Can You Request a DoorDash Driver?
Sometimes, you find that DoorDash delivery driver that you love. It may be because they are quick, they are super friendly, or they were considerate and got you extra napkins and dipping sauces. Whatever it is, if you find a DoorDash delivery driver that you connect with, you may wonder if you can specifically request that person next time you order out.
Unfortunately, you cannot request a specific DoorDash driver when you place an order. DoorDash automates order assignments to deliver them most efficiently. Orders are given first to Dashers with the highest ratings in the restaurant’s vicinity. However, they can get overridden in extreme circumstances.
You might be wondering how exactly DoorDash works when it comes to assigning someone to your food order.
This article will dive into the details of DoorDash assignments and what happens if your order goes wrong – whether it isn’t picked up or you need to block a driver because of a negative interaction.
It will also speak about DoorDash’s Pickup feature, which allows customers to pick their orders up themselves, skipping wait times and saving on delivery fees.
How Does DoorDash Assign Orders?
DoorDash uses an automated system to assign orders so that they get delivered as efficiently as possible. Orders are given to the DoorDash drivers with the highest scores first. High scores are achieved by taking a lot of orders and getting high ratings.
The automated order assignment follows the order demand and the driver supply ratio.
The only difference to this is if it is a “Drive Large Order Delivery.” These orders are large orders that get placed ahead of time.
Dashers can pre-claim the order in their app either the night before or while they are dashing if it is still available.
Hello there. We are truly sorry about this dasher´s attitude. Kindly request your email address and we will follow up on your request.
— DoorDash Help (@DoorDash_Help) May 28, 2018
Can You Block a DoorDash Driver?
No, you cannot block a DoorDash driver through the app. If you choose to stop getting deliveries from a specific Dasher, you can contact customer support, and they can block the driver from ever delivering to you.
Delivery horror stories are out there. Food gets tampered with, you get a hostile driver, or the food shows up late and cold.
If you have a bad experience with a DoorDash driver, there are steps that you can take so that they don’t deliver to you in the future.
First, you can leave them a bad rating on the app. This will lower their score and help other customers not get that driver.
Secondly, you can call customer support and let them know what negative experience you had. They can set a block on that driver to your account, resulting in never having to interact with that Dasher again.
Thank you for your prompt response. Upon checking your order status the driver is already approaching your location. Please kindly expect a text or call from yoru dasher any moment. If you need further assiastance feel to contact us back.
— DoorDash Help (@DoorDash_Help) December 11, 2018
Does DoorDash Call You When They Arrive?
Generally, calling is not the first option that a Dasher will utilize when they arrive. The DoorDash app tracks your delivery so that you know where your Dasher is on the delivery route. When a Dasher arrives, they swipe on the app as “arrived.” The app will then notify you.
After getting a notification in the app, you would open the door or buzz the driver into your complex.
Through the app, your DoorDash driver can text you and let you know when they get to the restaurant, when they are on their way, or if there is a problem with the order.
You can also shoot them a message, such as specific instructions that you may have forgotten to include when you place the order.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, there is now contactless delivery as an option. Before, if a Dasher arrived and could not find you, they could text or call you so that you could get your food.
Now, contactless delivery has specific instructions, such as where to leave your food. The app will notify you when this happens. Many times, the DoorDash driver will text you as well.
If they have problems finding your address or understanding the contactless instructions, they may still give you a call.
Hey @HTirriill! I’m sorry that the order got cancelled after waiting a long time! We want to help you out to make up for this. Send us a DM with your email so we can take look. -Evan
— DoorDash Help (@DoorDash_Help) February 3, 2021
What Happens if No Dasher Picks up Your Order?
If no Dasher picks up your order, it will get canceled after a certain amount of time, and the money will get refunded to you.
There are a few reasons your order might not get picked up. There may not be any drivers around, or there might be drivers who don’t want to pick up your order.
If the distance is too far and the tip too small, a DoorDash driver might not find it worth doing the delivery. For more details on how and when Dashers see tips, read our other article!
The delivery will continue to get passed on among drivers until it eventually gets canceled.
To avoid this, make sure to tip your DoorDash driver when you place the order. This way, there is a much higher chance that your order will not get passed up as long as there are drivers available.
Can You Pick up Your Own DoorDash Order?
Yes, you can pick up your own DoorDash order. DoorDash has a product feature on their app called DoorDash Pickup. DoorDash Pickup was introduced in 2018, giving customers another way to order food.
DoorDash pickup allows customers to order ahead of time so that when they go to pick up their food and skip any lines or waiting times.
It’s an added convenience for customers who don’t mind getting the food themselves. Bonus? It does not have the added fees that come with delivery!
Ordering through DoorDash Pickup is just as easy as placing a regular DoorDash order. You follow the same steps, except you place the order through DoorDash Pickup.
The app will let you know when it is time to head over to the restaurant so that you can time it when your food is ready. You can also schedule a pickup time, similar to when you are ordering a delivery.
While we’re not sure if this is allowed, there are stories of Dashers out there picking up their own orders once they place them.
If your food is not getting picked up and is sitting at the restaurant, you likely can go and pick it up yourself, depending on the restaurant.
However, this may cause issues with the order through the app, and you would lose out on delivery fees, so we don’t recommend attempting this.
If your order isn’t getting picked up, get your refund and try another route.
Conclusion
While DoorDash does not let you control the aspects of your delivery order, you can try and utilize the rating feature to help you get good drivers.
Whenever you get a DoorDash delivery, rate your driver accordingly. The higher-rated the driver, the more orders they will get so that you may see your favorite Dasher again.
This goes both ways. If something negative happens, be sure to not only rate the driver poorly but report it to DoorDash after it happens. This helps protect not only you but other people out there who are hungry and order food through DoorDash.
Reporting drivers will block them from delivering to you, but a low rating can also mean fewer orders until they build their rating back up again.
If you’re interested in finding out more about DoorDash, check out the related articles below.
Related Articles:
DoorDash Delivery: How It Works and How to Order Using the DoorDash App
6 Ways to Contact DoorDash Customer Service
Can You Use Restaurant Gift Cards on DoorDash?
