Terms of Service – Chefs
Chef Terms of Service Agreement
By using the Sous platform, you agree to the below terms ("Agreement") with Sous Personal Chefs, Co, operating as Sous ("Company").
1. Independent Contractor Status
The Chef acknowledges and agrees that they are an independent contractor for Sous Personal Chefs, Co, providing services through the Sous platform.
2. Compliance with Laws
The Chef agrees to comply with all applicable laws, including tax regulations, while providing services on the platform. The Chef is solely responsible for their own taxes and understands that the Company will not withhold any state or federal taxes on their behalf.
3. Liability
The Chef acknowledges full liability for any harm caused to customers or other individuals encountered while conducting business on the platform, including but not limited to illness and bodily injury.
4. Release of Liability
The Chef agrees not to hold the Company liable for any harm related to their use of the platform, including but not limited to illness and bodily injury.
5. Authorization to Work
The Chef affirms that they are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
6. Chef Conduct
As a Chef using the Sous platform, you agree to adhere to the following guidelines and standards of conduct:
Respectful Interactions: You agree to engage with customers, other chefs, and Sous staff in a respectful and professional manner at all times. Harassment, discrimination, hate speech, intimidation, or any form of abusive or retaliatory behavior will not be tolerated.
Professionalism & Reliability: You agree to provide services professionally and in good faith, including arriving on time, communicating clearly, following customer instructions that are reasonable and lawful, and completing services as agreed. You agree not to abandon a service without following Sous’s procedures (including any required check-ins with Sous).
Compliance with Laws and Regulations: You agree to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards while using Sous and providing services, including (as applicable) local public health rules, food handling and sanitation requirements, allergen disclosure best practices, and any licensing or permitting requirements that apply to you.
Food Safety & Customer Property: You agree to maintain safe food handling practices and appropriate hygiene, to use reasonable care around customer property, and to promptly notify the customer and Sous of any incidents, hazards, injuries, accidents, property damage, or food safety concerns that occur during or in connection with a service.
Privacy & Confidentiality: You agree to protect customer privacy and keep confidential any customer information you learn through Sous or during a service (including contact information, address, schedules, household details, dietary/health preferences shared for service purposes, and anything observed in the customer’s home). You may not record customers or their home, or share photos/videos from a service, without the customer’s express consent and Sous’s approval where required.
Content Integrity: You agree that any information you provide on the platform (including your profile, credentials, availability, pricing, menus, photos, and messages) will be truthful, accurate, and not misleading. Sous may remove content or suspend accounts that violate these Terms or are deemed unsafe, deceptive, or objectionable.
Booked Chef Presence and Assistance:
The Chef who accepts and is booked for a service through Sous must be personally present at the service location for the duration of the service and must personally lead, supervise, and remain responsible for all cooking and related in-home culinary services provided for that booking.
The Chef may bring an assistant to help with the service only if: (a) the booked Chef remains physically present throughout the service, (b) the booked Chef directly supervises the assistant, and (c) the booked Chef remains fully responsible for the quality, safety, conduct, and completion of the service.
The Chef may not assign, subcontract, delegate, or send any other person to perform the service in the Chef’s place. No assistant or other individual may attend a service without the booked Chef being present, and no other person may present themselves as the booked Chef.
Any unauthorized substitution, or any service performed without the booked Chef present, is a material breach of these Terms and may result in cancellation of the booking, withholding or reversal of payout to the extent permitted by law, and suspension or removal from the Sous platform.
Prohibited Activities: You agree not to engage in any of the following activities while using Sous or performing services arranged through Sous:
Fraud or Misrepresentation: Misrepresenting identity, credentials, experience, certifications, work authorization, insurance coverage, or availability.
Off-Platform Circumvention: Attempting to move customers off the platform to avoid Sous fees, directing payments off-platform, or soliciting customers for services outside Sous in a way that violates these Terms.
Unauthorized Charges or Purchases: Purchasing groceries or incurring expenses without following Sous’s applicable receipt, reimbursement, and approval rules.
Unsafe, Illegal, or Inappropriate Behavior: Possessing illegal drugs, being impaired by alcohol or substances during services, bringing weapons to a service (except as permitted by law and expressly approved by Sous), or engaging in theft or property misuse.
Harassment or Boundary Violations: Unwanted personal contact, romantic/sexual advances, or continued messaging after a customer asks you to stop, except as needed to complete the service.
Platform Misuse: Attempting to gain unauthorized access to Sous systems, scraping data, introducing malware, or engaging in any activity that disrupts, interferes with, or damages Sous services.
Impersonation: Impersonating any person or entity, or falsely stating or misrepresenting your affiliation with any person or entity.
Responsible Use of Services: You agree to use Sous solely for its intended purposes, which include providing culinary services, communicating with customers about those services, and facilitating transactions and support. Any illegal or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Reviews, Feedback, and Communications: You agree not to manipulate ratings, reviews, or platform metrics. You may not offer incentives in exchange for positive reviews or retaliate against a customer for providing feedback. You agree to communicate with customers and Sous honestly and in a timely manner.
Reporting Obligations: If you become aware of safety issues, suspected fraud, phishing/scams, unauthorized account access, or violations of these Terms, you agree to report such incidents to Sous immediately for investigation.
Consequences of Violations: Violations of these Chef Conduct guidelines may result in suspension or termination of your Sous account, removal from the platform, withholding or reversal of payouts as permitted by law and these Terms, and/or other actions Sous deems appropriate, including legal recourse if necessary.
6. Insurance Requirements
The Chef confirms that they are fully insured as a personal chef with the following credentials:
ServSafe Food Handlers or Managers License, or an equivalent ANSI-accredited food handler certificate.
FLIP (Food Liability Insurance Policy) for personal chefs, or an equivalent insurance policy.
The Chef agrees to maintain these credentials and keep them up to date while active on the platform.
7. Location of Food Preparation
The Chef affirms that they will only prepare food in the client’s home and never in their own home. The Chef understands that preparing food in their own home and transporting it to the client’s home is illegal and may result in immediate removal from the platform.
8. Cancellation windows (for reference)
The following windows control whether customer payments are refundable, and therefore whether there are funds available for Chef payout, based on Sous’s Refund Policy:
Special Occasions
Deposit (50%): refundable if canceled ≥ 72 hours before service; non-refundable inside 72 hours.
Remaining balance (50%): refundable if canceled ≥ 24 hours before service; non-refundable inside 24 hours.
If the service is booked within 72 hours of the start time, the customer may be required to pay 100% to secure the booking.
Meal Prep Services (one-time)
Refundable if canceled ≥ 48 hours before service.
Meal prep booked within 48 hours is non-refundable.
Non-refundable categories
Special Occasion services booked within 72 hours are non-refundable.
Completed services are not refundable unless the chef consents to the refund.
2) When you get paid vs. when you don’t
If a customer cancels and the customer is eligible for a refund under the Refund Policy, you will not be paid for the canceled service time, because the customer’s payment is returned.
If a customer cancels inside a non-refundable window (or the amount is otherwise non-refundable under the Refund Policy), you will be paid the non-refundable portion that Sous actually collects and retains, according to Sous’s then-current payout rules (e.g., applicable chef payout percentage, fees, and any required adjustments).
If a service is refunded after completion, it will only occur with your consent (as described in the Refund Policy). If you consent to a refund, Sous may reduce, reverse, or offset the related payout consistent with these Terms and applicable law.
3) Groceries & reimbursement on cancellations
Customers are typically charged for groceries after you upload a grocery receipt (timing varies by service type).
Do not purchase groceries until the booking is confirmed and you have clear direction to shop (and any required confirmations are complete in the app).
If a booking is canceled and the customer’s grocery charge is refunded or cannot be collected, Sous may deny grocery reimbursement.
If you purchase groceries without following Sous procedures (including required confirmations, receipt upload, and any applicable “unable to start service / cancellation” steps), Sous may deny reimbursement, consistent with the “Failure to Follow Procedure” section in these Terms.
4) How cancellations must happen
Eligible cancellations/refunds must be initiated through the app/web app; refunds for eligible cancellations are processed per the Refund Policy.
8. Access Issues & “Unable to Start Service” Procedure
If you arrive at the service location at the scheduled start time (or within a reasonable grace period) and cannot begin service because you cannot gain entry (e.g., Customer does not buzz you in, does not answer the door, incorrect access instructions, or no response):
Immediate Contact Attempts: You must promptly attempt to contact the Customer using the in-app chat and/or the phone number on file (call + text), and re-check all provided access instructions.
Minimum Wait Time: You must wait at least 30 minutes from your arrival time (when safe and permitted by building rules/local laws).
Notify Sous Before Leaving: If you have not gained access after 30 minutes, you must contact Sous before leaving, unless you must leave immediately due to safety concerns, building/security directives, or legal restrictions.
Documentation: You must document (in-app where possible) your arrival time, contact attempts, and any relevant details (e.g., “buzzed unit 3 times,” “called/texted twice,” doorman denied entry).
Leaving the Location: You may leave after (a) completing the 30-minute wait and (b) notifying Sous, or earlier only if safety/building rules/law require it.
Payment Handling: Sous will determine whether the appointment is treated as completed in part, a Customer-caused cancellation/no-show, or rescheduled, and will calculate compensation in accordance with Sous policies and the Customer’s terms. Do not negotiate charges directly with the Customer outside the platform.
Failure to Follow Procedure (Compensation & Reimbursement)
If you do not follow the procedure above—including the 30-minute wait, required contact attempts, notifying Sous before leaving, and documenting your attempts—Sous may determine, in its sole discretion, that you are not eligible for compensation for the service and/or not eligible for grocery reimbursement related to that appointment.
Safety Exception: If at any time you feel unsafe, are instructed to leave by building/security staff, or remaining would violate local laws or building rules, you may leave immediately and must notify Sous as soon as practicable.
9. Payment Processing Policy
All payments for services must be processed through the Sous platform. The Chef agrees not to accept or solicit payments outside of the platform under any circumstances. Violation of this policy may result in immediate removal from the platform. The Company reserves the right to contact customers directly to verify compliance.
10. Performance Expectations and Platform Access
The Company reserves the right to remove the Chef from the platform at its sole discretion, including but not limited to the following reasons:
Repeated low ratings or negative feedback from customers
Failure to retain clients
Breach of these Terms of Service or other platform policies
Any behavior that the Company determines to be inconsistent with the standards and expectations of the Sous community described in our Customer Terms of Service.
11. Agreement to Future Changes
The Company reserves the right to modify this Agreement from time to time, with the consent of the Chef.
12. Severability
In the event that any provision of this Agreement is deemed void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Effective Date:
These Terms of Service are effective as of July 1, 2025.
Contact Us:
If you have any questions or concerns about changes to the Terms of Service, please contact us at help@sous.so.