Part Time Grab Delivery Boy for a Day

Hello, mga Kuripot! I'm back!

I know it's been a while since I last updated this blog. I got pretty swamped with a lot of things recently at my full time job at syempre, sa mga raket ko na rin.

One of my part time jobs is running my Grab business. I have two cars - one is for Grab talaga while the other is for personal. It was in 2016 when I bought Hyundai Accent to be used exclusively for Grab (I was with Uber pa nga that time before they merged with Grab). Last year, when the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) opened slots for new cars, I also registered my personal car. Sayang din naman kasi. But since this pandemic started, Grab has been struggling to run their business. For the first few months of the lockdown, wala talagang Grab operations. So, you can just imagine how difficult it is for me to pay the monthly amortization of the two cars. Ok lang sana 'yung personal car ko. Matatanggap ko pa talaga. Pero yung sasakyang binili ko para gamitin sa business na hindi naman kumikita, ang sakit-sakit lang tanggapin.

Then I realized, that's part of the risks of doing business. Minsan okay, madalas hindi okay. Maswerte yung iba, nakakabawi agad sa puhunan nila. Pero marami sa mga nagnenegosyo, hirap talagang kumita. Bakit? Maraming factors, e. Marami sa ating mga Pilipino, kulang tayo sa basic knowledge of running a business. That's one huge factor and I learned it the hard way. We jump into business thinking that it's the perfect path to success. Kasi di ba, we always hear na hindi ka naman yayaman sa pagiging empleyado lang. Anyway, this is for another topic. But I hope you get the point.

So,  ayun na nga, I have to face the reality - Grab is trying to survive so they're opening new services to keep the business running. Hindi pwedeng puro Grab Car lang. Sa panahon ng pandemya, sobrang risky nito. Grab needs to do something to help their business and their pool of operators and drivers. To be honest, I find this strategy amazing. They never stopped at being just a car-hailing app. Nag-isip talaga sila out of the box. Now, they have Grab Food, Grab Express, Grab Rent at Grab Pabili. With this business strategy, I'm sure Grab will continue to evolve into something even bigger than what we know them today.

Since hindi pa ako activated sa Grab Car at kailangan ko nang kumita, I personally tried the other services of Grab today. Nag-Grab Food ako, Grab Express at Grab Pabili using my personal car. Sobrang hirap niya pa lang gawin. Maswerte pa nga ako kasi nakakotse ako. Karamihan ng mga ganitong delivery services, naka-motor. Ako na nakakotse, pag dating ng bahay, sumakit ang paa at likod. Paano pa kaya sila?

Naranasan ko rin personally yung nagka-cancel ng order. On my first day pa lang ito ha sa Grab Food, pag dating ko sa store, nag-cancel si ate. Todo sorry naman siya kahit pa sinabi kong nagbayad na ako ng parking. May magagawa pa ba ako? Walang cancellation fee si Grab (so far, wala pa akong nakikitang cancellation fee sa driver app ko kaya feeling ko, wala nga talaga). Pero eto yung isang bagay na Grab should do. They have to penalize yung mga nagka-cancel ng order kasi sadyang nakakapagod talaga tapos biglang ika-cancel lang. Hindi naman form of compensation ang sorry. Hindi yun nakakain. Hindi naman yun convertible to cash.

The other customers na na-handle ko ay ok naman. Smooth yung transactions. May nagpabili ng gamot sa Mercury Drug, nagpa-deliver ng printer, so far, bukod dun sa nag-cancel, ok naman talaga yung experience.

Compensation-wise? Barya lang talaga. Mas malaki pa rin kita sa Grab Car. O baka kasi ngayon pa lang kasi ako nag-start? Baka di pa tamang mag-conclude agad? Pero kung nag-stay lang ako sa bahay at nag-internet the entire day, wala akong kikitain today. Ok na rin talaga yung na-take home ko.

Is it worth it? Hindi ko pa rin masabi kasi first time ko pa lang na-try ito. Kung ibabase sa take home pay ko, siyempre hindi. Kasi pwede ko pa itong kitain sa ibang part time jobs ko. Masakit talaga siya sa likod at sa paa. Ang layo ng lakaran from parking papunta sa store kung saan nagpapabili. Now, I understand yung hirap ng mga delivery guys. I-appreciate talaga natin sila kasi sadyang nakakapagod. As in.

Will I do it again? Kung wala akong gagawin next weekend, baka i-try ko ulit ito. Kailangan kong kumita e. Kesa naman nakatengga lang. Kailangang kumayod.

I'm not recommending everyone to try Grab as your part time job kasi hindi siya for everyone. Para ito sa mga taong malakas ang katawan at hindi tamad. Minimal lang sana yung requirements na kailangan para makapasok dito - as long as marunong ka lang mag-drive at may sasakyan o motor/bike ka, pwede ka na. Pero dahil physically exhausting siya, hindi siya pwede sa mga mahihinang nilalang. Lol!

Kung meron kayong ibang mare-recommend na part time jobs, feel free to share it via comments. Para sa mga Kuripot riders diyan - be it sa Grab, Food Panda, Lalamove, Angkas, etc., saludo ako sa inyo. Grabe ang tatag niyo. Para sa mga pangarap niyo. Para sa pamilya ninyo. Tunay kayong mga bayani!

Photo Credit: KFC