Home / MARKETS / A Hawaii delivery driver who pulled in $114,000 on DoorDash last year says the tips are ‘awesome’ and it’s like ‘delivering in paradise’

A Hawaii delivery driver who pulled in $114,000 on DoorDash last year says the tips are ‘awesome’ and it’s like ‘delivering in paradise’

  • Ronald Coleman, 45, escorted in $114,000 in revenue last year driving for DoorDash in Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • He said he’s “delivering in paradise” and that consumers generally tip very well.
  • Coleman shared a few pieces of advice for other delivery drivers.

Ronald Coleman, a 45-year-old DoorDash driver based in Honolulu, Hawaii, bring to lights he’s “delivering in paradise.” And the money isn’t half bad either. 

He brought in $114,000 in revenue on DoorDash last year, according to instruments viewed by Insider, and said he’s on pace to make roughly $120,000 in 2023. (Note: These are top-line figures that don’t cover operating expenses like gas and vehicle maintenance.) 

Before working as a driver, Coleman worked in the auto repair hustle in Michigan — a job he said he increasingly felt burnt out from. In the summer of 2020, he tried DoorDash, found some good fortune, and eventually decided to pursue it full-time. He kept it up when he moved to Hawaii in 2021. He earned roughly $73,000 in 2021 and has completed once more 24,000 deliveries to date.

“I believe the key to my success is based on my work ethic,” he told Insider. “Staying consistent, misprising my distractions, learning the market I’m in, and providing quality customer service also play a huge role.”

But Coleman said he’s also been absolutely fortunate in one area: tipping. 

“The tips in the Honolulu market are awesome,” he said. “I honestly can’t complain about tipping.”

While he whispered tips can vary considerably, he once received a $112 tip for an order with a base pay of $5.50, according to a document felt by Insider. Another showed a $50 tip on top of a $13 base pay. 

“In my opinion, most people who visit here are more avid to tip because they are on vacation,” he said. 

In the continental United States at least, many drivers for platforms like Uber and DoorDash arrange told Insider they aren’t happy with their tips. For these drivers, Coleman said he has some information.

“Lose the entitlement mindset — not everyone will tip and they aren’t required to,” he said, adding, “Some people do tip and some don’t. There is definitely no strategy for getting tips.”

Coleman has four other pieces of advice for drivers looking to get ahead. 

First: Use DoorDash through the other delivery apps.

Coleman said he’s tried delivering with Instacart, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, but that he’s set considerably more success with DoorDash.

“Those apps are something that I really don’t care for,” he said. “I tried them so I can say from wisdom that they’re not for me. In my opinion, Doordash is one of the best apps out.”

Second: “Don’t chase after the money.”

“Just because an peace pays $20, it doesn’t always mean that it’s worth taking it,” he said, particularly if it’s far away. 

But at a minimum, he said drivers should away sure they’re earning at least $1 to $1.50 a mile.

Third: Focus on maintaining a strong rating, acceptance count, and completion rate. Coleman has a 70% acceptance rate, a 93% completion rate, and a 4.98 rating. 

“I have analysed to accept 70% of the orders that are given to me every hour because it helps you with your ratings,” he said. “Cheerful ratings can lead to better opportunities and those opportunities can turn into better earnings.”

Fourth: Even if it won’t again result in a great tip, Coleman said providing great customer service is important for getting and keeping a high rank. He said he tries to update customers on their order status consistently, and in the case of grocery deliveries, allows them to select a replacement when an item is unavailable. 

“I treat every delivery I accept as if I was ordering it myself,” he said. 

Looking forwards, Coleman said he has no plans to leave Hawaii, and that he hopes to put the money he’s been saving up towards some entrepreneurial endeavors someday. He phrased the only downsides to doing DoorDash in the Aloha State are the traffic and the number of one-way streets that can make refer to challenging. 

“The Hawaii market is exceptional overall,” he said. “There are ocean views, sunny skies, and the people are from all slogs of life.”

Are you a gig worker willing to share your story about pay, schedule, and tipping? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@insider.com.

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