What UberEats does when it snows to ensure people still get their takeaways
The chances of a white Christmas are slim across most parts of the UK this year but one company should be ok if it snows.
Uber's food delivery business, UberEats, has a number of steps in place to ensure people can still get food delivered to their front door. And yes, the company's service will be available on Christmas Day for anyone who doesn't fancy cooking a turkey.
"Snow is very interesting," Toussaint Wattinne, general manager for UberEats in London, told Business Insider. "It's fairly rare for our business but definitely a challenging time."
Wattinne said that UberEats does not allow customers to order from as many restaurants when it snows, adding that the app only displays venues that are very close by and therefore safer and easier for riders to deliver from.
"We restrict the offering for a time period so that you only get suggested restaurants that we are comfortable and confident we can actually provide a courier to and then deliver your food," said Wattine. "So that's why on a very big snow day you might see a smaller selection of restaurants than you normally do."
Wattine said that UberEats will also inform couriers that the conditions are hazardous and urge them to take extra care when they're delivering meals. He said that UberEats also pays couriers more money to work when the conditions are treacherous.
"Those that do work, do get paid more, simply because the conditions they're running into are definitely more challenging. The cold, slippery roads etc, means that we want to make sure they are rewarded and that it's worth the effort.
"The amount of extra pay depends on the event on that day and the magnitude of the issue. It can go up to multipliers of 1.2x to 2x. It can also be on a per trip basis so an additional £1 or £2 per trip."