When it comes to catering delivery, on time isn’t optional; it’s everything. Yet according to our 2025 Workplace Catering Delivery Survey, nearly 1 in 3 workplace catering customers have experienced a late or incorrect delivery in the past six months.
The cost of those delays goes far beyond refunds or discounts. They quietly eat into profit margins, brand trust, and repeat business.
The True Cost of Being Late
Lost Revenue:
Catering orders are high-value, but also high-stakes. A missed or delayed delivery during a corporate lunch or team event can mean lost clients and fewer reorders.
Brand Damage:
Late deliveries stick in customers’ minds. Even one poor experience can overshadow dozens of good ones, especially when catering coordinators or office managers share feedback internally or online.
Operational Strain:
When deliveries run behind, dispatchers scramble, drivers get frustrated, and customer service teams spend hours fixing preventable issues.
Why It Happens
- Manual dispatching and poor visibility into driver routes
- Inconsistent communication with customers and drivers
- Lack of real-time tracking or proof of delivery
- Overreliance on third-party aggregators with limited control
These issues aren’t just operational hiccups — they’re strategic liabilities.
How Top Brands Are Fixing It
Leading food brands are taking control of their delivery operations by:
- Automating dispatch and routing to eliminate human error.
- Using real-time driver tracking to proactively solve issues.
- Integrating proof-of-delivery photos to close the communication loop.
- Investing in branded delivery experiences that build customer trust.
At FULFLLD, we’ve seen brands boost on-time delivery to 97%+ after switching from manual or third-party systems to a hybrid delivery model that blends control with flexibility.
Why It Matters
On-time delivery isn’t just an operational KPI — it’s the foundation of customer loyalty. Brands that prioritize reliability turn every order into a brand impression that drives retention and growth.
Want to learn how leading food brands are improving delivery performance?