Driver intuition vs DoorDash algorithm in Amarillo

There are times when I just don't get what DoorDash is thinking when they send out deliveries in Amarillo. I mean, the goal is to get the food picked up and delivered as quickly and safely as possible.

This was one of those deliveries that had me scratching my head. I was sitting in the Wolflin Village parking lot right in front of Jersey Mike's when an order came in. It was a double pickup, and both deliveries went to the same customer.

The Routing Riddle: Why DoorDash Got It Wrong

They wanted food from both Jersey Mike's and Wingstop. The interesting part is that DoorDash wanted me to pick up from Wingstop first and then head back to Jersey Mike's. That seemed dumb.

Cashing in a Favor: The Advantage of Knowing Local Staff

Even though the app said the food would not be ready at Jersey Mike's anytime soon, I decided to take that chance. I am in there a lot, and the staff knows me, so I was hoping I could cash in a favor. Oh, but I didn't need to. The order was sitting there waiting for me. Score.

The Grand Street Bottleneck: Dealing with the Wingstop Wait

I then drove to Wingstop on Grand Street, and, no surprise, the order was not ready. I had to wait a decent amount of time for it. So that made the decision to change the order of the pickup a really smart decision.

After the pickup, I headed to Tradewinds, which is where the customer lived. I dropped off the food, and it was there more than ten minutes earlier than the customer expected it. Of course, it would have taken a lot longer had I picked it up in the order DoorDash wanted me to.

Gas Prices vs. Payouts: Making the Most of a $3 Tip

I am so glad I didn't. The tip from the customer was only $3, so I am so glad I made the executive decision not to go back and forth to pick up the food. That would have been a total waste of time and gas. We all know that with the price of gas, we need to make smarter decisions than DoorDash is giving us.