Nune Chanunpat
HatoHub
Seamless Food Delivery for Happy Customers
Hato Hub is a food delivery platform that seeks to solve certain negative aspects that restaurant owners face such as high GP rates, intense competition, and most importantly, the loss of their relationships with their customers.
As part of Hato Hub’s big move to enter the Indonesian market by the end of 2022, We dove into research with Indonesian users to uncover their food delivery habits. At the same time, my teammates gathered feedback from Thai users. Together, we used these insights to completely revamp the user experience, making the platform better and ready for expansion both in Thailand and internationally.
Research
Our primary goal was to uncover insights to guide designs for the Indonesian market that meet user needs and preferences.
Unlike food-delivery apps, Hato Hub integrates with a restaurant's Line Official Account — the most widely used messaging app in Thailand. This lets restaurants control customer relationships and provide a personalized experience, like sending real-time order updates via Line messages.
As we prepare to expand our service to new countries, our first priority is understanding everyday behaviors related to food purchasing and brand engagement. In Indonesia, for example, WhatsApp—the country’s most popular messaging app—presents a significant opportunity. By analyzing how users interact with brands on WhatsApp, we can refine our system to better meet their needs while retaining the features that already work well.
We conducted seven remote interviews, each lasting between 40 minutes and one hour, with participants aged 25–45. The participants were selected based on their regular use of social media (3–5 days a week), frequent use of food delivery apps, and prior experience purchasing items through social media. They were recruited through Freelancer website.
Findings
Understanding Food Delivery Choices: Thailand vs. Indonesia
A Different Approach to Ordering
One of the first differences we noticed was how each country uses social media. While Thai users still rely on Facebook for restaurant updates and promotions, Indonesian users prefer Instagram, where they browse food photos, DM restaurants directly, or connect via WhatsApp.
What Really Matters When Ordering Food Online?
When we set out to understand how participants in Thailand and Indonesia choose food delivery platforms, one thing stood out—price and promotions play a huge role. Across both countries, users compare deals and switch between platforms based on the best offer at the time.
At first glance, it might seem like people aren’t loyal to any single platform—but the truth is, loyalty exists. It just looks different.
For some, loyalty comes from familiarity—one Indonesian user told us they always order from a certain restaurant because the owner remembers their usual order. Interestingly, this behavior is also reflected in Thai users' ordering habits, but in a slightly different way. Many Thai users told us that when they order food delivery, they tend to stick to the same menu items from each restaurant.
Another user stays loyal to a bubble tea shop simply because of a membership card—collect enough points, and they earn rewards and a higher status.
This made us realize something important: Loyalty isn’t just about using the same platform or promotion. It’s built through experiences that make people feel understood, remembered, and valued. 🚀
How We Can Strengthen These Experiences
By understanding how loyalty is formed in different ways—through familiarity, personal connection, or rewards—we can create an experience that goes beyond just transactions. Instead of being just another food delivery platform, we can build stronger relationships between customers and restaurants, making every order feel personal and rewarding.
To elevate the food delivery experience and stay at the top of people’s minds, we need to focus on three key areas:
1️⃣ Elevating Direct Ordering – Make it seamless, rewarding, and engaging, so customers see it as their best option.
2️⃣ Personalized Engagement – Whether through promotions, recommendations, or customer service, every interaction should feel tailored to them.
3️⃣ Closing the Feedback Loop – Restaurants need to acknowledge and respond to customer feedback, reinforcing trust and loyalty.
Iterations
Bridging Insights to Action
Understanding how users interact with food delivery platforms led us to rethink key aspects of the design. With loyalty, familiarity, and promotions playing such a crucial role in user behavior, we needed to ensure that our platform not only fosters long-term engagement but also addresses common frustrations.
Enhancing the UI with a "Your Order History" Section
Since many users tend to reorder their favorite meals, we introduced a dedicated order history section, making it easier for them to quickly find and repeat past orders.
Solving the Promotion Visibility Issue
While we value loyalty, we also recognize that promotions are a major driver in food delivery choices.
To address this, we enhanced the promotion section, making it highly visible on the first page. Additionally, if a user applies a coupon, they can clearly see it in use, preventing confusion and missed discounts.
I know that ordering directly from restaurants should be cheaper or have better promotions than Grab or Lineman, but I can’t tell if there’s a deal when I visit the page.
เข้าใจว่าถ้ามาซื้อกับร้านโดยตรง ราคาอาหารจะถูกกว่า หรือ มีโปรโมชั่นมากกว่า Grab, Lineman แต่นี่เข้ามาแล้วไม่รู้เลยว่าร้านมีโปรโมชั่นส่งฟรี
Beast & Butter customer
Every time I try to use a promotion, I forget to apply the coupon.
มาหาโปรโมชั่นทีไร ลืมกดปุ่มยืนยันใช้คูปองทุกที
Bar B Q Plaza customer
Enhancing the Membership Card & Rewards System
Since loyalty programs drive engagement, we improved the membership card section, making it easier for users to track their rewards and unlock exclusive promotions.
With these design updates, we aim to create a seamless, rewarding, and intuitive experience—one that encourages repeat orders, highlights valuable deals, and strengthens customer loyalty. 🚀
Conclusion