How to work the queue to influence a delivery offer
Every courier deals with it. Even crew couriers contend with a version of the delivery queue. Although it may be called a dispatch board, it is still a method for delivery distribution. The idea of sorting and then disbursing deliveries, is par for the course, in delivery driving. Solo couriers learn to read an app’s delivery queue pretty damn quick. Just as the crew courier learns a dispatch board.
Furthermore, this highlights one of the differences between the solo and crew courier. Respectively. While both may see the delivery queue, only one can reject a delivery offer, and choose the next instead. Crew couriers work directly with other couriers to clear a delivery queue. The system being used is turn based. In other words, couriers take turns dispatching the next available delivery. There is no skipping one, for the next one.
With this in mind, a crew courier’s delivery queue, is systematically disbursed. Every courier takes an equal chance, at drawing a bad delivery. Similarly each courier takes an equal chance with the high tipping delivery. It might happen it might not. But on a crew, everyone takes an equal risk, by taking turns.
How to Work the Queue
The solo courier using a delivery app, may not have all the advantages of a crew courier. However, there are advantages a solo courier can use to help increase those earnings. And one of those is the ability to decline an offer (for whatever reason) and choose another offer instead.
Of course this isn’t an unlimited possibility. Most apps offer incentives for keeping a high acceptance rating. In other words there are perks for accepting offers from the delivery queue. While it is true that a tip on every delivery would be great, it just doesn’t always happen. Therefore, couriers are prone to waiting for the possibility of a higher paying offer. And the only way to do that is to turn down the bad ones.
The problem with that strategy, is that soon, every delivery will seem like a bad one. Unless it is a high paying one. And those are rare. However, if every courier decides to wait for the highest paying deliveries, all the rest will sit undelivered. Furthermore, the algorithm will foil the attempt, with repeated low ball offers.
Influence a Delivery Offer
It’s the algorithm working the queue. Similarly the adjustments the courier makes are also the adjustments the algorithm makes. However, it’s working behind the scenes, for the app. For example, offering an additional delivery opportunity while working another. But they are close in proximity so it makes sense.
This is when a mix of strategy can help the courier work the queue. Accepting the occasional less than ideal delivery offer, from the queue, helps tune the algorithm. Similarly accepting the occasional far away delivery (if it looks good) also tunes the algorithm. In short, the varied actions bring about changes in the algorithm.
The changes begin to appear in the form of more varied offers from the queue. Moreover, a few offers must be accepted for the changes to really stick. In this way the courier is actually influencing the algorithm. With experience and a little time it becomes a workable strategy. Stay safe out there.
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