Thread by @aumvats

Last week, I took on a new project at hand - Understanding the rider's journey in the Q-comm. industry.

I spent a week delivering orders for @ZeptoNow and @letsblinkit , and here are some insights and potential improvements both of them could make.

Before diving deep, a brief note:

While Zepto scores higher for its store conditions (based on my observations at the dark store visited), the overall rider experience at Blinkit seems more mature.

This maturity likely stems from Blinkit’s integration within the larger @zomato (now Eternal) business ecosystem.

(Last two images are from the local Blinkit store)

When an order is placed, it is packed by a team of packers and is ready for pickup at a designated area (called Pigeon Hole).

The rider swiftly collects the order within a minute, verifies items, and marks it as "ready to deliver." The rider then receives the customer’s name and address. Notably, phone numbers are not disclosed to riders, which is commendable (I confirmed with the store in charge by portraying a fake scenario1 that I needed it, but was essentially denied under any circumstances)👍

Suggestions: One thing Zepto could do to shave off 50 seconds is replace Bar-codes with QR-codes, just to increase scanning efficiency.

Blinkit needs to fix this a lot: there’s not much clear indication in-app or at the store pickup. No cross-checking of the order being picked up either. @albinder

One issue that I did come across while delivering with @ZeptoNow was erroneous distance calculations.

The attached order details below show I've been compensated for 1.4km while the actual distance was 3.5km, I tried asking the store in charge but received no response.

Blinkit was fairly accurate in these terms.

I tried checking it with ChatGPT and it might be due to ithe mplementation of the Google Maps API (response attached).

Maybe someone from the Zepto team might confirm this?

Zepto required me to submit proof of delivery before handing off the final order, and riders appreciated it as well.

While Blinkit doesn't have it, riders were indifferent to it as well. However, I see a lot of messages in the local Blinkit riders group that are proofs of delivery being sent by riders for orders incases where they had to submit it someplace or asked to leave at the doorstep.

Maybe it's time to implement the feature? @albinder

Late-night deliveries proved enjoyable - calmer roads, pleasant weather, and less stress.

However, an urgent safety concern is protection from stray dogs, particularly after 10-11 PM. On three occasions, I narrowly escaped dog bites - a common issue echoed by other riders. Had I captured some pics, it would’ve been great, but I was busy saving myself lol.

@ZeptoNow store staff humorously commented on the ineffectiveness of injury claim processes:

“Are koi claim approve nahi hota hai, aur agar hota hai bhi toh itna time lagta hai ki tum theek ho kar ghar bhi aa jaoge.”

Translation:

"Claims rarely get approved, and by the time they do (if), you’re already healed and back home."

While the validity of this claim could not be verified personally, both platforms should prioritize such issues immediately.

For deliveries post-10 PM, platforms could:

- Indicate stray dog presence based on rider feedback.

- Include gate numbers and specify gates open 24x7 in customer addresses to assist navigation, reducing reliance on late-night customer calls.

@albinder @ZeptoNow @letsblinkit @v0hra @aadit_palicha

Blinkit has reporting features for poor roads and unsafe areas, which Zepto lacks entirely.

Suggestion: Blinkit could make this feature more prominent. Given customer order frequency (5-10), Blinkit could soon accumulate valuable data on road conditions. Post its rebranding to Eternal and its recent B2B AI Customer Platform launch, Blinkit (via Zomato/Eternal) could leverage this data for a potential venture into navigation services.

What do you say? @albinder @deepigoyal 😉

Blinkit store staff did ask me to follow a dress code: Blinkit t-shirts, full-length pants, and shoes. Zepto’s, however, did not emphasize dress code. Blinkit provided a t-shirt immediately after my first delivery, whereas the Zepto store manager informed me of a two-week wait.

Blinkit even has a fleet coach whom I can call for any help, and they conduct regular meetings so one can directly talk to them for questions regarding offers, earnings and even tips to maximise earnings. Zepto doesn’t have anything like such.

This concludes my observations from actively experiencing rider operations. Overall, the experience is good; there may be small caveats for improvements, but one has to appreciate the amount of work these companies have put in to make everything possible.

Incase you liked this, you can read it as a newsletter as well.
maybeeureka.substack.com/p/blinkit-zept…

If you liked reading this, maybe you could upvote it to make it the Project of the Week on @Peerlist .

peerlist.io/aumvats/projec…

Update

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