The new school year is already in full swing, and many of us will order food through various apps. The Dolphin received a couple of letters from a local Grubhub and Uber Eats driver. Those letters contain advice to college students, and this article brings up the main points.
For example, have you ever experienced waiting for your food for an hour or more? Or, worse yet, has your request been canceled? This issue, according to a local driver, is mainly caused by all delivery apps. The reason is that those apps offer you the nearest restaurant because the closest usually means the quickest. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Le Moyne College, Syracuse University, and other institutions are in the same area, and many users are ordering from precisely the same restaurant. This surge in orders, mainly during night hours, overwhelms the chosen restaurant and leads to longer preparation times.
The second problem is that drivers often don’t take those orders because it is not worth the long wait. Berish suggests you either choose the same restaurant from a different location or order directly on the restaurant’s website. For example, a favorite restaurant among students is McDonald’s. Instead of ordering from 2442 Erie Boulevard or 1804 Teall Avenue McDonald’s, you can use their website for the 3207 Erie Blvd, 6481 Thompson Road, and 400 Towne Drive locations. However, before ordering, check their hours of operation. The driver doesn’t recommend 7th North Street McDonald’s, because although McDonald’s claims 24/7 opening, it closes at different times. These are only recommendations, and it is up to you to consider whether to pay extra for faster service.
Have you ever found yourself unable to locate your driver, or they can’t find you? There are a few reasons why this may have happened. For drivers, it is easier when you provide the name of your dorm in the address. It helps drivers to navigate long-named streets. Those living in apartments can write which building you want your driver to stop, and it is suggested that you describe the final stop as best you can. Also, remember that the drivers can’t take your order to your room door if you live in a dorm since they don’t have access there.
App users should have a working phone number listed so drivers can reach them if necessary. For example, suppose you realize that you are located somewhere other than where you have specified the place of delivery. You should then contact the driver, and you can explain where exactly you are. Be prepared that the driver will sometimes ask you to change the delivery location in the app if you are far from the original destination so they can mark the delivery as completed in the app. In such cases, having a working number in the app makes it much easier to find you.
The final tips are connected to paying and security. The safest way is delivering without any contact, you can watch your driver from the window and request for them to take a photo of the delivered order. Although drivers are taking pictures, be nearby to ensure no one steals your order. Do not share the code to get in your building with the driver, because this potentially threatens both you and your neighbors. Just as you wouldn’t disclose such information to strangers on the street, the same precaution applies to delivery drivers. Moreover, if you want to take your order directly from the driver, consider if you want to go there with another person.
In conclusion, if you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to contact the driver or the app directly, and please be safe. These were a few tips from the driver; whether you follow them is up to you. We thank Geraldine Berish for her insight and wish you a successful school year and many fast and tasty orders!
