This Doordash Driver Hates Delivering to Apartments

I am writing this post out of annoyance. It is not the first time that I have delivered to an apartment and been annoyed, it is just the first time that I am writing about it. If you have been a dasher for quite some time, then there is a good chance that you have had situations like I have while delivering to a large apartment building. When I'm talking about apartments, I am not talking about a small apartment building with 10 units. What I am talking about is apartments that are a long block long and usually have building A to building Z with hundreds of units.

My Doordash delivery problem at an apartment complex

I'm going to make this as short as possible, but while dashing last night I had a delivery to a very large apartment complex. The property was a block long and was so huge that inside the gates was what seemed to me like a little town of its own. When I first arrived, I was confused as to where I should enter the complex. There was gates to enter the property from all four sides of the apartments. There was a total of 12 different gates to enter the property. That would not be a problem if all the gates went to the same area. The problem is that if you went in one gate, you would not be able to driver to another area where another gate would enter. I had no idea what gate to enter!!!!

Not knowing what gate to enter, it did not seem like it even mattered much, as I would not be able to drive into any of the gates anyways. None of the gates had any key-pads to enter a gate code or anything like that. It was 1 a.m. and there was not any traffic where as I could piggy-back into the complex. The Doordash customer's address said that they are in building K. This didn't mean anything if I could not get into the property.

All I could do while sitting in front of one of the gates was text the customer and let them know that I could not get into the property. I didn't receive a reply for about five minutes. We texted back and forth a few times, and it was figured out that I was at the right gate supposedly. The customer then said that they would come out. I sat for five minutes, and the customer hadn't came out. Just then, I seen the gate opening. There was a vehicle coming in the gate so of course I went in. I never texted the customer that I entered the gate as I expected him to walk up any moment. My customer was in Building "K." I drove in far and I could see the letters on the buildings as I passed them. I crossed "A" to "E." To get to further buildings I'm guessing I would have to enter the property from another gate or start walking (which I was not going to do.) I must say that I could see the gate entrance that I came in the whole time. If the customer arrived at the gate I would be able to see him.

 

I drove back up to the front entrance gate, and the customer was still not there. It had been about 20 minutes since I had first arrived, and I was starting to really get pissed off. I then put on my timer. I started thinking that if this person is too lazy to come out and get their food then that's their problem. I'm going to enjoy a taco fiesta at my house with the family. The countdown is almost over. Three, two, one and now it's time to go! I mark that the customer is not available, received payment for my order and left. This was my last order of the night so I was going home anyway.

I drive out of the gate, and start driving down the street. A guy is now walking toward the front gate. He lifts up his hands and yells "Hey!" Of course I ignored him and kept going. I was definitely not in a good mood. Since our communications it took this guy over 20 minutes to come to the front gate. I had been there for a total of about a half hour. My thinking was if this guy did not have any consideration for me, I wasn't going  to have any consideration for him.

This was my latest annoying apartment complex Doordash order. I have had many of them throughout the years. I must say that I usually would not have stood around this long. I would have put that timer on right away as soon as I suspected problems coming. My kindness and good intentions got the best of me here. Of course the kindness and good intentions disappeared when this customer had no respect for my time.

When Doordash apartment tenants will not come out 

There are many times when a Doordash customer will not come out of their apartment no matter what the situation is. The dasher is having a very difficult time finding the apartment, and let's the customer know, but instead of coming out and meeting the Doordash driver, the customer will continue to text more confusing and useless instructions.

I am quicker to put on my customer not available timer at large apartments than I am at a house or small apartment complex. Why? Because it seems like many Doordash apartment customers take the "Door" in Doordash literally. Seems like they want their food delivered to their door no matter what. If they come outside they feel like they may have done a bit too much.

Don't get me wrong here. This is not Uber Eats (which by the way has a large percentage of customers that normally meet you outside and don't mind.) Delivering to the door for Doordash customers is the norm. If a dasher is too lazy to deliver to a customer's door, then he or she may have a problem working with Doordash.

My point here is that when a dasher is having a problem finding an apartment, a customer should get out of their apartment and help the dasher. A Doordash customer can choose to be lazy and unhelpful, but a dasher can also choose to put on that timer and still get paid for the order. The free food may also be a nice perk.

The good apartment tenants that come out for their Doordash order

Do not think for one moment that I am bashing Doordash customers that live in large apartment complexes. Everybody has the right to order food and have it delivered, and I will tell you that I have come across very helpful Doordash customers that live in huge apartments. There is a big difference between these customers and the customers that I have been previously been talking about.

These Doordash customers actually give thought that their huge apartment complex will be confusing to the Doordash driver. They know that there is a good chance that the Doordash driver will have difficulty at their apartment complex. These customers know when the dasher is at their property by watching the GPS or being alerted by Doordash that the customer is near.

This customer will assist the dasher in finding them. They have respect for other people's time. Surely, the dasher will return that respect and give their all to find this customer. Also, this customer wants their food ASAP. Why would you have a dasher looking for you for a half hour while carrying your food around.

Large apartment buildings should be curbside only with Doordash

This is just an idea that I have. I know a company like Doordash would never do it, but it's just an idea running through my head. Honestly, this idea is not limited to Doordash only. I think all the apps should have a rule in place that all large apartment tenants should have to come outside and meet the driver. How would Doordash know if a certain address is a large apartment like this? If they had the capability to figure this out on their own that would be great, but if they didn't, they can let the drivers report it when they come across troublesome apartments. If a certain number of drivers report a certain address as a large apartment complex, then that address becomes a curbside delivery address.

The apartment tenant that tells their dasher to wait at the gate until somebody else drives in

This Doordash apartment tenant customer can be very annoying when they ask a dasher to wait at the complex entry gate for another car to come in so that the dasher can piggy-back into the property. This is usually asked because the Doordash customer does not know the gate code for whatever reason. If it is a busy apartment complex with vehicles constantly gong in and out I usually won't have a problem with it. I think it is idiotic that the Doordash customer does not supply me with a gate code, but if I only have to wait a minute or so it's no big deal.

When a Doordash customer asks this of you when it is late at night or just not a lot of cars going in and out it can be a real problem. Does anybody really think that a Doordash driver should sit outside of a gate for 10 or 20 minutes until another car comes in or out? A dasher should not have to wait at a gate at all, but if it is a minute or so it shouldn't be a big deal. My advice to any dasher out there in this situation is to put your five minute timer on as soon as possible. If there is a situation, you can get the heck out of there ASAP, get your free food and get paid. This is my rant of the day. Happy dashing!