Review for Dahmakan: Malaysia Food Delivery

Dahmakan

You may have heard about 'dahmakan' by now. They claimed to specialise in chef-made food delivery to your doorstep. As I have tried other food delivery services like Foodpanda and Grab food, so why not giving it a try too. Furthermore, I was being offered a first-time user voucher worth RM48 at RM20 by their promoters at Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur. Sounds like a good deal right? Basically, they are giving out around 58% discount to try their food for the first time.

Here are some facts about their products and service:

• Dahmakan is different from other food delivery providers. They have their own chefs preparing the food by themselves using their own packaging. So basically you can only order from their selected daily menu, not from any other restaurants out there.
• Their menu is based on a daily basis and first-come-first-serve basis. Meaning, every item have a limit (users will not know what is the quantity available) per day. These items can be sold-out if there is high demand or towards later of the day.
• You are allowed to pre-book your meal a few days in advance. Just need to choose the items, indicate the time of delivery and location. Payment can be made via credit card, Boost and even pay upon delivery.

Now, this is my review:

• I tried to pre-book a meal for 2 days in advance and paid by Boost via the dahmakan app. Everything runs smoothly and I got email notification of my order. My pre-set delivery time was 12.20PM - 1.20PM. Take note that the options given were all with 1-hour range. At first, I didn't bother much because my experience with other food delivery providers was always early.
• Until the day of delivery, I realised that they have changed my delivery time to 1.25PM - 1.40PM. After a while, I received a notification stating there is a delay. As a typical consumer, I would expect to have my meal within the pre-set time and this delay for a pre-booked meal is not acceptable.
  
• Then I tried to contact their customer service, but there was no reply. I waited for so long until I gave up. The waiting time keeps changing from 15 minutes, 8 minutes, 6 minutes then 7 minutes...
  
• I cannot cancel my order and I cannot go out to get my lunch but to wait for the meal to arrive. Luckily I do not have any appointments during these hours. Can't imagine if other customers who have fixed lunch hours and the delay could cause them to rush for their work.
• Waited until 1.20PM, the dahmakan staff called and asked me to collect the meal myself at the roadside. Seems like they cannot deliver to the office, despite having the option in the app to drop the meal at my office reception. Again, luckily my job is flexible enough to go out of the office anytime and pick up my meal.

  

  The meal was cold when it arrived. 



Coconut Jelly for RM3.80

• This is the meal I ordered, Salted Egg Buttered Chicken with Rice for RM14.90. Delivery charges of RM3 are waived with minimum order of RM18. So, I add on a Coconut Jelly for RM3.80. In total, my lunch with dahmakan cost RM18.80. I think this is $$$$$ costly but glad I got discount credits for trying this. What do you think?
• By the way, I nearly forget to mention this too. The rice was wet and sticky, not sure why but maybe over-cooked... I hope Chef Wong saw my feedback from the app.

There you go, my very own review based on my experience only. I do not intend to promote nor comment on their products because this here is 'Choesay - Simply Say Something'.

Lastly, if you want to give it a try, first get a promotional voucher or discount credits :)

Latest Sales Promotion Strategy by Private Universities in Malaysia

It is normal for the marketers in service-based organisation to develop strategies that can reduce the challenges from the nature of service i.e. intangibility, inseparability, variability and perishability. This is to ensure that the resources are being utilised and quality are maintained. Hence, capacity management is often used by service organisation to reduce the losses when sales are low. Hotels and airlines are famous in using sales promotion to stimulate their occupancy and bookings during low season.

Recently, I found that a private education institution in Malaysia also adopting similar sales promotion like other hospitality businesses, "50% discount on fees for intakes between July to November 2016". Of course, any sales promotion will have its own terms and conditions, same goes to this institution promotion. So don't get so excited first.

Updated (10/6/2016): Another institution is giving out 'Buka Puasa Buffet Dinner voucher" if you register with their programme. Interesting! I just got the email :)

Ultimately, sales promotion is a marketing communication strategy to stimulate sales in a given period of time. It seems like education industry is also becoming a good example for marketing studies.

What say you?

Fine Dining, Anyone?

Do you like fine dining? 

Before you answer this question, let's have a better understanding of what is fine dining.

Fine dining restaurants offers full service restaurant with very specific meal courses. The restaurants normally feature high quality materials, well-trained wait staffs and even a complete cutlery for dedicated food. The physical evidence of a fine dining restaurants are much more eye-catching with unique interior design, specifically crafted by the restaurateur.

Sounds good? 

To enjoy fine dining, you will need to follow certain rules of dining which guests are generally expected to comply with, including a dress code and dining etiquette. I think all these are the unique proposition of fine dining and the worthiness of it as being served exclusively in a distinctive restaurant.

How about the food?

This is the most subjective question to answer in fine dining. The food served in fine dining are normally categorised as culinary art. Yes, it is an 'art' where the food portions are usually 'visually' appealing.

Risotto with Lamb

Actual portion.

What say you about Fine Dining - the culinary art?