The anywhere, everywhere Bhai
Open app, gawk at the menu that flash out, choose a meal. Add to cart, select coupon codes to chip away at the total price. click — and the food will be delivered in 20 minutes flat from a restaurant 10 kilometres away.
The
door bell rings. Yes, the delicious crunchy
Veg. Burger has arrived in a cardboard box. Never mind if it is 2.00 am
or 1.30 pm. Just thank Zomato , Swiggy, pizza hut, deliveroo, domino’s or any
of the thriving Food Aggregators
The
small, frail man climbing up the stairs
is hardly noticed.No time to exchange pleasantries with that nondescript
apparition attired in standard bright colured Tee shirt , a large square back
pack strung on his back. The delivery
is done. Quick & clinical. The only thought is to just grab the box .It is
only when he hesitantly enquires about the bill, that he is noticed. God ! has
he not heard of digital payments ?
The
man who one prefers to quicky dismiss
as nonexistent apologizes for having dared to verify payment, taken a few extra
seconds off the customer’s valuable time, for having prolonged the conversation
longer than it should have usually lasted.
With noticeable awkwardness, he explains that he’s new to the job &
the city hence the unwarranted extra
seconds. Asking for directions in such a
well-known part of the city? The busy
customer, not used to taking his eyes off
the screen of his mobile phone for such long periods of time gets visibly uncomfortable
There’s
a bunch of impatient, hungry mouths back inside the room, the grunts and groans
become louder with every passing second – desperately hoping that man would leave. Or has the sun, pouring
rain, freezing outdoor temperatures , the treacherous city traffic blunted his senses that he has
become incapable of picking up even barely veiled insults?
The
archetypal Customer isn’t used to small talk ,least of all with with strangers,
especially when it doesn’t concern
business, pleasure or money.The prize they have earned for acquiring fancied degrees and lucrative placements.
They have hardly any time for themselves, considering ironically that they end
up spending most of their time either re-filling that cavernous
fridge or clearing off its
shriveled contents.
But,
the delivery man is happy that for once, his conversations are not just limited
to GPS
or handling surly tantrums. He is now chattering about how good his son is at studies and how he longs to see
his family after months of scampering between eateries and homes on his
borrowed bike .
His
phone rings: one can hear the next grumpy
customer hollering from far away . He picks up his bag knowing he’s overstayed
& bids goodbye. On one side of the door, the delivery man leaves, his
rating perhaps nose-diving, and his incentive now a mirage & his next meal
way off. On the other side, the customer rips open the package of scrumptious
dinner.
Most
delivery workers join under the impression that they can earn a significant
amount of money, but end up constantly battling job insecurity, variable pay,
increasing fuel prices, inconsistency in incentives, and perpetual shortage of
money in hand
Delivery
workers are also required to use their own bikes and bear cost of fuel, repair
and maintenance, phones and data plans, and even company branded merchandise
such as T-shirts, and phone covers.
And
now, the “customer is king” motto stretched to its limits —
lightning-fast deliveries; outrageous discounts; extraordinary offers,
pandering to customers on electronic & social media— has resulted in
the marginalization of an entire section
of unorganized workforce who go by the
glorified name “Delivery Partners” and form the backbone of the ever expanding market of food
aggregators:
They
are like footballs – kicked around from here to there, from customer support
team to hub manager to God knows where !
While
restaurants, Malls & shops remained closed during the Covid-19 pandemic,
delivery men were slogging incessantly to deliver everything that citizens
needed at their doorstep. The customer knows very little or
nothing about the actual implementation that ultimately led up to the meal in
front of them.
A loud shout-out to the indefatigable “Delivery Riders” who are mostly
always at the door on the dot, will not be out of place
Note:One will also occasionally encounter the young
student who attends class during the day and works at night, to earn his fees for
college. Or the older man, whose family has severed connection with him. Or
even a village yokel attempting to make it
‘big’ in the city. And yes, there are pleasant customers and petulant
ones, just like there are irritable
delivery boys and cheerful ones.
This is a slightly over-stated & dramatized account, only to reflect the
general prevailing circumstances.
