Last year, the food delivery app Zomato launched its “Veg mode” for vegetarian consumers. The implementation, however, has generated some criticism, which appears to be hurting the business. The massive food delivery service disclosed that vegetarian food deliveries would incur an additional cost. Customers did not like this, therefore they violated Zomato’s policies by criticising it on social media.
A LinkedIn post criticising Zomato’s decision to charge vegetarian meal delivery customers a “extra fee” went viral:
In his post, Ranjan referred to the charge as a “luxury tax” on vegetarians. Additionally, he commented that the food delivery platform’s decision had made vegetarianism a “premium subscription plan,” expressing his dismay.
Zomato charges a “Veg mode enablement fee” of Rs. 2 in addition to its platform fee of Rs. 10 and delivery price of Rs. 47, according to a picture of Ranjan’s bill summary that he posted on LinkedIn.
“Being a vegetarian in India these days feels like a curse! Zomato’s latest masterstroke—introducing an “extra charge” for the veg enablement fleet—has officially turned us into a premium subscription plan. So, fellow herbivores, brace yourselves! We’ve gone from “green and healthy” to “green and pricey.”
He added,
Thanks, Zomato, for proving once again that being veg is now a luxury tax!
He thanked Swiggy for treating everyone equally as he concluded the message.
The post can be found here.
Thanks, Zomato, for proving once again that being veg is now a luxury tax!
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal noticed the tweet and responded right away.
Goyal expressed regret for billing clients who chose vegetarian delivery an additional cost. He promised to have the fee waived right away. He answered,
“This is absolutely stupid on our part. I am super sorry for this. This charge will be removed today itself”
He further added,
“Will also fix what’s needed to fix in the team so that such s**t doesn’t happen again. Thank you for pointing this out”
Zomato resolved the issue a day after it was brought to their attention.
Zomato’s Veg Mode
When Zomato’s Veg Mode was first launched last year, people expressed a strong desire for it. Zomato established a distinct delivery fleet that would exclusively deliver vegetarian food when they debuted the veg mode. The fact that the vegetarian fleet delivery riders would be wearing green rather of the customary red infuriated several online users. People feared that when they saw red delivery partners bringing them food, their neighbours would discriminate against non-vegetarian users.
After that, Zomato gave all of its employees a uniform. Zomato then changed the name to “Veg Mode” because several consumers claimed that “Pure Veg” was discriminatory.
Zomato does not offer the choice to switch to a Veg-only fleet in some cities. The app’s Veg Mode toggle is the only way for patrons to peruse the vegetarian menu. Why Zomato was initially charging more for vegetarian deliveries is incomprehensible.
By changing the guidelines, Goyal made sure to put an end to the debate as quickly as possible.
