Working for a food delivery service has never been easy. The stress of trying to track down customers’ addresses as quickly as possible while their food rapidly decreases in temperature can feel like mission impossible. So when one customer went out of her way to be a nightmare, this DoorDash driver decided that he had a zero-tolerance policy for jerk customers. Below, you’ll find the full story that was recently detailed on the Petty Revenge subreddit, as well as an interview with the courier himself.
Working as a food courier is inherently stressful, even without dealing with rude customers
Image credits: oneinchpunchphotos (not the actual photo)
So when one nurse attempted to scam DoorDash, this delivery driver ensured that she was held accountable for her actions
Image credits: DC_Studio (not the actual photo)
Image credits: LightFieldStudios (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Reddit user
DoorDash drivers rely on positive ratings to stay on the competitive platform, so it's important that customers provide accurate feedback
To learn more about this wild saga, we reached out to the DoorDash driver himself on Reddit, Johnny, who was kind enough to have a chat with us. First, we were curious how long Johnny had been working for DoorDash and what his experiences with the service had been like. “I worked for DoorDash for three years prior to this episode and had completed somewhere around 2000 deliveries,” he told Bored Panda.
“This was my final delivery, a decision that I reached after the market became flooded with drivers and I also was making substantially less as a result,” the former courier went on to explain. “This was also one of several incidents with poor customer behavior that ended my desire to continue deliveries.”
However, patrons tend to blame their couriers for cold food or their own poor instructions, which can in turn tank their ratings
Image credits: nunezimage (not the actual photo)
Johnny also added that at the beginning of the pandemic, drivers were more scarce. So back then, it was an easy and lucrative side gig. “Additionally, the public was more rewarding with tips, especially due to the risk,” he noted. Over time, however, Johnny began encountering the rude customers that used to be outliers became more and more frequently. “People not providing building numbers or gate codes, then blaming you for cold food,” he explained.
We also asked the former food courier why it was so important to him that this woman be held accountable for her actions. “Initially, I would never have wasted another second on this once it was over,” he told Bored Panda. “However, my Dasher support agent, along with this person's cruel texts, made it clear to me that this was a pathological issue. A behavioral one. To know that she was in a hospital, supposedly taking care of patients, while being so abusive to me was revolting,” he went on to explain.
“Then hospital security approached her and said, ‘Just pay. You're a nurse, you have plenty of money. And if you don't, we'll call the cops.’ And this audacious woman said, ‘Go ahead. Call the cops’,” Johnny continued. “So ultimately, I don't really remember ever making a conscious decision to prosecute this. Her behavior just escalated and escalated it.”
"Having someone bring you your food is a service, but also a privilege"
Image credits: DC_Studio (not the actual photo)
Finally, Johnny provided a wise reminder for anyone who uses food delivery services, such as DoorDash. “Having someone bring you your food is a service, but also a privilege. Do not be demanding or rude. Compensate people fairly. And if you make a mistake, just own it. We're busy and happy to move on!”
As the food delivery app industry is expected to reach a whopping $150 billion during 2023, it’s important that the hundreds of millions of users of these services worldwide understand the appropriate etiquette when using them. While the standard advice to not be a jerk applies to all aspects of life, if you need a reminder, remember that these individuals are handling your food. So treat them kindly, tip them well, and by all means, don’t try to scam them. Or you might end up in handcuffs too… We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring DoorDash driver drama, look no further than right here!
Many readers applauded the courier in the replies, and he joined in on the conversation
Some even shared similar personal experiences they've had
