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Comment by qeternity | Hacker News Reader

I don’t really understand why you think having financial incentives to avoid bad ratings and deliver food warm is bad?

Because, delivery drivers, unlike uber or whatever, are frequently screwed by things outside their control. No parks near the restaurant, so delay in the pickup? Bad driver! Restaurant behind on orders? Bad driver! Something missing from order? Bad driver!

Incentives can cause perverse outcomes, but it’s worse when you are not in control of the outcomes at all.

Having worked as a server in college, servers get blamed for everything, and it definitely made me avoid and lose most of my confidence in humans other than close friends and family. People can be just mean and horrible for no real reason. Most are nice and patient, however a significant minority are just awful and must lead miserable, empty lives.

In a vacuum, there’s no problem.

Unfortunately though, those same incentives also incentivise risk taking and dangerous driving.

May I suggest reading the article you're commenting on?

I read the article. I don't think the article made a persuasive case that this policy was bad.

I did read the article. Hence my confusion.

What are you suggesting then? A company that is selling warm pizza with prompt delivery should not do anything to incentive employees to deliver on that value prop?

They aren't bad in themselves, but the consequences of reckless driving are.

Because it can encourage dangerous behavior.

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