What Foodservice Distributors Can Learn from Other Industries About Customer Experience

In foodservice distribution, relationships have always been the heartbeat of business. But as expectations evolve, even loyal customers want more than friendly service — they want frictionless service. That means faster orders, fewer errors, better visibility, and proactive support.

Other industries, from banking to airlines, have mastered the art of seamless customer experiences. It’s not just about delighting customers. It’s about keeping them.

Here’s what food distributors can learn from the industries already setting the bar and how to apply those lessons with the help of digital tools and AI.

Airlines

What they do:

Modern airlines give passengers self-serve options for booking, check-in, upgrades, and flight changes — while still offering live help when needed.

What foodservice can learn:

Distributors can:

• Enable customers to place or adjust orders through AI-powered channels like SMS, email, or chat

• Let them check stock or status without calling a rep

• Ensure that reps still jump in for exceptions, service, or upselling

Give customers the choice of self-serve with the safety net of support.

Banking

What they do:

Banks now let customers move money, check balances, and even apply for loans via mobile apps or smart assistants.

What foodservice can learn:

Meet your chefs, buyers, and venues where they already are:

• Communicated with your customers on their channel of choice

• Use AI to parse free-form orders and standardise them into your system

• Provide digital order confirmations and status updates automatically

Don’t force customers to follow your process—adapt to theirs.

Retail

What they do:

Retailers like Apple and Zara update customers at every step: “Your order has shipped.” “It’s ready for pickup.” “Your item is delayed.”

What foodservice can learn:

Food distributors can:

• Auto-confirm orders in real-time (no more “Did you get my email?”), A chef left you a voicemail with an order at 11pm? Reply instantly!

• Alert customers if SKUs are out-of-stock and suggest alternatives

• Send reminders when reorders are due, based on history

Communication reduces anxiety—and saves your team time.

Final Thought: Loyalty Starts With Ease

Other industries have learned that ease = loyalty. When a customer doesn’t have to chase updates, double-check delivery windows, or wait for order confirmations, they feel taken care of—even before the product arrives.

For foodservice distributors, that’s the next frontier.

You don’t have to reinvent your business to provide a world-class customer experience. You just have to remove the friction.

That’s why we’ve built AI agents specifically trained for foodservice: to optimise customer experience, manage orders, supercharge your sales team, and more!

Think of them as specialised intelligent assistants:

• Alan for automating orders and customer experience

• Sal for smart inventory suggestions and sales boosts

• Daz for data-driven insights and sales optimisation

• Shaz for mastering invoices and cashflow

Curious how seamless your customer experience really is?

Let’s map it together. FOBOH helps food distributors modernise the customer journey—without making it harder for your team. Book a demo