n an effort to understand the challenges faced by delivery partners, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal and his wife, Gia Goyal (formerly Grecia Munoz), took on the role of delivery executives. On Sunday, Mr. Goyal revealed that during one of his food pickups at Gurugrams Ambience Mall, he was denied access to the lift and was instructed to take the stairs. He shared his experience on X, where he expressed concerns about the working conditions delivery partners face.First-hand experience of delivery partner challengesMr. Goyal stated that while collecting an order from Haldirams at Ambience Mall, he was directed to use the stairs instead of the main entrance. Determined to ensure that there were no elevators designated for delivery partners, he tried again through the main entrance but encountered the same restriction. This led him to realise the pressing need for improved working conditions for delivery personnel, not just in malls but in other similar environments.During my second order, I realised that we need to work with malls more closely to improve working conditions for all delivery partners. And malls also need to be more humane to delivery partners.What do you think pic.twitter.com/vgccgyH8oE— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) October 6, 2024Collaborating for better treatment of delivery partnersIn his post, Mr. Goyal emphasised that malls and businesses must treat delivery partners with more empathy and create better facilities for them. Reflecting on his experience, he said, We need to work closely with malls to improve conditions for delivery partners and make them more humane. He added that he eventually managed to sneak into the mall and collect the order when the guard monitoring the staircase took a brief break. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal)Public reaction and call for equal treatmentFollowing Goyals post, several users chimed in, noting that many malls and societies impose similar restrictions, preventing delivery executives from using regular entrances and lifts. One user commented, Every mall, society, and office should allow delivery partners to use regular lifts and entrances—there shouldnt be any divide.In a separate post last week, Goyal shared a photo of himself riding around Gurugram on a bike, delivering food orders. Loving delivering food to our customers and enjoying the ride, he captioned the image.
