Punggol F&B home business tells Grab riders to cancel orders or clean toilets if they 'cannot wait'
The signs also instructed delivery riders to "wait patiently" and suggested them to "learn to wait".
Seri Mazliana |
April 25, 2024, 06:25 PM
A home-based business in Singapore selling speciality coffee and cookies has been thrown in the spotlight because of the wording of cardboard signs for Grab riders.
Bincho Brews, which operates out of a HDB flat along Edgedale Plains in Punggol, offers self-collection and delivery options, with delivery available via GrabFood.
The business placed signs outside its premises suggesting that delivery riders "can always cancel orders" and take on alternative jobs such as toilet cleaners if they "cannot wait".
Photo via SG Riders on Instagram.
Photos of the signs were posted online by the SG Riders
Instagram account on Apr. 23, and have sparked a conversation about the appropriateness of the signs' wording.
"You can always cancel your order"
In the photo, the first sign placed next to a doorbell listed down the steps for Grab riders picking up orders.
The sign instructs riders to press the doorbell and announce their order number.
They are asked to "wait patiently" and take a seat on the bench provided outside the flat.
The second sign suggested riders to "learn to wait" if they reach the location early.
"Orders take time to prepare.... you can always cancel your order," said the sign.
The third sign, which drew criticism, read: "If you cannot wait... maybe this job is not for you."
It went on to list some "jobs that require no waiting" such as toilet cleaners, gravediggers, and positions in landscaping and elder care.
The SG Riders post called the wording "rude and degrading".
The post pointed out that riders' incomes depend on their speed in fulfilling orders, saying:
"If we seem impatient at times, we seek your empathy and understanding that our incomes are dependent on getting orders from vendor to customer as soon as possible."
View this post on Instagram
Netizens' comments and Grab reviews
The post, which garnered nearly 8,000 likes at the time of writing, led some Instagram users to slam Bincho Brews' approach in the comments.
One user said the third sign "doesn't even make sense" and called it "cruel and unclever".
Image via SG Riders on Instagram.
Another user defended delivery riders and said that they are also humans who should not be bullied.
Image via SG Riders on Instagram.
However, Grab customers have also mentioned positive experiences with Bincho Brews in multiple reviews on its Grab page.
One customer who had picked up their order directly wrote that the owner is "friendly and accommodative".
Image screenshot via Grab.
Another customer shared a similar experience and thanked Bincho Brews for "being friendly and welcoming".
Image screenshot via Grab.
"Exercise patience and respect for each other": Grab
In response to
Mothership queries, a Grab spokesperson said that riders are aware of "certain guidelines" when collecting orders. However, the spokesperson said Grab also ensures that the riders' time is "spent efficiently".
According to the spokesperson, the Grab platform considers multiple factors in calculating the pick-up time, including time taken for food preparation and for riders to arrive to pick up the order.
"Ideally, this means that delivery-partners do not have to wait for a long time for their pick-up, and orders are also delivered within the promised time window."
"We would also like to urge our customers, merchant-partners, as well as delivery-partners to exercise patience and respect for each other as unexpected circumstance may arise," the spokesperson said.
Mothership has reached out to Bincho Brews for comment.
Top photos by Bincho Brews/Instagram & SG Riders/Instagram
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