A DoorDash driver is using TikTok to explain how he decides which food orders to deliver and which ones to decline.
The driver, known as The Gig Doctor (@gigdoctor), often posts on TikTok about his life as a full-time Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash driver in Oregon. In one recent video, he shared several examples of what kind of orders he declines to deliver.
In the video, he’s in his car waiting for orders to arrive in his DoorDash app. Then he declines several orders that pop up on his screen. One of them is a $4.25 order with McDonald’s, one is a $5 order with Walgreens, and another is a $3.75 order with Carls Jr.
@gigdoctor Examples of Orders to Decline on DoorDash. Work smarter, not harder don’t worry about status. Status doesn’t pay the bills 💵 #doordashdriver #doordashtipsandtricks #doordash ♬ original sound – The Gig Doctor
The TikToker explains that he won’t accept an order unless it is over $10 because it’s not worth his time if they are any less.
“When you consider how much gas costs these days and driving to the restaurant and having to wait for it, it’s just not worth it unless you’re getting paid a little more,” he says in the video.
As the TikToker declines the orders in his DoorDash app, he receives a pop-up question each time asking him if he’s sure he wants to decline it. The pop-up warns him that declining the order will make his acceptance rate drop.
But that doesn’t bother the DoorDash driver. He says he declines the majority of the orders coming through, and he “cherry picks” the ones he does deliver. Declining multiple orders does not result in penalization from DoorDash, he says.
He adds that drivers shouldn’t be afraid to cancel orders. He’s not concerned with being the “Top Dasher” because he would make less money if he accepted every small order, he says.
“You don’t have to be a top dasher to get enough schedule to make a full-time living with DoorDash, as long as you cherry pick and you’re very picky about what you do,” the TikToker says.
He says he often delivers for both GrubHub and DoorDash at the same time and uses the same method of declining orders with both delivery services. He notes that once he accepts an order though, he makes sure not to cancel it because that can result in penalization.
The TikToker’s video sparked a debate among viewers. Some said they were surprised that the dasher’s method actually worked, while others said they’d rather go get the order themselves than wait for a delivery driver who doesn’t want to deliver their order.
“It amazes me something like this works. I don’t like tipping for slow delivery and cold food. I’ll go get it myself,” one viewer commented.
“Paying 30 for a burger for a 45 min wait and cold food I’ll just get it myself,” another viewer commented.
One viewer wrote, “These services work great at motivating me to pick up the order myself. Especially with how much it costs.”
Some viewers questioned the driver’s logic, saying he was wasting gas while waiting for the right order to come in. Others questioned how he made any money.
“He declines due to gas prices as his car is running idle,” one user said. In reply to the comment, the driver shared that he drives a hybrid car and only uses electric energy while he’s idling.
“Also him at the end of this video. ‘Why don’t I make any money?’” another user wrote.
Other users shared their advice on how to improve DoorDash, for both drivers and customers.
“If you could bundle 3 or 4 orders and all sort of compliment each other you could maximize the small orders,” one viewer suggested. The driver replied that DoorDash has started doing that “to a degree.”
“Would be cool if Dashers could Send a counteroffer to the customer. I bet lots of customers would agree to the higher price,” someone else said.
Others argued tips should be based exclusively on service.
“You do understand a tip is based on how your service was. Why would i give a tip before the service is performed?” one user wrote.
To that, the creator replied, “Consider it a bid on a job. If one person offered you $2.75 and another offered $12 for the same job which would you take?”
The Daily Dot regretfully covered this TikTok twice. Our later coverage is here.
The Daily Dot reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and to DoorDash via email.
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