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Move over chef, my customers just can’t wait
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A DELIVERY man found himself in hot water after he was caught on camera cooking in a restaurant kitchen.
In a video that went viral this week, the man, apparently fed up with the cook’s somewhat languid attitude, took over the wok and started making the dish by himself.
In the yellow uniform and helmet of delivery company Meituan Waimai, he can be seen tossing the food in the air, then stirring it vigorously as smoke billows around him.
The video has been viewed more than 6 million times and has attracted about 2,500 comments.
“He was probably in a hurry because of the need for speed in food delivery,” said one Weibo user.
“He has to both cook and deliver? What a tiring job!” was another comment.
“You can tell he used to be a cook by the way he handles the wok,” wrote another armchair expert.
Meituan Waimai said it is investigating as delivery staff are not allowed in restaurant kitchens.
According to market researcher iiMedia, the online food delivery business was worth 166 billion yuan (US$25 billion) in 2016, up 33 percent from 2015, and is expected to reach 204 billion yuan this year. Meituan Waimai has over 40 percent of the market.
While food delivery comes to the boil in China, poor management and working conditions for delivery staff has left a nasty taste.
According to most delivery companies’ regulations, the food must arrive at hungry customers’ doors within a certain time. If that does not happen, delivery staff are fined. They are also fined if there are any complaints or bad reviews from customers, who usually give immediate feedback on delivery.
This puts a lot of pressure on couriers, like the one in the video, to speed things up. Many take risks in traffic and have been hit by cars, some have even been killed.
In Shanghai, in the first half of 2017 there were 76 traffic accidents involving food deliveries.
In August, a delivery man in east China’s Zhejiang Province went through a red light and crashed into a Rolls-Royce, doing enough damage for the courier to be hospitalized. Fortunately the car owner did not ask for compensation, but did advise the courier to be more careful.
“I often see delivery men riding on sidewalks because they are always in a hurry,” said Zhang Weiqiang, a resident of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Feng Leilei, a delivery man in Beijing, said he receives a minimum monthly wage of 3,000 yuan. For each order he delivers, he gets an extra 6 yuan, but only if there are no complaints or bad feedback.
“If you want the money, you must deliver on time,” Feng said.
“Some customers just cannot wait one extra minute,” said another delivery man Wang Long. “Once I was late and the customer not only refused the food, but also filed a complaint against me.”
Wang said it takes time to wait for the food to be cooked and, during rush hours, they have to go on sidewalks or take shortcuts.
“Customers should be understanding of the delivery men’s problems,” said Beijing resident Pu Xiao.
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