- Ronald Coleman, 45, brought in $114,000 in revenue last year driving for DoorDash in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- He said he's "delivering in paradise" and that customers generally tip very well.
Ronald Coleman, a 45-year-old DoorDash driver based in Honolulu, Hawaii, says he's "delivering in paradise." And the money isn't half bad either.
He brought in $114,000 in revenue on DoorDash last year, according to documents viewed by Insider, and said he's on pace to make roughly $120,000 in 2023. (Note: These are top-line figures that don't include operating expenses like gas and vehicle maintenance.)
Before working as a driver, Coleman worked in the auto repair industry in Michigan — a job he said he increasingly felt burnt out from. In the summer of 2020, he tried DoorDash, found some success, and eventually decided to pursue it full-time. He kept it up when he moved to Hawaii in 2021. He earned roughly $73,000 in 2021 and has completed over 24,000 deliveries to date.
"I believe the key to my success is based on my work ethic," he told Insider. "Staying consistent, minimizing my distractions, learning the market I'm in, and providing quality customer service also play a huge role."
But Coleman said he's also been quite fortunate in one area: tipping.
"The tips in the Honolulu market are awesome," he said. "I honestly can't complain about tipping."
While he said tips can vary considerably, he once received a $112 tip for an order with a base pay of $5.50, according to a document viewed by Insider. Another showed a $50 tip on top of a $13 base pay.
"In my opinion, most people who visit here are more eager to tip because they are on vacation," he said.
In the continental United States at least, many drivers for platforms like Uber and DoorDash have told Insider they aren't happy with their tips. For these drivers, Coleman said he has some advice.
"Lose the entitlement mindset — not everyone will tip and they aren't required to," he said, adding, "Some people do tip and some don't. There is really no strategy for getting tips."
Coleman has four other pieces of advice for drivers looking to get ahead.
First: Use DoorDash over the other delivery apps.
Coleman said he's tried delivering with Instacart, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, but that he's found considerably more success with DoorDash.
"Those apps are something that I really don't care for," he said. "I tried them so I can say from experience that they're not for me. In my opinion, Doordash is one of the best apps out."
Second: "Don't chase after the money."
"Just because an order pays $20, it doesn't always mean that it's worth taking it," he said, particularly if it's far away.
But at a minimum, he said drivers should make sure they're earning at least $1 to $1.50 a mile.
Third: Focus on maintaining a strong rating, acceptance rate, and completion rate. Coleman has a 70% acceptance rate, a 93% completion rate, and a 4.98 rating.
"I have tried to accept 70% of the orders that are given to me every hour because it helps you with your ratings," he said. "Higher ratings can lead to better opportunities and those opportunities can turn into better earnings."
Fourth: Even if it won't always result in a great tip, Coleman said providing great customer service is important for getting and keeping a high rating. He said he tries to update customers on their order status consistently, and in the case of grocery deliveries, allows them to choose a replacement when an item is unavailable.
"I treat every delivery I accept as if I was ordering it myself," he said.
Looking ahead, Coleman said he has no plans to leave Hawaii, and that he hopes to put the money he's been saving up towards some entrepreneurial endeavors someday. He said the only downsides to doing DoorDash in the Aloha State are the traffic and the number of one-way streets that can make driving challenging.
"The Hawaii market is exceptional overall," he said. "There are ocean views, sunny skies, and the people are from all walks of life."
Are you a gig worker willing to share your story about pay, schedule, and tipping? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@insider.com.