A missing item.
A queue. A closed gate.
Small interruptions can add up even when the delivery distance stays exactly the same.
A replacement involves a decision
An unavailable item may require checking alternatives and contacting the customer. A clear preference can make the decision easier. The driver cannot manufacture stock or know a dietary restriction that was never communicated.
A delay can frustrate everyone
The customer may be waiting for dinner or a time-sensitive grocery order. The driver may be waiting for pickup, checkout or access. Neither fact cancels the other. A helpful explanation distinguishes the cause instead of assuming whoever is visible in the app controls it.
What the hourly number does
If an order leaves $12 after modeled expenses, it is $16 per hour over 45 minutes, but $9.60 per hour over 75 minutes. The offer has not changed. The time committed has. Those are illustrations, not typical earnings claims.
Hidden time between orders
A whole shift can also include repositioning, waiting for an offer and breaks. Breaks are necessary, but they still belong in a calculation of total shift earnings per hour. Our shift lab uses the entire selected workday as its denominator.
Useful customer actions
Reply to relevant replacement or access questions when you can. Use the platform’s tracking and support for issues. An accurate address and current entry instructions help prevent a solvable problem from becoming a long delay. Try the POV lab to see the same wait through three lenses.
Independent educational guidance. Examples are illustrative. Sources and assumptions ↗