Door Dash
I've been Door Dashing for a couple of weeks now. It's not a bad gig to have. It is certainly fills in any idle time & doesn't require me to commit to a set amount of hours.
The pay is transferred weekly and has been reliable.
The work is constant during busy periods and any phone support that I have needed has been positive. We are all cogs in a very modern technological wheel.
App Connect the Dots
I'm always amazed that, without this technology, the three parties would not know the other exists.
- Restaurant has food
- Customer is hungry
- I'm nearby to deliver it
The whole system and process is beautiful.
You receive a map of the local area, the busy areas and any promotional bonuses.
I get a ping on my App & I have 40 seconds to accept the order.
Upon acceptance, it directs me to the restaurant. I click when I have arrived, click when I have the goods, and click when I complete the drop off.
Jack of all Trades
Now, it started with food deliveries. I am not a food handling specialist. I take pride in delivering the food quickly, still hot/cold, and as per the instructions listed in the delivery.
Things such as, "Leave outside my door", "Knock once", "Don't knock", "Hand it to me"... and so forth.
But now, I am also a grocery deliverer, an alcohol deliverer & a pharmaceutical deliverer. I have no qualifications in any of these areas. Yet, I am to determine the ID of the recipient, their intoxication level, their intention to sell to minors, and such areas that a person would require a "Responsible Serving of Alcohol" certificate.
I often joke that next I'll have a roulette table in the back to run a door-to-door casino.
Saturation Level & Nett Zero
Most of the restaurants I visit have many versions of me. Whether they are other Dashers, or Uber, Menulog, Deliverer, and others, we are all doing the hustle.
But at what point does the Supply of drivers outstrip the available deliveries?
If deliveries are an average of $7, how long before it drops to $5 or less?
The market forces of flexible workforce vs people's desire to satisfy their hunger pangs.
I currently use just the one App but many other drivers use 2 or 3 at the same time. They try to game the system to get maximum rate, maximum number of deliveries.
Restaurants have cottoned onto this by wanting to see me click "Confirm pick up" before I leave. Other drivers must leave it u confirmed to delay the lock in of the job, hoping to receive 2 or 3 additional deliveries to maximum their hourly return.
Also, the existing drivers at grocery stores, restaurants, mainstream transport, are all under threat of this unskilled workforce who are monitored by an App. So long as the number of decent drivers outnumber bad drivers by a huge ratio, then our ability to supplant existing structures will make us the cheaper and redundant option.
Invisible Whip
The App pushes you in Direct and Indirect ways.
There is a rating system. By maintaining a high rating you gain more preference to be offered jobs.
Sometimes, when I am stuck at a busy intersection, a message will come in,
It appears you are not heading to the restaurant. If you don't arrive soon then your task will be sent to another driver
I find this happens more during daytime runs when there are fewer jobs available. I don't consider it reasonable when many times I am just a few metres from the destination. 🤣
I've worked for American companies before and their standard bullshit is normal.
Also, some of the metrics are impossible. A restaurant may not be ready with an order, so I wait, but I receive another pickup.
If I reject the additional enroute pick up then my reputation drops significantly and I fall lower in the rankings to receive jobs.
However, if I accept the job at 7.30pm, it is impossible to delivery it by 7.40pm, as my current wait time is 15mins! An impossible dilemma. But accepting the job is more important than timeliness. Getting on with deliveries is important during busy times and people will have to wait.
Or I may be delivering in a new housing area with sketchy internet. The app says I refused to take a job that I never received or the GPS guidance was wrong. Luckily, knowing my area quite well, I've known where some of the "lost" businesses are actually located.
Waiting
That is a bummer. Some restaurants are just poorly run or super busy.
I don't get paid to wait. But, I do find that you can build a rapport with businesses who get to know you and appreciate your patience.
I've received food from Vendors if they've got extra food.
Plus some enjoy the banter and your reliability. In some areas it's like I am the only driver around.
One woman pined that there aren't enough daytime drivers & were happy to see me servicing the area.
Tax & Meself
The rising cost of running a vehicle may seem like a burden for delivery guys. But I see it as a benefit. Not only do I get a small income during school hours, but I can claim vehicle costs against my deliver income.
I keep a log of kms so at tax time I can claim fuel, servicing, rego, insurance & car depreciation, which all helps with expenses. Also, some of my phone internet & any required organisers to keep the food warm.
Anyway, it's a nice gap filler for now.
Lazy-nomics
The number of people ordering online is amazing. Pretty much all day there are people wanting to be serviced.
I've literally delivered food 50 metres away from the restaurant. Across the road.
I've been paid $11 for a $7 bubble tea.
I've travelled 3 suburbs to get someone's favourite late night kebab, passing several kebab shops along the way.
All for their convenience!
The situation is surreal.
Risky Biscuit
You're running around working for less than minimum wage (once you take out expenses & idle time).
Yet, you're just one accident, one fine, or one breakdown away from earning zero or less.
You are moving around in some of the worst weather, busiest roads, stupidest drivers, and all while trying to move efficiently.
This is a game that can hurt you immensely if you are solely relying on it for income.
Such is the plight of the modern day rickshaw, now known as, Independent Contractor.