“A bird in the hand”: how to get the order by moving AWAY from the restaurant
Direction beats distance — but that law has a less obvious, more powerful consequence: sometimes the order goes not to the one approaching, but to the one who has just started moving away from the restaurant.
The situation
Courier B is standing 300 metres from the restaurant. Courier A is approaching — still 800 metres out. The platform waits, holding the order until A gets closer than B (remember: an approaching courier is a “promise”). But A might never arrive: stuck at a light, grabbed by another platform's offer, or simply changed their mind.
And here's the moment: B starts moving away from the restaurant. Now B is “a bird in the hand” — a courier who is close and already moving. Compared with the undefined “two in the bush” (A, who may or may not arrive), B becomes the least risky choice. The order goes to B, almost guaranteed.
The platform isn't optimizing distance — it's avoiding risk. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is its operating principle. And that principle is your tool.
When to apply it
- When probability is highest: peak hours, bad weather, a busy restaurant — moments when an order from that spot will come fastest.
- When you spot an approaching competitor: if another platform shows someone heading toward the same spot — the “bird in the hand” move beats them to it.
- Not too close: standing ~300 m from an active spot gives you both the effect and a few seconds to react.
How the apps help
The hardest part is the timing. How do you know it's the moment to move away? From your history. Courier Logger shows at which hours and near which spots your “bird in the hand” moves actually turned into orders, and when they were just a pointless stroll. Courier Assistant evaluates the same in real time — factoring in your direction and distances to active spots.