Doodhwala - Worst of the "delivery" apps

S

sharktale1212

Skilled
I have been trying new startups left and right in Bangalore but many of them are not entirely up to the mark. While its not as if established brands don't have issues many of these from "young" and "hungry" entrepreneurs just have dreams and very less actual business acumen.

First there was Brekkie which I am surprised is still running (they never delivered 150 rs breakfast and refused all efforts to get a refund).
Then there was Urbanclap. Some of their reviews can be found here:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-review-of-UrbanClap

Now this new app - Doodhwala (in case someone doesn't understand the name its Milk-man in Hindi). I opted for them as my milk deliveries had two issues - the major one being, changing quantities was very difficult. So if a day I needed a liter instead of half liter tomorrow a call was required and most of the time it went answered. Secondly, I couldn't opt for different quality or brands other than the ones my delivery guy had tie up to.

This app made my life easy as I could change quantities and opt for different companies as and when required. The added bonus was that as a startup they are not adding a surchage on the delivery ie if the packet is 10 they charge 10 not 12 with 2 for delivery.

So I opted for a single day delivery and the issue started. Nothing turned up. After a call they finally turned up. I continued using them for singular and deliveries were fine. Then came the first big issue - I had two deliveries scheduled with them and needed to renew for a week. I bought the subscription only to later realize how their app sucked. Instead of starting deliveries two days later, it actually started it from very next day ie I got 2 additional packs for next 2 days. Still as they were making consistent deliveries I continued using them.

Then came another big issue - no delivery turned up. They claimed delivery guy was new and he was not sure of the address. They will make sure delivery person will ring the bell and hand over the milk packets personally. It happened but the delivery person claimed he left the packets at my doorsteps which on refuting he went away.

They missed another delivery, charged me again saying delivery was made and refunded on raising a ticket, which brings me to today.

As usual the delivery guy dint turn up - the customer "care" guy said:
a. at 9:30 am - The stock was delivered late from the supplier so delivery should be there in 10 mins.
b. at 9:40am - he called me again to inquire and on being told nothing was there, he promised to another delivery person
c. at 9:50 am - he called back again saying "delivery guy is claiming that he completed the delivery @ 730 in the morning. On being asked what was that story at 9:30 the "care" guy dint even flinch instead said - we need to check why customer is saying one thing and the customer something else ie everything is now he said, she said. All this for 33rs worth of delivery.

Now I am stuck with ~230 stuck in their "wallet" and no way to get back the money from these scumbags.
 
Last edited:
Don't you have any of the Dairy guys who deliver fresh milk. Such setups are more professional as they have much better margins and you also get a much better product at similar prices with good service as they aren't a tech company and their focus is more on the product quality and delivery. I will be soon entering this business and hence my recommendation.
 
rdst_1 said:
Don't you have any of the Dairy guys who deliver fresh milk. Such setups are more professional as they have much better margins and you also get a much better product at similar prices with good service as they aren't a tech company and their focus is more on the product quality and delivery. I will be soon entering this business and hence my recommendation.
Click to expand...
The place I live has some monopoly. So there is only one delivery guy and he uses prepaid coupons to deliver milk. As I explained in my text of wall of a post, they charge 2 rs over the MRP for delivery and trying to change quantities by adding coupons to my morning milk bag doesn't work. Changes over call has been a inconsistent and painful.

So where are you starting this business? What are the margins on this? Because people tend to say that they get their supplies on MRP only. If its near somewhere I live, sign me up :)[DOUBLEPOST=1484280650][/DOUBLEPOST]
nRiTeCh said:
This is the worst name ever about app or anything. It actually reminds about some old vintage doodhwali term....if any oldies can recall.... :p
Click to expand...
Yeah when I opted for the app, I had the same thought. But the name is the simplest form of the word milk man. Obviously its like Ola/Uber calling themselves Taxi waala but I guess it works.
 
sharktale1212 said:
So where are you starting this business? What are the margins on this? Because people tend to say that they get their supplies on MRP only. If its near somewhere I live, sign me up
Click to expand...

I am not talking about businesses who are delivering milk from other companies. I am talking about proper doodhwalas, or actually the modern versions where young entrepreneurs are running dairy farms and delivering the fresh, untouched by human hand, milk straight to customers. They are the only ones who have good margins. The normal shopkeepers only have a margin of Rs. 1/lt.
However having said that, in Chandigarh at least, the delivery guys don't charge anything extra for delivering packets to home. They don't actually deliver per se, but the local shopkeeper actually has a guy who roams all through the sector with a Rehri full of milk and other essentials. These guys come twice a day and it's very easy to just run downstairs and buy what you need when they come around.
 
rdst_1 said:
I am not talking about businesses who are delivering milk from other companies. I am talking about proper doodhwalas, or actually the modern versions where young entrepreneurs are running dairy farms and delivering the fresh, untouched by human hand, milk straight to customers. They are the only ones who have good margins. The normal shopkeepers only have a margin of Rs. 1/lt.
However having said that, in Chandigarh at least, the delivery guys don't charge anything extra for delivering packets to home. They don't actually deliver per se, but the local shopkeeper actually has a guy who roams all through the sector with a Rehri full of milk and other essentials. These guys come twice a day and it's very easy to just run downstairs and buy what you need when they come around.
Click to expand...

How will you take into consideration milk adulteration and other things like pasteurization? Do the dairy's do all the quality checking by themselves?
 
6pack said:
How will you take into consideration milk adulteration and other things like pasteurization? Do the dairy's do all the quality checking by themselves?
Click to expand...
Yes man.
These businesses are built on product quality. Milking is done via machines so no issue with cleanliness unlike normal milk. No adulteration either in the businesses I know about.
In fact normal milk may contain hormones and is often adulterated with fake milk. I have done my research and even entering the same business. The quality control of normal companies is downright pathetic.
In US, when the milk collector picks up the milk, they take samples which are first tested. Depending on those tests, it is classified as Class A or B depending on Somatic Cell count among other things. Only Class A milk is sold as milk. Class B is used to make milk products. If the milk sample is found to be adulterated or turns out to be unfit for consumption, all the milk is thrown away and such an instance is noted. That's why, cows who are on medication, their milk isn't sold as it can contain antibiotics.
In India, I have personally seen collectors collect milk with houseflys' swimming in the milk. Also farmers are misguided by perps to get their cows injected with hormones. One of my uncles showed me a cow which was giving milk without even birthing or conceiving. Such milk contains high amounts of hormones, but when that milk gets mixed with other milk, the effect isn't seen in huge numbers. None of the big companies care about such issues.
NDRI has proper Milk Purity kits and some of such new milk businesses use them in the beginning to show the purity of their product. Also, like I said, margins are quite good for such farms and hence they don't want to lose any customers, so they don't have a reason to sell adulterated milk.
Some farms sell raw milk while some sell pasteurized. It all depends on their scale. Since the milk is usually delivered within 2-3 hrs of milking in a temperature controlled vehicle and also most Indians will boil the milk before use, it doesn't matter much whether milk is pasteurized or not.
Such dairies which are close to big cities do usually charge a premium price compared to milk available in market, but most people don't mind paying that extra amount for a much cleaner, fresh unadulterated product.
 
rdst_1 said:
I am not talking about businesses who are delivering milk from other companies. I am talking about proper doodhwalas, or actually the modern versions where young entrepreneurs are running dairy farms and delivering the fresh, untouched by human hand, milk straight to customers. They are the only ones who have good margins. The normal shopkeepers only have a margin of Rs. 1/lt.
Click to expand...
Frankly I haven't seen anyone selling this option around my locality.
 
Delivery apps and hyperlocal stuff works best in Gurgaon. You can order just about anything through tons on apps and most of them provide good service.
I was surprised by Urban Clap of how good they are in getting the job done.
 
rdst_1 said:
Check if any of the dairies from this search result deliver in your area. Their milk might be expensive than normal milk though as usually operations like these put a premium price on their product.
https://www.google.co.in/search?saf...ngalore+milk+farm+to+home&aqs=mobile-gws-lite..
Click to expand...
Oh. I misread and thought you were referring to genuine doodhwaalas. I have tried one of these farms (Akshayakalpa) and the quality put me off. The milk was unnaturally thick. Rest of them don't deliver in my area. Thanks for the suggestion though.[DOUBLEPOST=1484560261][/DOUBLEPOST]
puns said:
Delivery apps and hyperlocal stuff works best in Gurgaon. You can order just about anything through tons on apps and most of them provide good service.
I was surprised by Urban Clap of how good they are in getting the job done.
Click to expand...
I think they work decently in Bangalore too. I had bad experiences with Swiggy, Freshmenu, Grofers etc too but they not only try to resolve issues as soon as possible but also not lie through their teeth.
 
Last edited:
sharktale1212 said:
Oh. I misread and thought you were referring to genuine doodhwaalas. I have tried one of these farms (Akshayakalpa) and the quality put me off. The milk was unnaturally thick.
Click to expand...

That's what pure milk looks like mate. The packet milk you buy, goes through the process of homogenization.
Code: 
Homogenization is an entirely separate process that occurs after pasteurization in most cases. The purpose of homogenization is to break down fat molecules in milk so that they resist separation. Without homogenization, fat molecules in milk will rise to the top and form a layer of cream. Homogenizing milk prevents this separation from occurring by breaking the molecules down to such a small size that they remain suspended evenly throughout the milk instead of rising to the top. 

Homogenization is a mechanical process and doesn’t involved any additives. Like pasteurization, arguments exist for and against it. It’s advantageous for large-scale dairy farms to homogenize milk because the process allows them to mix milk from different herds without issue. By preventing cream from rising to the top, homogenization also leads to a longer shelf life of milk that will be most attractive to consumers who favor milk without the cream layer. This allows large farms to ship greater distances and do business with more retailers. Finally, homogenization makes it easier for dairies to filtrate out the fat and create two percent, one percent and skim milk. WiseGeek explains that while it is also possible to achieve these different fat contents by skimming cream from the top, homogenization makes the process more precise. Some people worry, however, that by reducing the size of fat molecules, homogenization makes fat easier to absorb. Studies remain inconclusive on that matter, however.

This process was started so that the cream/fat doesn't stick to the packet or glass/plastic among other benefits as mentioned above. That's why natural milk might seem unnaturally thick to you as the fat rises to the top.
Don't you boil milk before drinking it or using it to make something?
 
Last edited:
rdst_1 said:
That's what pure milk looks like mate. The packet milk you buy, goes through the process of homogenization.
Code: 
Homogenization is an entirely separate process that occurs after pasteurization in most cases. The purpose of homogenization is to break down fat molecules in milk so that they resist separation. Without homogenization, fat molecules in milk will rise to the top and form a layer of cream. Homogenizing milk prevents this separation from occurring by breaking the molecules down to such a small size that they remain suspended evenly throughout the milk instead of rising to the top.

Homogenization is a mechanical process and doesn’t involved any additives. Like pasteurization, arguments exist for and against it. It’s advantageous for large-scale dairy farms to homogenize milk because the process allows them to mix milk from different herds without issue. By preventing cream from rising to the top, homogenization also leads to a longer shelf life of milk that will be most attractive to consumers who favor milk without the cream layer. This allows large farms to ship greater distances and do business with more retailers. Finally, homogenization makes it easier for dairies to filtrate out the fat and create two percent, one percent and skim milk. WiseGeek explains that while it is also possible to achieve these different fat contents by skimming cream from the top, homogenization makes the process more precise. Some people worry, however, that by reducing the size of fat molecules, homogenization makes fat easier to absorb. Studies remain inconclusive on that matter, however.

This process was started so that the cream/fat doesn't stick to the packet or glass/plastic among other benefits as mentioned above. That's why natural milk might seem unnaturally thick to you as the fat rises to the top.
Don't you boil milk before drinking it or using it to make something?
Click to expand...
We used to own a cow at my home town so I know what natural milk looks like and sure the packet one cannot measure up to it. The problem with this brand of milk was that on boiling the coagulated fat/cream doesn't burst and release steam. It instead holds together and the unnatural layer has to be pricked open.
 
sharktale1212 said:
We used to own a cow at my home town so I know what natural milk looks like and sure the packet one cannot measure up to it. The problem with this brand of milk was that on boiling the coagulated fat/cream doesn't burst and release steam. It instead holds together and the unnatural layer has to be pricked open.
Click to expand...
My bad. I have heard similar complaints from people who hadn't seen raw unprocessed milk and thought it might be the same case with you.
 
Back
Top