Look, If You Dont Deliver Food, You May Not Know This.

Look, if you don’t deliver food, you may not know this.

But if you mark an order as “leave at door” and then come pick it up in person, YOU ARE BEING THE OPPOSITE OF HELPFUL.

I’m required to take a photo proving I left the food at your door. If you pick it up, I can’t take a photo. Which means if you turn around and claim you never got it, I COULD LOSE MY JOB BECAUSE I CAN’T PROVE I DELIVERED IT. Drivers can and do get deactivated this way.

If you want to ACTUALLY be helpful:

1) tip a minimum of $1/mile from the restaurant to your house. We don’t actually get paid the whole delivery fee. I once got paid 47 cents for a delivery because the guy tip-baited me (means he took the tip off after delivery). There’s also a motto in the community: “no tip, no trip.” Want your food hot and fresh? TIP.

2) have your porch light on (at night) and your house number clearly visible. If for whatever reason, you can’t make your house number clearly visible, have a landmark noted in your yard. I always put my car in my driveway and put in the notes what my color and model is.

3) if you live in an apartment, GIVE DIRECTIONS. “Building 36 apt 3604” doesn’t tell me SHIT, especially when the buildings aren’t in numeric order. “When you pull in at the gate, turn right. Follow the drive to the end and turn left. Take your second left and follow it to the end. Building 36 will be on your right.” Now THAT tells me something! Waiting until I’m helplessly circling your complex and calling you, and then going “well if you’re at the entrance you can—” I am at the entrance 0% of the time if I’m calling you. Full stop. LEAVE DIRECTIONS. Please. The faster I get in and out, the faster you get your food and the faster I can get my next delivery. If I’m not moving, I’m not earning.

4) RATE US!! It helps us get gas discounts and stuff. (We are not paid for vehicle depreciation, mileage, or gas.) Don’t downvote us for stuff outside our control. Ordering a slush from a Sonic 15 miles away and being mad it’s melted by the time I get to you? Look, I’ve got a cooler and a thermal blanket. Not Elsa’s ice powers.

5) Check the correct delivery option. “Meet at door” means you open the door and say hi and we hand over your food. “Leave at door” means we put down your food, take a picture, and you come pick it up when we’re gone. “Wait in car” means YOU are coming to ME. (I’ve delivered to many construction sites and other unusual places like an Amazon warehouse. That last option is FANTASTIC for stuff like that.)

6) I love your dogs, but even if they’re super-friendly, please leave the doggos inside when you know I’m due. I’m walking on unfamiliar terrain balancing your food and my phone and car keys, and your dog smells D E L I C I O U S F O O D. I got knocked down once by an extremely friendly, very large mutt who just wanted to say hi but herded me right into a ditch. I wasn’t hurt, but it was a miracle I saved the food.

7) last but not least: KEEP YOUR PHONE ON!!! There’s nothing more frustrating than waiting out an eight-minute timer, standing at your door, knocking every minute, calling every minute, and getting sent to voicemail, only for the customer to mosey up to the door right at the “cancel order” mark and give you a grin and say “sorry, I didn’t see my phone.” You know you ordered food, you have to let us contact you!

If you want to be genuinely helpful: DO THESE. Not picking up an order you marked for drop off. Please. Pretty please.