Food stall blames delivery rider for spilled $231 food order – who should take responsibility?
A few days back, there was an article on STOMP submitted by a disgruntled customer who received a ruined food delivery on 8 Dec 2024. The food order amounted to S$231.80 and came from Master Leong Seafood, a zi char stall located at 256 Yishun Ring Road.
The order was placed online, and the zi char establishment was responsible for arranging the delivery. Among all the dishes, the Crab Bee Hoon Soup (S$48) was received with most of its sauce spilled into the plastic bag it was packed in. Similarly, the Chilli Crab (S$70) was delivered with very little sauce remaining.
The Stomper shared that the delivery came on time. However, after noticing and sharing with the zi char stall staff that the sauce for both dishes had spilled, the staff member handling the situation had repeatedly pointed the finger at the delivery rider instead of proposing a solution.
After the Stomper shared a picture of the plastic bag that contained most of the spilled broth from the Crab Bee Hoon Soup, the staff replied in Mandarin, “I’m very sorry. The soup that came with it should be quite full, and it probably spilled when the delivery rider rode his motorbike.”
The Stomper then commented that if the service continued like this, they will not be patronising in future.
The staff then replied, “I’m really sorry about this. Usually, we will pack the soup separately. Maybe the rider had pressed down on it, causing the soup to spill out from the cover.”
The Stomper commented, “I had just reached home and noticed that there was so little soup left. How do I even eat it? Are you going to replenish the soup for me?” In response, the stall’s spokesperson stated that, after consulting with the boss, they would offer her 15% off on her next order.”
The problem is, there won’t be a next time. It seems she won’t be receiving any compensation at all.
I reached out to Ryan, a former colleague turned full-time foodpanda delivery rider, to get his perspective on this.
Ryan shared, “For me, I feel that it’s all about the packaging. If the restaurant had cling wrapped and sealed it nicely, this kind of situation would hardly occur. The type of packaging they use also matters.”
“Different stores pack the food differently. Honestly, some stalls don’t bother doing a good job, so this happens. Even if we ride slowly, poor packaging methods will also cause it to spill,” he added.
In such cases, customers typically request a refund for their spilled items, and foodpanda deducts the amount from the rider’s personal account.
Do you think this is fair for the riders who work so hard to earn their day’s keep? Should the restaurant take responsibility to pack the food nicely before sending it out for delivery? Or should both parties split the compensation cost?
Do share your thoughts and views in the comments.
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