Hello, friends! This week I want to talk to you about making money doing a side hustle, specifically food delivery. In 2021, I had to leave my fun and exciting job as a Growth Manager to focus on my family and personal health. The next couple of years were a whirlwind of family deaths and illness, and my life became a little less consistent and mapped out.
I needed to be able to pay my bills, but I also needed to be free and flexible to attend doctors’ appointments and funerals, and become a caretaker to those left behind. I also wanted to still have time to pursue my dreams. After a lot of trial and error, I signed up to join Doordash and never looked back!
As a Growth Manager, it was my job to assess what was and was not working within my company, and to tweak processes so that we were constantly doing more of the things that worked, and less of the things that didn’t. I find myself now taking this mindset into anything I am doing now, whether it be housework, budgeting, and pursuing my bigger dreams and goals.
I even take this mindset into other people’s businesses and often come up with many helpful strategies to improve their businesses, though it’s not always welcome, so I’ve learned to keep it to myself unless I’m asked! Still, I’ve found that the Growth Manager mindset comes in handy in many places, even Doordashing.
I’ve tested a couple of the most popular existing strategies, including the #DeclineNow phenomenon, where you decline every order you are offered unless it meets certain criteria, and also Top Dasher, where you accept at least 70% of all orders, sometimes at a loss, just to be able to “Dash Anytime,” and not on a specific schedule.
While both strategies have their pros and cons, I didn’t like being beholden to an algorithm, and I wanted to find tried and true tactics that would work no matter what the app threw at me. The same happened to me as a Growth Manager whenever a social network or search engine would change its algorithm. I had to learn to ride the waves and produce good content no matter what.
Sometimes being a Doordasher in my area can be really scary, because Doordash is constantly lowering our pay week after week, sometimes removing it altogether. But I’ve found that the best way to make money as a delivery driver is to develop a system that works for you and your needs, and to build relationships with your customers.
Many of the strategies that worked as a growth manager work in delivery driving, as well. It’s all about building relationships and making people feel heard and valued. Customer service is key, and when you care about a customer’s needs, they will come back again and again!
How to Make Money as a Delivery Driver: 10 Secrets from a Former Growth Manager
Here are some of my secrets on how to make good money as a delivery driver without depending on algorithms:
Build a Loyal Customer Base.
As a growth manager, one of the fundamental truths was, it is much cheaper to keep an existing customer than it is to acquire a new customer, and the same is true when Doordashing. The majority of my customers are repeat customers that order Doordash when they know I am going to be working, day after day.
By delivering to a loyal client-base, I’m able to keep my ratings and my earnings up because they know what they are getting when they get me as their shopper, and I’m able to deliver to them quickly and efficiently. If I have a customer more than once and it’s mutually a good experience, I send them a message letting them know when I am going to be working next and what my typical working hours are. This encourages them to order specifically when I am working if they enjoy my services!
Think about it: if you have a bad or lackluster experience, chances are that you are not going to keep using that service. But if you had a pleasant experience and it put a smile on your face, you’re more likely to return again and again!
Communicate every step of the process.
I use Bitmojis and memes to make my customers laugh. When I arrive at the restaurant or store I am picking up from, I usually send a Bitmoji greeting that may say something like “Happy Fri-Yay!” or “Good Morning,” along with a text greeting. If I have to wait more than a couple of minutes, I send another message letting them know I am waiting and will bring the order as soon as it’s ready. Then, when I am on the way, I send a message letting them know that as well. Emojis are the icing on the cake and add a little extra flair that shows you care!
It also helps to communicate if there is any kind of obstacle that may prevent you from delivering in a timely manner, such as school or rush hour traffic, wrecks, restaurant rushes, being stopped by a train, or inclement weather. You may even get some extra tips for your trouble!
Flattery Goes a Long Way.
Flattery will get you everywhere–I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten extra tips just for saying something like “Cool shirt!” or “I love your hair!” Just make sure you’re being genuine, no one likes a faker or someone who’s being insincere. I only share a compliment if I genuinely want to share a compliment, but I also try to observe and find something positive in every encounter. Telling someone you love their yard or porch decorations is a good way to compliment them as well.
Be personal, but not too personal.
Like many delivery drivers and personal shoppers, sometimes I have to pick up embarrassing items. Avoid sensitive topics like adult toys and pregnancy tests, but when shopping for items like cold medicine and tampons, it never hurts to say something like “I hope you feel better soon!” People want to feel seen and heard, no matter how small the encounter.
Share your story.
Why are you doing this? Some people have certain misconceptions about delivery drivers and other people in the service industry, but there are a myriad of stories and reasons to get into a gig job instead of a traditional one. Are you raising small children? Recovering after an injury? Working towards a bigger dream or goal?
Let your customers get to know you and why you’ve chosen to serve them, and they will feel a more personal connection to you and want to support you. Even if they can’t tip you more, they may start ordering more often when they know you’re working to support you.
Don’t discount flair.
A handwritten “Thank you!” note or a thank you sticker can show your customers that you aren’t just the average driver and deserve that 5-star rating and extra tip! And just like in my former job as a growth manager, pictures are better than no pictures, and emojis are better than no emojis. It may seem silly, but it works! 🧸🧁✨💖🥰🦄🌈🍓🧸🧁✨💖🥰🦄🌈🍓
Develop relationships with the restaurant and store workers.
If you are going into the same places day after day, you will develop relationships with the restaurant and retail workers as well. Be friendly, be polite, and be patient when they are extra busy or are backed up. By being friendly, they may even prioritize your order and even give you free drinks.
I’ve found that it’s helpful to learn the names of the workers at the restaurants and stores I frequent. I also try to be understanding and patient when they’re having a busy day. I know what it’s like to be in the food service industry, and it’s not always easy.
Educate your customers.
Without getting too preachy or judgmental, I try to impress upon my customers that tips are essential to keeping Doordash in our area because we are paid a very small fee per delivery. So tips aren’t just a nice gesture, they’re essential.
I also try to share that to make it worthwhile for the drivers who use their own cars and gas, they need to be paid based on distance and time spent delivering the order, not tipped based on percentage of the order total. A $1 tip on a $5 order might be 20%, but if you live 10 miles away, that $1 is not going to get you very far. I never take orders that don’t pay at least $2 per mile. Because I have trained my existing customers to tip fairly, I do not have to decline many orders.
Read more tipping tips everyone should know here.
Be quick, be accurate, be friendly.
When I am shopping for an order at a retail store, I pretend I am on the TV show Supermarket Sweep and speed through the store as quickly as possible. This is helpful to the customer, and also it’s more enjoyable for me!
Because I make my work fun, I’m happy and in a good mood when I do my job, which also rubs off on the customer and also often leads to a better tip. If the store is out of items, I try to look for suitable substitutions and verify with my customers before making a final swap.
Find something productive to do in between orders.
In larger cities, you can pretty much make deliveries nonstop, but in smaller or more rural areas, there can be a lot of downtime. It helps to have something productive to do! In between orders is when I work on all my big dream stuff, such as Ask Mama J posts and testing products and writing reviews for the Amazon Vine Program. I take advantage of my local restaurants’ free wi-fi and then I am often already at the restaurant or very close whenever someone is ready to order. I also make time for self care and take walks at the park and get some much-needed exercise. Wins all around!
By following these steps, you can build a personalized business for yourself that works for you and your needs.
Conclusion and other insights:
- Give value, get value. You can’t expect your customers to go above and beyond if you don’t. Show your clients you are willing to add value to their experience and their lives, and not only will you be happier and more fulfilled in your work, but it will show through in your earnings as well.
- Focus on your lifestyle. I knew I could have more opportunity to make money at night and on weekends, but that didn’t fit my lifestyle. So I trained the daytime customers to fit my lifestyle instead, and now I crush my earning goals every week, complete chores, exercise, errands, and work on big goals during downtime, and spend time with my family at night and on the weekends. I finally have that work-life balance I always wanted!
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different strategies and see what works best for you.
- Have fun! If you’re not enjoying yourself, it will show.
If you’re thinking about becoming a delivery driver or looking to earn more money as one, these tips will help level up your game! What has worked for you, and what hasn’t?
Save for later / Share with a friend:
Other Helpful Posts:
The book every teen & young adult needs to read
Feel like you’re not ready for adulthood? Adulting 101 is the quintessential guide to navigating the adult world with confidence. Learn everything you need to know about managing your finances, finding a job you love, building healthy relationships, taking care of your physical and mental health, and so much more! Buy it on Amazon today.
Ask Mama J is an advice column for young adults who are just getting started in the real world. Mama J has seen it all, and she is here to offer advice on everything from finding a job to dealing with relationships to navigating the adult world.
Whether you’re feeling lost and confused or just need some guidance, Ask Mama J is here for you. Mama J will offer you her honest and thoughtful advice, and she will always be there to support you.
Do you have a question for Mama J?
If you have a question for Mama J, please submit it using the contact form. Mama J will do her best to answer your question in a future column.