Riders Improvement - November 2021
At Gorillas, we move fast. On the road as well as in the business. As we expand across international markets and fulfil customer needs within minutes, we want to make sure that we enable our staff to thrive in the best working environment we can give them. And as we move fast, it is our duty to review and examine how we do what we do. Whether this is based on employee feedback, internal audits or external impulses: When we see opportunities to improve things for our staff in the long term, we find ways to implement them.
We have done so in the past when we outlined and followed up on our rider action plan with measures that created lasting improvements such as the strong expansion of our rider support team, the establishing of new feedback channels, or the implementation of weight indication boards in warehouses.
Today, we’re excited to add several meaningful improvements to this list. Some of them we rolled out recently, some we will roll out soon, and others we are currently testing. Here is what we’re doing:
💰 Wage
- Our riders are the heart of our company, and we value their hard work. To additionally reward those who do an outstanding job, we have started a three-month bonus-trial in October in Germany. All riders get paid 4€ per order plus tips – should the added-up hourly wage on average exceed the guaranteed hourly wage. Already in the first month of the trial, 23% of riders in Germany received an average bonus of 325€ for the month.
- In November, we will roll out the trial in the Netherlands as well as other markets.
🎒 Weight
- We started rolling out cargo-bikes as an option for delivering heavy and bulky orders in 15 cities in Germany as well as in other countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium. Additional bikes will be delivered in mid-November.
- We are also currently testing additional options such as bag holders for our bikes across several cities in Germany.
🚲 Bikes
- Since our last update we have ordered multiple latest generation e-bikes to further optimize our fleet. They are sturdier than previous bikes and have been developed specifically for the needs of riders.
- We are happy to also announce that we will additionally receive 1200 latest generation e-bikes optimized for courier rides this month across Germany, France and Italy. The new e-bikes are more robust, more comfortable and more durable than previous models. For example, they have thicker tires to avoid getting stuck in railroad tracks and they include winter gloves directly installed on the handles.
- To ensure the quality of our bikes and to detect defects sooner, we are continuing to have obligatory daily checks of all bikes and our new fleet will be professionally serviced twice a week. It is our safety policy that riders should report any safety issues immediately and never accept or continue to operate a faulty piece of equipment.
🦺 Safety
- Riders need to move safely through the streets and traffic. To ensure they do, we are offering a mandatory DEKRA traffic safety training to all riders. All riders are compensated for the time to complete the training (which should not take longer than two hours).
- We’re not stopping there and have recently updated our onboarding process which now includes various trainings on workplace safety and road rules that are mandatory for all new riders.
- We integrated a safety reminder at the beginning of each shift in our rider app. Each rider is reminded to perform a safety check, before accessing the “on-duty screen”. This feature is currently only available for iOS but will soon be implemented for Android as well. The reminder is also displayed with each order.
- We have made it easier for riders to take their insurance card on each ride. It is now possible to include the card in the rider app. So that, in the rare case an accident does happen, riders can confirm their insurance easily. This update is only for iOS for now but Android is coming very soon.
- As we approach the cold time of the year, we are currently updating our rider kit including jackets, rain gear, neck warmers and winter gloves with touchscreen functionality. Riders working full time will also get a power bank as well as phone holders and protection glasses, as additional safety precautions. We created training sessions to guide riders through these different items, their functionality and how to properly use them on the bikes.
📱 Rider App
- We redesigned the stats section for our riders so that they can see their stats for the last 30 days, giving them a better overview of their rides, tips, and miles. This update is only for iOS for now but Android is coming very soon.
- The rider app now includes a variety of trainings and courses for our riders. Riders are assigned certain training they need to accomplish based on their needs and location in order to be best prepared for their shifts and to ensure the same level of information for riders.
We would like to say thank you to all of those, who continuously share their feedback with us and who have helped us improve and shape Gorillas to becoming the best version of itself. And we’re not stopping here - stay tuned for the next update!