+++
title = "Rider's Bots"
+++

*First heard on the net, 2021. Brought to the bonfire in Berlin in 2024.*

██ █████ delivery riders are largely treated as independent contractors, whom algorithms put in competition with each other. This system, common to many other countries, has given rise to a range of bots: paid programs that allow a fast booking of the best available slots.
The most popular bots are called Reglov, Glovobot, GlovIp, LaFenice, and Sushi Clicker. They are typically downloaded for a fee from websites, but some developers manage their businesses via Telegram and other similar platforms. Once installed, the bot allows users to bypass the official shift assignment system, which in some companies is based on the rider’s personal ranking. The ranking’s score is reputational. That means that it is based on factors such as the absence of negative reviews, the seniority of service, and the rider’s availability during the so-called ’diamond hours,’ the evening hours of the weekend. By using the bots, newcomers or those with lower ranking scores can outcompete those without bots, to secure more and better shifts for themselves.

Buying a bot costs on average between 40 and 50 euros, then a monthly subscription is necessary, around 10 euros. Some offer the possibility of an annual subscription, between 80 and 100 euros. Although the use of bots is officially prohibited by many companies, and unions have condemned such digital practices, this remains a very widespread phenomenon and many riders say they couldn’t do without it.
