Hello,
Speaking to large audiences is not an easy task, and I am not very good at it either. I will try my best. Wish me luck.
I am an immigrant, and like many people who have moved to America, I delivered food with Doordash for a long time. Whether it was for the quick cash option, the opportunity to work as long as I wanted, or the need to occupy myself with a job in a new country until I could prove myself, this job provided for my needs. The pros and cons are an entirely different topic and could be debated endlessly. But one thing is certain: the new-age boss, known as the "algorithm," is making things increasingly difficult for delivery drivers, especially when combined with oblivious customers.
To dash whenever you want, you need to be platinum. To become platinum, you need to have a high acceptance rate and a good customer rating. To maintain a high acceptance rate, you need to travel 10 miles for $3, and so on. Somehow, the balances can be maintained, one way or another. I can accept these to some extent, but there is one incident I want to tell you about, which inspired me to create this site.
One day, while I was delivering orders, I picked up lunch from a famous burger chain. After confirming the pickup, I opened the map and headed toward the given location. When I arrived, I realized something was wrong and contacted the customer. In the rudest way possible, he told me the address was incorrect and that I needed to bring the order to the correct address. (This meant I would have to drive an additional 4 miles, and the total offer was $4.25. I hadn’t made any money by driving to the first address.) I said I couldn’t do it, and he started hurling insults at me. When I contacted Doordash support through the app, he said he would add half of the current offer to my pay if I delivered to the correct address. I told them I was being threatened by the customer, yet he still wanted me to complete the delivery. I refused, closed the chat, and sat in my car for another minute or two. I thought to myself, "Not everything is about money," and tried to empathize. After all, the issue was about food and satisfying someone’s hunger. So, I drove toward the address the customer had provided. He were waiting for me at the door (probably tracking me through the app), and he looked quite intimidating. To avoid future problems, I told them I would take a picture of the order before leaving it. When I placed the order on the ground, he kicked it first and then attacked me and my car.
I was in a panic. As an immigrant, even if I were to defend myself, the circumstances wouldn’t be the same for us. I accepted my fate. As if being attacked wasn’t enough, the customer gave me a 1-star rating. I couldn’t do anything. My day was ruined, so I took a half-hour break to wash my face and gather myself. Then, I went to deliver another cheap order. It was a $3 order, and it was a -hand it to me- delivery. Due to what had happened earlier, I had a gloomy face and was distracted, so I forgot to give the customer their drink. I received another 1-star rating... To make matters worse, the next order required me to deliver approximately 12 miles, earning around $10, if I remember correctly.
On the way, I stopped at a RaceTrac gas station for no more than 2 or 3 minutes to clean off the drink the aggressor had thrown at my car. My windows were stained, and in the summer heat, the sugary, acidic drink had made them sticky. The customer asked why I had stopped, and when I explained the situation, he said, "That’s a strange place to stop." It was a smug, inconsiderate message... and with that, I received my third 1-star rating in a single day. It was a terrible day. I went home, rested, and when I woke up the next day, my rating had dropped to 4.69, and I lost my "dash anytime" feature. My primary source of income slipped away, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
That day, I realized how unfair the rating system was and that I wasn’t alone in this. I couldn’t be the only one who had suffered.
To raise my rating from 4.69 to 4.83, I had to complete over 300 deliveries. Customers have no qualms about giving 1-star ratings, yet they don’t rate successful deliveries.
If these people, who don’t even tip $1 and live in 4th-floor walk-ups without elevators, have the right to rate your delivery, then we, as delivery drivers, should also have this right.
Welcome.
Sincerely,
The Founder.