Jamie McGee

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

When Postmates delivery service recently rolled out changes to its app that prevented couriers from choosing their jobs in Nashville, the online outcry was quick to follow.

More than 30 couriers, several from Nashville, protested on Change.org this week against the new “Smart Routing” feature and aired their outrage on a local Postmates Facebook group. Their complaint is that the new system violates what it meant to be an independent contractor and makes Postmates delivery a far less attractive gig.

"It's way more stressful than it used to be,” said Teague Wilson, who has delivered for Nashville Postmates since the summer. "The update ensures that a courier suffers every time an impossible job comes through."

On-demand services look made to order for Nashville

Postmates, based in San Francisco, is one of several new delivery apps that has expanded to Nashville in the past year. Its recent changes highlight the challenges on-demand companies face as they balance customer service with maintaining a willing workforce comprised of independent contractors, all while trying to make a profit.

This on-demand workforce is growing in Nashville with the inception of Uber, Lyft, Shipt, OrderUp and most recently, Amazon's Prime Now. Their business model attracts drivers and deliverers with its promise of flexibility — they can choose their hours and which jobs they want to accept.

The choice in jobs is what is at risk under the new Postmates structure, couriers say. Where they could choose to avoid restaurants with few parking options or those in heavy traffic areas, the new feature puts them in a queue for the next delivery in their area. They either go offline or move forward with the delivery.

Postmates couriers point to other examples where choice is appreciated — if they know a restaurant is so busy at certain times that an order won’t be able to be filled in time, or if a restaurant is about to close for the evening, they can simply decline instead of taking the time to contact Postmates and wait for the issue to be resolved.

“The people on the ground doing the work are going to know their territory,” Wilson said.

Another change to the app is that the orders are placed before a courier accepts the order, according to couriers. If a courier has less time to complete the order, the food could be cold on delivery or late, affecting tips and ratings.

Postmates, which did not immediately respond for comment, alerted its drivers through an email describing the new feature as a way to boost revenue.

Smart Routing “improves your dispatches, boosts deliveries per hour, and puts money in your pocket.” The system sends requests that make the most sense for each driver, based on vehicle model and location, Postmates says in the announcement.

But drivers are not convinced it is in their best interest.

"Unless Postmates wants to make us full employees, with all of the associated expenses, it must keep the flexible aspects of the job in place, particular autonomy over which jobs are accepted," a driver in California wrote. "You cannot expect to make the demands of an employer without taking on the responsibilities of an employer."

Wilson said he still appreciates the overall on-demand economy. Through Postmates, he has been able to make $70 to $80 a day while balancing his schedule with freelance writing assignments. While he will still do some Postmates runs, he plans to scale back under the new model.

“We have all this crazy, great technology that can make our lives so much easier,” he said. “All these companies are trying to preserve their bottom line — not only preserve them but expand them. They end up trying to take away all of those things that make the work so much better.”

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.

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