Flashes of green on the roads have become a familiar sight as delivery riders whizz around to send food to customers across Singapore.
In recent years, they’ve proven to be our unsung heroes as they cater to our every craving, especially during the several lockdowns that saw the suspension of dine-ins at eateries.
Over that period, 36-year-old Arif Bin Isa went viral for his customised ‘airplane messages‘ that kept his customers updated on their GrabFood orders.
Beyond his famous voice, there’s more to the delivery rider – who previously worked as an oil refinery technician – than meets the eye.
Having been a delivery rider for 5 years, Arif has a wealth of stories to tell. From dealing with the erratic weather to hangry customers, he still tries his best to find the joys of his job every day.
Though we often associate food delivery riders with their tireless hustle and dedication to keeping us well-fed, they have other interests too.
For Arif, astronomy captivates his mind most, while his hands stay busy by fiddling with machines to find out how they work and why they work that way.
His eyes light up when he speaks about his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. Space is still something he avidly reads about today, though the ambition may seem out of reach.
However, considering his other interests, one might think that working as an oil refinery technician would have been right up his alley.
But years back, Arif walked away from his full-time job at a major oil company, where he had been working for 11 long years.
So why leave? He smiles as he answers the question,
You come to a point where life is more important than money.
Arif shares that he had grown tired of the monotony of working fixed hours, returning home, only to repeat the cycle all over again
He started to question what he truly wanted from life.
A friend recommended that he try being a food delivery rider. After all, it was a job that would give Arif a lot of versatility to explore what he wanted and meet new people every day.
And that was how his journey as a rider began in 2017.
5 years after making that move, Arif’s decision has only been reaffirmed.
While he may not be earning as much as before, he is content and has gained much more in many other aspects of life.
Sure, he sometimes chooses to work long hours in his current occupation, but Arif says it’s all about perspective. After all, many in typical office jobs also devote themselves to working overtime.
To him, this is no different from riders who choose to put in more hours to rake in higher earnings.
Arif loves being a food delivery rider for the freedom it grants him – he is in complete control of his time, earnings, and ultimately, his life.
The liberty to start work anytime and work as many or as few hours a day gives him the flexibility to work around his schedule.
It also allows him to delegate time to his passions and hobbies, such as reading up on the newest technologies and working on internal combustion engines.
In a roundabout way, these passions make him a better delivery rider as they allow him to know the ins and outs of the scooter he rides every day.
His knowledge in thermodynamics came in handy when he had to troubleshoot and make adjustments and improvements to his vehicle where needed.
Although the freedom of time is a huge plus, it’s not the biggest reason Arif loves being a rider.
He feels that the best part is meeting many new people every day, from customers to merchants, and watching their true characters on display.
While some might not see this as a good thing, ever-positive Arif says angry customers are his favourite.
“The world won’t be interesting without them (angry customers), trust me. You learn the most from them, and making them smile is a very, very great achievement,” he shares.
Arif also admits that smiles these days are very contagious. “You look at their face and smile. Eventually, they will also smile,” he quips.
With a playful grin, Arif adds, “Inside your heart, you’ll be like, YES! You’re being infected, way better than Covid-19.”
In Dec 2021, Arif went viral for his soothing voice in his GrabFood airplane messages to customers.
Looking at him today, many might assume Arif is an easy-going, fun, and sociable person.
But things haven’t always been that way. Arif shares that he used to be an introvert who did not like talking to others.
Being a delivery rider, he learned that the parts people often see – picking up and delivering the food, are easy. The most important and challenging part is actually learning to communicate with others and with good humour.
His years in the job have taught Arif to develop his communication skills and adaptability to situations.
Since customers are always the priority, Arif constantly challenges himself by finding new ways to connect with them.
This was how he came up with the idea of the airplane messages, even taking the initiative to add different background music to match various moods.
And customers love it. Nearly a quarter of them will put in the effort to reply to Arif with their own voice messages accompanied by background music.
“It’s a 2-way street,” he remarks, as it lightens his mood while he works and simultaneously brings joy to the customers, which is something he values.
Seeing how Arif seems to have a hang of his tasks, you might think he’s already a pro at what he does.
But the rider is always looking for ways to upgrade himself, which he can conveniently do via GrabAcademy, a training portal for riders to develop themselves personally and professionally.
The courses available have helped him get better at the nitty-gritty details of his job, such as handling food and communicating with merchants and customers.
Besides on-the-job skills, there are also self-enhancement courses in sectors like finance and security for those hoping to enter another industry.
For Grab partners supporting their families, the company even offers bursaries and scholarship grants for them and their loved ones.
Juggling their pursuits with a job that can be physically exhausting, especially after being exposed to the elements for hours, riders can fall sick more often.
Riding on the streets also becomes much more dangerous during thunderstorms.
Having been in the industry for several years, Arif understands that accidents are bound to happen sometimes, mainly because he spends prolonged hours on the road.
An accident in 2018 left him with a tibial plateau fracture. Despite his injuries, Arif felt immensely thankful to be alive, being able to walk and get back to work eventually.
Since delivery riders are susceptible to accidents, Grab’s comprehensive insurance coverage gives Arif peace of mind.
According to him, riders are entitled to compensation packages like long medical leave and a personal accident insurance plan if they fall sick or get injured.
Arif describes the packages as competitive and helpful. So if they fall ill for a long period of time, they need not worry about coming up empty on their earnings.
While Arif hasn’t had to make claims from Grab, other riders have shared that the process is smooth and uncomplicated.
Smooth is also a word that Arif uses to describe his experience as a rider so far. Riding in the cool night air has given him time to reflect on his life and future, and helped him discover contentment in the simple things.
He refers to his delivery rounds as moments for “me, myself, and my bike”, which aptly sums up his quiet night rides alone.
While Arif still holds out hope for his astronaut ambitions, he has found joy in the now, making a comfortable living as a rider.
A good connection with Grab, such as the Telegram channel that updates riders on activities or incentives, eases his experience greatly. Should he need help, he can also make in-app reports for support.
Beyond situational problems, Grab regularly seeks riders’ opinions through surveys, collecting feedback and suggestions from them. Arif jokes that sometimes it’s “too many”.
He had also attended engagement sessions hosted by Grab like Grab A Drink and GrabTalk, meant for riders to voice their opinions in person.
Arif feels that being with Grab over the years has shown him how they improve systems and work packages after hearing riders’ opinions.
If you’d like to find out more about gig work with Grab, you can refer to their website here.
To hear other stories like Arif’s about the perks drivers and riders get with Grab, you can follow the company on Facebook or Instagram.
Whether you are looking to work as a delivery or driver partner full-time or as a side hustle, the gig economy presents endless opportunities.
The ups and downs that come with being a gig worker are often overlooked. But through it all, many like Arif are making a difference with their work, whilst finding growth and meaning through it.
It may not be an easy job. But to those up for a different challenge every day, it grants them a strong sense of fulfilment and contentment.
This post was brought to you in collaboration with Grab.
Featured image by MS News. Photography by Chan Hui Wen.
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