Following an increase in minors attempting to purchase alcohol using delivery apps during the pandemic, DoorDash has chosen to place accountability in the hands of both its drivers and its consumers.
DoorDash has somehow eliminated the contactless transaction between a delivery driver and the customer ordering alcoholic beverages by adding another layer to the transaction process. This is related to the company's plans to implement a two-step system that will require the delivery driver to scan the ID of the customer ordering inebriating drinks to verify identity. This is in addition to uploading both the front and back images of the customer's ID to the app.
“At DoorDash, safety is a top priority and our goal is to deliver alcohol in the safest and most responsible way possible,” Erik Ragotte, DoorDash’s General Manager of Alcohol, said. “With today’s announcement of two-step or dual ID verification, we’re setting a new industry standard for responsible alcohol delivery. The new safety measures will help ensure alcohol is delivered to people over the age of 21. We will continue to innovate and find even more ways to promote responsible alcohol delivery.”
The ID scanning on-site is not the only change to the process involving customers purchasing alcoholic drinks. The new DoorDash protection guidelines also demand the driver to check the customer for indications of being under the influence of alcohol. If the customer appears to be intoxicated, the DoorDash delivery driver may consider not to fulfill the order.
Professional bartenders already use this system, but unlike delivery drivers, they are trained and certified to recognize when a customer has had one too many drinks. Even though DoorDash provides its drivers with standards for making alcohol deliveries, its website also stresses that the delivery driver may be held responsible if alcohol is delivered to a minor or someone who is already tipsy.
Despite having an excellent reason for imposing this new rule, it may come with a caveat that puts the delivery driver at risk, according to The Takeout. In an event that a driver determines that a customer is extremely drunk and decides to not complete an order. The only way for the driver to identify a customer's level of intoxication is to stand directly in front of them, and when that customer becomes irritated or furious that their order has been denied, it could turn into a dangerous situation for any DoorDash driver.