28% of Food Delivery Drivers 'Violate Their Sacred Duty'

See fewer fries than normal in your fast-food delivery order? The restaurant might not be to blame. Food delivery drivers "violate their sacred duty by taking some of the food!" according to foodservice distributor US Foods, which surveyed 500 drivers as well as 1,500 American users of food delivery apps like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. It found 28% of drivers admitted to munching on customers' food; 54% said they were tempted by the delicious aroma, per USA Today and CBS News. Some 21% of customers suspected a driver of sneaking food at some point and 85% would like to see tamper-evident packaging used by restaurants.

But drivers have their own complaints. Three in five said they were consistently irritated by customers leaving little or no tip. New York Times reporter Andy Newman knows the feeling, having recently delivered burritos by bike. "For almost two-thirds of my 43 deliveries, I got no tip" though "the apps’ pay structure leaves riders dependent on tips to make a living wage," he writes. Slightly more than half of drivers also complained about food not being ready for pickup on time, while almost 40% said customers left unclear instructions or didn't answer the phone. Customers, meanwhile, complained food wasn't warm of fresh (17%) or was delivered late (16%).