Latest news with #Dashers
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
DoorDash's CEO says he gets hundreds of emails weekly from customers and workers. They show it has work to do.
If you email DoorDash CEO Tony Xu feedback on your recent restaurant order, there's a decent chance he'll actually read it. When asked Wednesday during DoorDash's earnings call about challenges facing the company, Xu pointed to the emails he gets daily from restaurants, gig workers, and customers. Many of them point out areas where DoorDash is "falling short," Xu said. "I get several hundred emails a week from all of our audiences, whether it's consumers, Dashers, or merchants," Xu said. "And I don't know if they think that our improvements are very impressive." Xu said he received an email on Wednesday morning that complained that a DoorDash delivery driver had shown up to the wrong parking lot at an apartment building. "That caused a delay in delivery as well as a fear that perhaps the driver wasn't even going to show up," Xu said. Xu said those kinds of issues highlight areas where the company needs to do better. "Every day, I think, is a daily struggle, where the job is to try to make an improvement for that day," Xu said. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . While Xu said some see room for improvement, Wall Street seems generally pleased with DoorDash's growth. The company reported on Wednesday its second-quarter earnings, which largely beat analysts' expectations, and its revenue grew 25% year over year. The company has also been expanding with two acquisitions worth more than $1 billion this year: the UK delivery startup Deliveroo and the restaurant booking service SevenRooms. Emails are one way that Xu has said he keeps track of what using DoorDash is like for the millions of people who use the delivery app. Xu has previously said he has made DoorDash deliveries himself through WeDash, a program in which corporate employees work as Dashers — the company's lingo for delivery workers. This experience has led Xu and others to identify areas of improvement for DoorDash, such as fixing bugs in the app or improving the accuracy of wait times. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has also moonlighted as a ride-hailing driver and delivery worker for the app he helms. He was on the receiving end of "tip baiting," which is when a customer offers a driver a big tip upfront only to take it away after delivery. David Risher, the CEO of Lyft, told Business Insider he also drives for the ride-hailing service about every six weeks.
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
DoorDash CEO says he gets hundreds of emails weekly from customers and workers. They show it has work to do.
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said that he gets hundreds of emails from workers and customers each week. DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said that he gets hundreds of emails from workers and customers each TechCrunch DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said that he gets hundreds of emails from workers and customers each TechCrunch This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. If you email DoorDash CEO Tony Xu feedback on your recent restaurant order, there's a decent chance he'll actually read it. When asked Wednesday during DoorDash's earnings call about challenges facing the company, Xu pointed to the emails he gets daily from restaurants, gig workers, and customers. Many of them point out areas where DoorDash is "falling short," Xu said. Related video "I get several hundred emails a week from all of our audiences, whether it's consumers, Dashers, or merchants," Xu said. "And I don't know if they think that our improvements are very impressive." Xu said he received an email on Wednesday morning that complained that a DoorDash delivery driver had shown up to the wrong parking lot at an apartment building. "That caused a delay in delivery as well as a fear that perhaps the driver wasn't even going to show up," Xu said. Xu said those kinds of issues highlight areas where the company needs to do better. "Every day, I think, is a daily struggle, where the job is to try to make an improvement for that day," Xu said. Related stories Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know While Xu said some see room for improvement, Wall Street seems generally pleased with DoorDash's growth. The company reported on Wednesday its second-quarter earnings, which largely beat analysts' expectations, and its revenue grew 25% year over year. The company has also been expanding with two acquisitions worth over $1 billion this year: UK delivery startup Deliveroo and restaurant booking service SevenRooms. Emails are one way that Xu has said he keeps track of what using DoorDash is like for the millions of people who use the delivery app. Xu has previously said that he has made DoorDash deliveries himself through WeDash, a program in which corporate employees work as Dashers — the company's lingo for delivery workers. This experience has led Xu and others to identify areas of improvement for DoorDash, such as fixing bugs in the app or improving the accuracy of wait times. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has also moonlighted as a ride-hailing driver and delivery worker for the app he helms. Once when he was on the receiving end of "tip baiting," which is when a customer offers a driver a big tip upfront only to take it away after delivery. David Risher, the CEO of Lyft, told Business Insider that he also drives for the ride-hailing service about every six weeks.
Newsweek
18-07-2025
- Newsweek
Woman Orders Coffee on DoorDash, 'Shocked' at Message She Then Receives
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In today's world, you can order almost anything online—and in some cases, it can arrive at your door within minutes, thanks to apps like DoorDash. However, one woman recently experienced a driver who refused to complete her order. The reason why has left Reddit users speechless. According to a viral post, a $3.50 tip wasn't enough to justify traveling two blocks with a coffee—at least in the driver's opinion. Newsweek spoke to the 40-year-old woman's husband, who shared the screenshots of the exchange on July 15. The post quickly went viral, racking up over 41,000 upvotes. User Tikkity_Tok23 told Newsweek: "She ordered on DoorDash, and when he said these things, she was absolutely shocked. She ran in to show me because she couldn't believe it actually happened." Two screenshots from the viral post showing the messages. Two screenshots from the viral post showing the messages. Reddit/Tikkity_Tok23 The post describes how she ordered a Starbucks coffee, which cost between $8 and $9 on DoorDash, and tipped just under $4—since the coffee shop is only two blocks from their Long Island, New York, home. But instead of receiving her drink, she got a message from the driver that read: "I'm not going to serve homeless people in this rain. Cancel the order. I won't bring it to you. If you don't have money, you should make coffee at home." She responded: "Homeless people? What the f***? I am reporting you to DoorDash." The driver replied: "Accordingly, you have to pay if you want your order to be delivered, or you will suffer from hunger." Confused, the woman wrote: "How can someone homeless order from DoorDash? It was already paid—you can't order if you don't pay first. You should not have accepted the order if you didn't want to deliver it." The driver answered: "There are too many bad orders coming in every day. I'm not going to bring that. $3 is ridiculous." Newsweek reached out to DoorDash for comment. According to workplace insights platform Glassdoor, the estimated hourly pay for DoorDash drivers ranges between $17 and $25. DoorDash's website states pay is made up of three components: base pay (which varies), 100 percent of customer tips, and promotions. In 2023, Vice published an article about Dashers begging customers for tips. A DoorDash spokesperson told the outlet: "While nothing in our guidelines explicitly prohibits Dashers from asking a customer for a tip, we have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment by any member of our community on the DoorDash platform. This includes instances where Dashers harass customers for a tip." The woman's 36-year-old husband called the experience "crazy" and confirmed that they reported the Dasher, who has since been banned while the incident is being investigated. He wrote online: "Taking bad orders out on a customer who actually tipped almost 40 percent for a two-block delivery is unacceptable. We're not the type to report people, but this guy got what he deserved." He also told Newsweek: "My wife felt sad because she knew it was more than just her order—the guy was clearly having a bad day. But that's still no excuse to treat anyone like this. We all have bad days. That doesn't mean we take it out on others." Reddit Reaction The Reddit post sparked intense discussion, garnering over 4,500 comments. One user wrote: "This guy's not just having a bad day—he's having a bad life." Another added: "'Make coffee at home' while simultaneously calling you homeless is crazy work." A third commenter shared: "I used to dash, and honestly, people don't always tip... but that's just reality. If you don't want to take an order because it's too low, just decline it. This is so bizarre. Sorry about that."
Newsweek
18-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
DoorDash Exec: Let's Offer Gig Workers Stable, Flexible Benefits
Workers are looking for signs that Washington still has their backs, and a record majority of Americans are eager for the government to get more done. Fortunately, Congress has a rare opportunity to deliver something Americans want: the freedom to work how they choose, and the peace of mind that comes with greater security. This freedom would be a win for workers, for innovation, and for the country. More Americans than ever are choosing earnings opportunities outside traditional nine-to-five jobs. In fact, as many as one in three Americans have engaged in independent work, including over 8 million people who used the DoorDash platform last year alone. These people often have another full-time job or responsibilities—whether they are small business owners, students, parents, or caregivers—and deliver just four hours per week on average. They tell us they choose app-based work for the freedom it offers. But we at DoorDash also hear something else: those who deliver the most often want access to the kinds of benefits that offer a feeling of security. That includes things like health coverage if they suffer an unexpected illness, or extra savings to help them plan for retirement. They want benefits, but they don't want to give up the independence that drew them to this work in the first place. Unfortunately, under current law, that's exactly the choice they have to make. The fact is that companies like DoorDash would put the independence Dashers overwhelmingly want at risk by offering benefits that historically have been reserved for employees. It's time for that to change. Policymaking in this space has often been paralyzed by false choices: you can be a traditional employee with employer-sponsored benefits, or an independent contractor with more flexibility but no benefits. That doesn't reflect the moment we live in or our modern economy. Why can't more workers have access to benefits, without sacrificing their flexibility? U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) recently introduced legislation that does just that. It, along with a similar House bill, would allow companies like ours to design programs and contribute to benefit funds for independent workers without putting their independent contractor status at risk for purposes of federal law. These bills would be a step in the right direction—a practical fix that would help us begin to meet more working people where they are. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 2024: In this photo illustration, a person demonstrates making a delivery with DoorDash as a Dasher in April 2024 in San Francisco, California. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 2024: In this photo illustration, a person demonstrates making a delivery with DoorDash as a Dasher in April 2024 in San Francisco, approach is also a bipartisan one. During the last Congress, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) offered a similar effort to "encourage experimentation at the state and local levels to support the realities of a 21st century workforce" through portable benefits. At the state level, Republicans and Democrats alike are also working on this issue. DoorDash has worked with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Maryland Governor Wes Moore to launch first-of-their-kind pilots in their respective states, with promising early results. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, a bipartisan bill to make the state the first in the nation to offer a portable benefits program tailored to app-based workers recently passed, arriving soon on Governor Tony Evers' desk to await his signature. The concept of portable benefits should galvanize policymakers regardless of party. It upholds worker freedom and choice, while finally bringing long-overdue innovation to our outdated rules. It extends more protections to more workers, as a way to support those who choose to do this kind of work more regularly. It should be no surprise, then, that when we asked Americans what they thought about portable benefits, a clear majority in both parties approved of the concept. Simply put: It's an idea whose time has come. This idea is gaining momentum because it actually reflects what Dashers tell us they want and how they want to work. Ultimately, we hope to see a national portable benefits program. The legislation Congress is considering would represent meaningful progress towards that goal. We don't have to treat our employment laws like they're etched in stone. After all, employer-sponsored health plans were once considered novel when they were first introduced back in the 1940s. The same could be said about retirement benefit plans when they came around in the 1970s. The time has come to once again rethink that model for a new generation of independent earners in 2025 and beyond. Nothing could be more pro-worker than expanding access to benefits to more people, and doing it in a way that protects the flexibility they consistently say they need. Workers need Congress to step up, rise above politics, and put us on a path that better reflects how people actually live and work today. Let's hope they heed the call. Max Rettig is Vice President and Global Head Of Public Policy at DoorDash. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
DoorDash scammer sparks uproar after showing off free food trick
A shameless TikTokker is being served a hot plate of drama after admitting to her followers she lied to DoorDash about a missing meal to snag a $50 credit — while proudly telling others to do the same. Keke (@twinzmomma2) posted a video to the popular social media platform on June 22, boasting about scoring a free dinner by falsely claiming her order never arrived, even though it did. 'Don't you just love when DoorDash gives you a credit?' she says in the clip, grinning while preparing to feast — on the app's dime. She didn't spill what she'd ordered, but made one thing clear: no regrets, and zero guilt. 'I'm about to order me some dinner,' she declared, before dishing out the so-called 'hack' to her followers. 'When y'all order a big a– order on DoorDash, baby, get your f—g money back,' she said. 'I'm about to order something right now.' But while Keke was busy celebrating her refund victory lap, actual delivery drivers were fuming — and the backlash hit faster than a dropped milkshake. The video quickly landed on the r/DoorDashDrivers subreddit, where one fed-up worker titled their post: 'Customers like these ruin our income.' 3 The TikTokker was busy doing her victory dance — but real delivery drivers were steaming, and the backlash hit harder than a spilled milkshake in the front seat. REUTERS 'We need to bring awareness to protect us,' the Dasher added. Other users tried to identify Keke's location to report her, furious that drivers could get dinged over false complaints. 'My sister had lost her Dasher job to someone just like this lady,' one user fumed. 'I have cameras all over the place now. When I deliver to a non-tipper with a 'leave at door' order, I film myself dropping and walking away.' Another simply said: 'You are screwing over the driver. Not cool. I hope DD [catches] you.' While the food delivery app insists that 'violations will not impact earnings in any way,' the damage isn't always financial — it's emotional. The fear of getting flagged — and potentially deactivated — has many Dashers on edge, as reported by The Daily Dot. 3 DoorDash may swear 'violations will not impact earnings,' but for drivers, the real toll isn't on their wallets — it's on their sanity. Christopher Sadowski Even though DoorDash claims 'a 'never delivered' complaint' won't affect a driver's 'ratings, Top Dasher status, eligibility for high-value orders, or access to app features,' the experience can be a gut punch. As one working mom and Dasher put it: 'If you are that person, or know someone who is, just keep in mind that Dashers are real people with the same real-life worries that you have. You expect honesty from us. We should be able to expect the same from you.' DoorDash may cover the bill, but for many drivers, this kind of fraud still leaves a bad taste. 3 A new report says it's not the food that's going bad — it's the fibs. Nearly half of all app fraud comes from phony refund grabs like this DoorDash doozy, per fraud-busting firm Incognia. Simone – As The Post previously reported back in February, delivery apps are getting eaten alive by so-called 'refund fraud' — with shameless scammers crying foul over perfectly fine food to score freebies. A report from fraud-fighting firm Incognia found that nearly half of all food app fraud comes from bogus refund requests. And it's costing big: businesses reportedly lost a gut-wrenching $103 billion last year alone, according to separate data from Appriss Retail and Deloitte. 'You can say the food wasn't good, the food was cold, there was something missing,' Incognia CEO and co-founder André Ferraz said in an interview with Business Insider. 'How do you verify these things? It's very difficult.' Most delivery apps let hungry customers cry foul a few times — but push your luck, and you'll be cut off. Rack up too many bogus refund requests, and 'the platform will not allow you to ask for refunds,' warned Ferraz.
