A DoorDash driver was recently recorded uttering a racial slur towards a customer during a delivery encounter. The incident unfolded as the Black customer was waiting for their food delivery and observed that the driver had persistently rung the doorbell without receiving a response.
Feeling irked, the customer decided to review their home security footage only to discover the driver making racist remarks. Audibly, the driver was caught saying, “I’m not dealing with this n****r,” before leaving the scene without completing the delivery.
The offended customer promptly escalated the matter to DoorDash and circulated the video on social media, where it quickly garnered widespread attention and initiated widespread indignation regarding the driver’s conduct.
DoorDash quickly responded with a statement affirming their stringent non-discrimination policy. They confirmed the termination of the driver’s affiliation with their service and mentioned their ongoing efforts to refund and compensate the affected customer.
“We take the safety and well-being of our community extremely seriously and have no tolerance for discrimination or racism of any kind,” the company stated. “We have removed the Dasher from our platform and are working with the customer to refund their order and provide additional support.”
This incident casts a light on the persistent issues of racism and discrimination within the gig economy, which is marked frequently by precarious job conditions where workers can experience disparate forms of mistreatment from both customers and their contracting companies.
The customer expressed their dismay and anger regarding the occurrence, emphasizing that such an experience was the last thing expected over a simple food delivery.
“I was just expecting to get my food and go about my day, but instead I had to deal with this disgusting and racist behavior,” the customer remarked. “I hope that DoorDash takes this seriously and takes action to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future.”
In light of such events, it is crucial for companies like DoorDash to enforce a robust policy against discrimination and racism, ensuring that all service providers on their platform are treated with the requisite respect and dignity. Additionally, implementing comprehensive training and support could further mitigate such issues, safeguarding both employees and customers from racial discrimination and fostering a more inclusive service environment.
