Spare a thought for the delivery boys

We depend on the delivery guys for lots of things- pizza, food, things that we ordered online and so on, but seldom spare a thought about how a day goes in the life of a delivery boy.

Food delivery firm Swiggy sent me this SMS asking me to sign up as a delivery boy and it got me thinking.

There’re Pizza companies that claim “delivery within 30 minutes or free”. As per what was told to me by CMO of a large pizza company, it takes 8 minutes for them, from the moment order is placed, to get the pizza out of the oven. Delivery boy gets around 20 minutes to practically bring it to customer’s doorstep. Within that time the delivery boy has to negotiate traffic, ride several kilometers, locate the exact home and ring the doorbell to a waiting customer. If they fail to deliver on time, customer can refuse to pay and employers often cut the amount from the salary of delivery boy, even when delay is for no fault of his- like locating the address might have taken time or traffic congestion etc. Of course we need our food fast but what’s the logic in making someone else pay for it for no fault of his/hers? 

Another major food delivery company considers their delivery guys as ”business partners” instead of employees. This might sound cool, but the real impact of this is that the company is trying to skip its responsibility as an employer. If they delivery boy meets with an accident while attempting to deliver food for the company, all expenses of the hospital as well as bike service centre needs to be paid by the poor delivery boy because he is “independent owner of his own business” Again I am tempted to ask #LogicKyaHai ? except the corporate greed and clever minds that don’t want to bear any risk or responsibility.  I feel companies hiring these delivery boys must ensure that their bikes are insured and in good condition before letting them on the unforgivable Indian roads.

I’ve also noticed that some delivery boys get overly smart. They call me 10 minutes before arriving and say “I’m already waiting at your gate”. If I reach the gate immediately within few minutes, I will have to wait for this guy to show up. He is cleverly trying to ensure that he doesn’t wait for customers (who may take some time to come out). Now I’ve started asking “I am already there, have you reached or yet to reach”!

Some delivery boys feel they are invincible. They might be owning an Activa but the way they ride in traffic can put a KTM owner to shame. Of course their riding is totally unsafe and if they are alive it is purely because other vehicle owners have been very considerate to accommodate the hazardous driving these bikers do. I hope they have proper 2 wheeler insurance for their vehicles.

Delivery guy of a popular online grocery shop has to carry a super heavy backpack all the time. Hope he doesn't suffer any back pain over time.

Delivery boys undergo lots of stress while they work- they’ve to reach on time else have to bear customer’s wrath, they’ve to meet daily/weekly targets set by employer, from their small earnings they’ve to spend a fair bit on bike and fuel, every single day they have to battle rain, super hot n humid sun, dust and pollution while we simply turn ON Ac and wait for our food/order. We should spare a thought for them. Next time someone delivers your order, may be you can ask if they need some water or tell him “ride safe, it is ok if you’re late by a few minutes next time” or if possible tip them a bit.