wide range of contexts, from apartment and office building lobbies to suburban homes. Every delivery enabled by the DoorDash platform is different.
0 kommentar(er)
