As a consumer analyst and professional DoorDash orderer, I pride myself on snagging the speediest deliveries in town. However, even I‘ve found myself tapping my toes and refreshing my app, wondering why my pad thai is taking an eternity to arrive.
If you‘ve ever been hangry and perplexed about a sluggish DoorDash order, you‘re in good company. The food delivery giant now commands 59% of the US delivery market share, processing over 2 million orders per day. With that many deliveries zipping around, a few are bound to hit some speed bumps.
As a student of the delivery space, I‘ve identified 15 key factors that can contribute to slower-than-expected DoorDash orders. Some may be obvious, while others surprised even a seasoned pro like myself! Let‘s dive in and unpack why your DoorDash might be dragging.
1. Traffic Troubles
One of the top culprits for DoorDash delays is the bane of every commuter‘s existence: traffic. Your delivery driver can get snarled in unexpected jams, accidents, construction detours, or inclement weather.
DoorDash‘s algorithm tries to predict traffic patterns when estimating delivery times, but it can‘t always account for those 5pm Friday gridlocks. I‘ve watched many a DoorDash driver idle in bumper-to-bumper purgatory while my burger gets cold in their passenger seat.
2. Restaurant Backlogs
On the restaurant end, kitchens can get in the weeds with an onslaught of orders, especially during peak times. Even the most efficient eateries struggle to keep up with the rapid-fire pace of delivery orders flying in.
A recent survey found that 60% of restaurants feel understaffed to handle the volume of delivery orders. This can cause DoorDash tickets to pile up and prep times to drag on until the kitchen can clear the backlog.
3. Driver Shortages
During lunch and dinner rush hours, the demand for DoorDash deliveries may outpace the supply of available drivers. This can leave orders waiting to be scooped up for longer than usual.
Special events or holidays can exacerbate these shortages. I‘ve learned the hard way that ordering delivery during the Super Bowl or on New Year‘s Eve is a recipe for extended wait times. Everyone has the same idea, and there are only so many Dashers to go around!
4. Bundled Orders
To optimize routes and earnings, DoorDash often bundles multiple orders together for drivers. Your pad thai may be taking a detour with someone else‘s sushi before arriving on your doorstep.
While efficient for drivers, bundling can mean individual customers wait a bit longer. Your delivery estimate may not account for your driver‘s extra stops, leading to your order seemingly falling behind schedule.
5. The Long Haul
The geographic distance between you and the restaurant is one of the biggest predictors of your DoorDash wait time. Even in the best of traffic conditions, an order from 10 miles away simply takes more time in transit than one from around the block.
I‘ve seen DoorDash orders coming from up to 15 miles away! Restaurant selection is a vital part of playing the speedy delivery game. If you‘re famished and in a hurry, it‘s best to choose a spot that‘s no more than a few miles down the road.
6. App Mishaps
Like any technology, DoorDash‘s ordering platform can hit a glitch or two. Temporary outages, sluggish load times, or crashes can all throw a wrench in your delivery plans.
I‘ve encountered my fair share of "stuck" orders that seem frozen in DoorDash purgatory. When the app hiccups, it can disrupt the flow of orders to restaurants and drivers, adding precious minutes to your wait.
7. Accuracy Adjustments
Sometimes restaurants make mistakes in preparing DoorDash orders – it happens! Missing items, botched customizations, or incorrect orders can all require the driver to make a return trip for corrections.
While it‘s admirable that your Dasher is going the extra mile for accuracy, those restaurant U-turns can definitely stretch out your delivery time. The upside is that you‘re more likely to ultimately get exactly what you ordered, even if it arrives fashionably late.
8. Pedal Power
Within safety limits, the speed and transportation mode of your DoorDash driver can impact your delivery time. Veteran Dashers who know all the local shortcuts tend to complete orders faster than rookie drivers still learning the ropes.
In some markets, DoorDash deliveries may be made via scooter, bike, or even on foot! These orders will typically maintain a slower pace than those zipping along in motor vehicles.
9. Misaligned Priorities
During the dinner rush, some restaurants may bump DoorDash orders down the priority list in favor of tending to in-person diners and pickup orders. It‘s not malicious, but staff may instinctively serve the customers they can see waiting over the invisible delivery orders.
Similarly, drivers can pick and choose which deliveries to accept. They may be more likely to snag orders with higher expected tips or quicker turnarounds. Your order could be left on the sidelines for a moment as drivers gravitate towards the most lucrative options.
10. Predictive Pitfalls
The initial delivery estimates in the DoorDash app are generated by an algorithm before your order is even placed. This means they can‘t always foresee unpredictable delays that crop up at the restaurant or on the road.
I take DoorDash predictions with a grain of salt these days. Anecdotally, I find that orders often take 10-20 minutes longer than the app‘s original quote, especially at peak times. It‘s best to view estimates as ballpark ranges rather than locked-in ETAs.
11. Multi-App Madness
It‘s an open secret in the delivery world that many drivers work for multiple apps simultaneously. Your DoorDash driver may be juggling orders from Uber Eats, Grubhub, or other platforms at the same time.
While savvy drivers can sometimes pull off impressive feats of delivery multitasking, trying to coordinate several orders across different apps can lead to longer trips and route deviations. Your DoorDash order may not be your driver‘s sole focus.
12. Delivery Puzzles
Believe it or not, confusing delivery instructions or hard-to-find drop-off locations can stump even the sharpest drivers. If your Dasher can‘t easily locate your front door or access your building, you may be in for a longer wait.
One time, I accidentally sent a driver to the back entrance of my apartment complex, and the poor soul spent 10 minutes circling the parking lot trying to puzzle out my botched directions. Lesson learned – clarity is key when it comes to delivery instructions!
13. Holiday Hordes
From Mother‘s Day brunch to 4th of July BBQs, food-centric holidays and events drum up a tidal wave of DoorDash orders that can swamp the system. When everyone in town has the same idea to outsource their celebratory meals, delivery networks strain under the load.
In my experience, holiday orders can easily take twice as long as your average DoorDash delivery. The app may even implement surge pricing or "busy area" fees to help entice more drivers to hit the road and work through the backlog.
14. Driver Defections
It‘s not super common, but occasionally a DoorDash driver may accept an order and then bail on it before completion. This could happen because the restaurant wait is too long, the delivery instructions are too complicated, or the driver simply has a change of plans.
When drivers jump ship, your order goes back to square one in the matching process. It will have to wait for a new driver to claim it, which can trigger a substantial slowdown. You may see a notification that your order is being "reassigned" in these cases.
15. Growing Pains
The food delivery industry has exploded in the past few years. Globally, delivery orders surged 137% from 2020 to 2022 alone. That‘s a staggering increase in a short period of time!
While DoorDash has scaled up impressively to meet this demand, there have understandably been some growing pains along the way. The entire ecosystem of restaurants, drivers, and technology is still adapting to the new normal of delivery‘s immense popularity.
As DoorDash works to streamline logistics and beef up its infrastructure, there may be a few residual slowdowns. Overall delivery times are gradually improving, but don‘t be shocked if your order still hits an occasional snag as the company navigates this hypergrowth period.
The Delivery Bottom Line
At the end of the day, a constellation of factors can converge to make your DoorDash order take longer than expected to arrive. Some elements like traffic or kitchen bandwidth are evergreen challenges for delivery networks. But pandemic-era spikes in order volume coupled with a tight labor market have added fresh obstacles.
The good news is that DoorDash is intently focused on trimming down average delivery times. Through investments in predictive algorithms, expanded driver recruitment, and deeper restaurant integrations, the company is working to grease the wheels at every turn.
As I remind my clients, it‘s also important for businesses to be upfront with customers about the inherent variabilities of delivery. Proactively sharing information about busy periods or potential delays in the ordering process can help level-set expectations from the start.
Amidst the hunger and frustration of an unusually sluggish DoorDash order, it can be helpful to remember just how magical it is that we can conjure up meals from our favorite spots with a few quick taps. Even with the occasional holdup, delivery has unequivocally reshaped dining for the better.
So next time my pad thai is stuck in traffic, I‘m pledging to take a deep breath and marvel at the modern convenience of it all. What a time to be alive – and hungry!
