Dear Merchants, lets work together
Both drivers and merchants lack information about how this delivery thing works
Which can lead to you getting bad reviews for things drivers did, and us getting bad reviews for something the merchant did.
First to get you attention, I bet you have called merchant support about an order. And the person on the line said something like "we will dispatch a driver" or "we will send a driver" they are liar, liars pants on fire. Drivers are independent contractors, they send us an offer through the app. Drivers have the absolute power to decline, or accept the offer.
It's the same type of conduct when drivers deal with support, so let's work together.
Why Are Drivers So Rude About Pick Up Times
I'm in no way excusing drivers bad behavior. The apps routinely give us different pick up by times, than what you have on your side as the ready by time. Since it's sometimes hard for them to find drivers, because we have the ability to decline orders. Sometimes they immediately start offering the order to drivers. So if one of us accepts it right away, we are usually already very close to your location.
Sometimes we are already in your parking lot area when offered the order, if you're one of the more popular restaurants around town. But you may have literally just received the ticket when we walk our little tails into the lobby. So our screen says it should be ready, even though that's impossible. You tell us 10 minutes, and it's one of those orders that pays LOW with no tip. So 10 minutes is like ahhhhh no, the conflict has been created by the app company.
The Hot Bag Issue, I Know, I Know
None of the apps harp on drivers about using hot bags, their not allowed to. Since we're independent contractors by law they can't make us use them. Now any half brain driver should understand "HEY, keep the freaking food hot. Your tip might just go up dumb dumb" This is a vital issue we need to work on. The best path as a merchant is to include "driver please use a hot bag" in the pick up instructions for your restaurants. I've been mentioning this to merchants for about a year now. And still only one merchant has this in their instructions. I don't know if your asking the app to put it in, and they don't or what. Maybe check with the drivers you know are cool, to see if it's hitting our screen or not. I don't advise directly getting on drivers face to face over hot bags. It's not worth the headache trust me. But if all the merchants in town added it to their instructions. It could maybe have a big impact. Keep in mind some drivers keep a variety of bags in their car. And bag up the order once they get to the car.
Order Accuracy, Missing Items
Of course it could of been the driver snagging something, unfortunately that does happen sometimes. It could of been the customer just trying to game a credit or refund. Or hey, it gets busy....you might of forgot something. Even though this is a tough problem to solve. Many merchants I talk with are unaware of a crazy unintended consequence for customers. In the case of a legitimate missing item. The apps will do credits, maybe a refund (good luck) even though they are not obligated to. But after a few times the computer system will block them from any further credits being issued. Can you imagine a customers fury when a item is legit missing. And they are told they can't get a credit, Yikes.
Short of a sting operation, how we going to catch a driver snagging something LOL. And false reports, well. Not trying to put all the blame on merchants. But an awareness of that possible crappy outcome for the customer, may be helpful
Many customers I deliver to end up as "sort of" friends. And I tell em' hey if you ordered 3 sauces, and only got 2. Maybe it's better to just let it be. Rather than try and get a whole order credit over it LOL. And from probing around a little it's not really based on a dollar amount of the credit. I had a customer tell me they got credits 3 separate times for like 39 cent sauce cups. And the app blocked them from future credits, geez.
Being Honest Within Reason About Order Ready Times
Honesty is the overall best policy with drivers. Sometimes it's hectic and you honestly might not know how long it's going to be. Just tell us you don't know. But don't tell us 5 minutes, when you know it's gonna be 20 minutes. I have one restaurant on my almost permanent black list for this reason. I'm talking to you Little India. Sometimes we are in communication with our customer giving them updates, they should be the correct ones.
Sometimes the app has given us a double, and you're the first pick up. If you're honest and tell us 20 minutes. We can dip and go grab the other order, then come back to you and pick up yours. Depending on where the other drop off is, we may even drop off that customers order real quick. And get back to you before you even have the order ready. Some drivers are freaking awesome at multi tasking to make it happen. But if you're giving us bad information, we can't make necessary adjustments like that. So now you may be unknowingly interfering with another customers delivery time.
How Merchants Pack The Bags
Now we don't expect bags packed able to withstand an earthquake. But don't hand your driver an upside down pyramid. Or a bag stuffed so full you can't tie the plastic handles at the top. Great drivers can secure any crazy packed order. But keep in mind, most drivers are not great. Don't be afraid to use two bags if needed. We want the food to arrive intact just as much as you do, help us out.
Blacklisting Of A Merchant
Many merchants still view delivery drivers as employees of the app company, we are not. We our actually our own business, and we are not obligated to make pick ups from your restaurant. Now this is business, nobody is willy nilly putting a merchant on their blacklist. Sometimes your employees, management, or even owners don't treat driver very well. That's a huge mistake if you like the revenue generated from 3rd party delivery apps. I know some of you are on the fence these days about if it's worth it or not. But drivers do blacklist restaurants, and we don't usually take the time to tell you. Sometimes we do tell ya, and you don't take it seriously. But drivers talk, a lot. It's the most common gossip amongst drivers, which places they refuse to pick up from. And the reasons why they refuse to pick up there. Sometimes a crappy driver blacklists you so no big loss. But sometimes a great driver does, and that is a loss for you.
Lighten Up On The Extra Sauce Fight
If you are forced to charge for certain sauces OK fine. But the ones you don't normally charge extra for. Stop fighting with drivers when we say "the customer asked if they could get some extra sauce" some merchants act like we're trying to steal sauce or something LOL. Like we got a tartar sauce addiction or something. It's like yo, it's your customer asking for extra sauce NOT ME. I swear a manager at one restaurant was ready to fight me over dang extra tartar sauce. I'm thinking "I used to be a fast food manager, I remember the little things add up. But I would NEVER act like that if a customer asked for extra sauce" and a delivery driver by proxy is the customer.
They got a 30 day time-out from me picking up there for that, I didn't tell them that. Drivers usually won't tell you, we just stop picking up from you for awhile.
Both drivers and merchants lack information about how this delivery thing works
Which can lead to you getting bad reviews for things drivers did, and us getting bad reviews for something the merchant did.
First to get you attention, I bet you have called merchant support about an order. And the person on the line said something like "we will dispatch a driver" or "we will send a driver" they are liar, liars pants on fire. Drivers are independent contractors, they send us an offer through the app. Drivers have the absolute power to decline, or accept the offer.
It's the same type of conduct when drivers deal with support, so let's work together.
Why Are Drivers So Rude About Pick Up Times
I'm in no way excusing drivers bad behavior. The apps routinely give us different pick up by times, than what you have on your side as the ready by time. Since it's sometimes hard for them to find drivers, because we have the ability to decline orders. Sometimes they immediately start offering the order to drivers. So if one of us accepts it right away, we are usually already very close to your location.
Sometimes we are already in your parking lot area when offered the order, if you're one of the more popular restaurants around town. But you may have literally just received the ticket when we walk our little tails into the lobby. So our screen says it should be ready, even though that's impossible. You tell us 10 minutes, and it's one of those orders that pays LOW with no tip. So 10 minutes is like ahhhhh no, the conflict has been created by the app company.
The Hot Bag Issue, I Know, I Know
None of the apps harp on drivers about using hot bags, their not allowed to. Since we're independent contractors by law they can't make us use them. Now any half brain driver should understand "HEY, keep the freaking food hot. Your tip might just go up dumb dumb" This is a vital issue we need to work on. The best path as a merchant is to include "driver please use a hot bag" in the pick up instructions for your restaurants. I've been mentioning this to merchants for about a year now. And still only one merchant has this in their instructions. I don't know if your asking the app to put it in, and they don't or what. Maybe check with the drivers you know are cool, to see if it's hitting our screen or not. I don't advise directly getting on drivers face to face over hot bags. It's not worth the headache trust me. But if all the merchants in town added it to their instructions. It could maybe have a big impact. Keep in mind some drivers keep a variety of bags in their car. And bag up the order once they get to the car.
Order Accuracy, Missing Items
Of course it could of been the driver snagging something, unfortunately that does happen sometimes. It could of been the customer just trying to game a credit or refund. Or hey, it gets busy....you might of forgot something. Even though this is a tough problem to solve. Many merchants I talk with are unaware of a crazy unintended consequence for customers. In the case of a legitimate missing item. The apps will do credits, maybe a refund (good luck) even though they are not obligated to. But after a few times the computer system will block them from any further credits being issued. Can you imagine a customers fury when a item is legit missing. And they are told they can't get a credit, Yikes.
Short of a sting operation, how we going to catch a driver snagging something LOL. And false reports, well. Not trying to put all the blame on merchants. But an awareness of that possible crappy outcome for the customer, may be helpful
Many customers I deliver to end up as "sort of" friends. And I tell em' hey if you ordered 3 sauces, and only got 2. Maybe it's better to just let it be. Rather than try and get a whole order credit over it LOL. And from probing around a little it's not really based on a dollar amount of the credit. I had a customer tell me they got credits 3 separate times for like 39 cent sauce cups. And the app blocked them from future credits, geez.
Being Honest Within Reason About Order Ready Times
Honesty is the overall best policy with drivers. Sometimes it's hectic and you honestly might not know how long it's going to be. Just tell us you don't know. But don't tell us 5 minutes, when you know it's gonna be 20 minutes. I have one restaurant on my almost permanent black list for this reason. I'm talking to you Little India. Sometimes we are in communication with our customer giving them updates, they should be the correct ones.
Sometimes the app has given us a double, and you're the first pick up. If you're honest and tell us 20 minutes. We can dip and go grab the other order, then come back to you and pick up yours. Depending on where the other drop off is, we may even drop off that customers order real quick. And get back to you before you even have the order ready. Some drivers are freaking awesome at multi tasking to make it happen. But if you're giving us bad information, we can't make necessary adjustments like that. So now you may be unknowingly interfering with another customers delivery time.
How Merchants Pack The Bags
Now we don't expect bags packed able to withstand an earthquake. But don't hand your driver an upside down pyramid. Or a bag stuffed so full you can't tie the plastic handles at the top. Great drivers can secure any crazy packed order. But keep in mind, most drivers are not great. Don't be afraid to use two bags if needed. We want the food to arrive intact just as much as you do, help us out.
Blacklisting Of A Merchant
Many merchants still view delivery drivers as employees of the app company, we are not. We our actually our own business, and we are not obligated to make pick ups from your restaurant. Now this is business, nobody is willy nilly putting a merchant on their blacklist. Sometimes your employees, management, or even owners don't treat driver very well. That's a huge mistake if you like the revenue generated from 3rd party delivery apps. I know some of you are on the fence these days about if it's worth it or not. But drivers do blacklist restaurants, and we don't usually take the time to tell you. Sometimes we do tell ya, and you don't take it seriously. But drivers talk, a lot. It's the most common gossip amongst drivers, which places they refuse to pick up from. And the reasons why they refuse to pick up there. Sometimes a crappy driver blacklists you so no big loss. But sometimes a great driver does, and that is a loss for you.
Lighten Up On The Extra Sauce Fight
If you are forced to charge for certain sauces OK fine. But the ones you don't normally charge extra for. Stop fighting with drivers when we say "the customer asked if they could get some extra sauce" some merchants act like we're trying to steal sauce or something LOL. Like we got a tartar sauce addiction or something. It's like yo, it's your customer asking for extra sauce NOT ME. I swear a manager at one restaurant was ready to fight me over dang extra tartar sauce. I'm thinking "I used to be a fast food manager, I remember the little things add up. But I would NEVER act like that if a customer asked for extra sauce" and a delivery driver by proxy is the customer.
They got a 30 day time-out from me picking up there for that, I didn't tell them that. Drivers usually won't tell you, we just stop picking up from you for awhile.