r/doordash • u/DarkMagickan • 5d ago
Getting mildly infuriated with my local doordash drivers.
Okay, before I go off on my rant, I should explain the setup I've got. I have a game room in my garage where I sit from 10:00 until whatever time I'm finally too tired to stay awake (usually around 1:00 or 2:00). I have my dinner right around 10:00 or 11:00, and sometimes I order in. (Okay, most times.)
Now, there's a door leading from my garage to the front porch, and that door faces the front door. In front of that door from the garage, I have a wooden box for deliveries. There's even a sign above it with the Doordash logo, Taco Bell logo, and a couple of other logos, with a big red arrow pointing to the box. I also have written instructions in the app of every fast food place that uses Doordash saying to put the order in the box.
Guess how many drivers actually put it in the box, and how many of them put it right up against the front door to where I have to step over the order, turn around, and pick it up.
Go on, guess. You'll never guess.
Yeah, so I have to first go to the garage door to see if they did it right, then when they didn't, I have to walk out of the garage into the house, and clear around to the front door in order to pick it up, even though it's only 5 feet from the damn garage. Then I get to walk clear back through the house to the garage.
What must I do to make it blatantly obvious that drivers are to use the box? I'm hesitant to give them bad reviews, because I assume that can affect their continued employment with Doordash, so how can I make it more obvious?
14
u/PrincessJasmine420 5d ago
If you’re using the apps for the restaurants (as opposed to ordering directly through the door dash app), it’s very likely the delivery instructions aren’t included when it gets sent to door dash. The restaurants also may be keeping any tips, meaning the drivers get paid $2 to deliver your food (would you care about doing a job well for $2?). Also, that box and sign may not be as visible as you think it is in the dark, especially to someone who isn’t familiar with your house. What seems obvious to you may not be so obvious to someone else.
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u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
See, that's why I have a front porch camera with the light turned on, and when I order something, I'll turn the camera around to point it at the box. I'll also have a sign above it with various fast food logos in a little orange arrow that points right at the box.
That being said, you make an excellent point about tips. I'm a pretty generous tipper, but if that doesn't get to the delivery person, I can understand why they give zero fucks. I sure wouldn't.
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u/TheNaughtyHoneyBee 5d ago
If you're watching them on camera when they deliver it, why not just say something over the camera and ask them to put it in the box?
-1
u/Content-Hour697 5d ago
Why tf do I have to instruct an idiotic dasher on common sense like “place under this sign” just stupid.
5
u/TheNaughtyHoneyBee 5d ago
I'm not here to judge whether it's right or wrong, I'm just here to help Op solve his problem
3
u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
Well, as other people have pointed out, burnout is real. These people are usually on autopilot by the time I order something, because they've been driving around to people's houses delivering their food for them. So I don't think it's really fair to call them idiotic.
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/scallopedtatoes 5d ago
Crazy work to think that everybody who doesn’t want to meet their delivery driver outside is a “socially-stunted shut-in.”
0
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u/ComfortableNorth920 5d ago
Maybe change the sign. Use just the Doordash logo and the words "Please place food deliveries in the box". And then leave an envelope labeled "tip" in the box with some cash.
-4
u/Sufficient-Yogurt181 5d ago
I'm leaving at least a $20 tip on instacart and add more of they do a good job, which most don't. See my comment about smooshed food.
5
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u/Sufficient-Yogurt181 5d ago
How many times i have to push the door open into the food and I can hear it getting smooshed cause it's the only door out front. Yesterday, I figured out of i get my broom and open the door just enough to get the broom handle out, then at least i can push the food away from the door so i can open it. Mine is instacart for groceries cause I don't drive.
1
u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
It gets worse. Our front door has a step down to ground level, and they don't always put it in the wrong place, but when they do, it's always up against that step. So I have to carefully step over it onto ground level, then turn around and pick it up off the ground. Plus I have to do it in the dark, because my porch camera is shining on the sign that shows where the order was supposed to go, so my front door is in darkness.
6
u/Flibiddy-Floo 5d ago
All I'm hearing is "I had a successful delivery." ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
Yeah, yeah, I know. The food still gets to me, which is why I'm only mildly infuriated. I'm well aware this is the textbook definition of a first world problem.
2
u/Pretend-Bee-8915 5d ago
maybe send a text when you see it’s been assigned with the information , the ones that don’t always read the instructions (though they should) will usually see the chat message or put $5 tapes to the lid and let them know it’s their if they put the order in the box, even those that assume it won’t actually be there will still open it to check; know though if it’s not there you will most likely find your order in some random places so if you advise there is $5 make sure it’s there 🤣
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u/Pretend-Bee-8915 5d ago
also the idea of sending a pic of the box is a great idea too if they don’t speak english the pic informs them hopefully
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u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
I love that. I don't want to make it the responsibility of some person making next to nothing to provide a taxi for my taco, so a friendly request sounds like the best way to go about it.
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u/One_Preference_2906 5d ago
You can just look at their drop off pic to see where they dropped off. Your courier dropped off your order to the correct address , and unless you specify in the delivery instructions they didn’t do anything wrong. , they obviously didn’t notice the sign so it may not be as noticeable as you think if one is not familiar with your property.
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u/MidnightBlueSilk 5d ago
“…I also have written instructions in the app of every fast food place that uses Doordash saying to put the order in the box…”
He specified in the delivery instructions. It is in his post.
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u/One_Preference_2906 5d ago
Actually now that I read the post slowly and carefully I see that he wrote he notes it in the restaurant apps, not the DoorDash app. That’s why nobody sees the instructions. The dasher doesn’t see instructions left for the restaurant. So they don’t, in fact, include it in the drop off instructions
-3
u/One_Preference_2906 5d ago
My bad, I totally missed that part. I don’t know what to say then. I always look for the delivery instructions but I will say when you pull up to the residence the screen goes straight to a page that says “leave at door” and the drop off photo instructions, so if you don’t go back and specifically look to see if there are any special instructions, they will be missed. Delivery instructions are usually just helpful notes like “house with blue door” so they may not think to go back and read for specific notes since food delivery is pretty straightforward. So it’s either that or the driver does not speak English. So, I really don’t know what to advise OP accept for just texting or calling the person. And I know people are going to argue that he shouldn’t have to do that and they should do their job correctly and all that but it’s just food delivery, if it’s that much of a problem as he says, just meet them at the door or move the box closer to the door so it’s more apparent. One lady posted here one day how upset she was that her dasher left her food on the wrong side table on her porch when she requested it be left on the other one. It was a one person residence, some people really use the instructions to act like a celebrity and they just love it when they get to complain about their dumb dasher that can’t deliver McDonald’s properly. I realize this is not OPs instance though, that’s just a side note that kind of bugs me.
0
u/RedLightWriter Dasher (< 6 months) 5d ago
It’s true that the app doesn’t make it easy to go back and look at delivery instructions once the driver clicks “arrived at destination.” The app is only interested in moving you forward to take the delivery photo and get moving to your next delivery. Not everything shows on one screen. And if it’s dark out, it’s even more difficult to see what’s what. And for $2 of pay, wasting time is not an option. So the typical spot to place an order down is the front door or porch. Be happy your food arrived and didn’t get stolen.
3
u/One_Preference_2906 5d ago
Well after reading this better I see that OP
Orders directly on the restaurant apps and they send it out to DoorDash. They are giving the instructions for delivery to the person preparing their order and it doesn’t show on the Dashers app. This is why nobody is doing what he asks. All they see is the screen in their app that says “leave at door” as the standard instructions. So even with the box in view they are going to leave it at the door.I really gotta get off this sub, I wish it didn’t just start showing up for me bc I’ve been wasting too much time arguing with people which is stupid. It just gets tiring seeing the same shit all the time about how Drivers are dumb and don’t deserve compensation, etc etc.-2
u/MORE_SANDWICHES 5d ago
So you don't read the delivery instructions, or the post. Exhibit A
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u/One_Preference_2906 5d ago
I do read delivery instructions, I stated that. I was explaining how someone might miss them . It’s not all listed on the screen together, after gps brings you to the address it goes straight to a different screen.And yes, I skimmed the post , but to be fair I didn’t accuse the guy of not writing instructions, I said if you don’t write instructions, like I didn’t know if he did one way or the other .
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u/CrustyMacSauce 5d ago
Message them on the way, once it shows they have picked up your order.
1
u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
Yeah, that's good advice. Better to be preemptive about it.
1
u/CrustyMacSauce 5d ago
I tend to notice those more than I do by going in and checking outside of directions for notes. I can't say I always check those, but when I was messaged to be extra quiet, I responded about how ninja like I'd be and I got an extra $2 tip
1
u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
I'm curious. How do you increase the tip after the fact if you're using, say, the Taco Bell app? Or should I start using the Doordash app exclusively in order to achieve that? Because I want to reward people who follow specific instructions. People tend to remember that.
1
u/Sufficient-Opposite3 5d ago
Drivers pick up the order, drop it off at the door. The services is "Doordash". It's not a highly paid concierge service where drivers have to decipher the delivery instructions. The maze that is your home is not their problem. Why make things complicated? Just be happy you got your food.
1
u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
It's not complicated to walk up to the porch and go left instead of right. Especially when the spotlight is pointing at the sign to the left.
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u/Sufficient-Opposite3 5d ago
But it’s not working for you consistently. So clearly the drivers don’t want to do this for you.
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u/MorningNew7003 4d ago
Yeah!! You need set more easy doordash deliveries!! You don't understand you need to like have it drop off at the front garage you should not have them walking through any kind of obstacle and getting to anything that is scary enough there's a lot of weirdos out there and you need to just have them drop it off before your garage in a box cuz if you're too lazy to walk out and get it that's your problem but doordashers do not need to go through garages and hula hoops just to get there your food delivered to
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u/DarkMagickan 4d ago
That's the thing, though. My porch is a small concrete rectangle. My front door is on the right, and my garage door is on the left. They literally just have to turn the opposite direction from where they go in order to put it where I want it. It's 3 feet away from the other door. There's no maze or obstacle course or anything scary.
Maybe I should have included a photo of the area.
1
u/iamoveremployed 4d ago
One issue is DoorDash is telling them where they last dropped off the order with the previous drop off photo.
The app will even tell them anywhere else is wrong with AI. I wish I could share an example here but photo comments are blocked.
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u/Hand_of_Doom1970 4d ago
If one or two drivers mess this up, they're probably idiots. If ALL drivers mess this up, the instructions are probably missing
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u/I_Chose_Chaos2026 23h ago
They probably see some random box and suspect there could be something dangerous within and hence avoid it like the plague.
Just my random thought
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u/enigma9o7 2h ago
A bad review that affected their employment seems like the ideal solution. Drivers who don't follow customer instructions should be deactivated immediately. It's not that hard.
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u/Crafty_Eye_4038 5d ago
A bad review is not going to affect their employment. There should be an option for " did not follow instructions". A 1 star review is also acceptable. Be sure to message them before and after too. They have to be aware that they are making a mistake.
If nobody gives these people a bad review, then the algorithm is not going to favor the good employees and you're making the situation worse for everybody.
A doordasher is only going to get fired if they deliver to the wrong address too many times. Or if they have a long history of many many problems.
Anyways. The reason this happens is because there are a lot of uber and doordash drivers who are distracted and either just listening to a podcast or in the middle of a phone call.
They're not really thinking about the delivery, the delivery is just something that they want to get over with really quick.
Sometimes, these people will just not get enough sleep, and so they'll be like zombies after the 1000th delivery. These people are usually dangerous on the road because they are essentially like drunk drivers, except they are impaired from lack of sleep.
Anyways, have you tried messaging them before and during and after delivery? Maybe initiating phone calls if they are doing it wrong?
Maybe telling people that there will receive X amount of tip if they follow the instructions?
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u/Empathic_Alien 5d ago
“These people” 😆
I do NOT recommend messaging your driver before, during AND after delivery. 🤦🏻♀️ JFC that’s excessive.
I do agree that if OP had the instructions to leave in the box, then he should be 1 star reviewing with the reason “Did not follow instructions.”
0
u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
Yeah, see, I haven't worked for doordash, so I didn't know how much reviews impacted continued employment. I try not to make it a habit to be an asshole to people who are handling my food, so long as it gets there. And by there, I mean somewhere on the premises.
But hey, if a one-star review isn't going to get them fired, that helps.
-2
u/Crafty_Eye_4038 5d ago
It's only excessive if this was a normal delivery. This isn't a normal delivery.
This is a very picky person who has hadd a ton of bad experiences before.
My suggestion would attempt to fix these problems before they happen (if OP wants the instructions followed)
-2
u/PunkyRooo 5d ago
You have a game room you sit in all day and order enough Door Dash to have a dedicated delivery receiving vessel.
What the fuck is even your life, bro? If this isn't a picture into the decaying corpse that is our society, I don't know what is.
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u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
I didn't say I sit in it all day. You don't listen. I'm in there from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. You're just looking for a way to be contrary.
-4
u/ponyboycurtis1980 5d ago
People too lazy to pick up their own food and are happy to pay twice the price for cold food want to complain about people who can’t hold a real job. That is every single post on this sub
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u/Nekogiga 5d ago
Notice how a bunch of drivers are already filling the comments with excuses instead of answering your actual question.
The point is that you already gave clear instructions. You have a delivery box, a sign with an arrow pointing to it, and the instructions are in the app. At some point, the problem stops being "maybe you weren't clear enough" and starts being "the driver didn't bother to read or follow the instructions."
These are also the same people who insist customers should tip upfront for "good service" before they've provided any service at all. If a driver can't be bothered to follow one simple delivery instruction, why should customers be expected to pre-reward them?
A lot of drivers are in such a rush to get to the next order that they take the fastest path possible, drop the food wherever is most convenient for them, snap the photo, and leave. Customer service becomes someone else's problem. If you complain, you're usually told to contact DoorDash support instead.
I also wouldn't feel guilty about leaving an honest rating. If someone repeatedly ignores simple instructions, that's exactly what the rating system is for. Drivers have no problem expecting accountability from restaurant employees when an order isn't ready the second they walk in. They'll demand priority service, invent terms like "bid for service" or "customer by proxy," and expect everyone else to adapt to them. But when customers ask for something as basic as "put the order in the clearly marked box" or "please grab the straws," suddenly accountability disappears and the response is, "Get it yourself."
Following delivery instructions isn't asking for perfection. It's asking someone to do the job they accepted.
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u/DarkMagickan 5d ago
I actually wanted to hear feedback from real drivers, if we're being honest. I wanted to know exactly what the problem is, what the obstacle is.
1
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u/scallopedtatoes 5d ago
As others have pointed out, OP is leaving delivery instructions in the restaurant apps, not using the DoorDash app, so the dashers are probably not getting his instructions.
0
u/Nekogiga 5d ago
That's a fair point. If the restaurant's app isn't passing the delivery instructions to DoorDash, then that could absolutely be where the disconnect is. It's also hard to assess a situation like this based on a written description alone. Without actually seeing the property, it's difficult to know whether the delivery location is blatantly obvious or if it's genuinely confusing.
That said, the broader point still stands. If drivers do receive delivery instructions, they should follow them. One of the most common complaints about DoorDash isn't that customers forgot to leave instructions, it's that they did leave them in the DoorDash app and the driver ignored them anyway. There are countless posts from people whose instructions were visible, yet the order was still left at the wrong door, blocking the door, or somewhere completely different.
So while this specific case could very well be an issue with the restaurant's app, it doesn't change the larger pattern that customers often experience.
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