I hope this email finds you and your loved ones safe and well. The last few weeks have proved challenging for all of us, but I take comfort in knowing that we are not alone in this experience.
I’m writing to you today with updates on Dinnerly; specifically, how our team and our suppliers are working together to overcome obstacles presented by the Coronavirus pandemic. As you may already know, whether because of a change to your delivery day or a delay in Customer Care response times, these obstacles have proved formidable.
It’s my personal belief, however, that sharing a meal with family and friends—whether at the physical dinner table or the virtual one—has never been as important as it is now, and I consider it a privilege to contribute to the delivery of an essential service. Whatever the hurdles, our team is eager to fulfill this truly vital need.
With this in mind, I’d like to share with you the steps we are taking to overcome these hurdles and improve your Dinnerly experience.
CUSTOMER CARE
Due to a surge in demand for our meal kits, we’re experiencing a strong increase in Customer Care inquiries. As a result, our response times have been longer than usual, typically around 72 hours. Please know that your communications are being received by the team and that we are taking decisive actions to reply to your queries quickly and effectively.
These actions include setting up a team dedicated to working through our backlog of queries and expediting hiring and training processes so that we can increase the number of Customer Care Associates working each shift. We expect response times to improve dramatically as these actions are implemented to full effect, but we kindly ask for your continued patience as we train these experts to the quality service standards we pride ourselves on.
DELIVERY UPDATES
As you can imagine, the vast numbers of us staying at home have put enormous pressure on shipping providers, who occasionally require that we shift delivery days within certain areas. While not ideal, we are proud to be part of a plan that ensures crucial supplies are delivered to all who need them. Adjusting delivery days also allows us to fill orders without sacrificing quality, and to ensure that every member of our community receives the weekly box they have come to count on.
Additionally, we’ve increased staff at our fulfillment centers significantly since stay-at-home orders began, and our human resources team continues to hire and train new employees. These most essential workers rise every day to meet the challenge of our unprecedented circumstances. For their hard work and dedication, I cannot thank them enough.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
We’ve been fortunate that we have not been impacted by any ingredient shortages. However, given the dynamic nature of our current landscape, I suspect there will be times that we’ll need to slightly alter the ingredients of a recipe. If and when this is necessary, we’ll be sure to provide an appropriate substitution and let you know ahead of time so that you can continue to enjoy the quality cooking experience you’ve come to expect from us.
From myself and everyone at Dinnerly, thank you for allowing us to play a small part in your dinnertime ritual. We appreciate your loyalty, support, and understanding more than you know.
Sincerely,
Fabian Siegel, Dinnerly Founder & CEO
