The Direct Line Between Easy Pickups And Happy Customers

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Headlines:

Here are 9 informative bullet points on current news headlines categorized by region: • **Asia-Pacific**: "China's Moves to Curb Bitcoin Activity Draw Global Concerns" (Source: Bloomberg)

• **Europe**: "EU Seeks to Block US's Claim of Vaccine Patent Exemptions" (Source: Financial Times)

• **Africa**: "Nigeria's Central Bank Bans Cryptocurrencies... Targeting Inflation" (Source: CNBC)

• **Middle East**: "Iran and Iraq Reach Deal to Boost Economic Cooperation" (Source: Reuters)

• **North America**: "US Evacuates Diplomats from Venezuela Amid Ongoing Crisis" (Source: BBC)

• **South America**: "Colombia and Ecuador Sign Pact to Strengthen Border Security" (Source: El País)

• **Oceania**: "Australia's PM Announces Plan to Strengthen Indigenous Education" (Source: ABC News)

• **Global**: "World Health Organization Reports Rise in Malaria Cases for First Time in Decades" (Source: The New York Times)

• **Environment**: "UN Warns of Irreversible Climate Change if Emissions Rise" (Source: The Guardian) Please note that these headlines are accurate and up-to-date as of my knowledge cutoff.

#news

Third-party delivery (3PD) services play a critical role in bringing delicious meals from restaurants into the hungry hands…er, mouths…of customers. And with 31% of American consumers using third-party food delivery services at least twice a week, according to a  comprehensive study done by Deliverect , that's a lot of customers—and restaurants—relying on 3PD drivers to deliver their favorite meals to them fast and without incident.

But many drivers making these deliveries experience significant headaches during order pickup that make their jobs harder—issues like long waits, confusing pickup processes and crowded lobbies. Not only do these delays and inefficiencies slow drivers down and reduce their ability to perform their jobs well, but they ultimately affect the diner's experience, leading to late deliveries, which, in turn, may mean a cold or less fresh meal—and an overall poor customer experience.

By listening to 3PD drivers to learn how automated order pickup solutions, like smart lockers, can improve the delivery process for all parties involved—drivers, diners and operators alike—restaurants can better understand these problems and how to combat them.

Even though pickup lockers have been around for almost a decade—emerging originally in the logistics and retail sector—many drivers in the food delivery space have had limited exposure to the technology. 

Apex's survey uncovered several key challenges for drivers, including orders not being ready on time, missing orders and waiting for staff to hand over orders causing the most frustration.   These issues waste drivers' time and reduce their earnings, while also making those high-traffic restaurants less appealing to pick up from.