In the world of DoorDash, your completion rate isn’t just a number, it’s a barometer of your reliability, efficiency, and overall performance as a Dasher.
Wondering how to raise your completion rate on DoorDash? You’re in the right place. This metric calculates the percentage of orders you’ve successfully delivered out of the ones you’ve initially accepted.
Maintaining a high completion rate is vital, not only to keep your account in good standing but also to unlock perks like joining the Top Dasher program, which offers preferential treatment.
On the other hand, a low completion rate could put you in hot water. You may find yourself receiving fewer orders, watching your ratings plummet, or even facing the grim reality of DoorDash completion rate deactivation.
So, does DoorDash completion rate matter? Absolutely. Is completion rate important on DoorDash? Without a doubt.
From the minimum completion rate DoorDash requires to strategies on how to increase your completion rate for all the perks, we’ve got all the essentials covered in this article.
Let’s dive in and explore more!
What is DoorDash Completion Rate and How to Calculate It?
Simply put, your completion rate is how many orders you’ve finished out of the last 100 you’ve taken. So if you’ve picked up and delivered 90 out of the last 100 orders accepted, you’ve got a 90% completion rate. It’s that simple.
It’s not a fixed number but a rolling figure and it keeps on changing depending on the number of orders you take and complete. It just takes into account the last 100 orders and nothing matters before that.
If a customer cancels before you pick up the order, or if DoorDash calls it off for their own reasons, it won’t mess with your completion rate.
Why Does DoorDash Completion Rate Matter?
Unlike the Acceptance Rate, DoorDash completion rate is an important metric because to keep your account live and kicking, DoorDash expects a minimum completion rate of 80% (90% in Des Moines, Connecticut, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Huntsville, Palm Bay, Omaha, Seattle, and New Orleans ). In simpler terms, out of every 100 orders you accept, you’ve got to complete at least 80 to 90. If you don’t, you’re at risk of DoorDash completion rate deactivation.
You can ‘unassign’ or cancel orders before you’ve picked them up. But be careful, once you’ve picked up the order or marked it as delivered, you can’t go back.
Here is what Dashers have to say about it.
“I keep my completion rate above 90% because I don’t want to risk deactivation. I only unassign orders if the restaurant is taking too long, or if the customer is rude or unreachable. Also try to avoid peak times and busy areas, because they tend to have more problems and delays,” says u/neveralwaysneither on Reddit.
This comment emphasizes the importance of a high completion rate to avoid deactivation, and it offers some tips on how to increase your completion rate on DoorDash.
Another user says, “Completion rate is important for customers because it shows how reliable the driver is. I always tip well and rate 5 stars for drivers who deliver my order on time and as ordered. I hate it when drivers unassign or cancel my order, especially when I’m hungry or in a hurry. It makes me lose trust in Doordash and the driver.”
So, your completion rate is not just a number. It affects your standing on the app and how customers see you. Keep an eye on that completion rate and aim to keep it above the minimum completion rate DoorDash sets.
Other than saving you from deactivation, the DoorDash completion rate is also important for the Top Dasher program and hence your earnings in some markets.
DoorDash pushing for 90% completion rates in many markets and don’t be surprised if it becomes the norm in your market too. So, if you don’t want to get deactivated keep your completion rate above 90% as this dasher said.
Extra Reading: How to Go Around DoorDash Waitlist?
How to Improve Your DoorDash Completion Rate
You can keep a tab on the completion rate and other stats in the Dasher app by heading over to the “Ratings” tab.
Here, you’ll see your current completion rate, along with the number of orders you’ve completed and uncompleted in the last 100. This can help you keep tabs on how close or far you are from that 80% cut-off point.
Now that you know how crucial it is to maintain a high completion rate, here is how you can increase your completion rate.
Choose Orders Wisely
Think before you click ‘accept’ on that order. Gauge the distance, assess the time needed, and look at the payout.
Make informed decisions so you can realistically fulfill the order within the timeframe provided.
Turning down an order before accepting it won’t affect your completion rate, but once you’ve said yes, aim to see it through unless something major comes up that makes it impossible to complete.
Like this Dasher says, “Ever since I became more selective, my completion rate has improved.”
Extra Reading: Best Time to Dash!
Use the DoorDash App Features
The app is not just a tool to accept or decline orders. It’s also your line of communication with both the restaurant and the customer.
Use the in-app messaging, calls, and notifications to keep everyone updated.
Whether it’s confirming food preferences or troubleshooting problems like missing items or long wait times at restaurants, clear communication is key.
Follow Delivery Instructions to the T
You’ll sometimes get specific directives from the customer about where to drop off the food, how to get into their building, or whether to ring the doorbell or knock.
Carefully following these details not only enhances the customer’s experience but also ensures you’re doing your part to keep that completion rate high.
Extra Reading: Tips to Make More Money On DoorDash.
Maintain Professionalism
Being professional can contribute to a better rate. Always be polite and thankful when you interact with customers, restaurant employees, and even other drivers.
Following health and safety protocols by wearing a mask, for example, can also lead to better customer ratings and tips, not to mention repeat business.
It is also a great DoorDash hack to get better tips.
Mark Orders As Delivered
Failing to mark orders as ‘delivered’ is another common mistake. Always mark the order as soon as you’ve completed the delivery.
As this Dasher explains, “I sometimes forget to mark orders as delivered because I’m in a rush or I have a bad internet connection. This causes me to miss out on tips and ratings, and it also lowers my completion rate. I try to avoid this by marking orders as delivered as soon as I complete the delivery. This helped me improve my completion rate and my earnings.”
Monitor Your Performance
Top Dasher completion rate should be a metric you check often. The DoorDash app lets you keep tabs on a range of performance metrics like your completion rate, customer ratings, and even your earnings.
Regularly checking these can help you recognize what you’re doing well and where you need improvement.
You can ward off issues like minimum completion rate DoorDash deactivation by following these guidelines.
Extra Reading: Does DoorDash Track Your Mileage?
Importance of DoorDash Completion Rate for Earnings and Job Opportunities
DoorDash completion rate is a crucial number that plays a big role in how much money you make with DoorDash and the kinds of jobs you get.
Your completion rate matters for a bunch of reasons.
It impacts how much base pay and tips you get. It also affects your acceptance rate and customer rating.
Having a good completion rate could make you eligible for promotions and bonuses. It’s not just about money; your reputation and how DoorDash, restaurants, and customers see you are all tied to this number.
How Your Completion Rate Affects Your Tips
Your base pay is what DoorDash guarantees you’ll make for each delivery. Tips are extra.
Customers might even tip you more if they see you’re reliable. On the flip side, a low completion rate can mean less money and fewer tips along with a low rating.
As this Dasher realized, “I noticed better tips when my completion rate went up!”. Basically, when you are completing the delivery and doing it on time, you are providing a good service and hence chance of higher tips increases multifold.
Balancing Completion Rate, Acceptance Rate, and Customer Rating
Your acceptance rate is how often you say ‘yes’ to an order.
While there’s no minimum acceptance rate needed to keep dashing, a high acceptance rate can sometimes lead to a low completion rate.
You might bite off more than you can chew and not finish an order, damaging your completion rate and customer rating.
This is also tied to rating as a customer who is waiting for his or her food does not get it, they will most probably drop a low rating and bad review.
How a Good Completion Rate Makes You Eligible for Promotions and Bonuses
DoorDash offers extra money-making opportunities like Peak Pay, Challenges, and more.
These bonuses often require you to maintain a high completion rate. So, to benefit from these, aim for a high completion rate.
If you’re aiming to become a “Top Dasher,” a high completion rate is crucial. The Top Dasher completion rate requirement, along with other criteria, can get you access to more busy areas and allow you to work without a pre-set schedule.
So, the minimum completion rate for DoorDash is 80% to avoid deactivation but keep that number above 90% to 95% to get the best out of DoorDash and make it a worthwhile gig.
Different Scenarios that Could Influence Your DoorDash Completion Rate
When you’re working as a DoorDash driver, you might run into various issues that can impact your completion rate.
It’s a metric that matters a lot if you’re aiming to be a top dasher or trying to avoid DoorDash completion rate deactivation. Here’s how to handle some of the common scenarios:
Long Wait Times at Restaurants
Long waits can hurt your delivery time and customer satisfaction, thereby affecting your DoorDash completion rate. Here’s what you can do:
- Like this Dasher complains, “The wait times kill me! I’ve spent 30 minutes waiting before.”To minimize long wait times, check the DoorDash app for the estimated pick-up time and the restaurant’s rating. If the pick-up time seems too long or the restaurant rating is low, consider declining or unassigning the order before you get there. This is crucial for how to raise your completion rate on DoorDash.
- Contact the restaurant to confirm the order status and ask for an updated pick-up time. If it’s going to take too long, ask them to speed things up or consider canceling the order.
- Once you pick up the order, mark it as picked up in the app. This helps set the customer’s expectations and might allow you to request additional compensation for the wait.
Missing or Incorrect Items
Discovering a mistake after you’ve picked up the order can be frustrating and will affect your customer ratings.
- Before leaving the restaurant, compare the receipt and the items with the DoorDash app, if possible (I know you can’t check McD order items). If anything is off, get it fixed right there. This is an essential step on how to increase your completion rate on DoorDash.
- If you discover an issue after leaving the restaurant, contact DoorDash support immediately. They can help with canceling the order, adjusting your payout, or finding another solution.
Unresponsive or Rude Customers
Interacting with difficult customers can be emotionally taxing and may even slow you down.
- Like this user, it is true that “Some people just can’t be pleased no matter what you do.”Always stay patient and polite. Try to look at things from the customer’s point of view, they might be having a bad day or might have had poor experiences before.
- Follow DoorDash’s guidelines and report any serious issues with customers to DoorDash support.
Tip: After completing a delivery take a picture of the food at the delivery location, in case someone reports later that they didn’t get the food. It is not common but not impossible, many Dashers have this experience and a few of them were able to get the matter solved by providing the pictures thus also avoiding those scammers.
Traffic or Navigation Problems
Traffic jams and navigation errors can significantly delay your deliveries, potentially impacting your minimum completion rate on DoorDash.
They can be worse, especially during rush hours causing more order delays than any other reasons and sometimes even cancellations.
Using a reliable, updated navigation app can help you find the fastest route and avoid traffic. If you’re stuck, keep your customers in the loop so that they know what’s happening.
This open communication is crucial for maintaining a high completion rate on DoorDash. In case, the orders become impossible to deliver, make sure to inform the customer and customer support.
Extra Reading: Does DoorDash Pay for Gas?
Personal Emergencies or Tech Glitches
Sometimes, life gets in the way, and you have no option but to deal with personal issues or tech hiccups that may come up.
- Like this Dasher faced, “My app crashed in the middle of a delivery once.” If you encounter such setbacks, contact DoorDash support ASAP to explain what happened and find a resolution. Prioritize your own safety and well-being above all else.
Understanding how to manage these scenarios effectively can significantly help you raise or maintain your DoorDash completion rate.
How to Cancel Orders Without Affecting Completion Rate
As discussed above, Dashers sometimes might run into issues that force them to cancel an order.
Canceling orders isn’t just a hassle, it can negatively impact your DoorDash completion rate.
A minimum completion rate of 80% is required to avoid the risk of DoorDash completion rate deactivation, which makes knowing how to raise your completion rate on DoorDash crucial.
Here are some guidelines on how to cancel an order without damaging your completion rate, or at least how to minimize the hit:
Reach Out to Support or Customer
The moment you hit a snag with an order, your best first move is to contact DoorDash support or the customer through the app.
Be upfront about the problem and ask if the order can be canceled without affecting your DoorDash completion rate.
This isn’t always guaranteed, as it hinges on the specific situation and the discretion of either DoorDash support or the customer.
Always maintain a polite and professional tone during these interactions. Like this Dasher explains: “I had to cancel an order once because the restaurant was closed and the customer didn’t answer the phone. I contacted support and they canceled it for me without affecting my completion rate. They also gave me half pay for the order.”
Be Clear and Apologetic
If you find that you must cancel the order yourself, always clearly state why and offer an apology to the customer and/or restaurant.
This can protect you at least from negative reviews. Here is what one Dasher has to say, “I always try to explain the reason and apologize to the customer if I have to cancel an order. Most of them are understanding and appreciate the honesty. I also contact support and let them know the situation.”
Reassign the Order
As a top dasher, completion rate is important. One way to maintain that is by reassigning the order to another driver.
This basically means you unassign the order from your list and allow another Dasher to take it. You can do this by using the “Help” option in the app and selecting choices like “Can’t do this order” or “Reassign this order”.
Do this before you’ve picked up the food; you can’t reassign after that.
And do it quickly to avoid messing up the customer’s experience.
In summary, avoiding frequent cancellations is essential to maintain a healthy completion rate on DoorDash.
But if you have to cancel, these tips can help you navigate the situation without severely impacting your standing or eligibility for special incentives like becoming a top dasher.
Extra Reading: DoorDash Fast Pay Requirements?
Other Things Linked to Completion Rate
Not only does your standing as a DoorDash driver depend on completion rate, but there are many other things that are linked to it, like:
Peak Pay and Challenges
Peak pay and challenges are DoorDash’s way to incentivize you to deliver more.
The incentive of Peak pay gives you extra bucks for each delivery during busy times. Challenges offer extra cash for hitting a certain number of deliveries within a time frame, like an extra $20 for 15 deliveries in a week.
The catch is you’ve got to meet specific criteria like a minimum completion rate on DoorDash, acceptance rate, and customer rating to get these perks.
You can track all this in your Dasher app under the Promos and Earnings tabs.
But here’s what some Dashers are saying on Reddit about peak pay and challenges:
“I love that they borrowed the quest idea from Uber Eats. I would love to see DoorDash implement challenges to help increase pay.”
Good standing may also help you to become eligible for earn by time, where you get paid for your Dash time and not the basis of the order.
“Pay by the hour isn’t as bad as it seems. They give you more stacked orders, which means more money.”
Extra Reading: How to Make $60 In A Day?
The Top Dasher Program: Is It Worth It?
Next, we have the Top Dasher program.
This program rewards the best-of-the-best Dashers with perks like dashing anytime without a schedule, getting more orders, and priority access to high-value orders.
But to qualify, you’ve got to meet criteria like a 95% completion rate, among other things, by the end of the last day of the previous month.
So, the Top Dasher completion rate is pretty darn important.
Here’s some food for thought from Reddit users on the Top Dasher program:
“I am not, nor will I ever be a top dasher. So for the orders I do accept, they will get my best service. My incentive is their tip.”
“DoorDash wants drivers who pick up low-paying orders all day long. Being a Top Dasher isn’t my goal.”
“I like the idea of having it as an option, where each individual Dasher could decide their status with DoorDash.”
So, the people’s opinions about it are mixed, many don’t find it worth it but in slow markets with low orders it can be very helpful and then a high completion rate.
Customer Ratings and Feedback
Lastly, we’ve got customer ratings and feedback. Your completion rate can impact ratings and overall earnings.
DoorDash lets customers rate you on a scale of 1 to 5 and leave feedback, which you can check in the Ratings tab of your Dasher app.
Low ratings can affect your chances of qualifying for rewards and incentives like peak pay and the Top Dasher program.
So, yes, ratings and how to raise your completion rate on DoorDash are closely linked.
Extra Reading: How Much Instacart Pays in A Week?
Final Thoughts on DoorDash Completion Rate
The minimum completion rate DoorDash requires to keep you active is 80%. Fall below that, and you’re risking deactivation, hence why many ask about DoorDash completion rate deactivation.
But having a high completion rate isn’t just about avoiding the boot. You could qualify for special perks like the Top Dasher program, which gives you more order opportunities and flexibility making it a great side hustle it is for many.
So yes, becoming a Top Dasher also depends on your completion rate. On top of that, customers are more likely to rate you well and tip you more if they see you as reliable.
Try to keep your acceptance rate as high as possible as it is directly linked to your success or earnings on the app.
But life happens, and sometimes you might need to cancel an order. If you find yourself in such a situation, you should unassign the order within the first 10 minutes to protect your completion rate.
Make sure to inform DoorDash support about the reason for the cancellation, and if it wasn’t your fault, they might just remove that from your completion rate.
In short, boosting your DoorDash completion rate is crucial for all these reasons. It keeps you in the game, makes you eligible for perks, and even has the potential to increase your earnings and customer ratings.
If you are yet to start Dashing, here is how to do your first DoorDash successfully.
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