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On Doordash, areas that a Dasher can go online are broken down into Zones, and with those zones come different levels of volume which are displayed as a heat map. Now they are adding a new element to the zones you see that are called Reserved Zones.
So in this article, We are talking about:
EVERYTHING You MUST Know about Reserved Zones on Doordash
What they tell you vs how it ACTUALLY is
Everything in between
Disclaimer: The content of this article does not contain and is never intended to be legal, business, financial, tax, or health advice of any kind, This article is for entertainment purposes only. It is advised that you conduct your own research and consult with qualified professionals before applying anything you find online.
I also want to be clear that everything we are going to go over is very market dependent, and what applies to me and my market may not apply to you.
As a New Dasher, you may be curious about navigating the Heatmap - the map on the home screen of the Dasher app.
As you can imagine already, this video will be mainly tailored towards new Dashers, if you are experienced and have a significant amount of lifetime deliveries, then this is a non-issue for you.
That said, you should learn in case someone decides to ask you about the reserved zones in the future.
Zones:
Zones are areas on the Heatmap that you can select as your starting point to dash in. However, depending on how many Dashers are in a particular zone at a given time, access to that zone may change. Here is how it works:
Red Color (Dashers needed now) = zone is currently busy, and “Dash Now” button is available to all Dashers to get started dashing immediately.
Grey Color (Dashers not needed now) = Zone is currently not available and “Dash Now” is not available. In order to dash in this zone, you will need to schedule a dash at a later time.
Gold Color (Access Reserved: needs to be unlocked) = Due to too many Dashers on the road, this zone is currently unavailable for Dashers who have completed less than a certain number of deliveries. To access this zone, a Dasher must either wait for it to be unlocked by completing a specified number of deliveries or schedule a dash for a later time.
Now, I don’t know what makes a certain zone eligible to become a zone that should be reserved but I would say this. It would certainly be a way for people who have been in the gig economy for longer to maintain their income levels on the platform but I doubt that’s the real reason.
Unlocking Reserved Zones:
When an area is near capacity for Dashers at a given time, that area is designated as a “reserved zone” and is shown as gold on the Heatmap. In a reserved zone, the ability to “Dash Now” is available for Dashers who have completed more deliveries. However, access to a reserved zone can be unlocked by completing the minimum number of deliveries specified in the app. You can reach the minimum number of deliveries required to unlock a reserved zone by dashing in any nearby zone where “Dash Now” is available (any red zone on the Heatmap) or when the currently reserved zone is not reserved (it might change throughout the day).
Oh okay, so they are trying to regulate certain zones so those who are on the platform for longer can still get on without some new kid to snipe the only available slots? Well that certainly helps veterans, but it is kind of off brand for Doordash.
Usually Doordash wants to take advantage of drivers who have been on the platform longer and in the majority of cases, those who have been on the platform longer are considered liabilities, and therefore are going to be squeezed out eventually through various tactics.
Does that mean they are changing their strategy towards drivers? They did add the overall Dasher Rating system as well but a part of me is still suspicious of them.
Q: How can I unlock full access to a “reserved zone”?
A: Completing the minimum number of deliveries specified in the app to fully unlock a “reserved zone”.
If you are a Veteran Driver, you will almost never see a reserved zone at your level. New Drivers are just going to have to put in the work.
Q: Are the number of deliveries to unlock a zone the same across each reserved zone?
A: No. Each Zone will have its own unlocking thresholds for deliveries. To see a specific reserved zone's minimum number of deliveries needed to unlock it, simply tap on it and the app will show you the deliveries needed to be completed for that specific zone.
Doordash and various other platforms have always been market dependent so this is nothing new. They have similar practices for the Dasher Rewards Program.
Q: How can I complete deliveries if I am in a “reserved zone”?
A: Although you may be unable to dash within a reserved zone until you complete the deliveries needed to unlock the area, you can still dash by:
Checking on the heatmap if there are any nearby zones where “Dash Now” is available (any red zone) and navigating there
Scheduling to dash within the reserve zone at a later time
Dashing in the zone when it’s not reserved (it might change throughout the day)
I think this is Doordash’s version of “you have to earn your stripes”, which I am not fully against. This may not be the biggest win for a New driver or even Veteran drivers, but rewarding drivers for having experience is always a positive thing for me.
Q: Why am I seeing a navigate button?
A: When you see a navigate button, the app wants to help direct you to the zone you selected so you can begin dashing immediately.
Also, if you schedule yourself into another area, see if you can Dash Along the Way to get some deliveries done while you still are new and need to build up your lifetime delivery count.
Q: What happens once I hit the minimum threshold for a specific zone?
A: Once you hit the minimum deliveries - the zone will no longer show as a “reserved zone” indicated by gold color, and you can dash immediately within it when “Dash Now” is available.
As expected, this is mainly for New Dashers to have them earn their stripes before having full access to the platform's zone availability and making sure Veteran Drivers still can maintain an income.
They had a Help Page for This
If you are a New Dasher, then you probably don’t know this but Doordash likes to add some features along the way as pilot programs and sometimes there are no clear help pages about how the feature works, and you have to go by semi-reliable Reddit Pages or YouTube videos.
So don’t be surprised if that happens, that is literally why I am here.
A Quick Message for New Dashers
First and foremost, welcome to the Gig Economy and what I believe can be a financial benefit for you long term. I have a couple of quick pointers for you that may help you on your journey.
Study the ins and outs of every platform and examine every help page
Learn from people who have been in the game longer
Diversify Your Gig Portfolio
Develop an exit strategy for yourself and treat the gig economy as an income bridge to what would be a long term goal and not the goal
One of the best places you can accomplish all this and more is through the Driven Wyld Discord Server.
The Driven Wyld Discord Community is exclusive for gig workers looking to expand their knowledge and expertise in their self-employment and entrepreneurial journey’s.
I partnered with high level professionals to bring you some of the most exclusive benefits based on your personal needs as a gig worker:
Exclusive Professional opportunities and Gig Postings
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Educational systems designed to help you build your own dispatch company as well as other scalable opportunities
Driven Wyld is kicking off the Build Your Own Delivery Service Provider for Beginners Course and we are changing the game and transforming how businesses serve customers and how Gig Workers get opportunities!
So whether you are a gig worker looking for more opportunities to earn, or looking for an exit strategy, because the gig economy is an income bridge to what would be a long term goal, and would like something with more growth and scalability, there is something here for you.
Join Here and get started on making the most amount of money in the least amount of time in the safest possible way, we are looking forward to helping you secure your financial future!
If you would like to add some other perspective to Reserved Zones on Doordash, feel free to email me: drivenwyld@gmail.com and who knows? Maybe your email or perspective and be featured in a post as well!
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