You Are Not Your User – Even When You Make Employees Dash
The author is critical of DoorDash’s policy of making all corporate employees do at least one delivery per month, arguing that it is ineffective and potentially harmful. They believe that this policy is “empathy theatre” and does not give employees a proper understanding of what it is like to be a gig worker for DoorDash. Instead, the author suggests that employees should gain insight into the user experience through alternative methods such as shadowing customer service interactions, watching moderated interviews with delivery workers, or arranging occasional ride-along with actual drivers.
The main issue with the policy is that it does not correctly understand what it is like to be a gig worker for DoorDash. They argue that simply doing one delivery a month does not give employees a real sense of being a gig worker. It can lead to the team prioritizing changes that improve the employee’s experience rather than changes that would improve the users’ experiences.
Additionally, the author argues that the policy is inefficient and costly as it provides little insight that cannot be obtained through other research methodologies. The team will not learn much from experience, will not help the person doing the delivery, and will not change how they work. The author suggests that the company should invest in other research methods, such as shadowing customer service interactions or arranging occasional ride-along with actual drivers.
The article is “You Are Not Your User – Even When You Make Employees Dash.“