A Toronto pizzeria is calling out a group of Uber Eats drivers for leaving one-star Google reviews under its business page.
Descendant Detroit Style Pizza, located at 1168 Queen St. E., has been serving up Motor-City-inspired pies with thick crusts in Leslieville since 2015.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, the restaurant shared a statement with its customers regarding the one-star reviews it has been receiving from a specific group of delivery drivers, who the business alleges come to pick up food with insulated delivery bags.
“I want to bring to your attention an issue we’re currently facing. A group of Uber drivers has been leaving one-star reviews for businesses because we do not provide food without a proper delivery bag,” the statement reads.
“Recently, we received three one-star reviews from this group, and they are presenting themselves as regular customers. We believe that Google and Uber need to take action against this practice, as it is negatively impacting many small businesses. Thank you for understanding and support.”
The restaurant boasts a 4.7 Google rating with over 3,000 reviews and has been responding to some of the negative ratings it’s been receiving from drivers.
One of the one-star reviews left under Descendant Pizza’s Google profile.
“This has been an ongoing issue for years. Uber plays a significant role in our business, and we appreciate the service as well as the drivers who take their responsibilities seriously and use proper delivery bags,” the pizzeria’s owner, Ike Tzakis, told blogTO.
“However, there are drivers who arrive without delivery bags, and according to our store policy, we cannot provide them with pizza for delivery. We want to ensure our customers receive hot, fresh pizza.”
Tzakis says the restaurant refuses to provide pizza to these drivers without delivery bags, resulting in them collaborating with other drivers to leave a surge of one-star reviews on the business’ Google profile.
“This creates a challenging situation for us, as we struggle to identify who is who. Sometimes it’s obvious, but other times we cannot make assumptions. For instance, we once faced multiple issues with drivers lacking delivery bags, which resulted in an influx of one-star reviews. After responding to these reviews, we discovered that one of them was actually from a customer whom we mistakenly identified as a driver,” Tzakis explained.
“These are the challenges we are currently facing. Many other pizza places and restaurants have reached out to us, as they are battling similar issues. Unfortunately, when we contact Uber, they inform us that they cannot assist, as the drivers are independent contractors and not employees.”
According to Uber’s website, merchants may outline certain delivery guidelines that promote food safety, adhere to regulatory guidance, or accommodate Uber Eats user dietary restrictions.
While Uber acknowledges that an insulated bag can make for a better Uber Eats user experience, it isn’t required unless the delivery person is located in a place where it’s required by law. However, the website notes that specific merchants may ask delivery drivers to use an insulated bag.
