Ranked and rated

Quick-commerce companies like Swiggy, Blinkit and Zepto rate both users and delivery workers, and here's how those rankings play out

- GEORGIE KOITHARA & MD KAIFEE ALAM

"Everyone is being ranked-you, me, everyone," says Rakesh Yadav (name changed), a Swiggy customer chat support executive. "Customers are ranked based on the frequency of orders and the number of returns or refunds they initiate. Delivery partners are ranked on their number, and efficiency, of deliveries." Yadav is referring to the internal systems at quick-commerce platforms like Swiggy, the Zomato-owned Blinkit and Zepto, which classify customers and delivery workers in ways that affect the quality of service users receive and the benefits or incentives delivery personnel get.

Customers: Valued or 'fraud'?

Swiggy, for instance, groups its customers into three broad categories: high, medium- and low-value users, which is mainly determined by how often they place orders, says an executive at the company. "A user placed in a high-value category receives better service in terms of refunds and customer support," says Yadav. "Low-value customers are those who are either new or order only rarely." Beyond value tiers, Swiggy also flags certain accounts as "fraud users". Yadav explains that if someone raises complaints on every order and repeatedly seeks refunds, the account is scrutinised. "After two or three such cases, the customer is asked to email the complaint. The mail team reviews it, and if a pattern emerges, the account is categorised as fraudulent," he says.

Support staff like Yadav can see a customer's profile as soon as a complaint is raised, including how much of the total order value in the last three months was refunded. These records are reset quarterly if there are no refund requests or if the account remains inactive.