Designing a customer journey map for the online food ordering industry: insights from qualitative research

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the customer experience in the online food ordering process from the perspective of Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) and to develop a customer journey map that captures how value is co-created across different touchpoints in this industry. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 active users of online food ordering platforms who had placed at least one order in the last three months. The data were analyzed using thematic coding with MAXQDA 24. The customer journey was examined across three stages – pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase – focusing on how customers and platforms jointly contribute to value creation at each touchpoint. Findings The findings reveal that value co-creation in online food ordering is shaped by multiple functional and experiential touchpoints, including interface usability, information transparency, payment flexibility, delivery reliability, and customer service interactions. These touchpoints influence not only customer satisfaction but also customers' active participation in the service process, consistent with the principles of S-D Logic. Originality/value This study makes two main contributions to the literature. First, it advances customer journey research by integrating S-D Logic into the analysis of online food ordering experiences. While prior studies typically describe customer journeys as sequences of touchpoints or service encounters, this research reconceptualizes the journey as a “value co-creation system” in which customers and platforms jointly shape service outcomes at every stage. Second, the study provides one of the first empirically grounded customer journey maps for the online food ordering industry that explicitly incorporates value-in-use and customer participation. By identifying how customers contribute to value creation through actions such as information processing, customization, feedback, and problem resolution, the proposed framework offers a theoretically enriched perspective that goes beyond operational or purely managerial interpretations of customer experience.