Reconceptualizing Service Quality in Online Food Delivery: A Post-Pandemic Framework

The continued growth of online food delivery (OFD) use after the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified competition among OFD platforms. Although several scales have been developed to assess OFD service quality (OFD-SQ), the factor structure that best represents the construct remains unclear. This study reconceptualizes OFD-SQ by developing and testing a third-order hierarchical reflective model. The proposed model was evaluated using two waves of survey data and partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results support OFD-SQ as a third-order hierarchical construct comprising three primary dimensions—food-related quality, OFD app e-service quality, and delivery-worker service quality—and 11 subdimensions: technical quality, functional quality, packaging quality, system interface, efficiency, problem solving, compensation and refund availability, privacy and security, reliability, assurance, and tangibility. Comparisons with an alternative model specification further support a reflective conceptualization of OFD-SQ. The findings underscore the interconnected roles of OFD platforms, restaurants, and delivery workers in shaping service quality in the post-pandemic context. Managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed.