The crisis in the delivery market, food delivery and the purchase and distribution of other types of items could soon take a radical turn. There is a service that is already testing a new initiative in which it warns its customers: if you do not tip the delivery person, your food could arrive late and, therefore, cold. What would you do?
That the food delivery sector and Glovo-type apps is going through a difficult time is an open secret. Everyone knows that the situation is delicate and that it is reaching a point where, in the end, there will be changes. After all, many of the professionals who work delivering orders, some now unemployed, criticize that they do not receive financial support proportional to their effort. The solution that DoorDash presents in the United States could please them.
Understanding the situation
First of all, we are aware that the tipping culture is very different in the United States from what happens in Spain. There it is an established rule, while in our country it is a tradition. They are different points of view that, however, in the delivery sector are closer than one might imagine, since both countries act in the same way: practically without tipping.
In these times when the economy is tight, it is not easy to consider giving a tip to the delivery person, although it is fair to recognize that many of them deserve it. Taking this into account, DoorDash has already introduced a new function in the testing process with which they want to see if their idea would work to change this situation once and for all.
Would you tip in advance?
This is the factor that makes the idea that DoorDash is introducing doesn’t quite make sense. It is not only about guaranteeing that you are going to tip the delivery person, but you also have to select it and confirm it at the time you place the order. That, if we talk on paper, makes the use of tips as a reward for the work carried out meaningless. In the United States, however, they defend the idea even though no one would consider tipping a waiter in a restaurant before he even serves you your food.
However, it must also be understood that delivery drivers do extra work compared to what waiters do in a restaurant. They have to go to the store, which can sometimes be further away than usual, pick up the order, treat it with care and take it directly to your home. This is a service that, in some ways, might deserve to include a tip.
DoorDash says that, in addition, delivery drivers who see that they have a guaranteed tip will surely make an effort and work harder, which will have a positive impact on the users of this type of application. But how exactly does the system work? What they say is that if when placing the order we enter 0 in the space where the tip is marked, we will see a message on the screen that will remind us of the importance of giving something and not simply ignoring it. If the user ignores the message again, they will encounter another notice and, in this case, it will be more direct.
There you will be told that delivery drivers are more likely to respond quickly to orders that include tips and that, therefore, what will happen to you is that you will have to wait longer for your delivery to be made. That could mean that your burgers were in the restaurant 20 minutes longer than usual and, therefore, arrived home in a state that would not exactly be the most delicious. On the contrary, by entering a tip there would be no problems and you would surely find a delivery person quickly.
What is not very clear to us is whether DoorDash reflects the amount of tip to the delivery person at the moment in which they have the opportunity to take charge of the delivery. If this were so, it is possible that we would soon be in the same situation among those people who do not tip much. Therefore, it is possible that the amount remains hidden until the end of the service. For now this system is only in the testing phase and those responsible assure that, for now, it has helped reduce the number of users who do not leave tips. Of course, they have not revealed exact percentages or figures.
