DoorDashers: Stop expecting restaurant clerks to have your order ready immediately. They can't predict the future and they're not factory machines.

I've been told by restaurant clerks that Dashers enter the building literally [b]seconds[/b] after the order came in and then get upset at the clerks for not having it ready.

For people who don't know, I literally mean [b]seconds[/b] because the DoorDash platform identifies "order hotspots" and instructs Dashers to stake out at them so they can arrive to pickup an order ASAP after it's been placed. These "hotspots" can be in a parking space right outside the door of the chosen restaurant.

I'm a Dasher myself and I see restaurant clerks get visibly frustrated when I arrive right away, because they think I'm expecting them to just have the order ready on the spot and hand it to me, like every other Dasher. When I tell them [i]Take your time, I'm early[/i], they act like I just gave them the best news of their life.

We have to remember that DoorDash (although it's a great platform that provides good services to customers) has created a lot of extra work/demand for restaurant clerks without any sort of gratuities/tips or a pay raise for them. That has to be stressful.

Also, on a slightly more selfish note, if you treat them with respect and make it clear that you checked the "pickup by" time and don't expect the order until then, they're more likely to give you a free drink or let you use the employee restroom if a public one isn't available. Although these things shouldn't be expected. You should be nice to people, not because you want something in return, but because it matches your moral model.