Whether you drive for Grubhub or order through it, it can be a good service. But like any business, it’s not immune from problems.
Grubhub can take a while to process and deliver orders. Read on to learn why that happens and how you can speed things up.
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Why Is Grubhub So Slow?
Grubhub can be slow because of a lot of factors. For one, restaurants have had labor shortages, so it takes longer to prepare the food. Also, Grubhub drivers are contractors and can decline orders, so it might appear for multiple drivers before someone accepts the order.
The time of day you order as well as the weather can also affect delivery times. Fewer drivers work late at night or when it’s storming out.
Why Grubhub Takes So Long
Grubhub can take a while to deliver your food for a variety of reasons. Here are some popular causes for a long wait and if you can do anything to avoid the issue in the future.
The Restaurant Is Understaffed
One of the biggest things that can delay a Grubhub order is the restaurant itself. As many people know, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many people to leave their jobs. Restaurants have taken a huge hit to their staffing.
Because of that, it can take a restaurant to get through all of its orders, Grubhub or otherwise. So you might need to wait longer for the food to be ready. This affects customers and drivers since drivers can’t just grab the food and go.
Drivers Aren’t Working
You also might need to wait longer for Grubhub if drivers aren’t working or if there are fewer drivers on the road. This can happen late at night or early in the morning since people might not want to work in the dark.
Drivers might also decide not to work if the weather is bad. Maybe there’s a storm, or it’s super hot or cold, and the driver doesn’t want to get in and out of their car. The fewer drivers there are, the longer it can take for someone to pick up your order.
The Driver Has Multiple Orders
Maybe there are plenty of drivers on the road, but your driver has multiple orders. Grubhub can assign multiple orders from different restaurants and to different drop-off locations.
If the other customer lives closer to the restaurants, they’ll probably get their food first. That means you might need to wait a few extra minutes before the driver gets to you. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to avoid this, so you’ll just need to be patient.
Traffic Is Bad
Grubhub can also appear to be slow if there’s a ton of traffic. If you order food during rush hour, it might take longer for the driver to get to you.
Traffic can also be bad when the roads are bad during or after a storm. So even if you order food on a weekend, if it’s pouring rain, the driver may not drive as fast. You can’t control the traffic, but you can mitigate this by ordering from nearby restaurants.
You Live Far Away
Of course, it will take longer for the Grubhub delivery driver to get to you if you live far from the restaurant. Some drivers also don’t want to drive long distances, so it could take longer for a driver to accept your order.
Luckily, you can avoid this problem by ordering food from restaurants near you. Stick to places a few miles away or less. Then, you might not have to wait as long. If you do have to order from far away, make sure you tip super well.
You Didn’t Tip Well
Speaking of tipping, Grubhub can also take longer if you don’t leave a tip or if you leave a small tip. Tips can encourage drivers to accept orders since they’ll earn more money. So they might decline all of the orders with no tip or a low tip amount.
Grubhub has a tipping guide on their website that you can follow. While that won’t guarantee faster delivery, it might help. Then, you’ll know how much to tip to help get a driver to take your order.
Grubhub Is Having Technical Problems
Sometimes, the delay has nothing to do with you, the driver, or the restaurant. The Grubhub app or website might have technical problems.
Maybe the checkout process is slow or isn’t working at all. If you notice any problems, be sure to contact Grubhub about the issue.
Why Is Grubhub Taking Forever?
Grubhub might take forever because a restaurant is understaffed. Bad traffic and weather can also delay your order. And if you don’t leave a nice tip, drivers might not want to accept your order. Keep those things in mind and do what you can to minimize the delivery time when you place your next order on Grubhub.