“We are tip slaves”: good deals are rare through a tide of Uber Eats orders

For an Uber Eats delivery man to be able to release a satisfactory income, he must smell the rare good deals among the tide of deliveries proposed by the algorithm.

• Read also: “It’s a job that can be very frustrating!”: The love-hate relationship of deliveryers with Uber Eats

• Read also: “Today, it’s a necessary evil”: Quebec restaurateurs accommodate Uber Eats despite errors and high costs

Sébastien’s cell phone rings frantically, while deliveries proposals parade one after the other. The 42 -year -old deliveryman consults them for a few seconds, then refuses them one after the other.

“Look at that: 34 kilometers for $ 8, it went to Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier. Well yes, tsé! ” he laughs, aboard his car, parked in front of the Pyramid of Sainte-Foy.

The delivery man is not difficult, it is that the right opportunities are rare in the tide of tenders sent to him by the Uber Eats algorithm. Sébastien, who has delivered for the American platform since the start of the year, stresses that he has an acceptance rate of only 12%.

“It means that 88% of orders, I refuse them,” he notes. He’s always going [y] Having an interesting order that will happen, you just have to wait. ”

This first interesting order, it occurs a few moments later: it is offered $ 7 to deliver chicken to a single kilometer from where we are.

This is how Sébastien recounts win almost $ 600 per week by delivering a few hours a day, he who counts on another “real work”, part -time, in the public service.

“With a part-time time, I do not make enough money,” according to this father of two children in shared custody with his ex-spouse.

He also does so for “total freedom” offered by the platform.

“It’s very easy and flexible. You download [l’application]you inscribe […]. A few days later, they check your history, and there you go, you left! he explains. It gives me total freedom to do it when I want, how I want it. ”

“Top slaves”

A good part of his remuneration comes from the tips left by the customers. And again there, good deals is becoming increasingly rare, especially since the platform gives customers an hour to adjust the tip left to deliveryers.

“There are customers who, to make sure you deliver, make a tip of $ 5, but they will remove it later,” says Sébastien. Uber should not tolerate this. ”

According to the delivery man, there is also a ignorance of their remuneration by the general public. The platform actually pays a sum depending on the journey traveled, but “half” of Sébastien’s income comes from tips.

“What Uber pours us by order is not enough, according to him. We are tip slaves. “

In almost two hours, we will complete seven deliveries to allow Sébastien to pocket $ 45. A “average” early afternoon, according to the worker.