The Role of Delivery Time Guarantees and Accuracy in Shaping Customer Loyalty in Online Food Delivery (OFD) Services

The rapid expansion of online food delivery (OFD) services has transformed food consumption behaviour and intensified competition among digital platforms. While prior research has explored service quality dimensions such as food quality, price fairness, and app usability, less attention has been given to time- related service performance, particularly delivery time guarantees (DTG) and delivery time accuracy (DTA), despite their prominence in shaping consumer perceptions. This conceptual paper synthesises literature from service quality theory and Expectation–Confirmation Theory (ECT) to propose a framework explaining how DTG and DTA influence customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in OFD contexts. The proposed model positions DTG and DTA as central dimensions of time-based service quality, while recognising contextual influences such as price sensitivity and convenience orientation. By reframing delivery reliability as a strategic promise rather than an operational metric, this paper extends expectation–confirmation theory (ECT) to the digital food delivery context. It offers a clear research agenda for examining how reliable time commitments shape customer trust, satisfaction, and long-term loyalty.

Customer Loyalty; Delivery Time Guarantee

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