Lisa Rodriguez. Balloon artist. Mother. Chicagoan. A golden star in our Postmates Fleet.
The idea of becoming a Postmate cropped up for Lisa five years ago. Having just moved back to Chicago with two young daughters, she was forced to quit her job at the restaurant to stay home and watch the kids. Since her husband’s position at the Union Pacific Railroad already required him to work 8–14 hour shifts, Lisa was on the lookout for a job that would allow her the flexibility her family needed. Fast forward to now, and Lisa is happy to report that Postmates has been filling this chasm beautifully ever since. For the last two years, Lisa has been committed to Postmates on a full-time basis. On top of navigating the inner Chicago landscape, and being an active mother, Lisa is an accomplished balloon artist. Yes, it’s a thing. Lisa creates any type of helium powered decor you could possibly imagine.
Mothers are in a unique position during 2018; the gig economy has carved out the ability to create your own hours and schedule, all with extreme flexibility.
Despite Lisa’s brother already working for a delivery service, her female family members, most notably mother and grandmother, were apprehensive about her becoming a Postmate. However, Lisa claims that in her two-years with Postmates, she has yet to feel unsafe. Though Lisa admits that her ability to stay safe is largely because of her familiarity with the city, “Being born and raised in Chicago, I know which areas to avoid. Whenever I deliver to Kenwood, Brownsville, or anywhere far east, I make sure to call the customer so I never have to get out of the car. If I wasn’t familiar with the areas, it would be a different story.”
At Postmates, we take the safety of our Fleet and our customers seriously. Our Trust & Safety department is led by the very capable hands of Patricia Cartes. With tenured positions at both Facebook and Twitter under her belt, the safety of women in-app and in-person is one of Patricia’s top priorities. Postmates released a new feature in Q2 of this year, “The Drop-Off Pin.” The Drop-Off Pin allows you to see where the products are going to be delivered before you accept the delivery. Lisa mentioned how the implementation of this feature has helped her avoid unsafe areas.
In addition to the self-made hours and overall independence, Lisa is proud to say that bonuses and tips are a large reason why she stays loyal to Postmates. Contrary to popular belief, Postmates is not only a food delivery company; it is an anything, anywhere, anytime full-scale delivery service. Items that Lisa has delivered include a Nintendo Switch, an Hermes bracelet, Dyson fans, and two Louis Vuitton wallets. Despite the obvious cool factor attributed to these items, Lisa prefers picking up food because it’s quicker, therefore allowing the ability to do more deliveries. When performing bonuses, the higher amount of deliveries you can accomplish is coveted. Lisa thoughtfully describes Postmates bonuses as, “The bonuses are great, and I always look forward to them. They are an easy way to make a lot of money, definitely doable if you work for it.”
In addition to the Drop-Off pin feature, another element that Lisa takes advantage of is the tips. She claims that she can ensure good tips through remembering the simple things… like putting in extra condiments, utensils, and napkins. Of course this seems like common sense to some of us, but given that Lisa once received a $98 tip on a $7 yogurt delivery, suffice to say her thoughtfulness and upbeat demeanour are what make Lisa standout from the rest.
We are proud to have Lisa: mother, talented balloon artist, and overall conscientious boss-babe, as part of our Fleet.
