UAE: Food delivery company CEO becomes rider for a day; Learn about issues riders face every day – News

Tomaso Rodriguez gets help from fellow riders — who don’t know he’s the boss — when his phone heats up during a delivery

The chief executive of delivery company Talabat spent a morning delivering deliveries last week. To his surprise, he found his phone overheated two minutes after leaving it on the bike’s phone holder, and then he didn’t know where to go!

However, Tomaso Rodriguez, who recently obtained his UAE motorcycle license, has had a lot of help from his fellow riders – who don’t know he’s the boss.

The CEO decided to experience what the riders do, which he found challenging, but also very satisfying.

“I can say it’s not easy but it’s definitely worth it to witness what these heroes are doing to make people’s lives easier,” he told the Khaleej Times. Understand the pain points well and work with my team to address them and further improve the rider experience. Because there are some things you can never learn from numbers, KPIs, and dashboards—you need to experience it.”

According to Tommaso, the most challenging part of the sport is the heat. “Riding isn’t much of an issue because the wind is a bit refreshing, but it’s difficult waiting outside for orders,” he said. “Parking is also difficult. In some areas, buildings don’t allow riders to park in the basement, nor do they Parking on the street. Familiarizing yourself with buildings, vendor locations, waiting areas and parking spaces in general is a challenge.”

He is assisted by other riders and Talabat rangers, formerly experienced riders hired to support current riders. “Main highlights [was] Experience this strong sense of community among the riders—whether it’s on the road or picking up rides,” he said. Most of the people have no idea who I am. I would be totally lost without these riders! “

Given the challenges he faces, Tomaso and his team are now working hard to find solutions. “Regarding phones overheating, we’re looking at UV-resistant windshields for bikes to stop that from happening, ensuring a safer journey for riders and a great customer experience,” he said. “As for the parking issue, we are working with the authorities to find a solution to comply with the policy and find suitable parking spaces for riders around the city.”

The company has also added classroom and practical road safety training to boost driver confidence and caution on the road. Tommaso said he also encouraged other employees and management at the company to spend a day delivering deliveries. “It’s been a truly humbling experience, full of rewards,” he said, adding that he intends to repeat the practice quarterly.

According to Tomaso, he also receives generous tips from clients during his half-day work. However, he did notice a pain point there. “I didn’t realize that passengers were only notified of the tip after their order was delivered,” he said. “We’re now working on changing that so they can be notified immediately, allowing them to express their thoughtfulness directly to the customer.” grateful.”

The drive gave Tomaso the opportunity to meet other drivers and learn more about their problems. “At first, the passengers didn’t recognize me, but we did tell them who I was when we stopped in the air-conditioned talabat bus to cool off,” he said. “It’s really important to me to learn more about their experiences, what they want us to change, and tips on how to make their entire journey easier.”

One of the big takeaways for Tomaso is that riders appreciate the company’s summer initiatives to keep them safe and comfortable. “During the summer, we roll out the program in all markets where coolers are available, partnering with suppliers to provide riders with refreshments, encouraging customers to serve them cold beverages, confirming they have seating areas at pick-up locations and more,” he said .