For customers, a seamless and satisfying experience goes beyond just timely arrival. It’s important to maintain excellent hygiene as a courier on the Just Eat network, to ensure that every order reaches the customer safely and in good condition. Good hygiene practices have a direct impact on customer satisfaction.
Why Hygiene Matters
There is a link between food safety and good hygiene. Couriers are the final link in the chain from the partner to the customer, and their practices directly impact the quality and safety of the delivered meal. Here’s why it’s so crucial:
- Preventing Contamination. Unhygienic practices can lead to the transfer of bacteria and other contaminants to food packaging, and potentially to the food itself. This is particularly critical for ready-to-eat meals.
- Customer Confidence. Customers trust Just Eat and its couriers to deliver their food safely. Visible signs of good hygiene, even subtle ones, build immense confidence and reinforce a positive brand image.
- Professionalism. Maintaining a clean appearance and hygienic practices reflects professionalism and respect for both the food and the customer.
- Public Health. In a broader sense, diligent hygiene practices contribute to public health by minimising the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Key Hygiene Practices
Just Eat, like other reputable food delivery platforms, emphasizes the importance of hygiene to its courier network. While specific guidelines may be provided by Just Eat, here are general best practices that couriers should always adhere to:
- Hand Hygiene
- Frequent Handwashing: Couriers should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before starting deliveries, after handling money or personal items, after coughing or sneezing, and certainly after using the bathroom.
- Hand Sanitizer: Carrying and regularly using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) is an excellent alternative, especially when soap and water aren’t readily available.
- Cleanliness of Thermal Bags
- Thermal Bags: These are critical for maintaining food temperature and should be cleaned regularly. Wiping them down with a food-safe disinfectant spray after each shift, or even more frequently, is highly recommended to prevent the buildup of crumbs, spills, and bacteria. If you have a spill in the bag, ensure that you wipe out the thermal bag with food-safe disinfectant to ensure there is no cross contamination
- Vehicle Interior: If using a car, the areas where food is placed should be kept clean and free from clutter or dirt. You should also not smoke in the vehicle whilst you have an order.
- Personal Presentation and Health
- Clean Attire: Whilst as an independent contractor you do not have a uniform, wearing clean clothing projects a professional image and minimises the transfer of external contaminants.
- Professional Conduct During Deliveries: Couriers should maintain a high standard of professionalism throughout all deliveries. This includes refraining from smoking while handling or in proximity to deliveries, and exercising care when transporting all orders.
- Good Health: Couriers should avoid working if they are feeling unwell, especially with symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, to prevent the spread of illness.
