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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Delivery Drivers

18 replies

TheChandler · 09/02/2015 10:18

I was being U, wasn't I? I feel mean now. Put the phone down on a delivery driver asking me for directions because he started getting ratty and talking over me. But theres no-one home to sign for them and I don't particularly want them left anyway.

He phoned me, obviously lost, and asked for directions. I asked him if he had an OS map, I managed to get a "no" out of him. He then started rabbiting away so I asked him where he was and said "go south from there to the next roundabout towards X town and take the third exit, that's you on X road (where my house is). He then "towards X?" which is the other way. No, I said, that's north not south. He then started asking "do I sound stupid" and sounded as if he was going to go off on one. So I repeated the directions to which he started then frantically asking where the house was on the road over and over again and saying he just needed help finding the house. So I said "I'm sorry, but I think you're probably beyond help" and put the phone down.

I'm abroad with work today and it was costing me £££ on my roaming charges to help him do his job. I just cannot be bothered with nannying someone. I'd be hauled up for gross misconduct if I carried on like that in my job. I'm horrible, aren't I?

OP posts:
whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 09/02/2015 10:25

I think both of you were stressed and getting arsey with each other. I'm a bit bemused why you asked if he had a specific type of map. Do you expect he had a compass to know which way was South?

If no one is there, how can he do the delivery anyway?

WrappedInABlankie · 09/02/2015 10:26

YNbu.

I hate this Confused I had someone coming to get my car on Friday. Couldn't even get in the right village! Kept telling him he needs to go to the big well known roundabout and turn left its the only way in.

He kept telling me he was "round the back" there is no back Hmm

After 10 minutes of him going! I'm round the back at the traffic lights I told him again and said I needed to get off the phone.

It took half an hour for him to get here when it's only a 10 minute drive from where he was

SoupDragon · 09/02/2015 10:26

I do think you were rude, yes. You should have explained that you were abroad and couldn't help him rather than telling him he was beyond help and hanging up.

onepieceoflollipop · 09/02/2015 10:29

I would have hung up...but before hanging up I would have politely and firmly explained that I was not able to take the call due to work meeting ( or similar explanation). I think the problem got worse when you started asking if he had a particular map. Most likely he had some sort of sat nav that was leading him astray.
He was rude, also, talking over you.

Original poster
TheChandler · 09/02/2015 10:29

whatscoming I think both of you were stressed and getting arsey with each other. I'm a bit bemused why you asked if he had a specific type of map. Do you expect he had a compass to know which way was South?

Because Ordnance Survey maps show rural villages much better than other kinds of maps. And yes, I would expect his sat-nav to show which way north and south are.

I did tell him I was abroad.

OP posts:
whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 09/02/2015 10:39

What sort of OS map? If you said that to me I'd have thought you were talking about a walking map which would have had me baffled.

My satnav doesn't display north by default. I'd have to start going through all the menu options. So when he asked "Towards X?" you could have just said, no the other way, rather than being patronising.

miasdaddy · 09/02/2015 10:40

a bit unreasonable especially if you have a "named property" i would imagine he had a sat nav that got him to the road and just needed a landmark i.e. car on drive something like that
if you didn't want the delivery all you had to say was i'm not in can you redeliver another day please

grumpasaur · 09/02/2015 10:47

I kind of know what you mean- I have had this with numerous taxi drivers and a few delivery drivers also. The problem is they don't know their way around anywhere - which I feel is more acceptable with delivery drivers who have a bigger area to cover, but taxi drivers should know their general orientation.

I end up telling them how to do their job, or they are late, or... It drives me crazy!

atticusclaw · 09/02/2015 10:47

They all have Sat nav and we all know how rubbish they can be. I spent 45 minutes this morning trying to get to an industrial estate that was clearly on the other see of a new housing estate. I just couldn't get there because the bloody housing estate was in the way. If you plug our postcode into any sat nav it takes you to a house three quarters of a mile down the road.

I wouldn't have a clue whether I'm facing north or south when driving in a strange town.

maz210 · 09/02/2015 11:01

My sat nav doesn't show north and south and the only ordnance survey maps I possess are ones for the Brecon Beacons because we've used them for country walks. Ordnance survey maps are huge when spread out, it's not type of thing I'd want to use in the cab of a van.

He'll only have whatever his company provides him with, and I would imagine that's just a basic sat nav and maybe a road atlas to back it up.

So I'm afraid I think YWBU for expecting him to be better equipped for his job.

I completely understand your frustration about the call charges though, I probably would have just told him straight away that I couldn't take the call and ask him to put the parcel down for a redelivery another day.

HappenstanceMarmite · 09/02/2015 11:11

This pisses me off with taxi drivers. I shouldn't have to guide them through the streets of London FFS. I have to know my product, that is MY job. Taxi drivers should know their product. What happened to "the knowledge " eh?

HappenstanceMarmite · 09/02/2015 11:13

He'll only have whatever his company provides him with, and I would imagine that's just a basic sat nav and maybe a road atlas to back it up

More than enough, surely?

morethanpotatoprints · 09/02/2015 11:21

I think you were both as bad as each other tbh.
I'm also confused as to why you have arranged a delivery for when you aren't there, considering you say you didn't want it leaving.

Original poster
TheChandler · 09/02/2015 11:22

maz I completely understand your frustration about the call charges though, I probably would have just told him straight away that I couldn't take the call and ask him to put the parcel down for a redelivery another day.

I would have done, if I could have got a word in edgeways. He pissed me off from the start by asking "Is that Mr Chandler?" and when I said no, he asked "Where is he?", although to be fair, it was his name on the delivery.

I quite often go to work with things my employer hasn't provided me with though. But I agree its probably over-optimistic to expect someone who delivers for a living to be able to read a map or worst still, to know how useful an OS standard Landranger map is and to be able to fold it.

No-one has ever not found our house though, so I don't think it is very hard to find and I did give him directions to the road its on, where if he'd listened, I would have told them was a big sign with its name on it next to the road. He was panicking because it didn't have a number.

I just can't be arsed with people that carry on like that, hence I put the phone down on him. And theres no-one in to receive the goods anyway, we will just collect them from the depot.

OP posts:
CatsCantTwerk · 09/02/2015 11:26

I think you were extremely rude. Why on earth did you even try to direct him to Your house if there was no one there to receive the parcel? Would it not have been easier to say 'Sorry but there is no one there to collect the parcel, please take it back to the depot for collection'? Instead you sent him on a wild goose chase Hmm

SoupDragon · 09/02/2015 11:28

if I could have got a word in edgeways

If you couldn't get a word in edgeways, how did you manage to give him directions and then tell him he was beyond help?

Original poster
TheChandler · 09/02/2015 11:31

He couldn't follow the directions because he was talking over me while I gave them.

I need the card through the door to collect the delivery in person.

OP posts:
Penguito · 09/02/2015 11:36

So did he know there was going to be no one in to receive the delivery?

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