Postmates Driver (Job assignment)
Ethan Reed
Post Mates Driver
My entire life sports has been my top priority and acted as a job for me. My parents always said that as long as I am focused on sports and school I do not need to worry about getting a job. However, during these unprecedented times, I picked up a job delivering food through postmates. There is definitely some strategy that goes into this delivery system as it is very easy to be wasting time and gas.
There are three descriptions that help sum up the duties of a postmates driver
Strategic
Attentive
Polite/Patient
Strategic
This is probably the most important part of getting into this food delivery system. Basically, most of the money you make on this app is through tips. Considering an average delivery you make between 3-4$ not including tips, it is in your best interest to do as many deliveries as you can which allows for more tips. For example, it would not make sense to accept a delivery that requires a lot of time because the base price on delivery is not necessarily good, and the tips are what help you out. Also, there will be times where you will get a delivery notification on your phone as you are picking up another and when you time it right you can move a lot quicker from delivery to delivery. I live close to Laguna Beach and I found a strategy where I will take a delivery that leads me there and will postmates in Laguna Beach for the night. Obviously, Laguna Beach is a very wealthy area and tends to be very generous when it comes to tips as long as you are respectful. At first, I struggled with moving quickly and getting quality orders in, which made me question this service. As time went on and I gained more experience I really started to capitalize on better deliveries and was making more money.
Attentive
This is another important part of being a successful postmates driver. It is very important to know when postmates are offering different deals. An example of a deal would be something like “Deliver 7 meals today and automatically get 50$.” On a good day, delivering 7 meals can be done in about 2 hours which is not including tips. Different deals are offered many times throughout the week and if you are aware of them you can really capitalize. Another thing to be paying attention to is what hours of the day people are eating. Typically dinner is the most popular meal for people to order which is why I would try to start at about 5 p.m. and finish around 8:30.
Polite/Patient
This is a significant part of this job considering there are a lot of moving parts. Often times people will change and or cancel their order, most apartment buildings are tricky to maneuver, it requires a lot of driving, and sometimes you have to deal with messed up orders that weren’t your fault. In addition to this, you must make sure you are polite to the people you are delivering to considering they are the ones tipping you.
Well done Ethan, the first paragraph encouraged me to read more. You effectively convey the idea that while you're wholly focused on athletics and school, you're also flexible and adaptable to the changing environment. This helped to establish your credibility early on.
ReplyDeleteI've taken a lot of Uber rides over the years and I always try to engage my drivers in conversation. It's funny how open and honest people are simply by asking a question or two; people love talking about themselves I guess. I tend to ask what it takes to be successful at Uber and every single rideshare driver has echoed your same three duties. It's eerie.
I think the polite/patient part of your job description could benefit from a horror story with an asshole customer or a comical story ending with a juicy tip. A personal anecdote could really make your point. Don't forget your readability statistics too.
Ethan, I thought this was really well done. The structure of breaking up the paper for each of the important traits helps it flow really well. Also I appreciate how you then split each trait into your development in your time as a driver.
ReplyDeleteElaborating on each descriptor with a personal example would add a lot of value to your commentary. Echoing what Dennis wrote above in his feedback, a funny story about an especially difficult customer or fellow driver would add some great comedic relief.
As a final (and optional) comment, hearing more about the logistics of being an efficient driver would be interesting. I wonder if you had any strategies or shortcuts that you thought pushed you towards being a truly elite Postmates driver. Looking forward to seeing where you go from here.
This is one of my favorite posts, great job! I really connected with the fact that your parents encouraged you to focus on school and sports rather than getting a job. It's the same in my family. I've never used post-mates because I just prefer to pick up food myself, but I've always wondered what the job requires of you. It seems like over time you learned efficient techniques that helped you make more money. Great post!
ReplyDeleteNice job Ethan! I've spent way more money than I'd like to calculate on Postmates and Uber Eats in my college career, so it's cool to see this article from the other side. As an athlete growing up and playing baseball every summer, I also never really had to worry about a job until recently so it's cool you share a similar experience. Your writing is very clear and concise, which makes your article super easy to read. Great job!
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