Dedicated to listening to rider feedback, and providing a collaborative working environment to deliver more to its riders, Deliveroo today announced the launch of it’s first-ever Hong Kong Riders Forum, an initiative set to take place quarterly with Hong Kong General Manager and the operation Team.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many Hong Kongers have had to cope with job losses across the city, with the current unemployment rate hitting over 6% since April this year. As many struggle to find new ways to make an income, Deliveroo is hard at work to make room amongst its fleet and help offset the rising numbers of unemployed Hong Kongers. Deliveroo has received over 35,000 rider applications in the first half of 2020 – up more than 100% from application numbers in H1 2019. As COVID-19 continues to impact businesses and day-to-day life in the city, rider applications have continued to grow. Deliveroo’s rider onboarding strategy is designed to match estimated growth in demand to rider numbers, to ensure protection of riders’ earnings. Since January, Deliveroo has added over 3,000 riders taking the firm’s total rider fleet from 4,000 in December 2019 to more than 7,000 today.
With the increase in rider fleet, Deliveroo is dedicated to exploring new ways of listening and communicating with their riders. Being held for the first time in late August, the 2 hour-long Riders Forum was held virtually due to COVID-19, and focused on providing Deliveroo Riders with a space to voice their opinions directly. Throughout the session, riders asked questions about the company and their concerns on their overall delivery experience, provided feedback, as well as the general sentiments of the fleet as they see it, to the company. Issues discussed include orders assignment, restaurant wait time, support given by rider operations and the customer service team, and Deliveroo expansion plan in Hong Kong. Deliveroo’s Rider Forum is the first of its kind among the city’s food delivery apps, a testament to Deliveroo’s commitment to actively engaging with riders and providing a progressive working environment.
To ensure diversity among the participants in The Riders Forum, Deliveroo has chosen 15 riders who expressed interest in participating in the event. Gathering input from a broad scope of riders and walkers across a range of districts, whether they drive a motorcycle, ride a bike or walk to deliver meals, Deliveroo is committed to hearing from a vast amount of voices. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss issues currently facing the fleet, how to foster stronger communication, and how the overall delivery experience can be improved. After each forum is completed, the discussion notes will then be communicated to the wider fleet of Deliveroo riders. According to the latest monthly rider survey, over 70% of Deliveroo riders are satisfied with how they are able to choose where and when to work with Deliveroo. Deliveroo will continue to make an effort to understand riders’ needs and concerns.
The Riders Forum initiative is part of Deliveroo’s ongoing commitment to providing new enriching programs that provide support for its riders, which have included first aid training from the Red Cross, and with over 60 riders to be trained later this year. Additionally, Deliveroo has provided its riders with a further fuel discount of ~20% in partnership with Shell, at all Hong Kong gas stations (aside from Hong Kong Airport), as well as offering special medical benefits to riders and their families through the virtual insurer Bowtie. Earlier this year, Deliveroo launched the Deliveroo Rider Academy, a virtual online learning space with over 700 courses to help upskill riders and their family members.
Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “The purpose of the Deliveroo Riders Forum is to allow our riders to share their ideas and experiences directly with me, and the rest of our Deliveroo team, and make appropriate strategic and technical adjustments based on what we hear from our riders. That’s why we’ve taken the steps to introduce an initiative that is the first of its kind in Hong Kong’s food delivery industry. We’re proud to offer some buffers for those who have lost their jobs and are in need of earnings to make a living during their transition period, and to hear from both them and our veteran riders.
We are always looking for new ways to improve our riders’ engagement, and so, we felt that the best way to do so was to provide them with an engaging and open space. The Deliveroo Riders Forum has been set up to be a place where riders’ voices are not only heard but also empowered. We want our riders to know that we support them and that everyone’s voice counts. I’m looking forward to being a part of this new initiative to regularly meet our rider partners and finding practical ways to incorporate rider feedback into our overarching strategy.”
Jacky Yan, a Deliveroo cyclist who joined in late February this year and attended the first Riders Forum, said, “I lost my previous job as a buyer for a UK supermarket chain because of COVID-19, but I was able to apply Deliveroo to be a walker (and then became a cyclist later) and earn a living. When Deliveroo informed us that they’d be launching The Rider’s Forum, I was pretty eager to participate in the programme, as I felt it’d be a great opportunity to have my voice heard. While working on your own may come with perks, such as more independence and a flexible schedule, it can also be nice to connect with the management to bounce ideas off each other. The conversation during the first session was very useful covering off the questions we have in mind about the platform’s operations and future plan. I have just started a new full time job last week but I will still be a cyclist delivering Deliveroo orders during weekends or evening time if my schedule allows.”
