I agree. The business model does not work. These companies are feeing everyone to death, making it ridiculously expensive for the restaurant and the customers and still, and still they cannot make a profit and their drivers make peanuts even as not employees.
It does not work.
That I totally get.
Also that. I mean, if ever there was an environment where it should be possible to do this profitably, surely the pandemic is it?
The problem is that most people don’t have a “Doordash or gtfo” attitude. They don’t mind doing take out or eating in on their own, but sometimes they just want something delivered. So they go onto Doordash and browse for places to try, see restuarant X and order from it.
The problem is that if restaurant X hasn’t agreed to be on Door dash, there are ramifications for what happens. This means the menu isn’t always up to date, the food may not be something that’s easy to transport in good condition (and optimal temperature), there’s less coordination, and the prices are increased without indication that they are Doordash specific prices.
This has caused people to have bad experiences, but since there’s no difference between “restaurant working with doordash” and “restaurant not working with doordash” consumers assume that that’s just the way the restaurant is. This has caused people to call into restaurants and complain (even though they ordered through DD) and made people dislike the restaurant, not door dash’s delivery. There is considerable anectdotes from business owners.
So yes, they’d rather the people who aren’t “DoorDash or nothing” not have their experience taken out of their control without their consent, and presented like they are an official Doordash partner.
I think the problem is that when you search online for delivery options you do not get the restaurant itself but the doordash which looks like it is the restaurant.
DoorDash gives money back when there is a problem but that only helps their cred with te customer it dose not help the restaurant.
This might work better as a franchise where the main company equips a local franchise to make a deal with their local restaurants. Both parties have to help each other to make money. It doesn’t work when both sides are not ensuring that a true partner also earns a profit.
This is the thing that’s bothered me since we had Restaurants on the Run ~25 years ago. Charge me whatever fees for the delivery - don’t hide it. UberEats shows the 20% service fee, delivery fee, and tip all as addons to the standard menu prices for example. That approach feels much more forthright to me.
Hah, DD charges a series of fees AND increases the prices.
@vinraith you can literally scroll up to see my own personal experiences and thoughts about GH, DD, etc. GH specifically put up an ordering page for my business without my knowledge or permission- I’m just lucky I caught it before anyone actually ordered via their system. Fuck those parasites, and yes, I feel that I would rather not have business than not be sure of the state that the customer receives my product in- from drivers that may or may not show up (on time or ever), may have several deliveries to make on a run, etc. Doing direct customer ordering and pickup means that place the order with me, tell me the day and time they’ll be coming to get it, I can make it at the appropriate time and simply hand it off when they arrive. I know exactly the state of things.
DoorDash is now charging an extra 1.50 claiming they have to do so since what they can charge the restaurant is now capped. I thought CA was the only one doing it but Armando is right… it’s fee after fee AND like a huge charge up on the menu price too.
That’s completely fair and let me be clear that I’m in no way defending them, it’s scummy behavior. I was just trying to understand the motivations and incentives of those involved. I’m sorry they put you through that.
Yes, they all charge a “service fee” in addition to the delivery fee, because many areas are capping delivery fees.
This isn’t the service fee. It’s a new fee. Let me find it.
Regulatory Response Fee
Ahh, that’s interesting. We don’t have that in NYC. They sneak the service fee in with the tax, typically 10% (5% with Dashpass, which I do have free with my credit card.)
When the regulatory response fees get legislated, I’m sure they will add an admin fee.
They fee all over the place. I mean my 20 dollar orders can almost hit 40 dollars AND they still can’t make money during a pandemic where most of us can’t dine-in.
It’s insane.
Also because the selling point of the subscription they all offer is that it waives delivery fees. Not the “service fees”, of course. (But yes, Dashpass does reduce them, which is why I’ve been using Doordash and not Grubhub or Bite Squad, which do full fees regardless.)
I have a free grubhub+ subscription with my credit card too actually. The card gives free Lyft Pink (which sounds like some sort of lesbian porn streaming site but I digress) and that includes it. Same thing, waives delivery fees but nothing else.
It’s super annoying, but they can get away with it right now since there are few options.
Well, free delivery with Dashpass on orders over $12. Which isn’t always easy to hit if I’m ordering separate from my partner.
I look forward to never using the service again post-pandemic, but till then, I’m reliant, heh.
I never order less than two meals because a) I dunno if Doordash does this but Bite Squad charges extra for orders under $15 so I got in that habit before jumping ship, and b) if I’m gonna have to spend like $10 in fees and tip I’m gonna average that over more actual food, thankyouverymuch.
Plus, fuuuuuuuck paying Doordash prices on chain restaurants, especially fast food. So I’m usually averaging around $25-30. And then eating for at least a day. Does mean I can’t really do restaurants where nothing reheats well, but such is life.
My work gave me DashPass due to the Pandemic. It’s one of the reasons I still use it. I mean in what world is this free:
Remember, OR does not have a sales tax, and I don’t live in Ashland so that’s another dang fee, not a tax.
I mean me complaining about 20 dollar surcharge on DD orders is even after the DP discount.