S'pore delivery rider feels blamed just because chilli spills in plastic bag, says customers 'exploit minor issues' for free food

A part-time delivery rider in Singapore had just delivered a S$20 fish soup order when he received a notification that the order had been cancelled.

The customer had complained of "spillage", according to the notification.

The spill in question was a small container of chilli sauce accompanying the fish soup.

"I was appalled by the customer's behaviour," said the rider, who gave his name as Lim and said he works for foodpanda.

"This meant the customer essentially got their food for free, and both the vendor — who had done their job diligently — and I, as the rider, were penalised for something so minor and beyond our control."

In response, a foodpanda spokesperson said that each refund request is investigated "thoroughly" before action is taken.

Spilled chilli

Speaking to Mothership, Lim said the incident happened on Jan. 8.

When he received the order, the soup appeared "carefully packed" in a plastic container, with a small container of chilli sauce at the side.

But upon arriving at the destination — a landed estate in Jalan Arif — he noticed that the chilli sauce had leaked from its container.

Lim rang the doorbell in hopes of explaining the situation to the customer, but received no response.

Shortly after, he was dismayed to receive a notification informing him that the order had been cancelled.

"As a rider, I have no way of preventing the spillage of a small container of chilli sauce during transit, especially when the packaging is tied up and pre-prepared by the vendor," he said.

"It’s disheartening to see people exploit minor issues to get free meals, especially when hardworking vendors and sometime even riders end up bearing the cost."

Lim added that he has been a foodpanda rider for almost two years, having completed around 5,000 deliveries on his e-bike.

It was the "first time" he'd encountered a complaint over such a minor spillage, he said.

Penalty for cancelled orders

Lim also explained that cancelled orders may come with penalties for riders and vendors.

Riders risk suspension from the platform when orders are cancelled due to spillage, according to a screenshot he shared from the foodpanda app.

Typically, multiple cancellations lead to suspensions.

To avoid suspension, riders are sometimes compelled to pay customers upfront in the event of a spillage, so they don't submit refund requests via the app.

"I didn’t have to pay for this order cancellation, but I’m concerned that in future, if genuine spillage happens, I might be required to pay to avoid suspension," he said.

He added that he hopes that foodpanda support will assess such incidents more thoroughly, and hear the rider's side of the story before allowing the cancellation of an order.

"Fortunately, incidents like this are rare," he said.

"I have encountered bigger, messier spillages before, and most customers have been very understanding, for which I’m truly grateful."

foodpanda's response

In response to Mothership's queries, a foodpanda spokesperson said there are "multiple factors" that contribute to incidents like food spillage.

As such, "each case is investigated thoroughly to ensure that fair and appropriate action is taken to resolve the issue," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that customers must upload photos of spillages before proceeding with refund requests.

In the event that spills are found to be caused by inappropriate packaging, foodpanda will "thoroughly investigate" each case and take action.

"Delivery partners are regularly reminded of proper food handling processes, and are advised to report any order issues such as improper packaging or unexpected spillage.

No monetary penalties are imposed on delivery partners should customers request for refunds due to spillage."

Top image from Lim & foodpanda