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noahsmith2 · 2 months ago

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Confused About Best Delivery App in UAE? Here’s How to Choose!

In the United Arab Emirates, people want fast and reliable delivery services more than ever. Whether you're hungry for a hot meal or need groceries quickly, choosing the right delivery app can be tough. Don't worry, we're here to help you find the best delivery app in UAE for you.

There are many top delivery apps in UAE to pick from. It's important to think about service quality, how fast they deliver, and how easy it is to use. We'll explore the world of delivery apps together. This way, you can choose the best delivery service in UAE that meets your needs perfectly.

Navigating the Crowded Delivery App Landscape

The demand for easy delivery services in the UAE has grown a lot. This has led to a huge number of delivery apps available. Finding the right app for your needs can be tough. But, by looking at the popular apps in the UAE, you can make a better choice.

Many big names and local startups are in the UAE's delivery app market. Chauffuer hub, Careem, and Deliveroo are well-known for their wide range of food and items. Instashop and Noon are newer but also offer great options.

When picking a delivery app in the UAE, think about a few things. Look at the areas they serve, how fast they deliver, what they offer, and what others say about them. Choosing the right app can really improve your shopping and eating out experiences.

Exploring the many delivery apps in the UAE can help you find the best one for you. Whether you want food or groceries quickly, there's an app for that. By comparing features, you can enjoy convenience right at your fingertips.

Top Delivery Apps in the UAE

In the UAE, some delivery apps are more popular than others. These apps are known for their convenience, reliability, and variety. They make it easy for people to get what they need delivered right to their door.

Chauffuer hub is a favorite among UAE residents. It connects users with a huge network of restaurants and shops. Careem is another top choice, offering food delivery, rides, and more.

Deliveroo and Uber Eats are also making waves in the UAE. They bring a wide range of dining options to users. These apps keep improving, adding new features to meet the demand for quick and easy delivery.

Best Delivery App in UAE: Comparing the Key Players

Finding the best delivery app in the UAE means looking at the top players. You might want the cheapest options or the apps with the coolest features. Knowing the differences between the top services helps you choose wisely. Let's compare the leading delivery apps in the UAE.

Chauffuer Hub: Chauffeur hub stands out in the UAE's delivery app scene. It offers a wide range of best delivery app in UAE and covers the whole country. Its easy-to-use interface and strong network of riders make it a top choice for quick and reliable deliveries.

Careem: Careem is also popular for being affordable delivery apps in UAE. It might not have as many features as others, but it's cheaper. This makes it great for people watching their budget.

Deliveroo: Deliveroo is worth looking at too. It's known for its unique features like real-time tracking and scheduling deliveries ahead of time. It meets the varied needs of UAE residents.

When picking the best delivery app, think about coverage, cost, and user experience. Weighing the pros and cons of the top UAE apps helps you find the perfect one. This ensures a smooth and happy delivery experience for you.

Factoring in Customer Reviews and Ratings

When picking the top delivery app in the UAE, customer feedback is key. It shows what users really think about the service. This helps you see which apps are the best and which might not be.

The best apps are known for making customers happy. They Fast and secure delivery UAE. Reviews often talk about how drivers are friendly and orders are easy to track.

But, some apps get bad reviews. They might have slow delivery, mix up orders, or have poor customer service. It's important to look at these reviews to make a good choice.

Look for apps that are reliable and get lots of positive feedback. People often praise the food quality, how accurate the orders are, and how easy it is to use. Choosing these apps means you'll have a great delivery experience every time.

Exploring App Features and User Experience

When picking the best delivery app in the UAE, look at the features and user experience. Top apps like Chauffuer hub, Careem, and Deliveroo aim for a smooth experience. They offer easy navigation and a wide range of delivery choices to meet UAE residents' needs.

It's crucial to find an app that lets you track your order in real-time. This feature ensures you know where your order is. Many apps also support various payment methods, like cash, cards, and mobile wallets, to fit your preference.

The best apps also let you rate and review your delivery. You can leave feedback or talk to customer service. This helps ensure you get the service you expect and helps the app improve.

When looking at delivery apps in the UAE, focus on what matters to you. Consider features like order tracking, payment options, and customer support. This way, you can find the app that best fits your lifestyle.

Considering Your Location and Delivery Coverage

When picking the top delivery app in the UAE, think about where you live and the areas each app covers. The delivery areas in the UAE differ a lot between apps. This affects how quickly and easily you can get your orders.

Before you download and sign up for a delivery app, do some research. Find out if the app works in your area or city. Some apps cover more ground, while others focus on certain spots.

Also, look at how long it takes to get your order and if you can track it live. The best apps give clear delivery times and let you see where your order is. This helps you plan your day better.

By looking at your location and the app's coverage, you can pick the best delivery app in the UAE. It should meet your needs and offer a smooth, reliable, and timely service.

Discounts, Loyalty Programs, and Special Offers

Choosing the best delivery app in the UAE can be easier with discounts, loyalty programs, and special offers. Many top apps offer these to save you money. You can get discounts on your favorite foods and earn loyalty rewards.

Check out the delivery app discounts in the UAE for big savings. Look for apps with regular promos and loyalty programs. These can give you points, freebies, or VIP status for more savings.

When comparing the best apps in the UAE, look at their special offers and Lowest cost delivery services UAE. This helps find the app that fits your eating habits and saves you money. Enjoy on-demand delivery without spending too much.

Addressing Security and Privacy Concerns

When picking a delivery app in the UAE, security and privacy are key. Your personal info and data safety are crucial. Check the privacy policies of different apps to see how they protect your data.

Top delivery apps in the UAE use strong security measures. They include encryption, secure payments, and strict access controls. Look into the app's security record and read user reviews to see if they keep your info safe.

Also, look at the app's privacy policies in the UAE. See how they handle your personal data. An app with clear and easy-to-understand privacy policies is more trustworthy.

By focusing on security and privacy, you can use a reliable delivery app safely. Research and compare different options to find the best one for you.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Delivery App for You

When looking at delivery apps in the UAE, it's key to find one that fits your needs. Look at customer reviews, app features, and delivery areas. Also, check for special offers to make a smart choice.

This guide helps you pick the best delivery app in the UAE. It's about finding one that offers reliable service and great value. The app should match your specific needs.

Start your search for the best delivery app with the tips from this blog. Focus on what you need and do some research. Soon, you'll find an app that meets your needs and becomes your top choice in the UAE.

FAQ

What are the top delivery apps in the UAE?

In the UAE, the top delivery apps include Chauffuer hub, Careem NOW, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats. They offer a wide range of services like food, grocery, and more. You can find these apps across the country.

How do I choose the best delivery app for my needs?

To pick the best delivery app, think about a few things. Look at the app's coverage in your area and its features. Also, check out user reviews, prices, and any discounts or loyalty programs. Comparing these can help you choose the right app for you.

What should I look for in terms of delivery app security and privacy?

It's key to keep your personal and financial info safe when using delivery apps. Look for apps with strong security and clear privacy policies. Also, check if they have a good track record of protecting customer data.

How can I maximize my savings with delivery app discounts and offers?

Many UAE delivery apps offer discounts and loyalty programs to save you money. Make sure to check out the promotions they have. This way, you can get the most value for your orders.

How do I know which delivery app has the best coverage in my area?

To find the app with the best coverage, check their service availability in your area. Some apps might be more available in certain places. So, it's important to choose one that can serve your area well.

#delivery #app #delivery app #shipping discourse #commercial #uae #uaebusiness #marketing #courier service management software bd #startup #courier service

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happy1199 · 2 months ago

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#courier services #courier service near me #courier services in delhi #delivery app #delivery service #bike and truck delivery app #driver app #driver jobs in delhi #logistics service

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delemax · 4 months ago

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Courier Delivery App Clone: Features That Will Set You Apart

In today’s fast-paced world, courier delivery apps have become essential tools for businesses looking to offer efficient and reliable services. With numerous options available, making your courier delivery app stand out is crucial. A Courier Delivery App Clone can provide a solid foundation, but incorporating unique features will truly set you apart from the competition. This blog explores the must-have features that will elevate your Courier Delivery App Clone, making it the go-to choice for users.

1. Real-Time Tracking and Notifications

One of the most critical features that users expect from a courier delivery app is real-time tracking. This feature allows customers to monitor the progress of their deliveries, providing peace of mind and transparency. By integrating real-time tracking into your Courier Delivery App Clone, you can keep users informed about the exact location of their package at any given time. Coupled with timely notifications, this feature will significantly enhance user experience and trust in your service.

2. Multiple Payment Options

In the digital age, flexibility in payment methods is essential. Offering multiple payment options, such as credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, and even cash on delivery, can make your Courier Delivery App Clone more accessible to a broader audience. Users appreciate the convenience of choosing their preferred payment method, and this flexibility can be a key differentiator for your app.

3. User-Friendly Interface

The success of any app largely depends on its user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). A clean, intuitive, and user-friendly interface can make your Courier Delivery App Clone a joy to use. Focus on simplicity and ease of navigation to ensure that users can quickly find what they need, whether it’s placing an order, tracking a package, or contacting support. A well-designed interface will not only attract more users but also keep them coming back.

4. Customizable Delivery Options

Every user has different delivery needs, and offering customizable delivery options can set your Courier Delivery App Clone apart. Features such as scheduled deliveries, same-day delivery, and priority shipping give users the flexibility to choose how and when their packages are delivered. This level of customization enhances the user experience and can be a strong selling point for your app.

5. Advanced Security Measures

Security is a top priority for any online service, and courier delivery apps are no exception. Integrating advanced security features, such as encryption for payment information and secure login options, will protect user data and build trust. Your Courier Delivery App Clone should also include fraud detection mechanisms to safeguard against any potential threats. Prioritizing security will not only protect your users but also enhance the reputation of your app.

6. In-App Chat Support

Customer support can make or break the user experience. By offering in-app chat support, you provide users with an immediate way to resolve their issues or get answers to their questions. This feature is particularly valuable in the courier delivery industry, where timely assistance is crucial. Incorporating in-app chat support into your Courier Delivery App Clone can set you apart by offering superior customer service.

7. Multi-Language Support

As businesses expand globally, the need for multi-language support in apps becomes increasingly important. Offering your Courier Delivery App Clone in multiple languages can attract a more diverse user base and make your app more inclusive. This feature not only broadens your reach but also shows a commitment to serving users from different regions and backgrounds.

8. Rating and Review System

A transparent rating and review system is essential for building trust and improving your service. Allowing users to rate their delivery experience and provide feedback can help you identify areas for improvement. It also gives potential users confidence in your service, knowing that previous customers have had positive experiences. Integrating a rating and review system into your Courier Delivery App Clone can be a powerful tool for enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion:

Incorporating these features into your Courier Delivery App Clone will undoubtedly set you apart from the competition, offering users a seamless, secure, and satisfying experience. However, the success of your app also depends on the expertise and support of the development team behind it. That's where Bytesflow Technologies comes in. With their extensive experience in developing top-tier Courier Delivery App Clones, Bytesflow Technologies is the ideal partner to bring your vision to life. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction ensures that your app will not only meet but exceed industry standards. Choose Bytesflow Technologies, and set yourself apart in the courier delivery market.

#courier delivery service #Courier Delivery App Clone

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brookewalkerblog · 7 months ago

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From Last Mile to First Choice: Solving Courier App Challenges

In the dynamic landscape of the courier industry, the emergence of courier delivery apps has revolutionized the way businesses and customers interact with delivery services. However, the journey of developing a successful courier delivery app comes with its own set of challenges. From technological hurdles to customer expectations, navigating through these obstacles requires a strategic approach and innovative solutions.

Understanding the Landscape

According to recent statistics, the courier and delivery services market is projected to reach $508 billion by 2025, with a significant portion of this growth attributed to the rise of on-demand courier delivery apps. This exponential growth presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses venturing into courier delivery app development.

Challenges Faced in Courier Delivery App Development

Technological Complexity:

Developing a robust courier delivery app requires integrating various technologies such as GPS tracking, real-time updates, payment gateways, and user-friendly interfaces. Balancing functionality with seamless user experience poses a significant challenge for developers.

Last-Mile Delivery Challenges:

The final leg of the delivery process, known as last-mile delivery, is often the most complex and costly aspect of courier services. Navigating through traffic congestion, optimizing routes, and ensuring timely deliveries while minimizing costs requires sophisticated logistics management solutions.

Customer Expectations:

In an era of instant gratification, customers expect fast, reliable, and transparent delivery services. Meeting these expectations while maintaining cost-efficiency and operational effectiveness is a delicate balancing act for courier delivery app developers.

Security Concerns:

With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats and data breaches, ensuring the security and privacy of user data is paramount. Implementing robust encryption protocols and adhering to industry standards are essential to build trust among users.

Market Saturation:

The proliferation of courier delivery apps has led to intense competition in the market. Standing out amidst the competition requires offering unique value propositions, superior service quality, and innovative features.

Solutions for Successful Courier Delivery App Development

Advanced Technology Integration:

Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Internet of Things (IoT) can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of courier delivery apps. AI-powered route optimization algorithms and predictive analytics can streamline delivery operations and improve resource utilization.

Optimized Last-Mile Delivery Solutions:

Implementing route optimization software, dynamic routing algorithms, and geofencing technologies can optimize last-mile delivery processes. Additionally, collaborating with third-party logistics providers and crowdshipping platforms can help expand delivery networks and reduce costs.

Focus on User Experience:

Prioritizing user-centric design and intuitive interfaces can enhance the user experience of courier delivery apps. Providing real-time tracking updates, personalized notifications, and seamless payment options can foster customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Data Security Measures:

Implementing robust cybersecurity measures such as end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits can safeguard user data and protect against potential threats. Compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR and CCPA is essential to maintain trust and credibility.

Differentiation and Innovation:

Offering unique features such as same-day delivery, flexible delivery options, and eco-friendly initiatives can differentiate courier delivery apps from competitors. Continuous innovation and adaptation to evolving market trends are key to staying ahead in the competitive landscape.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the journey of courier delivery mobile app development is riddled with challenges, but with strategic planning, innovative solutions, and a customer-centric approach, these challenges can be overcome. By leveraging advanced technologies, optimizing last-mile delivery processes, prioritizing user experience, ensuring data security, and fostering innovation, businesses can build successful courier delivery apps that meet the evolving needs of the market and drive growth in the digital age.

#courier delivery app development #courier delivery service #hire developers #hire app developer #mobile app development #hire mobile app developers #android app development #ios app development #flutter app development

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santhosh98 · 2 years ago

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Streamlining Logistics with Courier Delivery App Development- Gtechwebsolutions

Introduction:

In today's fast-paced world, businesses in the logistics industry are constantly seeking ways to enhance their operations and provide efficient delivery services. The advent of technology has led to the development of courier delivery apps, which have revolutionized the way courier services are provided. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of courier delivery app development, the benefits it offers to businesses, and the key features that make these apps successful.

1. Meeting Customer Demand with On-Demand Courier App Development:

On-demand courier app development has transformed the way customers request and receive courier services. By leveraging these apps, customers can easily schedule pickups, track their packages in real-time, and receive delivery notifications. The on-demand model caters to the growing demand for quick and convenient delivery services, providing customers with flexibility and control over their shipments.

2. Efficient Delivery Operations with Courier App Development Solutions:

Courier delivery app development offers businesses efficient solutions for managing their delivery operations. Features like route optimization, real-time tracking, and automated dispatching enhance the overall efficiency of the delivery process. Courier app development solutions empower businesses to streamline their operations, reduce delivery time, and improve customer satisfaction.

3. The Business Model of Delivery Apps:

The business model of delivery apps revolves around connecting customers with delivery service providers. These apps act as a platform where customers can place delivery requests, and service providers can accept and fulfill those requests. The app typically earns revenue through commission fees or subscription charges from the service providers. The scalable and adaptable nature of the business model makes it attractive for entrepreneurs and logistics companies looking to enter the courier delivery market.

4. Comprehensive Courier Delivery App Development Services:

To bring a courier delivery app to life, businesses can rely on specialized courier delivery app development services. These services encompass the end-to-end development process, including requirements gathering, UI/UX design, app development, quality assurance, and deployment. Working with experienced app developers ensures that the app is customized to meet specific business needs and provides a seamless user experience for both customers and delivery personnel.

5. Key Features of Courier Delivery App Development:

a) User-friendly Interface: A well-designed and intuitive interface is crucial for a successful courier delivery app. It should allow customers to easily place delivery requests, track shipments, and provide feedback.

b) Real-time Tracking: Real-time tracking of packages enables customers to monitor the progress of their deliveries. It also allows businesses to have visibility into the location and status of their fleet, ensuring efficient route planning.

c) Secure Payment Integration: The app should include secure payment gateways, allowing customers to make hassle-free payments for the courier services.

d) Ratings and Reviews: Incorporating a ratings and reviews system helps maintain service quality and enables customers to make informed decisions when choosing service providers.

e) Push Notifications: Push notifications keep customers updated about their delivery status, estimated arrival times, and any changes or delays in the delivery schedule.

Conclusion: Courier delivery app development has significantly transformed the logistics industry, offering businesses the opportunity to provide efficient and customer-centric delivery services. By leveraging on-demand courier app development, businesses can streamline their operations, optimize routes, enhance customer satisfaction, and stay competitive in the market. Embracing the key features and benefits of courier delivery app development can revolutionize the way businesses operate in the modern logistics landscape.

#courier delivery app development company #courier delivery app development #on demand courier app development #delivery app business model #courier delivery app developers #courier delivery app development services #courier service app development #courier app development solutions

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g-tech-solutions · 2 years ago

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Pickup & Delivery App Development Company

G Tech Solutions can help you launch your own pick-up and delivery company by developing a tailored on-demand pickup and delivery app. Create your own courier delivery app with our skilled pickup and delivery app developers and take the industry by storm. Please contact us right away!

#courier delivery app development company on demand courier app development courier delivery app development Courier Service App Development

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rideboomindia · 5 months ago

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RideBoom Revolutionizes Transportation with Innovative Solutions and Unmatched Convenience

RideBoom India is expanding its innovative ridesharing services to 20 more cities across India. Providing affordable, eco-friendly transportation options to the masses.

RideBoom, the leading transportation service provider, is proud to announce its commitment to revolutionizing the transportation industry with innovative solutions and unmatched convenience for riders and drivers alike.

Unmatched Convenience

RideBoom is dedicated to providing unmatched convenience compared to other transportation services. With the RideBoom app, users can easily book a car, taxi, or delivery service right from their mobile devices. The app connects users with nearby drivers or couriers, allowing them to get to their destination or receive their deliveries quickly and efficiently.

Innovative Solutions

RideBoom is constantly innovating to provide the best possible experience for its users. The company has recently expanded its Bike Taxi Service to additional cities, offering an eco-friendly and efficient mode of transportation for short-distance travel. RideBoom is also exploring the integration of electric vehicles into its fleet, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and the EV revolution.

Commitment to Safety and Reliability

At the core of RideBoom's mission is a dedication to providing safe and reliable transportation services. The company has implemented stringent safety measures and training protocols to ensure that its drivers and couriers deliver a secure and comfortable experience for all users.

Transforming the Ride-Hailing Industry

RideBoom's innovative approach and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction have positioned the company as a leader in the transportation industry. By continuously introducing new features and adapting to changing market conditions, RideBoom is redefining the way people and goods move, ultimately transforming the ride-hailing landscape.

"RideBoom is committed to revolutionizing the transportation industry and providing our users with the best possible experience," said the RideBoom founder. "We are excited to continue innovating and expanding our services to meet the evolving needs of our customers."

For more information about RideBoom India and its services, please visit https://rideboom.com/india/

About RideBoom India

RideBoom India is the leading ridesharing platform in the country, providing affordable, convenient, and eco-friendly transportation solutions to commuters across India. Founded in 2020, the company has experienced rapid growth and now operates in many cities, connecting passengers with a network of verified drivers. RideBoom India is committed to revolutionizing the way people commute and contributing to a more sustainable future.

#rideboom #delhi rideboom #biketaxi #ola cabs #uber driver #rideboom taxi app #rideboom app #uber taxi #uber #ola

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ysmtttty · 4 months ago

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Red Ferrari

Chapter 10

Summary: Azris AU, where Azriel is a mechanic and has his own service station. One day, Eris comes there because something is wrong with his car

AO3 link Chapter 9 Chapter 11

Flipping through the emails in his phone, Eris waited for Azriel to return with their ordered coffee, which the courier should have brought, judging by his GPS in the delivery app.

Surprisingly, Morrigan still hadn't contacted him, maybe she was still searching for a new lawyer. Eris wasn't sure, but he suspected that most people were now cautious about becoming her attorney, since dealing with her had proven to be a doomed endeavor, and many had come to realize this even more.

Now that he and Azriel had seemingly cleared everything up and he had earned forgiveness, the realization of the problem with Keir hit him hard. According to the terms, Eris had to ensure that his father would agree to support whatever conditions were part of their deal, the details of which he hadn't been allowed to fully grasp over the years.

There were many problems with this, but the main one was that he really didn’t want to deal with Beron, especially over someone like Keir with his threats. Eris would have loved to tell both of them to go to hell and leave the country. Maybe start over somewhere where they wouldn't find him. But his loved ones were still here, and Beron definitely wouldn’t hesitate to threaten him through his mother. Keir, even more so.

And yet, he would have to call his father, maybe even persuade him. Eris hated such situations, always trying to avoid them entirely. A couple of times, Beron had been threatened through him, and it had turned out very badly for those daring idiots. However, something told Eris that this time it wouldn’t be so simple.

Why the hell did Beron even agree to this wedding scheme, which hardly promised him much profit?

Eris stared at the phone screen for a long time, his finger hovering over the call button. He didn’t want to hear that voice, didn’t want to let Beron know he needed his help—even if calling it help was a stretch considering that without dear old dad, Eris wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place—and he absolutely didn’t want Beron to know that Keir had threatened his life. Again—nothing good could come from that other than a bloody mess.

Still, he treated this conversation like ripping off a band-aid—the faster, the better.

One ring, two, five. Maybe he shouldn’t have called in the morning. Who knows, the old bastard might’ve decided to sleep in, after all, given his age…

"Eris?" came a gruff voice. Eris just gripped the phone tighter, reminding himself that his father was hundreds of kilometers away.

"Father," he greeted as politely as possible. "I'm calling about business."

Beron might have been disappointed in him if he had called just to ask how things were going.

"Speak," Beron said, getting straight to the point.

"Keir wants to be sure that you will uphold your end of the deal after my divorce from Morrigan," Eris explained bluntly, lacking the strength or desire to play mind games or figure out how to word it more softly or advantageously. This was also the first time he had confidently informed his father that he would definitely be getting a divorce. The divorce was now a fact.

"And what am I supposed to do with the information about his desires?"

Eris rolled his eyes. Of course, why make life easier with a simple “okay, son, I got it,” when he could continue acting like a self-proclaimed jerk.

"Confirm that you’re in."

"And why do you think I’m in?" A pause, during which Eris reminded himself that he had bought this phone two weeks ago and throwing it against the wall now would be stupid. Especially considering what happened the last time he went a whole day without a phone. "What did Keir do?"

"He kindly delivered that message," Eris replied sarcastically.

"Eris," Beron’s voice carried a warning. Eris thanked all the gods that this man wasn’t in the same room with him right now, because otherwise, this would have been unbearable. "I’ll get in touch with him."

And he hung up.

Eris still didn’t know if he felt relief or irritation, but at least it was something. At least now he didn’t have to worry about getting killed somewhere in an alley or, again, in his own parking lot.

He wondered where Azriel was with the coffee. Reluctantly, he got up from the bed, put on some lounge pants, and went to look for his mechanic.

"Finally!" a voice greeted him, belonging to someone who wasn’t Azriel at all. "You really do look terrible."

Eris glanced at Lucien, who was lounging on his couch with a cup of coffee that suspiciously resembled the one they had ordered from the nearby café.

"What are you doing here?" Eris asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You didn’t know he was coming?" Azriel asked, leaning against the wall. Eris looked at him and raised a questioning eyebrow when he saw that Azriel was wearing his robe. Not that he minded. "I grabbed the first thing I saw when he came in," Azriel nodded toward Lucien.

"I wish I could unsee that," Eris’s younger brother shook his head.

"A question for both of you," Eris looked at his brother, "what the hell are you doing here?" then at Azriel, "and why did you open the door without putting anything on?"

Azriel shrugged. "I was going to throw on a robe, but I didn’t have time before he opened the door—he had keys."

"It doesn’t matter," Lucien interrupted. "I wanted to say that you’re coming with me and Jurian to your house in the countryside. And I suspect it’s a brotherly bond that made me feel so strongly that you’d been beaten up here."

"I’m fine, thanks for the concern. Why do you have my coffee, and why are you making decisions about my country house?"

"Because I conveniently ran into your courier, who asked me to unlock the elevator for him, and when I found out the floor, I said I’d deliver it myself," Lucien shamelessly drank one of the coffees. Azriel held out the other to Eris in silence, who gratefully took it, took a few sips, and handed it back. "Nice that you two made up, very happy for you. But this wasn’t how I wanted to find out about it."

"Knock next time," Azriel advised.

"Put on some pants next time," Lucien retorted.

"The house, Lucien," Eris reminded him of his earlier question.

"You clearly needed to relax. I thought I’d turn this into a bachelor party to cheer you up and distract you from... well, now it doesn’t matter," he glanced at Azriel, who was watching all of this with barely concealed amusement. "But now I can tell Jurian that he can bring Vassa, and I’ll bring Elain, because, Azriel, wouldn’t you like to join us for a weekend in the countryside? Alcohol and food on my generous brother."

"Go to hell," said Eris.

"How convenient that I have no weekend plans," Azriel smiled. Eris shot him a withering look.

"Great," Lucien clapped his hands and stood up. "I’d stay and ask you about this," he circled his finger around Eris’s face, "but I won’t linger here any longer."

"Disappear before I demand the keys back," Eris shook his head.

"I’ll send the details later!" Lucien shouted as he quickly exited the apartment.

As soon as the door closed, Azriel burst out laughing. Eris groaned, clearly not thrilled with his younger brother’s sudden visit.

"You have a house in the countryside?" Azriel asked.

"Yeah, and at least five apartments around the city that I don’t use," Eris waved it off, heading to the kitchen to brew some tea. Damn, he forgot to buy coffee beans for the machine a few days ago. "Didn’t think you were a nature fan."

"I was kindly invited," Azriel smiled, approaching him from behind and hugging his waist, his nose buried in Eris’s neck as Eris tried to make tea. "Besides, your younger brother is funny. But how did you end up in his circle of friends? You seem like you’re from different age groups."

"Mutual acquaintances," Eris sighed, enjoying the small kisses Azriel left on his skin. "Jurian was initially my client, back when I was just starting out, and few people trusted me with their business. He trusted me. He hired me as his lawyer for several years, and very often, so we somehow became friends. And he is dating Vassa, Lucien’s friend and his girlfriend’s."

He turned around and kissed Azriel on the lips, who ran his hands over Eris’s chest with the same almost irritating caution as yesterday. Eris couldn’t get upset because normal people don’t usually get mad at their partner for caring about them.

"I forgot to ask yesterday, are we dating?" Eris asked.

"Yes, we’re dating," Azriel nodded and kissed him again.

Azriel left closer to noon after Eris received the fifth message in the tenants' chat about the concern over a smashed Volvo being left in their parking lot.

The rest of the day Eris spent working, wanting to finish everything in advance so he wouldn’t be distracted tomorrow, since they were apparently going with Lucien and his squad of friends. It was strange. But not the strangest thing happening in his life right now, so he could turn a blind eye and think, "shit happens."

A couple of document filings, a trip to the office to sign some papers, and waving off questions about the bruises. Eris expertly lied, saying he had taken up boxing in his spare time to relieve stress. No one suspected a lie since many people in his position did the same.

After what happened yesterday, Eris was twice as cautious in his movements. He constantly looked around, but the feeling of being watched had vanished. Eris now trusted his intuition twice as much, but since no danger was felt—or possibly it seemed like it because of his overwhelming exhaustion from all this chaos—he decided to allow himself to relax a little.

It might have been ideal to spend some time away from the city. It wouldn't provide a miracle of salvation, but it would allow him to mentally exhale and regain strength. Far from the bustle, stress, and divorce.

His lawyer wrote to him saying he had sent Morrigan another copy of the property division agreement. Eris replied that she wasn't in a position to represent herself at the moment and asked him to focus on more pressing matters, not wanting to waste one of his firm's best employees on this nightmare.

By the evening, Lucien sent him a picture from the store with a full cart of food, drinks, bags of charcoal, and more, with the price for all this luxury added below. He also mentioned that he and his friends had chipped in, and Eris just needed to pay for his share.

Knowing these idiots, Eris didn’t need to be a genius to realize they probably hadn’t even paid for half of it. Nonetheless, he sent the money. Better now for them than later regretting it being spent on Morrigan’s designer clothes if she takes what she wanted.

His father hadn’t reached out again. It both scared and relieved him at the same time. Eris wasn’t sure yet whether he wanted to hear "you can rest easy, Keir won’t bother you" because, on the one hand, he wanted it to be true, but on the other, it might mean Keir was lying in a ditch somewhere.

Late in the evening, Eris returned to his empty apartment, loosened his tie, and sighed heavily. These had been crazy days, and his body still ached from all the bruises, while fatigue continued to weigh him down. He only had enough energy to drink some coffee—thankfully, he had finally found the time to buy it at the store—and pass out because caffeine had somehow stopped keeping him awake. The problem might have been the non-stop hours of work, but Eris refused to believe that. It hadn't been such a big issue before, so why should it be now?

The next morning, his younger brother and friends, along with Azriel, burst into his apartment. Why the hell they all gathered this early and at his place was unclear. Eris seriously considered taking Lucien's keys because he preferred to start his morning with coffee, not a meeting with a bunch of students and Jurian. He had no complaints about Azriel’s presence.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” Jurian said, and despite Eris’s protests, gave him a tight hug. Eris wrinkled his nose, pretending not to enjoy the moment at all, while Azriel silently laughed at him from the hallway.

They were all dressed similarly today—sweatpants, hoodies, and jackets. Azriel in a leather jacket was a sight for sore eyes, and Eris wished they were alone so he could say that out loud.

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Eris awkwardly patted Jurian’s back, and only then did he let go, smiling cheerfully.

“Lucien said you got into a fight. Didn’t think you could even do that. Back in the day, you should’ve at least hired people to take revenge,” Jurian noted, eyeing his bruises as if he had studied medicine enough to make any conclusions. Jurian had dropped out of medical school after the first year, so his medical knowledge was about the same as the average person’s—close to zero. Eris just waved him off, along with the very valid comment about hiring people.

“No questions about my face,” Eris shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Clearly,” Vassa remarked sarcastically. Eris just rolled his eyes and ignored her.

He and Vassa were on friendly terms. Every time Jurian invited him out for a drink, it ended with him calling her to pick Jurian up. In the early years, they were all still very young—Eris had just graduated, and Jurian had three citizenships and two restraining orders, which later required legal services. In celebration, he’d always bring out Cuban cigars—genuinely brought from Cuba—and order expensive drinks, back when Eris didn’t know he’d be the one paying at the end of the night.

In short, they had a wild youth, which Vassa didn’t like. Of course, over time she got used to Eris and realized that since he and Jurian were such good friends, she’d have to put up with him. A couple of years ago, Eris didn’t make that task easier for her, continuing to be an arrogant bastard and treating everyone outside his close circle like dirt—or so it seemed to most. Eris himself thought he didn’t treat people that way, and never had—he simply didn’t care enough to treat anyone poorly. Vassa strongly disagreed.

“Get out of the apartment,” Eris gestured, waving them towards the door. Lucien rolled his eyes and muttered about how Eris wasn’t a morning person, but he took his girlfriend by the arm and led her into the hallway. Jurian slowly followed with Vassa.

Azriel stayed behind, closing the door after them and smirking.

“Nice jacket,” Eris noted, running his hand up Azriel’s arm to his shoulder.

“You look good too. Sometimes I forget you own anything besides your suffocating suits and dozens of ties,” Azriel remarked sarcastically.

“It’s called style, but I doubt someone who wears dirty overalls and tank tops could understand.”

For that comment, he earned a quiet laugh and an eye roll.

“Are you still sure you want to go?” Eris asked, looking at him with exaggerated exhaustion. “We can still ditch them and stay here together.”

“Jurian and Lucien have been bragging the whole time about how great they are at grilling meat, and forgive me, but I’d sell my soul for good meat,” Azriel smiled so simply that it made Eris want to scream. Why did someone like him have to fall into his life?

“I can order the best restaurant steak if it’ll make you ditch these idiots and stay here with me,” Eris said, stepping closer. Azriel kissed him quickly, still smiling.

“And they also mentioned you have dogs, and I’d love to see them too.”

“Did they tell you that Jurian will be telling pirate-style stories? Or that those two lovebirds will be playing guitars and singing serenades? Or about the swarms of mosquitoes? Those are serious oversights,” Eris shook his head, but Azriel just laughed.

“I have experience enduring serenades, trust me,” he replied, kissing Eris again. Eris returned the kiss, burying his hand in Azriel’s hair and pulling him closer. “The rest is tolerable. Let’s go. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this group in a few minutes, it’s that they’re impatient.”

Eris groaned internally but quickly grabbed what he needed and followed Azriel. They opened the door just as Jurian raised his fist, ready to bang on it. Giving him a judgmental look, Eris led them to the parking lot.

As it turned out, Azriel had come in his car, and since they couldn’t all fit into one, Eris and he drove together while the other four rode in Vassa’s car. It was quite a long drive, as it was an isolated spot far from the city.

“I still think they won’t be offended if we turn around without warning,” Eris muttered, watching Vassa’s car overtake them, speeding ahead over the bumps.

“I don’t think you’re that against it,” Azriel laughed. “You’re just being dramatic. Besides, your younger brother is right—you need to unwind. As do I.”

The rest of the way, they drove with the radio on and didn’t talk much. Azriel hummed along to the songs, while Eris, like the lovesick idiot he was, listened intently, pretending not to pay attention, though he very much did.

When they arrived, Azriel’s eyes widened in disbelief. They were greeted by a huge three-story house with a tall fence and grounds at least three times the size of any other house around.

“You know, when I heard ‘country house,’ I was expecting, well, you know, a little cottage, something between a house and a shack. But definitely not this.”

Eris just laughed as he got out of the car to open the massive gates and let Azriel drive in and park. Loud barking, Jurian’s swearing, and female laughter immediately reached them.

As soon as Azriel got out of the car and heard it, he frowned a little and followed Eris. When they reached the source of the sound, they saw Jurian surrounded by six dogs, barking actively at him. But the moment they sensed Eris and heard his whistle, their attention shifted, and the whole pack ran toward him.

The aggressive barking turned into a happy one as several dogs stood on their hind legs, jumping on him and wagging their tails. Azriel watched all this with fascination and pleasant surprise because seeing Eris like this was rare. Sure, he made him laugh sometimes, definitely made him smile, but this joy on his face was something special. Different and utterly unique.

One of the dogs did eventually notice Azriel, and he saw how Lucien tensed up, already taking a few steps toward him, clearly intending to intervene if the dog turned aggressive toward the stranger. However, the dog simply leaned its front paws on Azriel’s torso and gave a happy bark. Azriel stroked the furry head and smirked as he looked up at the shocked faces of everyone around. Even Eris seemed surprised.

"Unbelievable!" Jurian exclaimed indignantly. "I’ve been coming here for years, bringing them the best food, and they still hate me. But he shows up, and they’re practically kissing him—" At that moment, the dog licked Azriel’s face, causing him to grimace and laugh. "Yep, even kissing him! This is just absurd!"

Jurian continued ranting about the unfairness of the world, while Azriel petted the friendly, large dog. Soon, other furry friends joined him.

“I’m starting to feel a bit jealous,” Eris quietly remarked, so only Azriel could hear.

“Of whom exactly?” Azriel asked with a grin, looking up at Eris while the dogs happily swarmed him. “Me or them?”

“Take a guess,” Eris grumbled. “Astra, come here,” he called one of the dogs, and although she seemed reluctant to leave Azriel’s side, she eventually went to him. Eris petted her, scratching behind her ear, which made her tail wag even more energetically. “My most unfriendly hound,” he said. “Once bit Jurian so badly he had to go to the hospital for stitches. I’ve never seen her be this nice to a stranger.”

Azriel realized Astra was the first dog that had taken an interest in him. Eris’s words puzzled him a bit, but also filled him with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

“Good girl,” Eris praised Astra as she followed one of his commands. He whistled, and the other dogs also left Azriel alone, giving him some peace.

“Who takes care of them while you’re in the city?” Azriel asked as they walked toward the kennel, with the dogs obediently following Eris.

“I have people for that,” Eris shrugged. “They’ve been looking after my dogs since I was a kid, so I pay them to keep doing it now. I don’t get to come here often, so they live in the guest house on the property. Of course, we always let them know if we’re coming, and they usually leave for that time.”

“Isn’t it sad to leave them for so long?”

“It’s not like I’m crying without them,” Eris scoffed, though when he turned to look at his loyal companions, something soft flickered in his gaze. “But I used to be here more often. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll quit and move here for good.”

Azriel couldn’t help but imagine it. He and Eris in this country house—Azriel tinkering with his motorcycle in the garage for the thousandth time, while Eris wandered around the property grumbling about the dogs trampling the flowerbeds, only to later pretend he didn’t enjoy playing with them.

Damn. That was too far, too reckless to imagine their future like that. If they weren’t already outside, Azriel would’ve needed to step out for some fresh air.

“You okay?” Eris asked, apparently noticing the change in his expression. “I hope you’re not allergic to dogs to the point where you’ll die, because the hospital’s far, and I’d rather not have to bury a body in the backyard.”

“How sweet of you to think of me,” Azriel replied sarcastically. “How often do you bury bodies back there?”

“More often than I’d like,” Eris smirked, playing along.

Astra barked happily again, nuzzling her nose into Azriel’s palm.

“Someone’s being extra affectionate today,” Eris noted.

“You really are jealous,” Azriel teased. Eris only rolled his eyes and shook his head.

While they were playing with the dogs, the others moved the groceries from the car into the house. Elain and Vassa busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing salads and snacks, while Lucien and Jurian rummaged through the garage, looking for the grill and dragging it outside.

Azriel, in the meantime, tried to remember the names of the hounds and learn to tell them apart.

“I swear, these three are identical,” he muttered. While some of the dogs were distinguishable by unique spots on their fur or ear shapes, three hounds looked absolutely identical.

“You’ll learn to tell them apart by their behavior,” Eris calmly responded, petting one of the identical hounds.

“How did you choose their names?” Azriel asked out of curiosity, tossing a ball he found on the property for the dogs to chase. “Astra, Ember, Lyra, those make sense. But Stormbringer?”

“I was fourteen,” Eris shrugged. “He’s the oldest of them all—I named the others when I was a bit older. But back then, I wanted a dramatic, cool name. And look at this rascal,” a soft smile touched his lips as he scratched behind the ear of the coal-black hound. “He’s totally a Stormbringer.”

Azriel chuckled, reaching out to scratch Stormbringer’s ears as well. The dog leaned into his touch, eyes closing in contentment. “I guess he does look like a Stormbringer,” Azriel admitted, watching the hound’s calm demeanor.

Eris gave a soft laugh, almost nostalgic. “He was a bit of a terror when he was younger. Used to chew up anything he could find—furniture, shoes, you name it. But he’s mellowed out a lot. Still, the name stuck.”

“Was he your first dog?”

“No, there were others,” Eris replied quietly. “I’ve had dogs for as long as I can remember. Originally, they belonged to my mother, but once she noticed how much I loved them, we somehow convinced my father to keep them all. Growing up with them… it was hard to lose them.”

Azriel placed a hand on his shoulder, then moved it to his cheek. Eris leaned into the touch.

“Sorry, this was supposed to be a lighthearted conversation, no depressing stuff,” Eris muttered, closing his eyes as if mentally scolding himself for the somber turn.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Azriel said softly.

“At some point, the hounds were the only ones around,” Eris glanced at the dogs playing on the lawn, chasing the ball and trying to steal it from one another. “So it hit harder when they were gone.”

Azriel didn’t press further, and Eris didn’t continue, instead grabbing Azriel’s hand and kissing his knuckles.

Later, they helped Elain and Vassa carry the food outside, setting the table in one of the three gazebos scattered around the yard. Lucien and Jurian were still standing by the grill, now handling the meat and arguing about whether to add more coals or leave them as they were, in fear of burning everything.

Eris’s hounds ran around Jurian, barking at him, and Azriel suspected they just enjoyed scaring him. They seemed to do it with some kind of amusement, and Eris watched with the same amusement, making no move to call them off, allowing the dogs to torment Jurian to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

“They’re going to bite him,” Vassa shook her head. Elain watched the dogs curiously—Eris’s hounds never seemed to bother her either. But Eris had simply remarked that Elain was like a Disney princess, with a magical connection to animals, which is why they left her alone. Lucien had long complained that dogs hadn’t accepted even him right away but once they saw Elain, they all suddenly became so cuddly and soft.

“Only if he deserves it,” Eris replied, turning away from Jurian to glance at his phone. A few emails still awaited his response.

“You know they don’t need a reason,” Vassa continued.

“They need a reason. So, if Jurian wants to keep his limbs intact, he’ll just avoid teasing them like last time,” Eris grinned sarcastically. Azriel suppressed a laugh.

He watched the exchange with a faint smile on his face, noting how the dynamic between them all seemed so easy and natural. It was a rare sight to see Eris so relaxed, even playful, as he teased Vassa and kept a watchful eye on his dogs. The whole scene felt almost like a family gathering, where everyone had their roles to play, even if some involved scaring poor Jurian half to death.

"Eris, please," Vassa said with a playful reproach, though a hint of concern crept into her voice. Meanwhile Elain arranged vegetables on plates, occasionally glancing toward the guys as if to make sure the dogs weren’t bothering Lucien.

“It’s fine,” Eris said, not looking up from his phone, waving a hand dismissively. “It’s weird for him to be scared of dogs at his age. He’s a big boy; he’ll manage. Until there’s another fire, I’m not calling the dogs off.”

“Another fire?” Azriel asked with curiosity and amusement. Elain giggled in response.

“It’s almost a yearly tradition,” she explained. “Don’t tell them, but we keep track of how often it’s Lucien’s fault versus Jurian’s.”

“Don’t forget, you’re part of that competition too,” Vassa smirked, handing a plate of snacks to Azriel, who eagerly took it and, for some reason, served both himself and Eris, who wasn’t paying attention while typing something on his phone.

Azriel raised an eyebrow at Vassa’s words. Elain shrugged lightly. “There was that one time the oven malfunctioned, and the brownies caught fire. Hardly a real fire.”

The four of them turned again toward Jurian’s outraged shouts as he cursed Eris for not calming down his monsters. Eris pretended not to hear, while Vassa shook her head, Elain giggled quietly behind her hand, and Azriel and Lucien watched with open amusement as Jurian flailed his arms, trying to defend himself.

“They’re just playing,” Lucien said through laughter, but Jurian flipped him off, told him to fuck off, and continued to ward off the fluffy beasts.

The dogs eventually tired of their game with Jurian and settled down near the table, clearly content to be around their human companions. Azriel bent down and petted one of the hounds, who responded to the affection by nuzzling her nose into his hand, as if asking for more.

“Why don’t you scold Azriel for spoiling your dogs?” Vassa teased with a smirk.

Eris glanced from Azriel to the dogs, then to her, shrugging. Elain whispered something to Vassa about double standards as she knelt down to scratch one of the dogs behind the ear.

“I don’t understand why I trust my ass to you,” Jurian grumbled as he returned to the table, sitting next to Vassa while Lucien stayed by the grill. “You can’t even save me when I need it most.”

“Funny, I thought you knew I save asses for money,” Eris replied with a smirk.

As Jurian continued to curse at him and the hounds barked from their spots, clearly unhappy with the insults directed at their master, Azriel stood up and walked over to Lucien, intending to help him now that Jurian had left.

Not that keeping an eye on the meat was a monumental task, but it always felt right when more than one person was in charge of it. Lucien chuckled as he watched Jurian try not to hide behind Vassa whenever Eris’s dogs barked at him, and he looked at his girlfriend with a special tenderness as she shooed the dogs away from Jurian, even though she was laughing the whole time.

“Thanks for coming,” Lucien suddenly said, surprising Azriel as he turned to face him. “Eris hasn’t gone anywhere with us for a long time, and lately, he’s been more of a bastard-lawyer than himself.”

“Are you implying this cliché that I bring out the best in him?” Azriel asked with a teasing smile.

“Oh no, he’s still a bastard, even with you around,” Lucien laughed. “But… as cliché as it sounds, he’s happier now. Even if it’s not immediately obvious through all the sarcasm and snark. There’s a subtle difference you have to know to notice.”

“I’m glad,” Azriel said quietly, his smile softening as he glanced over at Eris. “Really glad.”

“I’d love to play the protective sibling and say something like ‘don’t hurt my brother,’ but I doubt I could ever top the speech Nesta gave me when she found out I was dating her middle sister,” Lucien shook his head, and Azriel chuckled.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of food, drinks, and stories about everything under the sun, especially since Azriel was the new face in the group, and Jurian and Lucien were particularly eager to tell him as much as possible in one night.

As morning approached, the group started to trickle back into the house, leaving Azriel and Eris as the last ones outside. Eris had fallen asleep, resting his head on Azriel’s shoulder, and Azriel remained because he was trapped—two hounds lay at his feet, snoring peacefully, while another lay on the bench beside him, with her head resting on his lap. And then there was Eris, who had dozed off against him.

The task of extracting himself without waking anyone turned into a bit of a challenge, taking Azriel longer than expected to figure out how to manage it. Eris eventually stirred, mumbling something incoherent. But it was impossible to take his drunken, sleepy grumbling seriously, so Azriel just smiled and helped him inside.

“Left door to the right,” Eris muttered.

“I don’t think that’s useful information,” Azriel remarked, realizing there couldn’t possibly be a left door on the right.

“Smartass.”

Laughing quietly, Azriel found an empty bedroom and decided to stay there as well. Not that he was keen on wandering around the dark house in search of another room. Plus, the prospect of staying with Eris was far more appealing. So, after undressing and settling under the blanket, Azriel comfortably wrapped his arms around Eris from behind, pressing his nose into the crook of his neck and inhaling the scent of alcohol, charcoal, and that now-familiar cologne.

tag list: @sizzlingstarlightsky @isnotwhatyourethinking @molcat07 @chairofchaos @lilah-asteria

#eris vanserra #acotar #azris #azris fanfiction #azriel shadowsinger #azriel #azris supremacy #modernau

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workingclasshistory · 2 years ago

Photo

On this day, 30 April 2022 food delivery couriers working for the Deliveroo app in Dubai went on strike, shutting down the app, and defying a ban on strikes in the United Arab Emirates. The drivers were facing a pay cut from $2.79 per delivery down to $2.38. The UK-based firm, backed by tech giant Amazon, also intended to increase the length of the working day up to 14 hours per day. The workers, all of whom were migrants from South Asia, remained on strike until May 2 when the company agreed to abandon both proposed changes. The following week, riders for delivery service Talabat also walked out demanding a pay increase. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7946/dubai-deliveroo-strike Pictured: a photograph of the strike taken by one of the workers, Asad Mirza https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=617520733754479&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

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genshin-impact-updates · 2 years ago

Text

"Duel! The Summoners' Summit!" Version 3.7 Update Details

Dear Travelers,

Below are the details of the Version 3.7 update "Duel! The Summoners' Summit!" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems per hour the servers are down)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Scope of Compensation〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 or above before 2023/05/24 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please claim before the end of Version 3.7.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 or above before 2023/05/24 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please claim the compensation mail before 2023/05/27 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins 2023/05/24 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PS5™ and PS4™: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the OPTIONS button and select "Check for Update."

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Character

4-Star Character "Cat Upon the Eaves" Kirara (Dendro)

◇ Vision: Dendro

◇ Weapon: Sword

◇ A courier for Komaniya Express, a delivery company in Inazuma. A nekomata who loves her job and human society.

◆ Elemental Skill "Meow-teor Kick"

◆ Kirara can deal AoE Dendro DMG while also temporarily applying Dendro to herself, creating the Shield of Safe Transport. When obtaining a new Shield of Safe Transport, the Shields will be stacked, and the duration will be reset. Holding the Elemental Skill will have Kirara enter the Urgent Neko Parcel state. When in this state, Kirara's movement speed, climbing speed, and jumping power are all increased, and her Stamina Consumption from climbing is increased. She will deal Dendro DMG to opponents she crashes into.

◆ Elemental Burst "Secret Art: Surprise Dispatch"

◆ Kirara uses the Special Delivery Package on opponents, dealing AoE Dendro DMG. After the Special Delivery Package explodes, it will split up into many Cat Grass Cardamoms that will explode either upon contact with opponents or after a period of time, dealing Dendro DMG.

II. New Equipment

New Weapon

Ibis Piercer (4-Star Bow)

The character's Elemental Mastery will increase by 40 within 6s after Charged Attacks hit opponents. Max 2 stacks. This effect can be triggered once every 0.5s.

◆ Ibis Piercer (Bow) and its refinement materials can be redeemed in the "Duel! The Summoners' Summit!" event.

III. New Main Story

1. New Story Quest

Yoimiya's Story Quest - Carassius Auratus Chapter: Act II "Star-Pickers' Passage"

Permanently available after the Version 3.7 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter III: Act V "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises"

• Complete Raiden Shogun's Story Quest - Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act II "Transient Dreams"

• Complete World Quest "The World of Aranara" from Aranyaka: Part II "Dream Nursery"

2. New Hangout Event:

Hangout Event: Kaveh - Act I "The Pendulum of Weal and Woe"

Permanently available after the Version 3.7 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter III: Act V "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises"

• Complete Alhaitham's Story Quest - Vultur Volans Chapter: Act I "The Illusions of the Mob"

IV. New Genius Invokation TCG Update

1. New Cards and Duelists

◆ New Character Cards: Venti, Zhongli, Raiden Shogun, Nahida, Shenhe, Tartaglia, Amber, Hu Tao, Yae Miko, Xiao, and their corresponding Talent Cards.

◆ New Character Cards: Cryo Cicin Mage, Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames, Electro Hypostasis, and their corresponding Talent Cards. Their Tavern Challenges have also been added.

◆ Numerous Action Cards have been added which can be purchased from Prince at The Cat's Tail.

◆ New invitation duels and Guest Challenges added to the Player List.

◆ Added 20 new Open World Players. Reach Player Level 9 to unlock 10 new Open World Players, and reach Player Level 10 to unlock the other 10 Open World Players.

2. The Forge Realm's Temper

When the "The Forge Realm's Temper" event is open, you can select stages to challenge.

In each stage, you can configure the difficulty of different parameters. Adjustable parameters include: stage difficulty, the health of opponents, and the number of rounds to complete the challenge within.

Each set of parameters has corresponding points that will be obtained for completing the challenge.

After completing the challenge, points will be obtained based on the difficulty selected for each parameter. The best score obtained for each stage will be recorded, and will allow you to claim rewards that correspond to certain scores.

3. Arena of Champions

◇ Unlock Criteria: Unlocks when Player Level reaches 4

The Arena of Champions will open on the 1st and the 16th of each month. Challenge records from previous seasons will be cleared at the start of each new season.

Players will be matched with opponents of appropriate skill at the start of each challenge.

Obtain 5 victories to complete an Arena of Champions challenge attempt. 3 defeats will result in a failed challenge attempt.

If your challenge is successful, the Character Cards in the deck used will be recorded in the Character Honors record for that season.

Up to 9 records can be saved for the Arena of Champions. After 9 records have been saved, saving a new record will delete a previous saved record, beginning with the oldest.

Up to 10 records can be saved for challenge decks. After 10 records have been saved, saving a new record will delete an old record, beginning with the deck record with the fewest victories or the oldest record.

◇ Genius Invokation TCG Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 32 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest "Song of the Dragon and Freedom"

V. Other Additions

New Recipe:

○ Kirara's specialty: "Energizing Bento"

New Achievements added to the "Memories of the Heart" category

New Namecards:

"Kirara: Neko Box": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Kirara

"Travel Notes: Secrets": Reward obtained via the BP system

Added some prompts for loading screens.

Added Set 23 of "Paimon's Paintings" chat emojis.

Added Gadget Quickswap Function: After adding Gadgets to the Quickswap Menu, hold the Gadget icon to quickswap Gadgets. The Quickswap Menu can contain 4 Gadgets.

Spiral Abyss

Floor 11 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

• All party members' Normal Attack DMG increased by 50%.

Updated the monster lineup on Floor 11 of the Spiral Abyss.

Updated the monster lineup on Floor 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

Starting from the first time that the Lunar Phase refreshes after updating to Version 3.7, the three Lunar Phases will be as follows:

Phase I:

Drumming Moon

After the character's Normal Attack hits an opponent, this opponent will be afflicted with a Sign of Snaring. After 3s, the Sign will be removed, dealing True DMG to this opponent. After a character's Normal Attack hits an opponent with a Sign of Snaring, the DMG dealt by the Sign's removal will be increased. This DMG can be increased for no more than 9 times.

Phase II:

Potent Moon

After the active character's Normal Attacks hit opponents, the DMG dealt by this character will increase by 12% for 2s. This effect can stack up to 5 times. Each stack's duration is counted independently. This effect can be triggered once every 0.05s. This effect will be canceled when the character leaves the field.

Phase III:

Willowy Moon

After the character's Normal Attack hits an opponent, the Physical or Elemental RES of this opponent will decrease by 6% for 2s, matching the Attribute of that attack. This can stack up to 6 times. RES decreases of different types can co-exist, and their stacks and timers will be independent of each other.

〓Adjustments & Optimizations〓

● Genius Invokation TCG

Optimizes the icons generated by Normal Attack "Frostflake Arrow" of Character Card "Ganyu" and Combat Status "Sparks 'n' Splash" of Character Card "Klee."

Optimizes the defeat menu presentation in Genius Invokation TCG.

Optimizes certain description texts and punctuation in Genius Invokation TCG.

Changes the status name "Normal State" of the card "Winged Dendroshroom" to "Aerial Superiority" in Genius Invokation TCG challenge.

Optimizes the effects described of Combat Status "Inspiration Field" for the Character Card "Bennett" in Genius Invokation TCG: After Bennett equips "Grand Expectation," the DMG increase requirements of "Inspiration Field" will be changed from "If this character has at least 7 HP" to being always active. The description of the "Inspiration Field" created by Bennett with "Grand Expectation" equipped is different from one created by Bennett with "Grand Expectation" unequipped.

Adjusts the effects of the Talent Card "Undivided Heart" used by Character Card "Ganyu" in Genius Invokation TCG: Ganyu will no longer get the +1 Cryo DMG effect after equipping this card.

Adjusts the number of charges required and DMG dealt by the Elemental Burst of Character Card "Ganyu" in Genius Invokation TCG: The number of charges has been increased from 2 to 3 and the Cryo DMG dealt has been increased from 1 to 2. The other effects of this Character Card remain unchanged.

Adjusts Elemental Skill Hydro DMG dealt by the Character Card "Fatui Mirror Maiden" in Genius Invokation TCG: "Deals 3 Hydro DMG..." is now adjusted to "Deals 2 Hydro DMG...".

Adjusts the effect and description for Summon "Ushi" summoned by the Character Card "Arataki Itto": "When your active character receives DMG, Arataki Itto gains Superlative Superstrength" is now "When your character takes DMG, Arataki Itto gains Superlative Superstrength."

Adjusts Event Card "Send Off" in Genius Invokation TCG: "Choose one Summon on the opposing side and destroy it" is now "Choose one Summon on the opposing side and cause it to lose usages by 2."

Adjusts the effect of the Equipment Card "Lithic Spear" in Genius Invokation TCG: Now even defeated characters will be included in the calculations.

When your Character Cards include "Maguu Kenki," all non-Cryo Elemental Dice will be used first for Elemental Tuning and playing your hand in Genius Invokation TCG.

Adds rules and descriptions relating to concepts such as "Defeated," "Food," "Calculation Order," "Charged Attack," and "Plunging Attack" for Genius Invokation TCG.

Adjusts the description detailing "Charged Attack" in Genius Invokation TCG. After the update, the description is as follows: Before your Action Phase, should the total number of your Elemental Dice be even, your Normal Attack will be considered a Charged Attack.

Adjusts the "Other Rules" tab in Genius Invokation TCG Rules into the "Other Rules" and "Special Entry" tabs.

Invitation Duels will now take place in the all new Invitation Duel Room for Genius Invokation TCG.

● Audio

Optimizes the sound effects for character footsteps when they walk across different surfaces.

Optimizes the sound performance of certain quest NPCs.

Optimizes the English, Korean, and Japanese voice-overs for certain characters along with the English and Japanese voice-overs for certain quests.

Adjusts the Korean voice-over related to certain items.

Optimizes the music switching performance when skipping the cutscene animations of Trounce Domain "The Realm of Beginnings."

● System

In the "Adventurer Handbook," "Commissions" and "Embattle" tabs now support pushing the right gyroscope on the controller to view more of the text.

Upgrades the background blur function in the "Paimon Menu > Take Photo" system.

Adds voice lines of the Elemental Skills of "Sprout of Rebirth" Collei (Dendro), "Treasure of Dream Garden" Dori (Electro), and "Admonishing Instruction" Alhaitham (Dendro) in their "Profile / Voice-Over" pages.

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Genius Invokation TCG

Fixes an issue in Genius Invokation TCG whereby when Keqing is Frozen and a Lightning Stiletto is used to switch the active character to Keqing, her skill could be abnormally used.

Fixed an issue in Genius Invokation TCG in which equipping the Talent Card "Grand Expectation" to "Bennett" would result in bonus damage being erroneously applied to his Elemental Burst if his own Inspiration Field was already active and Bennett's HP was less than 7.

● Enemies

Fixes an issue under certain circumstances whereby when challenging the boss Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, the Neo Akasha Terminal is rendered unable to attack as normal.

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, there was a chance that the boss "Iniquitous Baptist" would abnormally enter a paralyzed state when only a single Elemental Shield had been broken.

Fixes an issue of erroneous display when defeating the boss "Guardian of Apep's Oasis" in Co-Op Mode.

Fixes an issue whereby the enemy "Ruin Drake's" head might abnormally change directions when Ruin Drake is in a Frozen state.

Fixes an issue whereby when an Anemo Specter was defeated, there would be a small chance that the DMG AoE was not in line with its displayed special effects.

● Quests

Fixes an issue with certain Archon Quests whereby there were issues with abnormal color display of elements on clothing for NPC Aether and NPC Lumine.

Fixes an issue regarding the absent voice-overs for certain NPCs in Gavireh Lajavard after completing the World Quest "Khvarena of Good and Evil."

● Characters

Fixes an issue whereby the Stormeye created by Venti's Elemental Burst can abnormally be destroyed by the boss Guardian of Apep's Oasis's aftershocks of the apocalypse attack.

Fixes an issue under certain circumstances whereby there is a small chance that after "Eons Adrift" Wanderer (Anemo) uses his Elemental Skill, he will abnormally contact other Elements or be unable to properly contact Hydro.

Fixes an issue whereby when "Verdant Strider" Tighnari (Dendro) uses his Elemental Burst, the in-game camera can have a small chance of working abnormally when playing on PlayStation®.

Fixes an issue whereby when "Coordinates of Clear Frost" Mika (Cryo) performs his Charged Attack, should the attack be canceled with a sprint, the special effect for a hit being made will be triggered.

Fixes an issue whereby in some cases, when a character switches outfits, you will be unable to switch over to said character.

Fixes an issue whereby in some cases, after a character defeats an opponent through Elemental Reactions, when they run into the same opponent again, animations of the opponent being defeated will be abnormally displayed.

Fixes an issue whereby Lisa's pupils are displayed abnormally after changing into her outfit "A Sobriquet Under Shade."

Fixes an issue whereby after Ganyu unleashes an Elemental Burst, some special effects within a certain AoE will abnormally appear to be transparent.

Fixes an issue whereby in Version 3.6 when Gorou uses his Elemental Skill, relevant special effects on the ground would display abnormally.

Fixes an issue whereby, under certain circumstances, if Baizhu is interrupted while casting a Charged Attack, his next Charged Attack would have a chance to trigger the interrupted Charged Attack as an extra hit.

Fixes an issue when in the Open World while Co-Op Mode is active, after teammates teleport elsewhere, some characters' effects that should affect other party members are still abnormally effective even from a vast distance away.

● System

Fixes an issue whereby the description texts of some items in "Archive > Materials" were not fully displayed.

Fixes an issue of abnormal display of weapon type in the character details page under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, while conducting the Mystic Offering, there was a chance that the crafted Artifacts would be abnormally selected as the next batch of materials.

Fixes an issue whereby the Shortcut Wheel could be opened abnormally while taking photos.

Fixes an issue in the Characters > Talents page whereby pupils of "Chivalric Blossom" Noelle (Geo) abnormally quiver.

Fixes an issue whereby there is a chance that an abnormal progress calculation might occur to the Achievement "Performance May Decline in Low Temperatures."

Fixes an issue whereby the Achievement "Deja Vu!" could not be accomplished. Travelers who encountered this problem can retry the challenge after the update to obtain said Achievement.

Fixes an issue of the absence of special effects of the weapon "Staff of Homa" when the Graphic Quality is set as "Lowest."

● Audio

Fixes issues with the "Character" interface in which the voice-overs for certain characters cannot be exited and aren't interrupted as normal when switching between characters.

Fixes an issue of missing sound effects in some objects.

● Other

Fixes an issue whereby when using an Android device to play the game, after some characters use their Elemental Skills or Elemental Bursts, the visuals will start flickering.

Fixes an issue whereby starting the game on certain Android devices causes abnormal sounds to trigger.

Fixes an issue in Co-Op mode whereby there is a chance of encountering abnormal challenge totals when the host player is engaging in the "Percussive Prancing Mushrooms" World Challenge in the "Realm of Farakhkert."

Fixes an issue whereby in certain situations, Hydro applications on characters or opponents will not clear as normal.

Fixes an issue whereby the tail model of Tent Tortoise (Wildlife) would display abnormally.

Fixes a text error in the item "Ancient Journal."

Fixes an issue with the description text of Baizhu's Passive Talent "All Things Are of the Earth" for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Turkish, and Italian.

Text before: "Aggravate and Spread reaction DMG dealt by these characters will be increased by 0.8%."

Text after: "And will increase the DMG Bonus provided by Aggravate and Spread by 0.8%."

Fixes some text errors in 15 languages and optimizes text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.)

Text-related fixes and optimizations in English include:

◆ Optimizes descriptions related to characters in Artifact cards in Genius Invokation TCG.

◆ Optimizes instances of terms "Candace: Grey Heron" to "Candace: Gray Heron," "Tamanooya's Casket" to "Tamakushi Casket," "Nakatani" to "Fujita," and "Eiko" to "Etsuko."

◆ Optimizes the description of Dehya's specialty "Goldflame Tajine."

◆ Optimizes consistency regarding descriptions of characters' talents that produce different effects depending on whether used by tapping/pressing or holding.

◆ Optimizes text of Mika's Character Story 4.

◆ Optimizes descriptions of certain emojis.

◆ Optimizes description of Skyward Pride's effect.

◆ Optimizes some lines in the Story Quest "Lotos Somno Chapter: Act I."

◆ Optimizes some of Mona and Noelle's lines in the Serenitea Pot.

◆ Optimizes some of Paimon's lines in the Archon Quest "Caribert" and the Story Quest "Leo Minor Chapter: Act I."

◆ Optimizes some of Tighnari's voice-overs and Archon Quest lines.

◆ Optimizes Qiqi's idle voice-over.

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

"PlayStation", "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #genshin impact news #official #genshin impact 3.7 #this is from a hot minute ago but that's what they just added lol

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oops-prow-did-it-again · 1 year ago

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Why You Should Rethink DoorDash, and Other Courier Apps: From a Driver Based in the USA

So this is part rant and part psa. I have been doing delivery work as a gig driver for DoorDash for years bc of various personal circumstances. I'm hoping to get a CDL in the near future so I can move on to a better job, but that's besides the point for right now. Further disclaimer: I only know the intricacies of DD. I do not know how precisely GrubHub, Uber Eats, etc, work, but I presume they work much the same, since I see the same complaints come from those services too.

This is in no particular order but please, if you have the time, please read it through. I'll preface this by saying I am not going to be rude or bitchy about customers or merchants here, this isn't just me whining, I'm just trying to give a level recount of my experiences with DD, and often, they are just... Not great experiences, unfortunately.

I don't know how many people realize this, but drivers get offered a base pay of $2.00-$2.50 per delivery, depending on the area. This is all DoorDash HAS to pay a driver. Every time you submit an order via DD, it gets spit out onto drivers' apps with that base pay + tip displayed. Meaning if you do not tip, every driver sees only $2-$2.50 to deliver your order. Sometimes, if enough drivers decline an order enough times, the DD algorithm will start to slowly raise the base offered pay... by about $0.25-$1 per round depending on the mileage it takes to deliver that order. This means if you do not tip, your order will most likely be extremely delayed, or bundled with another order, which will make it late, and your food cold.

**Emphasizing this: although I find low tips frustrating, I am NOT personally faulting anyone for not tipping.** DD should just pay their drivers, and it shouldn't be up to you, especially bc ordering delivery is so damn expensive. But I'm telling you this bc they certainly don't advertise it, and many people in my experience are shocked by now little it pays. Many drivers will not accept an offer that's less than $1-$1.50/mi. This means if your restaurant is 8mi away from you, and DD pays the minimum $2, you need to be tipping at least $6-$10 for most drivers to even consider it, or else it will be sitting for a long time or get bundled with a double delivery (more chances for mistakes + takes longer for the food to get to you).

Furthermore, in certain localities, DD offers an hourly rate for its drivers. This sounds good on paper, but keep in mind that this does not include gas money, and only accounts for the time from a delivery being accepted to the time it is dropped off. If you are delivering in suburbs or, god forbid, rural areas, you will spend a lot of time not making money but still burning gas returning from a home to where restaurants are so you can get your next delivery. While the app may say something impressive like $14-$17.25/hr, in reality, it's usually half that or less when you factor in downtime.

DD orders are also exorbitantly more expensive than if you buy directly from the merchant because DD charges the merchant 15-30% of the menu price to use their platform, and the merchants pass this on, usually plus a little extra, to you. This is before you even consider "delivery fees," which are not paid to drivers and are pretty much exclusively pocketed by DD. Also, DD will often choose a store farther away from you (so, say, a McDonald's that's 5mi away from you as opposed to the one that's 1mi away) specifically so they can charge more on fees. *Sometimes* this is just bc the closer store isn't enrolled in DD, but oftentimes, it isn't.

ADDENDUM ON THIS, HOWEVER: If you are ordering directly from a merchant that you know does not have actual in-house drivers, but is offering delivery anyway, like Wendy's or McDonald's, understand that these merchants are going to send these deliveries through to DD or Uber Eats. These orders have cryptic names for items on the Dasher's end and often we cannot contact you if there's an issue with your order, because the phone numbers provided to the Dasher's app never work. If you know for certain the merchant has its own delivery team (most pizza places, Chick-fil-A, Panera, etc), please order delivery directly through them, but if you know they do not (Wendy's, McDonald's), DO NOT ORDER delivery through their apps. It displays poorly on the drivers end and is often more expensive and a less ideal experience for you.

DD does offer DashPass, a subscription service that, for $9.99/mo, says it slashes delivery fees and other costs. Not really; the amount you pay in DashPass, especially the longer you have it, often exceeds the fees you would pay if you simply bought orders without DashPass. Also, it will advertise at you constantly via notifications and emails which will make you more likely to spend more on delivery that you wouldn't have in the first place, further eroding whatever savings you'd gain from DashPass.

DoorDash also can do a thing where they enroll stores in their platform without that store's permission. These orders require Dashers to use a red card, a notoriously buggy debit card that is supposed to get loaded with the amount of money it takes to cover the order by DD. The restaurants do not get any extra profits from these, and many store managers would love to prevent this from happening, but it requires legal action that is infeasible for most stores to do on their own. This causes friction and conflicts between store managers and drivers, delays for the customers, and solely profits DD.

DD ***does not*** reimburse for any amount of gas or car repair costs. Instead, they offer a company debit card which has tons of hidden fees for their drivers, and gives a small % cashback on gas. It is an overwhelmingly bad deal, but they use it as a shield against accusations that they don't support drivers against the cost of gas. They do...but only if you let them be your bank. Otherwise, you get your pay the Tuesday after the week you worked, or you can cash out immediately via the FastPay feature - for a $1.99 fee out of the money you earned.

DD support teams (and I know this is not unique by any measure to DD but it feels worth mentioning) are based in Taiwan, I believe, as well. I have absolutely nothing against the support teams, for they are doing the best with what they have, but DD absolutely weaponizes language barriers and the difficulty in communication to try to silence customers and dashers alike when there is a problem. DD seems to hope that if you get frustrated enough trying to talk to support (once again, not the workers' faults, the call center is absolutely being exploited too, I just don't have firsthand enough experience with that work to talk about the specifics of how), you will simply give up and not bother trying to seek a refund or half pay.

On that note, if a delivery has to be canceled for whatever reason, your driver will not get paid regardless of the time they spent on it. Very very rarely they will give "half pay," which is half of the promised payout, but only if you were on the delivery for an excessive length of time (i.e., 1+ hours).

Furthermore, if a delivery is marked as undelivered, DD will issue a contract violation against the driver. It is then up to the driver to submit proof that they completed the delivery, via pictures or video evidence, even though DD tracks our phones the entire time we are delivering and should be able to see if we were there or not. **New drivers are not properly warned about this,** so oftentimes when you have a "hand it to the customer" delivery, drivers don't think to take pictures or videos, and dashcams are expensive, not everyone has one. It is extremely hard to argue your way out of a contract violation if you do not have proof.

If you get 3 or more contract violations, you will be immediately suspended from the platform, and 2 puts you at risk of it. If you complete 100 deliveries without incident since the one that gave you the violation, it *will* just go away... But this is a subtle tactic used to scare drivers into taking more (usually very badly paying) orders, because they fear deactivation.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to get a refund, if you legitimately did not receive your order. But please, try contacting your driver directly before you contact support, and if you must contact support, really consider whether someone losing a job, even if it a side gig, is worth the amount of money you spent. You can often just lie and tell DD the order is completely wrong and they'll refund it without punishing the driver, as that's seen as a merchant error.

Also, I don't think many customers realize this: we CANNOT see delivery instructions before we accept a delivery, and they are difficult to see until after the delivery is picked up (as they are only available on a floating widget badge). If you ask for extra sauces or other things in the delivery instructions, 9 times out of 10 we will not see it until we are already on the road and headed to you. Please don't hate drivers for this; most of the drivers I've seen are more than happy to do whatever you want! But msg us via the app, DO NOT use the delivery instructions. Delivery instructions is for instructions on how to find your house or apartment if the numbers aren't very visible, or telling us to call you instead of come to your door when we arrive, that sort of thing. In fact, please be as descriptive as possible for the delivery instructions on this front- if you're ordering from a business, tell us the business name. If you're ordering from an apt, tell us the apartment complex name. If you're ordering from a house, tell us the color of your house or the cars in the driveway. It's all very helpful!

One last thing before I wrap this up: safety. Delivering is an extremely dangerous job. Pizza delivery, for example, is one of the most dangerous professions, and DD's safety features are even worse than those places. DD has implemented a feature for you to contact 911 via the Dasher app in emergencies, but often, this would still be too late. DD does NOT vet the areas for safety that they release the platform into, and there is no real recourse for violent customers aside from talking to support, which takes time and often won't communicate the issue effectively. Sometimes this works, and customers will rarely get banned from Doordash if they threaten, harass, or injure a driver. But the vast majority of these cases go unreported.

Loose dogs and carjacking are also major problems. Customers failing to notify other people in their households that they ordered delivery has led to me being threatened before. I've had people answer the door in their underwear. I had someone try to invite me into his house while wearing nothing but briefs. I had someone step out of their pickup truck carrying two rifles directly in front of me right before I delivered to their house once. I've had dogs nearly bite me - thankfully none have, I'm luckier than many others, but it's still a significant risk. A lot of people seem to trust their dogs when they really should not.

All of this, for $2.25 in base pay + a few dollars in tips.

I really do love delivering, and I do appreciate the freedom DD gives me in choosing my work schedule right now. However, the compensation is woefully bad, the company scams merchants, customers, and drivers alike, and the working conditions are very unsafe.

Idk how many people here really use DD, or what in particular can even be done about most of these issues, but I hope this enlightened some folks.

#doordash #dd #gig economy #gig work #gig #uber eats #grubhub #delivery #driving #psa #rant #vent

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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A small group of protesters stand on the side of a roundabout opposite Brussels’ oak-framed Europa building, which is glowing in the dark. Despite the heavy rain, the group is here to direct their anger at the politicians, who are inside, deciding the future of Europe’s gig economy. In case their chants can’t be heard over the noise of passing traffic, the demonstrators have also printed their message onto a banner. It reads: “Don’t Let Uber Make the Law.”

Among the crowd are Camille Peeters, Marcus Haunold, and Felipe Corredor. The three men work for different companies and live in different countries—in Belgium, Austria, and Spain, respectively. But their experiences working as couriers for some of Europe’s most popular food delivery platforms have led them to the same conclusion. Platforms are taking advantage of their workers, they claim, and now those same companies are attempting to sabotage new rules that were supposed to fix the gig economy’s problems.

“Something has to change, because the current situation is really bad for most platform workers,” says Haunold, who has spent the past five years working for Foodora in Vienna, a food delivery app owned by Berlin-based Delivery Hero. As a “free employee,” a special category of worker in Austria, he is entitled to paid sick leave only after three days of being ill, and he does not receive holiday allowance. He says he’s finding it increasingly difficult to make a living in the gig economy, and in the past year he has started working for a second platform, a delivery service called Wolt, to make ends meet. (Alexander Gaied, chief operating officer at Foodora Austria, disputes the claim that conditions on the platform are getting worse and says riders’ pay per hour has increased 10 percent since January.)

When EU officials first suggested new rules to regulate the gig economy two years ago, Haunold was hopeful that his job was about to change for the better. Negotiations between EU officials over what exactly those rules, known as the Platform Work Directive, should include have been beset by infighting. Trade unionists and labor activists say that’s because the debate has been heavily influenced by Uber.

“I'm very worried,” says Leïla Chaibi, a French member of the European Parliament representing the Left group, who attended the protest. “Uber is using all the tools they can use in order to destroy the directive.”

Uber spokesperson Casper Nixon did not directly address allegations the company is trying to sabotage the rules, which are still being finalized. “The Platform Work Directive as drafted might cost genuine independent [workers] their protections, jobs and flexibility,” he says. “Like any company, we regularly engage with European policymakers to share our experiences and position on regulation that impacts our business, drivers, couriers, and consumers.”

By 2025, the EU predicts more than 40 million of its residents will work for digital platforms, carrying out tasks such as food delivery, taxi driving, babysitting, caring for the elderly, or data entry. That will make the number of people in the platform labor force larger than the population of Poland, the EU’s fifth-largest country. The new EU platform work rules were intended to better balance the interests of platforms and workers by setting clear guidelines on the use of algorithmic managers, as well as the gig economy’s most contentious issue: workers’ employment status. Right now, millions of platform workers exist in a legal gray area, where it is unclear if they are employees, who are entitled to sick pay and pensions, or if they’re self-employed free agents, who are not.

But recently, any optimism that the new rules could offer more certainty has soured. Unions and activist groups representing platform workers are wary of Uber’s influence because the company’s lobbying has been successful before. In California, voters endorsed a 2020 ballot measure that maintained ride-hailing drivers’ status as independent contractors, after a coalition of companies, including Uber, ran a $200 million campaign in support of the measure. Last year, The Guardian and Le Monde reported that Uber forged close ties with French president Emmanuel Macron while he was economy minister, in order to navigate the strong resistance by local taxi drivers and break into the French market. Nixon, Uber’s spokesperson, claims the company’s “engagement” with Macron was not followed by more favorable regulations.

Now platform workers are concerned that Uber is about to repeat past lobbying success in the EU by shaping the new platform work rules. “The lobby has been mega-intense, especially Uber,” says Kim Van Sparrentak, a Dutch Green member of the European Parliament (MEP), who is responsible for monitoring the new platform work rules for her party. “They have lobbied as much as they could to try to avoid this legislation being useful,” says Van Sparrentak, who has been in the room during the negotiations. “Sometimes it feels like you’re negotiating with tech companies rather than member states.”

Both Van Sparrentak and Chaibi say that arguments put forward by Uber—particularly that a directive that automatically classifies platform workers as employees would threaten jobs—have been repeated by other MEPs and representatives of the European Council.

Under EU transparency rules, companies need to declare their lobbying budget. In 2022, Uber’s budget was between €700,000 and €799,999 ($760,300 to $869,300). Since 2019, the company has declared 10 meetings with the EU Commission about the directive and another 10 with MEPs, according to data shared with WIRED by Transparency International EU (TIEU).

WIRED and TIEU analysis found another 30 meetings focused on platform work since 2019, which had taken place between MEPs or Commission officials and organizations that are allowed to lobby on Uber’s behalf. Like many companies, Uber is a member of several lobbying groups, including BusinessEurope and MoveEU. Information in the French lobby register also showed that Uber has been discussing the directive with the highest level of the French government. Representatives of France in the EU did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

“Uber is the 404th-biggest spender in Brussels, and it pales in comparison to other organizations involved in the [Platform Work Directive] debate,” Nixon says.

It’s true that the Transparency Register does not make it seem like Uber is doing huge amounts of lobbying, says Chaibi, the French MEP. “They're doing a lot of lobbying but using other tools.”

This includes funding research and advertising. Chaibi points to a 2021 study on platform work by the consulting firm Accenture, which states it was commissioned by Uber. Another study by consultancy Copenhagen Economics was commissioned the same year by Delivery Platforms Europe, a lobbying group that counts UberEats among its members. Uber was also among a group of five companies that signed a letter published by the Financial Times in June that argued the EU’s platform regulation was taking the wrong approach.

Uber has also been funneling money into online ads. In September, the platform started running a series of Instagram adverts in Belgium, promoting the company’s positive impact on Europe’s economy, according to Meta’s ad library. “Uber provides benefits—parental leave, sick pay, injury cover and more—to all eligible European drivers and couriers,” one ad read, glossing over the debate about who exactly is eligible. “Myths fuel misunderstandings about Uber’s mission and business practices, so it’s time we shared the facts,” read another.

“Our advertising campaign simply puts certified facts about the company in the public domain,” says Uber spokesperson Nixon. “Uber supports a strong and enforceable directive that ensures platform workers maintain the independence they want and receive the protections they deserve, such as minimum wage, holiday and sick pay.”

What’s at stake for Uber with the new rules is the employment classification of its Uber drivers and UberEats couriers. “Classification is the entry point into the whole range of protections, everything from protection against unfair dismissal, through to sick leave, through to parental or maternity leave, through to discrimination protection,” says Jeremias Adams-Prassl, a law professor at the University of Oxford. “That's why you can also see the attraction of misclassifying workers. If you misclassify individuals, you can try to avoid all of those obligations.”

Officials are divided about how platform workers should be classified. Many MEPs favor rules that would presume all platform workers are employees—unless the platforms can prove otherwise. But some representatives of EU member states, sitting in the European Council, prefer a system where workers first have to prove they meet a number of criteria before they can challenge their employment status. That’s because member states worry that if the rules are too strict, platforms would respond by shrinking their platform workforce, says Ludovic Voet, confederal secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation. “Some of these countries don't want to confront a business model that might push people out of employment statistics.” Four months after Spain introduced its rider’s law, which mandated that delivery couriers should be considered staff, Deliveroo closed its operations in the country entirely.

Platform workers worry that member states would struggle to enforce whatever new rules the EU passes. Standing in the rain in Brussels, Peeters explains he has worked for UberEats in the city for the past six years. In January, new rules took effect in Belgium that were meant to make it easier for platform workers to be classified as employees. “You know what’s changed? Nothing,” says Peeters. “The price I pay for rent is going up. The price I pay for food is going up. But my [employment] status has stayed the same.” Nixon says Uber complies with all applicable laws wherever it operates. “In Belgium we provide all independent drivers and couriers with free injury, sickness and paternity cover.”

In Spain, the “riders law” has been criticized in some quarters for being ineffective. “The biggest company there, Glovo, is not fulfilling this law for years and years with total impunity,” claims Corredor, who worked as a Deliveroo courier in Spain between 2016 and 2017 and is now an activist for the platform workers group Riders x Derechos. The point of Spain’s riders law was also to force platforms to classify more of their workers as employees. Instead of doing that, Glovo tweaked many of their couriers’ work terms so they could still be classified as independent, according to Corredor. “We are confident that our operating model in Spain, launched in August 2021, meets all regulatory requirements,” says Felix Eggert, spokesperson for Glovo.

For Corredor, this is all part of a bigger battle, where platform workers are battling to fight for the basic rights—minimum wage and maximum working hours—that exist in the rest of the economy. “This is [the platforms’] strategy, using the discourse of innovation and technology to take out these rights,” he claims. “I think this is very problematic.”

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