Delivery Hero reduces last mile delivery friction using Twilio automated voice technology

Twilio reports that its communications technology is being used by Delivery Hero, a local delivery platform, with the aim of reducing rider friction, improving customer reachability, and lowering support escalations at global scale.

By automating customer outreach at the point of delivery, Delivery Hero says it has achieved: 25% reduction in overall rider contact rates; 60%+ fewer rider-to-agent escalations in “customer unavailable” scenarios; 65% customer answer rates for automated IVR calls in Spain alone.

Operating in around 70 countries, across four continents, the company is responsible for 11 brands, including foodpanda, talabat, foodora, HungerStation, and PedidosYa. When customers were unreachable at the doorstep, riders faced delays, language barriers, personal call costs, and long waits for agent support, while using personal phones raised privacy and regulatory concerns across markets.

“We need customers’ attention at the right moment,” says Philip Grefe, Product Manager, Rider App at Delivery Hero. “If the final handover fails, everyone loses. The customer doesn’t receive their order, and we’re left holding goods that can’t be used elsewhere.”

To solve this, Twilio’s technology is being used to engineer pickup and drop-off communications using Twilio Programmable Voice, global phone number pooling, and text-to-speech.

With a single tap in the rider app, an automated call is triggered from a local phone number, delivered in the customer’s preferred language. Riders no longer need to use personal devices, eliminating out-of-pocket costs and protecting privacy, while customers are more likely to answer trusted, localised calls

“Connecting riders, vendors, and customers is what drives our business - and Twilio helps us make that connection seamless,” says Grefe.

Built in Twilio Studio and integrated with existing systems, the IVR workflow enables customers to confirm availability or cancel deliveries without agent involvement. Scaling from first code to thousands of daily calls took under three months, rolling out a consistent experience across dozens of languages and markets.

“Delivery Hero’s use of Twilio shows how programmable communications can remove friction at critical moments,” says Jake Kanter, Vice President of Sales, EMEA Communications at Twilio. “By combining global coverage with local trust, they’ve turned last mile delivery into a measurable, scalable, and customer first experience.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Last mile delivery will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.