UberEATS Drivers: Do You Skip The Queue?

I had an odd experience today.

I am not a driver, but a customer who still picks up my own take away orders. I made a dinner order over the phone and went to pick it up at the estimated time.

However as I enter the restaurant I prop the door open for a couple seconds to let a random follow in behind me. No thank you, but that is okay.

I approach the front counter to wait the service lady to get off the phone as I make eye contact with her. The guy I let on stands off the my side a few feet away.

As the service lady got off the phone, she engages the guy who had followed me in. He told her he was here for UberEats etc. He does not tell her that he came after me….

He collects and runs away.

Is this rude to anyone else? Why should these riders have priority? My food is getting cold too

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Comments

  • +54

    Next time, speak up and tell him to wait. This doesn't need a forum post, bloody hell.

  • +5

    Maybe keep an ubereats cap in the car and skip the line

  • +7

    If they skip the line why are there deliveries so bloody cold 😳😂

    • +2

      Even after skipping the lines, the food were cold, imagine if they have to line up? lol

  • I’m more curious if there is a culture among drivers to do this.

    • +14

      I'd say that the staff want to get the ready to go meals away ASAP so they don't have to deal with tonnes of complaints about cold food.

  • +2

    Be assertive

  • +21

    I encourage you to maybe see it their way. The lady probably made the assumption or recognised that the person behind you was an UberEats driver whose order was ready and that you were perhaps there to order/collect/pay. If the interaction she had to make with the person she assumed was a delivery driver was shorter than what she assumed yours to be then to her and the driver it makes sense that she would skip over you for a mere 10-20 seconds and address them before coming to you.

    It might even be a sense of pity or empathy to the drivers, knowing that their pay and conditions aren't that great and wanting them to continue on with their night and do more deliveries.

    • -7

      This is why I did not want to make a fuss about it there. I know these guys work hard, but again I’m curious if this is common.

      If he had asked me ‘may I go ahead’ I would let him. I had already given up my time to hold the door for the guy.

      • +19

        I had already given up my time to hold the door for the guy.

        Wow. Whinging over having to give up five seconds of your time to open the door for someone.

        • +2

          OP is making his point not whinging, OP was being polite and the guy was somewhat rude twice. rough day or just a rude guy, who knows.

          • -1

            @RandomFox: These delivery jobs pay pittance. I've seen them just walk into a store, flash their phone (probably with order number), then grab the food and leave. No verbal interaction.

            We get it, OP held the door open so they deserve to be put on a pedestal…

            • +3

              @spackbace: I believe that %100, I'm sure op was expecting common curtsy not a pedestal

              • +1

                @RandomFox: @RandomFox, @spackbace, I agree. Common courtesy isn't too hard to dish out, although it seems to be, for some people.

              • @RandomFox: I don't expect people to give me a curtsy when I open the door for them.

      • +1

        Obvious your time is not as valuable as 1 of the worst payed people in OZ . Just keep being a Doorman 😏

      • +5

        You've twice now made it a point of mentioning about holding the door open…

        Courtesy is one thing, expecting us to treat you differently because you're banging on about it is another

      • You are one entitled cat. You should hold the door and expect nothing in return

  • +8

    I would say its common. The interaction is typically a couple of seconds and restaurant owners don't want the meal to go cold. It is not like the Uber driver is placing an order is indecisive. Making a fuss if someone cut the line is more just.

  • Maybe should ask restaurant owners if UberEats drivers are of privilege.

  • +2

    All the poor Dude is trying to do is deliver someone their food fast and hot . Seems like this guy has the groove lol .

  • +3

    You will find delivery drivers are actually told to go straight to the counter and pickup. This is policy from a few of the companies.. ie uber eats and menulog and door dash They aren't placing orders so a lot of the time they are just handed food for customers that are already waiting.

  • -2

    I've experienced something similar.
    I think it is very clear that some restaurant owners prioritise delivery services over actual present paying customers.
    I tend not to frequent those stores a second time.

    • +6

      Maybe because those meals are also paid for? They aren’t there to pick up queue jumping free meals. And quite often they know the delivery drivers and know they can just hand stuff off and keep going…

      Instore customers tend to (fropanity) around, want to idle chit chat, change their minds, ask about specials, complain about their chips and generally take up way more time than a delivery driver who just wants the consignment so they can deliver it and get paid.

      • And some customers are also there to simply pick-up paid-for orders. If you are happy to be passed over for delivery drivers - fine.
        But restaurants take a significant hair-cut financially on delivery service orders over actual in-store customers. If they choose to prioritise those orders over customers who choose to patronise their restaurants directly, then they should not be surprised when customers choose either not to use their services, or do so only through the same delivery services.

  • +6

    FirstWorldProblems

  • Even if you didn’t open the door to let the guy through, the service lady would have probably saw the ubereats driver and pass the order on to him for delivery before serving you. Think of it this way, the delivery guy is like staff doing delivery.

    If it happens again, you could have ask the service lady why she didn’t deal with you first, etc…

    Don’t over think it.

  • +1

    Next time tell the guy to stop. Then close the door in front of him. Slowly.

    While keeping eye contact.

  • How was your food OP?

    • +16

      Too salty from all the tears

  • +3

    OMG i was going to type the same post
    did you ask me before you posted whether i wanted to post first?

    so rude!

  • +2

    OP, you need to move on. Don't let little things ruin your life by thinking about it too much.

  • I wouldn't worry about it too much, worst case scenario you wait for an additional minute, max. Next time it happens, just tell 'em that you were there first, and if they're decent people, they'll step aside and apologize. It's common courtesy.

  • +3

    Karen?

  • +7

    Uber Eats delivery people make very little money. If they waited in every single line to pick up an order they would be significantly worse off.
    Cut them a break, let them cut the queue. As previously mentioned, they are often in and out, whereas a general customer could spend minutes interacting with staff to place their order.

  • +1

    Blame it on those people who don't look at the menu until it's their turn, and then hold up the entire operation while they ask nonsense questions like "is the fried rice cooked with oil?"

    If it were my business I'd prioritise delivery drivers too, but would explain it if someone was getting upset about it.

    Also I tend to give underpaid gig-economy workers a pass on civility - you never know how hard they might be grinding just to keep their head above water.

  • In most places, there is a seperate queue for delivery drivers.

  • OP I was thinking of a good story to start my CottonBall Club you might have some of it . :)

  • +1

    Yep. I skip the line. Most, if not all places will have drivers go off to the side and pick up the order from there. Interactions with staff are minimal and we must be quick - our earnings are on the line and we have a customer waiting for us. I'm fortunate enough to have a well paying full-time job and just deliver for fun, but this is a full-time job to a lot of other drivers (a lot of drivers in my area are on the road for up to 16 hours a day) and in a gig economy like food delivery, there is no guaranteed income so it's important that they work as efficiently as possible to deliver a great result for themselves, the business and for their customer. I'm sure waiting an extra 10 seconds won't kill you.

  • +1

    Dude, grow up and don’t be such a petty.
    Yeah they could’ve acknowledged you by asking to get served first as it would literally take 10 seconds, but some of these drivers do not speak English so they probably try to avoid an unnecessary conversation. Also, they probably did not even cut you off and there would be a sign there that says ‘uber pick ups here’ to one side of the counter.

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