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Food delivery is a convenience enjoyed by many people in Singapore.
Even to those in Singapore's offshore islands, it seems.
Food delivery request to Seletar Island
A GrabFood delivery rider was allegedly assigned to make a food delivery to one such offshore island.
The rider, who goes by @rxzhael on Twitter, shared about the experience in a series of tweets on July 26.
He was assigned to deliver food from Kimly Seafood's outlet in Yishun to a customer located in Seletar Island.
Photo from @rxzhael on Twitter.
The order, which cost S$6.70, was also supposed to be paid for in cash.
As there was no way for him to get to Seletar Island, he requested for Grab's Delivery Partner Support to either cancel the order, or reassign the task to someone else – perhaps someone with a submarine, rather than a bike.
Photo from @rxzhael on Twitter.
Within acceptable range
However, according to screenshots of his conversation with Grab's support staff, Grab could not reassign the job as the distance between the restaurant and Seletar island was "within the acceptable range" for his vehicle, which was a bike.
Photo from @rxzhael on Twitter.
If you're wondering what happened next, he joked that his arms were "really tired" from the swim to Seletar Island, which does not have a bridge connecting it to the mainland.
But on a serious note, he had to cancel the order as the support system was unresponsive.
GrabFood delivery riders have the choice to cancel an order from the app.
However, cancelling an order may affect a delivery rider's Cancellation Rating.
Valid reasons that will not increase one's Cancellation Rating include:
- Restaurant is closed
- Item is unavailable
In a recent update, the delivery personnel also shared that a representative from Grab reached out to apologise for the incident and deposited S$15 into his account as a gesture of goodwill.
He also shared that Grab did not manage to contact the customer.
Grab has also responded via Twitter with an apology, saying that "the agent will be undergoing additional coaching".
In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from Grab said:
“We are aware of this incident and are investigating. Grab is currently unable to fulfil food delivery orders to Seletar Island. The Customer Experience agent who answered to this query will also undergo additional coaching.”
Where is Seletar Island?
The rider's experience might lead some to ask: Where is Seletar Island?
Seletar Island is an offshore island located in the Straits of Johor, off the northern coast of Singapore.
It is an uninhabited island and is home to mangrove trees.
One of the ways to get to the island is by paddling on a kayak.
Top image from @rxzhael on Twitter.