The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Companies offering no-contact option and other changes
Food service delivery companies are among the latest business sectors to address the effect of the coronavirus outbreak. National online and mobile food-ordering and delivery services that operate in Atlanta, including Postmates, UberEats and DoorDash, have implemented numerous strategies to protect the health and safety of the communities in which they operate.
On March 6, San Francisco-based Postmates introduced a noncontact delivery option. Customers can now choose whether to meet the fleet driver at the door, curbside or have the delivery left at the door. Customers select the delivery preference upon checkout. Postmates operates in 4,200 U.S. cities and provides access to over half a million merchants.
DoorDash has taken similar steps. “To reduce the risk of transmission, we are reminding our community in affected areas of the delivery instruction feature, enabling requests for food to be left at the door along with a photo of where the food should be left through the app — and we are testing enhanced features for contactless delivery to be rolled out shortly. We are also preparing to distribute muchneeded supplies to Dashers in affected areas,” said a DoorDash spokesperson.
Uber Eats, Uber’s online food ordering and delivery platform, also enables its customers to leave a note in the Uber Eats app to request deliveries be left at the door.
Uber Eats is also attempting to prevent the spread of the virus by distributing disinfectants to drivers. In a statement issued Wednesday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated “supplies are very limited, but we’re partnering with manufacturers and distributors to source as much as possible. We’ll be prioritizing distribution to drivers in cities with the greatest need.”
When asked whether Atlanta was among the cities prioritized for disinfectant distribution, an Uber spokesperson said the company is “still working through the details of the sanitizer distribution.”
Khosrowshahi also stated the company will provide financial assistance to drivers and delivery persons who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or are individually asked to self-isolate by a public health authority. Individuals in these situations will receive compensation for a period of up to 14 days while the person’s account is on hold. “We’ve already helped drivers in some affected areas, and we’re working to quickly implement this worldwide,” Khosrowshahi said in the statement.
On Tuesday, Postmates announced it was offering additional resources for its couriers and merchants. It created a fund that will credit Postmates couriers for the cost of doctor appointments and medical expenses related to COVID-19’s impact. According to a company statement, “The Postmates Relief Fund will enable couriers to take proactive and preventive personal health care steps by covering costs for medical checkups, regardless of whether the courier has been diagnosed or quarantined.”
In addition, the on-demand food delivery platform unveiled a pilot program in which it is waiving all commission fees for businesses that operate in San Francisco that are not currently offering delivery on the platform but want to expand into on-demand delivery.