DoorDash Is Now Warning Customers to Expect 'Slower Delivery' Times If They Don't Leave a Tip The new pop-up warning is being "pilot" tested, according to a spokesperson for the company.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you've ordered food from an online delivery platform or app, then you know tipping ahead of time doesn't allow diners to factor in their experience before deciding on an amount.
That's why some places allow customers to change a tip within 24 hours of getting their order. DoorDash, however, seems to be taking things in the other direction — tip or don't expect good service.
Currently, customers on DoorDash can custom add any amount that they want for tip by typing in the amount at checkout.
Now, the company is testing a pop-up alert that warns customers who decide not to leave a tip that their order might take longer to be delivered.
The new pop-up warning being issued across the DoorDash platform (via DoorDash)
"Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue? Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do," the warning on the payment screen reads. "Orders that take longer to be accepted by Dashers tend to result in slower delivery."
A DoorDash spokesperson confirmed the new pop-up messaging to The Verge as a "pilot" test.
"As independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding," spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg told the outlet. "While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don't include a tip can be seen as less desirable – this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers."
In June, DoorDash became the first app-based delivery service to offer an hourly pay option for its drivers instead of only having the option to be compensated for each delivery completed.
The company reported strong Q3 2023 earnings on Thursday, earning $2.2 billion in quarterly revenue and 543 million total food delivery orders, an impressive 24% increase year-over-year.
DoorDash was up just under 16% in a 24-hour period upon the news of the company's earnings.
Related: Doordash Is Starting an Hourly Pay Option for Drivers — Up to $19.50 an Hour
