It seems that one of the features that have been updated is Earn by time, a tool that people use when they want to increase their acceptance rate to access the Dasher Rewards Program.
So in this article, We are talking about:
EVERYTHING That is being said in this email
What Doordash is telling you vs how it ACTUALLY is
Everything in between!
Disclaimer: The content of this article does not contain and is never intended to be legal, business, financial, tax, or health advice of any kind, This article is for entertainment purposes only. It is advised that you conduct your own research and consult with qualified professionals before applying anything you find online.
I also want to be clear that everything we are going over in this article is very market dependent, and what applies to me in my market may not apply to you!
Also, thank you to the anonymous sender for emailing me about this and making this post possible!
Anonymous: I received this yesterday and thought I would share. I haven’t seen people really mention this that I’m aware of.
To me it just seems like a thing to get those annoying 9+ mile deliveries taken. Also seems like it would just drag people further out from home.
It’s something that may be useful, but for me I wouldn’t switch zones and lose a dollar or two as my zone has a higher pay, and drive a long way to lose that pay.
Yeah, most people wouldn’t use this unless they ABSOLUTELY wanted to access the Dasher Rewards program for having a higher base pay.
For me, I wouldn’t want this kind of tool. I find there are better ways to make money on these platforms but I will go over that later. For now, let’s look at the email that Doordash sent you.
Doordash: We heard from Dashers that long-distance deliveries can cause frustration because of the downtime spent driving back to your zone, especially when they are using Earn by Time mode.
In response to that feedback, we recently launched a new pilot that enables unlimited zone switching whenever you use Earn by Time mode. We're continuously testing ways to improve the dashing experience and welcome your feedback as a part of this pilot program!
Oh that is a bunch of political crap, let me fix that real quick.
Doordash (BS Translated): We noticed that you slaves won’t accept orders going long distances and we need to appease the slimy no-tip customers who live far away.
Therefore, in response to these results we recently made it so we can send you out there and you can stay out there if you want. We are continuously testing ways to waste your time and money with features you will probably never ACTUALLY use, and hopefully shut you losers up for a while.
Yeah that sounds about right.
Doordash: Changes You Might Notice
Now you can unlock new levels of flexibility and control with Earn by Time mode by switching zones whenever you like to maximize your earning potential.
Jokes aside, it is true that you do have more flexibility and control this way. Even if I wouldn’t use it this way, it is nice to know if I were to get sent into an area that I would need to be near anyway, I can just hang there doing other orders until it is done.
Great example: If you have a catering order scheduled on Dlivrd or DeliverThat and you are using “earn by time” in the meantime to get your acceptance rate up and make the trip to that general area a little more valuable to you, there is an opportunity there.
That said, if you are that well diversified you probably aren’t that concerned about EBT at that point but just a thought.
Doordash: Open yourself up to more offers, reducing the waiting time between orders and allowing you to make better use of your time online.
I know I just made a case for this, but you do have to keep in mind that more orders is not necessarily good orders. So you will be dealing with the No-Tip Customers, the Blacklisted merchants and restaurants and the time consuming obstacles that smart drivers have been vetting against.
Doordash: Most importantly, you can adapt to changing demand patterns of orders throughout the day or move to busier areas during specific times (e.g., for lunch or dinner rush) — whatever the case may be, make the most of your earn by time experience.
I really want to make a post going deeper about this concept, but the thing that I feel like needs to be elaborated on is changing demand patterns not just for gig workers during the day, but the market you are in, times of the week and other important information.
I received a comment the other day saying that their market seemed to have flipped in demand, whereas once upon a time, nights and weekends were the best time for gig work, it flipped to business hours M-F, which signals a change in demand for the market they are in.
I will go deeper into a post talking about this but if you have a perspective to add for yourselves, feel free to email me at DrivenWyld@gmail.com.
Doordash: Overall, our goal from this pilot is to minimize the potential idle time and frustration from long-distance orders while improving the earning potential for all Dashers who earn by time.
Oh that is some more political nonsense, let me fix that!
Doordash (BS Translated): Overall, we want slaves to be working more and more because the more we have you slaves on the line fulfilling unprofitable orders, the more money we make! Ah hahahahaha!
Yeah, that sounds about right.
Also, let’s also talk about that idle time for a second. If you are not maximizing your idle time to your potential exit strategy, what are you doing?
The gig economy is an income bridge to what would be a long term goal, not the goal! Especially to those who use Earn by time, because you are dealing with the worst of the worst customers who report drivers for the littlest things in hopes of a refund!
Not to mention how you can be diversifying your gig portfolio to make sure you are never too dependent on any one gig app.
So if you plan to use EOT great but there are better ways imo.
Doordash: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will I be able to switch my zone every time I drop off a delivery outside my zone?
Yes! As long as you are earning by time, you will be able to switch zones as many times as you like.
So if you want to switch zones to the one you got sent to until you make it back to your own, that is a strategy you can use.
Doordash: Q: Do I have to switch my zone?
No. Switching between zones is completely up to you as a Dasher!
If you would prefer to be like the person who sent me this email and remain in your own zone as opposed to switching, that is also a strategy you can use.
Doordash: Q: Can I switch my zone on Earn per Offer mode whenever I want?
No. At this time, if you are dashing and doing Earn by Offer mode, you will only be given the option to switch your zone if you drop off in a busier zone. The app will tell you how long we expect the drop-off zone to be busy and any Peak Pay that is available in the drop-off zone.
Smart drivers usually don’t get the same benefits, this isn’t a punishment to “Earn by Offer” drivers, being the large majority of drivers, this is them just not giving us access to certain benefits.
Doordash: Q: Will my active hourly rate change if I switch zones?
When given the option to switch zones, the Dasher app will clearly show you if there are any changes to the active hourly pay rate, and whether the new zone has Peak Pay in effect. You can use this information to inform your decision on whether you want to switch to a new zone.
It is going to be a big deal especially if you end up going on Earn by time, not because you actually wanted to but you decided to try it because you need your acceptance rate up in your mind, so you just take it to see if it is even worth it because it is borderline decent rates.
But the rates one zone over are absolute garbage, so if you were to switch into it you would be losing money.
Doordash: Q: What should I do if I want to go back to my original zone?
If you want to switch back to your original zone, simply drive back to your zone, and then you will be given the option to “switch to new zone” in the Dasher app. Unlike Earn per Offer mode, you will never need to sign out of your dash and start a new dash back in your original zone.
Unless ya know, your scheduled block is coming to an end…
Also, since on earn by offer mode includes not declining more than once per hour or you are off the block, couldn’t you theoretically be sucked into a shifty area over and over again until your time is up?
Or even an area where it takes 15 minutes to find a parking spot because of how that location is designed? Meaning that you had no real option to return anyway if you wanted to make money?
What a systematically designed way to trap drivers into crappy areas!
That said, I don’t use Earn by time like that so the struggles to me are kind of not all that understood on a first hand level. So comment below on any thoughts you may have about this update, is it worth it? Do you think it is a good feature?
Let’s make sure that all perspectives are heard so we can prepare ourselves properly and make the most amount of money in the least amount of time, in the safest possible way!
Also, if you would like to email me about something happening in your market or something you would like me to go over, my email is drivenwyld@gmail.com feel free to email me there, and who knows maybe you will get a shoutout in a article as well!
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