One major problem is that in dense cities like Delhi, addresses can sometimes be missing, digital maps don’t match up with reality, and buildings look similar. So, people rely on landmarks instead. And it’s not like they’re always visible or obvious.
According to the BBC, which spoke to one driver, Alam, he tries to complete around 40 deliveries a day. After deducting money spent on food and fuel, he earns between 900 and 1,000 rupees ($9.23 to $10.59) on a good day. There is no financial consistency because earnings can vary widely depending on order volume, distance, and in-app incentives.
Some major downsides of gig work like this are that people like Alam do not get a fixed salary, paid leave, or social security. Meanwhile, workers are pressured to do as many deliveries as possible within specific windows of time, to unlock ‘streak’ incentives on their apps. In a nutshell, you get more pay for longer hours.
#24 Dasher Threw My Food
I heard my dasher pull up to my place, and a bunch of commotion was going on; they were fighting and yelling with their girlfriend (or whoever was with them), and the man got out, chucked my food, and stomped on it in front of my neighbor's house and took off running down the street. The girlfriend, screaming at him, got in the car and drove off.
This was so beyond disrespectful. Yes, I did get a refund, but that’s not the point. This shouldn’t happen to anyone’s food ever; there’s no excuse, even if you’re having a bad night. I’m still in shock.
Delivery drivers recently went on strike in several Indian cities over falling incomes, unpredictable incentives, and unsafe conditions.
“In other countries platforms avoid committing to a fixed 10-minute promise and instead use terms like 'very fast' - thus lowering customer expectations. They also charge a premium for faster delivery, but in India there are no such constraints,” says researcher and author Vandana Vasudevan.
“Quick commerce has tapped into a huge pool of time-poor urban residents who spend long hours commuting and would rather order in essentials than step out again,” adds Ankur Bisen, from retail advisory firm Technopak.
#25 Ordered $22 Worth Of Taco Bell Through Their App, Received $10 Worth Of Cold McDonald's
#26 Food Tampering By Delivery Riders. How Often Does This Really Happen?
#27 Uber Eats Is To Recover This Very Expensive Delivery, As Expensive As King Crab Has Become, Which Looks To Be About $400 Of Food. Maybe More
What has your experience with food deliveries been like? What are the very worst deliveries that you had the ‘pleasure’ of (not) receiving? From our perspective, most delivery drivers are great; however, a select few have been an absolute nightmare to deal with—we literally had to clean up after them.
Have you ever worked in the food delivery industry? If so, what have been the biggest challenges and upsides of your job? What do you wish all customers would know, and what would you like them (not) to do differently?
Tell us all about it in the comments.
#31 Unreal Message My Wife Got
#32 Dasher Threw My Food Into The Door
Didn't answer texts or call or anything either, granted it's probably for the best because I feel I tip well and you're just gonna do that? I just don't understand the logic here.
#33 The Delivery Driver Hung The Food Order On My Fence, And My Dog Ate It, The Very Single Bite
#34 Everyone, Be Careful Out There. Confirmation Picture From My Roommate's Order Yesterday
#36 The Delivery Driver Left My Lunch On The Doorstep, So I Can’t Get It Without Spilling The Drink On The Food
#38 The Food Courier Ate All The Customers' Food Because They Didn't Tip. Thieving Isn't Going To Get You Your 2¢ Tip, My Friend
#39 Delivery Driver Puts Food And Drink Too Close To The Door
I couldn’t open the door without crushing and spilling my drink.
This was the delivery photo they sent me.
#40 Dasher Stops At A Random Neighbour On The Other Side Of The City Where I Am, And Keeps Asking For My PIN
