Both the Dasher & Unsatisfied Customer

There’s so many serious things going on in the world, I was mad that something really not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things bothered me for hours last night. But it wasn’t just one issue, not two, but over three issues. I’m also a dasher myself and can see how the system and other dashers impact how I and other dashers that go above and beyond just trying to make a living are affected by it and that may be why it bothers me so much. Or just makes me lose more faith and hope in humanity. I just really need to vent so thank you to whoever takes the time to read this in full.

Last night I ordered Taco Bell for my fiancé and added an orange Hi-C from McDonald’s for myself. This is the second time where this occurred: two separate delivery drivers instead of one driver picking up both. In the past it’s oftentimes one driver. When I order it, there’s only one spot for the tip so that means the dasher that gets the first order gets everything while the dasher that gets the second order gets nothing. I wondered how many times this occurred to me when I dashed. And yes, I can add it after the driver gets put on the second order but that’s not the point. Plus, how many people have enough money to tip two drivers? I don’t tip less than $7.50 and usually add $5 afterward so there’s absolutely no way I can leave a total of $25 in tips. In this economy, anything is a lot but I don’t believe in leaving less than $7.50-$12.50 (even $7.50 I feel bad about). Now see the predicament the system places a person in? Either the customer has to add another tip (and there’s a lot of issues with that: maybe they used all their money or credits on the initial check-out, they don’t have enough to leave another tip or maybe will only add a lower one to the second order, etc.) that second driver also may think there not being tipped not knowing the customer actually left a decent one. I could go on and on but the system is messed up. I tried reaching out to DoorDash about it because I’m not going to have someone deliver one drink when there’s no tip because that’s not right, which would then also force me to have to leave the $7.50 for one drink, and I refuse to pay what would’ve been $12 for one drink. Im not touching on every issue here.

Secondly, I always put “hand to me” on all orders. I messaged the Taco Bell driver that I’ll be waiting at my front door. I see the driver is getting closer and run down. Then I see the driver right by my house and I thought I saw car lights but the they disappeared as quickly as I saw them and I see the order marked as complete. Thought process: “how is the order marked as complete if it’s not in my hands right now?” I immediately went to support saying I didn’t receive my order as I start walking around the outside of my house. As I’m on chat with an agent, I find the Taco Bell bag on the stairs on the rear side of the house. The reason I put “hand to me” is because there’s a lot of bugs this time of year and it’s all in the area he put the Taco Bell bag on. I would never want food put on the ground anyway. My reasoning makes perfect sense but either way, I put “hand to me”. And as a Dasher I know how those orders work. If the customer is not there, you must contact the customer and wait two minutes, then leave the order somewhere and take a picture if you don’t reach them. Definitely impossible for him to have done. And I was waiting at the front door. He didn’t have to wait any amount of time because I was standing right there. To me, that’s just a lazy, “not give a care in the world” attitude. And for the first time, I wished I could take the entire tip back I was so aggravated by it. Then I try to explain to the agent what occurred and the agent kept saying “It is under review” etc etc. I said “I would like to tell you about the issue, it just occurred while on chat with you (bc I initially put “not delivered” but then found it while on chat). This is also the second time I spoke to an agent bc I reached out earlier so I didn’t realize until after he ended the chat on me, that me putting “not delivered” probably automatically went up the chain for review. Either way, to not explain the issue I found ridiculous.

During all this, that McDonald’s order… the driver on that one messaged me saying that the drink system was down. I watched her drive away from the store and then 5 minutes later, another driver picked up the order. How is that possible? If the drink system was down, she would have to alert DoorDash to get half pay and then they refund me. Instead, another driver was assigned to it. I spoke to another agent about that, and they weren’t listening, saying that it will be arriving at such and such time. I tried to explain that a driver already told me the drink system was down and they can just refund me it. I didn’t want someone delivering just a drink anyway, for all the reasons I mentioned earlier anyway. I mentioned those to her too but nope, they couldn’t issue a refund. And by the time I tried to resolve it, the other driver was on its way with the Orange Hi-C. Because of what occurred with the Taco Bell order, I went all the way outside to the street I know they have to turn down. I told the driver I’m outside and I see his location on the map, see his car coming and I literally watch him pass my street, brake a bit, see on my app that the order was marked as complete, the driver continue driving down the street and disappear. Though I knew what was occurring I didn’t want to make an assumption so I messaged him saying “I just saw you pass me,” and he responded with “looping around”. I stayed outside for 8 minutes and watched as he passed my street back toward the area he originally came in (his car was a very specific car with a loud engine- easy to identify). I guess he didn’t think I’d be outside at 1AM and actually stay outside for 10 minutes but at this point, the outrage I had… I almost messaged him something but I thought it through. He has my address and people are crazy nowadays so I decided that it wasn’t worth it. I know why he raked nearby because you have to be near the house to mark the order as complete, but I don’t see the point in take one orange hi-C/risking job. Or maybe they realized it was a no/tip order (bc of all the issues I hadn’t added one yet). Idk but I spoke to an agent for like the fifth time and I just put it all in one big message before they can cut me off or end the chat. She said she can’t give me any compensation and said both orders are under review. I don’t see how this could end well if she just said I can’t get any compensation. And they’re not listening about the Taco Bell order, so this is them thinking I didn’t get it. Even though I was honest and said “I was in chat with the agent when I found the Taco Bell bag on the rear side steps where there’s all bugs which is why I put “hand to me” etc etc. Maybe I shouldn’t have been honest.

Either way, I don’t know if they have the recent explanation or just see it as both orders not being delivered. Who knows.

But all these issues for a burrito, sour cream, quesadilla, and orange Hi-C. That’s insane to me. $30 order. And it makes me upset because the system is screwing with dashers and their earnings. And to know that other dashers are impacting other dashers makes me even more enraged. As a customer, I would never want to leave a tip again. Obviously I would never do that but I can see how customers would say that, only making it harder for other dashers who go above and beyond. These dashers couldn’t even do the most minimal of the job, they didn’t even complete their job and it’s not that hard. I just don’t get it. And I don’t know why it bothers me so damn much. The whole experience yday really enraged me. And to know that three different drivers are not doing what they’re supposed to. I still don’t understand why that last driver didn’t just drop off the drink. Was the drink system down? How did he take a picture of the McD’s order with my name on it then? That completely bewilders me. The one that said it was down either lied or didn’t do what she was supposed to. I don’t know what’s going on in the world. I think it also just makes me lose faith in humanity. Like how are people like this. And then because I’m a dasher myself, I get even more mad because you’re giving me and others a bad rap and making our lives harder. And they will stay on the platform while other hard-working people get CV’s & have to worry about losing their income & not because they aren’t doing good but because they did the right thing but the system is all messed up (ex. trying to find a solution for a customer when an order isn’t there but then being 5 mins late bc they made sure to find a solution- now gets a CV bc in the system it’s tagged as late and doesn’t see how you found a solution and just helped the customer). Also DoorDash treating their customers and dashers like this is so aggravating. This is way too long. I should’ve tried to shorten it more but there were so many issues. I didn’t even say every single detail. Thanks to anyone who takes the time.