I used to use Door Dash. At first it was cheaper and more efficient since I tend to a working lunch and the service was great. Then the extra fees started...I didn't mind the Delivery Fee, but then they added a Regulatory Fee ($2.00) and a Service Fee ($3.00). Then the service started slipping. I had very easy instructions to get to my office..."go to end of hall, turn left and go upstairs, office on the right". We'd find the driver walking around the building, just walking into offices...needless to say folks weren't...pleased. Turns out most of them weren't ready the instructions. I don't like tipping for bad service so I said I would tip upon delivery. The majority of the time, it would take an hour to two hours to get my order because it turns out, when you get your order is dependent on how well you tip up front. I don't play those games.
I switched over to Grub Hub...great at first, then the service declined. And I've heard the same complaints about all the other services too. It's basically blackmail to get your food.
That's the thing with the virus. People got desperate so everyone started signing up to it and most of them shouldn't be involved in anything customer service oriented. All my reviews are 5 stars. And today I was given a $30 cash tip "to help with gas" (per the customer). It paid for the first eating out we've had in weeks. I just grabbed us a couple burgers.
I've been working in customer service since I was 12 years old and I'm almost 46. I take pride in it. I can't stand working a traditional job, but I do know I'm good with customers. I think I am anyway.
When you get your order isn't based on how well you tip up front. It's based on how well you tip. Dashers make the same per hour that waiters and waitresses do. In my state, that's $2.75 per order. A $3 payment (all payments show including a tip in the app) will mostly likely get a refusal for the delivery from any drivers, especially if they have to drive more than a couple miles. A $6 payment, it will likely be taken, but the farther you live and when you order will impact how fast the food gets to you. I had to walk out of an order the other day because I was waiting 15 minutes to pick up the order and the restaurant kept telling me it was coming. I couldn't wait any longer. Time is money for a driver. Imagine how long it takes you drive to the house and you only make $5 especially if you know it's a 45 minute trip.
So, here's how it works. Doordash pays a small amount (as do all the delivery services) which is usually somewhere around what waiters and waitresses make. But the driver isn't considered an employee, they are considered contractors. That means the driver pays their own taxes, and any other fees the gvt decides to add on plus their car maintenance, insurance, registration and gas. That means that, if they get a $6 payment, half of that is going to the government and other fees off the bat. So if you order food and only give a $6 payment, they are effectively working for $3 for that delivery.
Today I had two very good deliveries with a $12.75 including tip and $30 cash tip. I can hide the cash tip because it wasn't recorded on the app. Doordash paid me $2.75 for the $30 one and they don't know about the tip, nor will they.
Meaning, if the app shows that the driver is going to receive at LEAST $7 in the end, you are more likely to get it picked up by a driver. Personally, I pass on anything that's less than $6 and if it shows anything further than 6 miles from where I am at the moment in time it shows up. I have bills to pay, it causes wear and tear on my vehicle, and I need to eat. It's not to be mean or lazy. If your order took a long time to be picked up then its probably because the restaurant took a long time, a driver didn't accept your order (we choose what we accept), or there was a problem on the way to your house.
That being said, when I went to get gas yesterday, it was $3.999 and the get Upside app gave me a 25 cents per gallon discount. I don't have a huge amount in the app yet, but it's better to get some money back than not and I highly recommend it.
