I started working as a DoorDash “Dasher” back near the beginning of the pandemic. My classes were over, and my summer internship fell through, so I found a way to use my time and make some cash. I’ve since done over 700 deliveries and have lots of nice, funny and strange stories to share.
There are several things that I’ve learned while “dashing” that I wish customers knew. Next time you order some Chipotle from DoorDash (or Chick-fil-A, or local Asian food or whatever), here is some food for thought.
- Wendy’s is the Worst
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The majority of restaurants (especially chains) are fully integrated with the DoorDash system. For example, I can walk into Chili’s and say I’m picking up a DoorDash for Customer Whoever. Chili’s gives me the food in a bag and I’m good to go! The details and money are sent through the app, so it’s pretty seamless for me.
However, Wendy’s is stubborn. I have to place the order myself, pay for it on the DoorDash company “Red Card,” and wait for the food to be made. The Wendy’s menu changes often enough that customers order things through DoorDash that are no longer sold. This creates even more work because I have to call the customer to work things out.
A lot of drivers will automatically decline any order that requires the “Red Card” because they can be such a hassle. I only accept them when I can tell that the payout will be worthwhile. I’m begging you—just pick another restaurant. Taco Bell just stopped requiring the “Red Card,” so why not order a Crunchwrap Supreme?
- People Order Some Weird Stuff
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People order all kinds of candy bars and snacks from Wawa. One time I delivered a bag of just four Monster Energy drinks.
Fas Mart also yields some strange items, such as an order that included Advil, a bag of Tostitos tortilla chips, fried chicken and Keebler vanilla wafers. Did the customer have a headache? Also, when would you ever get fried chicken delivered from Fas Mart?
Sometimes people leave me special instructions, such as “PLEASE make sure I have seven ranch cups!!!!!!” Yeah, that happened.
Lastly, there’s a restaurant near me that serves frog legs. I wasn’t mentally prepared to see those on the order, along with some pound cake and chicken wings.
I have curated a beautiful collection of screenshots with funny orders and directions. I love to see the weird items that customers request—it always makes “dashing” more exciting!
- Drivers Know if You Don’t Tip
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Drivers see a minimum amount of money they will be paid for an order before accepting or rejecting it. There are no rules about how many you have to accept, so some people are pretty picky!
DoorDash pays the driver about $3-4 per order based on how far away it is. If the order shows up as $8 minimum pay, the driver will know it’s a $4-5 dollar tip. After the food is dropped off, the driver will get an exact breakdown of how much the customer tipped. DoorDash only hides the final payout from the driver at the beginning if the tip is substantial (over $5).
If you choose not to tip, there’s a chance no driver will accept the order. It will bounce around in the system until DoorDash notifies you that they can’t complete it. DoorDash increases the pay by 25 cents every time a driver rejects it, so there’s a chance that the pay will become high enough for someone to take it.
Be a nice person and give a tip, though. Many people who did DoorDash as a side hustle started “dashing” full time after losing their main job during COVID-19. A surprising number of people use it as their only source of income.
Your order doesn’t just magically appear at your doorstep when you request contactless delivery. A driver still picked it up, kept it hot and carefully delivered it. “Dashers” are real people! Text your driver a quick “thank you,” because they will appreciate it!