In a move that surprised many, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal recently switched roles, stepping into the shoes of a delivery partner to experience firsthand the everyday challenges they face. Along with his wife, Gia Goyal (formerly Grecia Munoz), Deepinder took to the streets of Gurugram, donning the delivery partner cap and sharing his experience on social media.
The real drama unfolded when they arrived at Ambience Mall in Gurugram to pick up an order from Haldiram’s. Instead of using the main entrance, Deepinder was told to take another route, only to find that delivery partners weren’t allowed to use elevators and were expected to climb stairs to the third floor. And it gets worse, delivery partners couldn’t even enter the mall itself and were forced to wait on the stairs to collect their orders. Talk about some serious second-class treatment!
In his social media post, Goyal didn’t hold back. He pointed out the need for malls to be more considerate of delivery partners, writing, “We need to work with malls more closely to improve working conditions… Malls also need to be more humane.”
He even managed to chill with some fellow delivery partners, sharing their feedback and experiences while waiting for his order. And in a funny twist of fate, Deepinder was only able to complete his mission when the staircase guard took a small break, allowing him to sneak in and grab the order.
Goyal’s undercover delivery partner adventure not only brought attention to the everyday struggles of these workers but also started a much-needed conversation about the way delivery partners are treated in spaces like malls.