Ping. Wait. Rage. Repeat.| Shift Hustle Ep 3

We dive into several hot topics affecting gig workers today, from messaging customers during delays to the heated debate about electric versus gas vehicles for delivery work. A potential tax break on tips up to $25,000 is discussed, though we're still seeking confirmation on this exciting possibility.

• Exploring whether messaging customers during restaurant delays affects tips and ratings
• Debating the most efficient strategy between deliveries: park and wait or drive to busier areas
• Examining the economics of electric vehicles for gig work and why they face resistance
• Sharing common driver pet peeves, including speakerphone calls and last-minute arrivals
• Investigating a new service called Gig Shield that offers a points system for vehicle maintenance

Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson
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• 17:33 [Ad] Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson
• 18:15 (Cont.) Ping. Wait. Rage. Repeat.| Shift Hustle Ep 3

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

adding some new things to the show. Uh for uh for this show. Hold on the camera's on. Welcome to the shift hustle show episode three, where I help you own the hustle and navigate the plot twist. And I had like a whole plan for tonight.

Speaker 1: 0:25

But then I see most side hustles post this video about uh, no tax on tips, and I'm like what? And so apparently one of her insiders I will call them got a? Uh, an email that stated that, uh, you went viral. You went viral with it, mo, she's on, she's on tiktok right now. Uh, an email that stated that up to 25 000 is going to be not taxable on the tips. I haven't got an email. I don't know if anyone else hey, josh, if anyone else has gotten an email about it, but one of I think it was her name's Kelsey, I don't know what her name is on TikTok, but apparently she got the email that says that is going to be a thing. So I haven't gotten any any confirmation on that at all. But yeah, if any of y'all are in here, uh, have seen anything like that I would like to see. I mean, it's not, it's not when you. It's yeah, gabe, when you file, yeah, you don't get like a credit in your account, like obviously it's your file because you don't get any taxes taken out. Sorry, my hair is like I just got in from mowing the lawn and it's your file because you don't get any taxes taken out. Sorry, my hair is like I just got in from mowing the lawn and it's a little damp. I know you wanted to know that. So, yeah, I think it's a good thing, like I said, not that I'm saying Kelsey didn't get that email, but like I don't know I haven't seen anything else out there. So, yeah, check that out if you see anything.

Speaker 1: 2:05

A couple of things I want to talk about tonight. Um, obviously, this is new for me just monologuing. I do appreciate, uh, people on tiktok and youtube. I decided to bring it to youtube because it's a lot of times it was a little uh, a lot of crickets on tiktok and I just you know what it's tough to. It's tough to monologue uh by yourself without anyone commenting stuff like that. So, uh, so, yeah, I wanted to talk about what are your thoughts about messaging during delivery, when, and a couple of things when you are slow and waiting around, are you driving around like kind of stuff like that, uh, and then driver pet peeves, uh.

Speaker 1: 2:41

So there's a couple reddit posts I want to go over and then there's a new service out there. I saw it on reddit I I spend so much time on reddit and tiktok it's. It's kind of one of those things where my main focus is on on social media for for not just for gig work, but for everything. So I find a lot of stuff and there was an someone posting about um. I'll give you the website so you can look it up if you want to. There's not a ton to it, but it's gig shieldorg. That's always a little sauce too when it'sorg.

Speaker 1: 3:10

So, uh, the first thing I wanted to show you is uh, everyone's live tonight. Who else is live? Josh? Uh, so this picture. Give me a second here. I gotta be careful because, oh, I'm not going to be on on the show on Thursday, but you still need to show up because Larry and Gabe are are running the uh, run the show. I am going to a concert. Thanks, mo for the heart. Uh, going to a concert Wednesday night. So, anyways, here we go.

Speaker 1: 3:37

Uh, did doorjass's son start sending this message to drivers recently? God damn, I can't freaking read that. Uh, I should have kept a copy of it, but it says doorstats support if there's a delay. Uh, consider basically like they may have slowed down somewhere and they're prompting you to leave a. Uh, to send a message to your customer and they have prompts of like hi, I'm still waiting for your order. Sorry, there's a long line right now and it looks like the store is delayed.

Speaker 1: 4:10

So my question to you all, um and you probably know my answer or what I think is do you send messages to your customers when you are? Uh, oh, I got a hat and a mustache, holy shit. Sorry, I'm always looking at tiktok most like spamming me. I love it. Um, when you are doing deliveries, do you communicate with your customers? I know there's so many different uh opinions out there in regards to, like, community, community, communicating with your customer.

Speaker 1: 4:45

Um, um, I don't, I mean I, I, I don't know what it is Like. You know, I talk in this show, I talk on the other show. I have a great time. I talk too much, like the last show, I had so much fun and I felt bad with Larry. Uh, and you guys are used to this too, but I just I scroll out and then I talk too much.

Speaker 1: 5:06

But when it comes to like interacting with people, I don't know, and and and you know, even though I, you know, don't? I know some of you, I mean obviously some of you I've well, actually no one I have actually met is in the chat, except Gabe, of course, but I don't know. I just don't feel like the extra communication is worth it. But I'm beginning to think, maybe it might be, maybe it might be just I mean, I don't know Like when everything is just normal, what else do I say? I don't know. I just think it's kind of redundant, but I would try it. This is the thing. We need more nerds that do doordash or gig work, that can like create spreadsheets with all that stuff. Like the data is great, like these gig apps have so much data on us but we have none on them, so it would be cool to have some data on if that kind of connection works with people.

Speaker 1: 6:06

Bubba sue says I do message sometimes if there's delays. Yeah, I mean, I honestly I rare, rarely run into delays. I don't know about you guys. It used to be really bad, but I feel like the apps are starting to. I would say the apps are starting to get a little better than that. But I also should preface I don't typically dash during like bid.

Speaker 1: 6:28

Uh, busy dinner rushes. I'll do during like lunch, but I feel like it's not as crazy as dinner. But I rarely walk into a restaurant that I have to wait for. But, bubba Sue, like if you walk into Panera and it's like slow right, but if you you did have to wait, would you immediately message them? Or, if you would, if you just feel in your, you know you got that internal clock that says, ooh, I am been here a long time, or do you base it on like all the due dates, on DoorDash, cause I know you have to be there at a certain time and so on and so forth. But, yeah, I would be willing to try it if, if, if it would, you know, garner me more tips, I guess.

Speaker 1: 7:09

But I also don't want to be intrusive. I feel like we get so many notifications already in our life. In fact, I was just talking to my wife about it. I asked her if she had emailed somebody back that we were both in a like email exchange with, and she's like yeah, but I was like, oh, okay, cause I don't get notifications because I turned those off, like a year ago, because I get so many notifications, it was kind of getting a little overwhelming. So, yeah, I I'm kind of the one that doesn't really need to know, unless there's a big problem.

Speaker 1: 7:38

Um, but it's not immediately. But if restaurant says 10 minutes wait, yeah, 10 minutes is quite a long time. Most, as I would wait, I would wait a while. And now doordash is annoying. We'll ask if there's a delay at the restaurant. Well, I don't mind, I don't mind telling doordash there's a delay, like that's. That's just tapping a button, that's just information for them to make it more efficient. I guess, I don't know. I mean, yeah, it is annoying, I guess, but to me it's you, I don't mind letting them know. Hey, you know, this is what's going on. Plus, you know, I don't want to get in trouble either, right, so if it truly is a weight, um, I'm going to definitely put that on there. So, uh, one of the other things I want to talk about is, uh, and this this was big when I did Uber driving and, um, I know Josh does, I don't know, and Gabe still does.

Speaker 1: 8:26

I rarely do like ride share, but one of the questions was do you all stop after each ride and wait for the next ping, or do you drive around town to certain areas? Um, I can give you what I did. I would always. Uh, well, let me back that up. When I was driving my Honda pilot, it got 17 miles to the gallon. So when I dropped somebody off unless I was in, like BFE, right, we all know what BFE is, right.

Speaker 1: 8:53

I just want to ask if everyone knows what BFE is? Um, I would get dropped off, uh, drop on BFE. I would drive back to the city area. But normally if I drive in the city, I stop and park and I would wait. Uh, yeah, gabe says usually I have rides in queue. Yeah, I mean, I guess, if you're, if you're, if you're working during a busy time, that's true, you do have a ride in queue. But let's say you did it. Let's hypothetically back in the day when it, when maybe it wasn't as busy, um, like during the day or something, I typically would just park for like 10, 15 minutes and then I guess I would move. But man, that's a lot of freaking gas to just you know, drive around. Hey Mary, nice to see you. Mo says I live in BFE.

Speaker 1: 9:41

I don't know if everyone knows what BFE is, though most, as I live in bfe, I don't know if everyone knows what bfe is, though first comment says 80 of the time I get my next ride before I drop off the current one, like gabe said, but when I don't, I head towards busier areas. That's fine. I tend to do a 10p to 3 am shift on weekends at the shore, so I so, if I have no ride, I head towards the usual bars, depending on how busy it is. I usually get a ride right after. Um, well, I mean, I guess I guess this, this can apply to ride or, uh, to delivery too.

Speaker 1: 10:13

It doesn't just have to be ride share, I guess. Hey, steve, yeah solo. So it's, it's not for the faint of heart. I know you've done it for a while, but trying this out this summer, but yeah, I mean I guess you could. It applies to food delivery. Obviously not Walmart spark, cause you know you're going to a Walmart, but I don't know.

Speaker 1: 10:36

I don't like driving around. I think it wastes a lot, but now that I use an electric car it's not as crucial for me car it's not as crucial for me. So I definitely might buzz out of the area I'm in. I mean, it's all situational, of course, right, I mean depending on where you drop off and stuff like that. But so, going back to gabe's comment, is it, does it really any time? Uh, you are doing rideshare. You always have one in the queue because you're driving during the day, so I would assume that it wouldn't be that busy, I know you're. I mean, is it airport runs or what is it? I I'd be curious on that. Um, yeah, he says yeah, good, good job. Yeah, that helps.

Speaker 1: 11:22

I asked like 17 questions. You still didn't comment what's BFE? Does anyone know what BFE is? Yeah, bro, full electric for two years. No, not hybrid electric gas. No, full electric 2023. Chevy Bolt. Yep, lots of medical appointments. Oh fuck, I hate those. I hate those. Medical appointments are the worst, but it's gotta be done. I can't believe you didn't know that, steve. Yep, full electric. Uh, it's, it's been great. Honestly, I uh, I never well, I uh, I never well, I won't say I ever have gotten close to running out, but uh, it cost me about eight bucks to fill up at night, charging so and that's if I'm dead, dead like rolling in with like 10 miles left. But, um, yeah, no, full electric.

Speaker 1: 12:23

A lot of people, man, a lot of people give full electric a lot of shit and I I don't. I don't understand the hate from it. I just don't. Why would you want to pay for gas? It's so fucking expensive. And then we go back to the comment what do you do after each stop? I mean if you're, if you're driving a big su around, you're just going to dick around and drive around and just waste gas. I mean it's just, it's asinine to me and people just again, they get so fussy when you're like, oh, electric cars, like you. Look at any Facebook group, somebody brings it up I'm. I always say, oh God, get ready to get fricking lamb basted. I don't understand the hate.

Speaker 1: 13:08

Now I will say, if you are in an apartment and you can't do any level two charging, it can be an issue. It it definitely can be an issue, except especially, uh, with my car it uh charges very slow and then I can only get up to like 50 kilowatts during a charge. Now if you do a tesla, you can get 80% in 20 minutes. So Tesla's got the market on that. Steve says I like the hybrid gas combo where the first 50 miles are electric and charge. Yeah, honestly, those are game changers. I think when Megan is ready for a new car, we'll get a. So it's a P.

Speaker 1: 13:46

What is it called A PHEV, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle? I don't know. You're going gas. You're getting rid of the Tesla, josh, damn bro. Yeah Well, you don't even need, you don't need a level two charger in the 220 outlets at your home.

Speaker 1: 14:06

With a 50 miles, you can plug that in at night and you'll be fine. You only need one 10. I mean, I guess two 20 will be a little bit more efficient. Uh, but if you're only doing 50 miles, I mean, but that's great for, uh, anybody that's like a homeowner and and just not doing it for gig work, I mean you'll never use gas, right? My wife, 13 miles there, 13 miles home from work, plug it in, run a few errands, never use gas unless she's doing longer trips. So I agree, yeah, the.

Speaker 1: 14:39

I think the plug in hybrid is the way to go. Yeah, dude, one 10 works, although it's so slow, like when I drive up to my mother-in-law's cabin I typically in the summer I get a lot more range and I'll just plug in at her house on 110. It never fully charges. It is definitely slow, but I think it's for if you're only up to 50 miles there. So so, going back to just wrapping up, I I personally don't want to drive around a ton, uh, if I have a gas guzzler. But I wouldn't be opposed to it, you know, with the electric car.

Speaker 1: 15:19

But yeah, there are some comments here that say you know about the gas. Here's some more hate that say you know about the gas. Here's some more hate. Someone's like you've already lost if you have a car that uses gas. Someone's like okay, and then some guys oh, my Prius would like a word Enjoy being chained to the electrical grid while having half the drivable range. See, that's the kind of hate you know.

Speaker 1: 15:45

I just don't understand it. I mean, I guess, if you're freaking, doing gig work like hardcore, and I mean I don't know, I can't imagine you going through 300 miles, roughly 300 miles in a day. Uh on, get on gig work. But that's just me. So, all right, our favorite topic server error. What the fuck? Reddit. There we go. Driver pet peas. Oh man, this is uh, this is great for me.

Speaker 1: 16:13

Uh, people love to give me a hard time about the things that I would get fussy about in the ride share. And you know, one of the jokes is you know, no ox cord or don't touch my radio. And I I actually moved a chick's hand away from my why. I think she was fucking with the air. Maybe I'm not sure, but uh, this was posted six days ago. Of course, reddit. Uh, okay, what are some of y'all's major pet peas with passengers? And that would lift itself with the passenger. I suppose I can start.

Speaker 1: 16:41

These are no particular order being on facetime on a phone call with a phone on speaker and the conversation being very loud from both parties Blasting music from their phone through the entire trip, begging to make additional stop outside of the one they've already made, waiting until four minutes and 59 seconds to come out to the car, being rude to me like I did something. Going to a stop and a parent leaving their kids in their cars with me. I'm not a babysitter. He goes. I drive for Lyft and Uber both, and the passengers differ tremendously between the two. I prefer Uber passengers over Lyft passengers. Overall, I don't usually have irritation from Uber passengers.

Speaker 1: 17:27

Interesting, steve, my main issues with passengers is breathing. Yeah, please, don't breathe in the Uber, please. Yeah, please, don't stop breathing. I would say I don't mind if they're on a phone call. If they're on like business, you know what I mean. Like if you, if you can clearly tell um they're trying to get shit done, I don't have a problem with it. I mean. I guess I don't have a problem with in general, um, but I do have a problem with being on speakerphone and being loud. That's annoying. Blasting music yeah, that's annoying. Or watching a show really loud I mean it's 2025.

Speaker 1: 18:42

Why aren't we using headphones? I don't care if they're from the dollar store, just put fucking headphones in. What's the other ones? Four minutes, 59 seconds, I mean, I get it, they have the whole time to use it. You know what I mean. I get it, they have the whole time to use it. You know what I mean? Um, it's annoying, but you kind of gotta, kind of, is what it is.

Speaker 1: 19:01

And then leaving the kid in the car like yeah, no, has it happened to me? Yes, gabe. Only pet peeve is when they tell me that they're running late to work and if I can hurry as soon as I've accepted that, right, oh, that's not a pet peeve, that's an automatic cancel. That's. I'm canceling. Um, you're already a problem. I'm not going to, uh, I'm not going to deal with you. I'm going. Uh, hey, larry, going back. Ooh, what just happened? Sorry, I hit an F key. Uh, going back to Steve, we just skipped over hybrid way too quickly in my opinion. Yeah, I agree, I mean, it's. What am I trying to say? I know that was a long pause. Usually that's when my co-host will step in because he knows I'm on the struggle bus.

Speaker 1: 19:55

What is everyone's problem with the electric vehicle? So think about yourself in in your main life and everyone's unique right. How many times are you going to be driving over 300 miles with your personal car, like on a daily basis, like a day? Like what is 300 miles get you? How far can you go on 300 miles? Like, does that get me past? What's south of Indiana, michigan, indiana? Is it Kentucky? No, tennessee, no, yeah, I think it's Kentuckyucky. I mean, does that get me into kentucky? Oh boy, here we go. Geography.

Speaker 1: 20:35

I just don't understand the hate on the electric. You know what I mean. Like what are you doing? Okay, yes, if you do take frequent long distance trips per month, then okay, that's, that's great. Maybe, maybe, then maybe a hybrid is for you. I you know, but I just don't get the hate part of it. People just are so passionate about the electric vehicle and I will agree with you, steve it, we definitely. I mean it was the prius. The prius had been around forever and then I don't know who kind of jumped on it next toyota, honda, I don't know, um, but yeah, I mean I think hybrid is good for everybody.

Speaker 1: 21:18

I just don't, I just don't like the hate that electric. I mean I don't get butt hurt with it. Well, yeah, because again, electric cars and ride share only works is if you have a level two charger at home. If you got a charger in the day, you're absolutely right. It. It's not gonna work for you unless you have a tesla. Tesla's charge like freaking maniacs, they're so fast. So I, you can't say that about tesla, although that being more expensive to charge at a at a supercharger. Oh, I got my beard trimmed today and beard hair, so I just don't get the hate on it but squirrel, uh. So yeah, pet peeve.

Speaker 1: 22:01

Did anyone else comment on that? Anyone on tiktok? No, um, jason would like to be on speaker just to wreck your day. People are acceptable. It's just fucking rude. It's just rude. I don't need to hear it. The other person probably doesn't know that you're on speaker, you could be saying some things that are, you know, inappropriate, but all right, uh, okay, last thing I want you to go to wwd. I'm a fucking idiot. What I'm a boomer. Go to gig shield dot org. Uh, again, hello. I found this on reddit, so it's very vague, but I wondered if you would be interested in something like this. Gig Shield. Spend less on what you're already doing.

Speaker 1: 22:56

We're here to keep drivers moving smarter, cheaper and stress-free. Gig driving can be unpredictable. Maintenance costs pile up, unexpected repairs hit hard, and staying on the road means staying ahead. That's where we come in. We built this platform with one mission to give drivers the power to protect their income with real support. So this is what they offer Flexible monthly plans that turn your vehicle expenses into predictable points Okay.

Speaker 1: 23:23

Access to discounted services like oil change, tire rotations and inspections, paid with points, not cash. A simple app experience built around what drivers actually need QR code for instant service at trusted local auto shops. No haggling, no stress. So just one plan, one price and one goal Keep you earning. No more overpriced repairs, no more scrambling when something breaks. So that's about it on their page.

Speaker 1: 23:58

Okay, so if you go to their service? So they've updated this since I've been here. So it goes on a point system, right? So if you get an oil change, you get 40 points, tire rotation 20 points. So they're basically you build up points and then Interesting, and then when you need to get another oil change, you have points to pay for. But, like, what is the monthly? Oh, okay, yeah, they've definitely. Oh shit, they got prices now. Oh, okay, this is a lot more. Sorry about that. I should have looked at it before. It was so basic when I found this a couple weeks ago. But I'll just go over that real quick.

Speaker 1: 24:58

So the Saver plan is $60 a month. $60 a month, jesus Christ. You get 60 points every month. Ideal, oh, I see. So you get a certain amount of points. So it's a dollar a point. Interesting, a dollar a point. Hmm, sorry, I'm slowing down here because I'm oh, okay, so then you. So let's say so you get. So it's $60 a month. This is the saver plan, right? You get 60 points. You go get an oil change. It costs 40 points, so you have 20 points left and then a tire rotation is 30, but that would be over your points. But if you don't need any of that, you save your points and stack them up. It's flexible. So you could go for two months and then have 120 points.

Speaker 1: 25:53

I mean Steve says no, does that sound horrible? I don't think it sounds that bad. I mean I would have to spend more time, you know. I mean obviously it's not for me, right? I have an electric car. Spend more time, you know? I mean obviously it's not for me, right? I have an electric car. There's literally no maintenance other than tires, so it wouldn't be for me.

Speaker 1: 26:21

But once your shop network is finalized, you'll get early access to subscribe and redeem your first service Interesting so you can reserve. So this isn't, this isn't live yet. I don't think they're trying to get a little. They're trying to get people to sign up or something. So you reserve it. And then what do you do? Okay, yeah, I guess they're just trying to get you to reserve it, it. And then what do you do? Hmm, okay, yeah, I guess they're just trying to get you to reserve it. It's not going to cost anything, pete, fuck you, Fuck you.

Speaker 1: 27:01

Does it sound scammy? What sounds scammy about it? I don't know. I mean it's definitely something new. The hundred dollar one is great for steady gig drivers who drive a a thousand to two thousand miles per month, most drivers save 20 to 40 compared to paying cash at shops.

Speaker 1: 27:27

I don't know, I'd be. I I think, I think I would be. I think I'd like to interview them and see what they think I mean. It all, it all sounds scammy, right Cause it's like a different thing. You know what I mean. Anything that's different that we're not used to immediately comes out as scammy. I mean even the AI thing. I didn't jump on the AI thing right away and now I'm full bore on it and you know, honestly, I got to thank Faith for that because I chat GBT shit all the time. It's pretty incredible. Yeah, I don't know, I think I'm going to reach out to them, maybe if they're willing to come on for an interview, because I think that would be cool, although I just see interested, interested in joining. We're currently rolling drivers in dade county for early access.

Speaker 1: 28:13

Okay, so this is this is how can you, how can you be so local though? You can't do that. You're never going to survive if you do it that way, but I'd be interested to talk to him to see if it's not scammy. As Bubba Seuss sounds says sounds anyways. Well, I hope you got some enjoyment out of this, except, pete, don't like you. I'm just trying to do a little bit different than just news, right? Just kind of talking about stuff, what y'all's opinion on what my opinion on it is. Um, if you ever see anything out in the world like that gig app what is it called? Gig Shield, or anything, anything new that you definitely want to talk about, or whatever, just shoot me a text, tag me on TikTok, whatever it is Definitely like always looking for content for, for both shows actually.

Speaker 1: 29:04

So just a reminder know, no me on Wednesday, so you know Pete will be there. I'm going to a concert I'm really looking forward to it in Detroit. So I'll be in the D rocking out to some, uh, metal core. So I'm really looking forward to that. So it's all set up. Hopefully Larry doesn't fuck it up. Just kidding, we're actually I. So it's all set up. Hopefully Larry doesn't fuck it up. Just kidding, we're actually. I meet with Larry right after this to make sure he does it. Okay, but appreciate you guys tuning in and yeah, as always, go fuck yourself. No, I'm just totally kidding. I don't have a. I don't have a sign off for this show. I don't have a sign off. It's only episode three, I got some music. It's only episode three, I got some music. But appreciate you guys, your support means a lot. Peace out. We'll see you next time you.