NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — If you’ve suspected a couple of fries or nuggets were missing from your order, you may be right.
“You serious? That’s nasty,” said Kory Morris, who frequently uses food delivery services.
found one in four delivery service couriers admit to munching on an order.
“Oh my God, really? OK, that’s scary,” said customer Brad Firminger.
“That’s really gross. Wow. I had no idea,” said customer Gerardo Mora.
Almost 500 drivers from popular delivery apps including UberEats, Grubhub, and Postmates were surveyed. Not only do almost a third of drivers admit to sneaking a taste, but 21 percent of customers suspected it, reported CBS2’s Nina Kapur.
More than half of drivers surveyed say they were tempted by the smell of the food they’re delivering. Twenty eight percent actually dug in.
A food delivery biker takes an order to a customer. Did he take a bite? (Credit: CBS2)
“We’re sorry to report that sometimes, impulse gets the best of deliverers, and they violate their sacred duty by taking some of the food!” said the researchers, who surveyed 497 drivers who identified as having worked as a deliverer for at least one food delivery app.
“I may have to tell them, if you’re that hungry, let me buy you a meal, and you leave mine alone,” said customer Pam Bradley.
While the study shocked many app users, one app courier Kapur spoke with was not surprised.
“I’ve seen people grab a couple of fries off the top, take some, and then kind of roll the bag up,” said UberEats driver Neftaly Gonzalez. “People just don’t know how to control themselves.”
Gonzalez said he would never do it. Instead, if he feels tempted, he’ll order that meal for himself.
“I’ve always considered – imagine if this was me getting my food. Would I want somebody’s dirty fingers where I don’t know what they’ve been touching the food that I’m supposed to be eating?” he said.
The same study found that 85 percent of customers would like to see tamper-proof seals on the food to the prevent drivers from digging in.
Kapur reached out to the apps named in the study, with no response.
Other Findings From The Study:
More people than ever are turning to food delivery services and apps like UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmate, the study showed. The average person has two food delivery apps and uses them three times per month.
The biggest complaints among customers? Seventeen percent said their food was not delivered warm/fresh. Sixteen percent complained their food was delivered late.
However, customers aren’t the only ones with complaints. The study revealed 60 percent of delivery drivers said they received little or not tip. Thirty nine percent complained that the customer’s instructions were not clear.