Dealing with abusive or threatening customers: a driver's guide

Recognising and avoiding danger on a delivery

Working as a gig driver means going to unfamiliar addresses at all hours. Most drop-offs go fine, but sometimes a customer is angry, drunk, or outright hostile. Your safety always matters more than the food or the parcel in your hand. If a situation feels wrong before you even get to the door, trust your gut.

Watch out for red flags as you arrive at an address. Poor lighting, aggressive dogs loose in a hallway, or shouting from inside the property are signs you should pause. Do not walk into a dark block of flats or an isolated property if you feel unsafe. You can always stay in a well-lit area and contact the customer through the app.

• Keep your car keys in your pocket so you can get back to your vehicle fast.
• Park facing out so you can drive away without having to reverse.
• Leave your engine running if you are just stepping out for a second in a dodgy spot, provided it is safe to do so.

Steps to take during a hostile interaction

If a customer starts shouting, swearing, or making threats when you hand over an order, stay calm. Do not argue back or try to win the argument. Your goal is simply to exit the situation safely and quickly. Keep your voice low and steady.

1. Step back immediately to create physical space between you and the customer.
2. Say clearly that you will not accept being spoken to like that.
3. End the interaction and walk away immediately. Do not worry about handing the item over if you are being threatened.
4. Get back into your car or lock yourself in a secure public space.

Reporting the incident to your platform

Once you are safe, you must report the customer to the support team of the app you were using. Every major platform has an emergency safety line or an in-app reporting tool for driver safety. Do not skip this step. A customer who threatens one driver will likely threaten the next one.

Open the app, go to help or support, and look for safety reports. Give them the exact time, address, and what was said. Ask support to block that customer from your account so you never get sent back to that address again. Take screenshots of the order details and any abusive messages sent through the chat before the app closes or updates.

Protecting your mental wellbeing after an incident

Getting threatened on a shift can shake you up. It is completely normal to feel angry, shaky, or anxious about doing your next drop-off. Do not feel pressured to jump straight back onto the road if you are not feeling up to it. Take a break, grab a cup of tea, and talk to another driver or a family member about what happened.

If a platform deactivates your account because a customer lied and left a false complaint about an abusive interaction, gather your evidence straight away. Write down a clear timeline of events while it is fresh in your head. Appeal the decision through the driver support portal and point out that you were the victim of abuse, not the aggressor.