to complain about the delivery driver's incessent banging?

[WazFlimFlam]

I have just complained to both the company I bought the goods from, and Parcelforce about the behaviour of one of their delivery drivers.

I am working from home today, and was in the middle of an important phone call when the bell was rung, in that kind of BUZZZzzzz buzzz buzz BUZZZZ kind of a way.

I thought 'oh bum I can't take that delivery right now and will have to rearrange, how annoying!', hoping the person on the other end of the phone didn't hear the bell.

I carried on my call and seconds later there was another BUZZZ buzz (etc....) and then some banging on the panes of glass on the front door. I think 'oh fucking hell', and still try to ignore it.

Then it comes a third time 'BUZZZ BUZZZZ BUZZZ' and more hammering on the door.

I'm now thinking 'oh chuffing heck, someone is trying to tell me the house is on fire/someone has collapsed on the street outside and they are panicking and need someone to help'

So I reluctantly paused my telephone conversation and went downstairs to find a furious delivery driver with his face pressed up against the window, all this time the bell's BUZZZ BUZZ buzzing and he's hammering on the glass with his fists. He then just wordlessly passes me the parcel and sods off.

Was he being a dick, or AIBU complaining about a poorly paid member of the gig economy who was just at the end of his tether?

[jaimelannistersgoldenhand]

I do think it is odd people think I genuinely had control over the cruel and random universe we live in  and could have somehow prevented the situation.

I think that people assumed that a courier like DPD had warned you that the package would arrive during an assigned 1 hour slot. Most companies deliver out of the blue between 9am and 7pm

[LipstickHandbagCoffee]

Delivery costs nowt to do with the driver.
He wordlessly gave you item because you arrived with a kop on,not inviting small talk

[WazFlimFlam]

Mirai I think one of the reasons I was a bit pissed off was that the delivery wasn't cheap, it was £10 for a small parcel. But that wasn't his fault....

[Medeci]

YABU and weird to make a complaint.
The delivery man was just trying to do his job.
You should have put a note on the door if you didn't want to be disturbed.

[MiraiDevant]

Usual story - people don't want to pay a reasonable price for delivery - expect it for free - but don't make it easy for the drivers who don't get paid if they don't deliver.

Stick a notice on your door saying "Please ring doorbell and then leave parcels in porch" - then you are covered. And he gets paid.

[LipstickHandbagCoffee]

I think it’s an unnecessary complaint. I hope for the driver there’s no repercussions

[FireCracker2]

I don't think you will get anywhere with reporting to the delivery company

1. you are not the customer- the seller is
   2)the WANT the parcel delivered frst time so they don't have the xpense of storage /redelivery
   
2. they will not want to piss of delivery drivers at this time of year!

[WazFlimFlam]

GreatDuck, he didn't. He couldn't. He certainly didn't know that I was able to answer the door at that exact moment in time.

[GreatDuckCookery6211]

I am now wondering what would have happened if I genuinely wasn't in.

That’s what I would like to know. How did he know you were in?

[WazFlimFlam]

Thanks for your responses, I have written to the company I ordered from to encourage them to consider the way the delivery drivers are treated by this company, and to Parcelforce itself saying I don't want to cause the driver any 'trouble', but did feel it ought to be reported as he could really scare more vulnerable people with that attitude.

Yes, I was pissed off because I don't think I do have an obligation to answer the door, all the time, every time, though I have never failed to answer the door before. I am now wondering what would have happened if I genuinely wasn't in. How long would he have continued his hammering for? He could really have pissed off the neighbours!!

It was Sod's law that one of the few times I was indisposed today he turned up. I do think it is odd people think I genuinely had control over the cruel and random universe we live in and could have somehow prevented the situation.

[jaimelannistersgoldenhand]

Yabvu and over dramatic thinking that it was some emergency.

Yanbu to not answer the door. Sometimes it's just not possible to get to the door.

But according to a tradesman I know, 70% of doorbells don't work so you don't know if it's been rung of the person outside can't hear it. Many elderly people need loud knocks and time to get to the door. Could a neighbor have mentioned to the delivery driver that you're in hence him making more of an effort? My experience is that delivery drivers are often too quiet and I can't hear the door over household noise like kids, ps4 etc

[Medeci]

I'm often unable to answer the door immediately.
So if a delivery is due that day I stick a note on the front door saying I'm in but may be delayed answering the door so parcel can safely be left on doorstep.
This works well, never had any problems.

[Outbackshack]

I was verbally abused by a driver 3 days post giving birth as i was in bath, jumped (ish) out and races downstairs. He was furious at me for keeping him waiting and shouted "you shouldn't order a parcel if you cant be in to collect ". Then pretty much threw parcel at me and stormed away. It was some lovely flowers to celebrate new born. The knocking woke baby as well. I sat behind closed door and sobbed. Reported him but never had a response

[Jaxhog]

YANBU. I also work from home and am often on a teleconference. I can't just drop the call to answer the door! Sometimes I'm on the loo or in the shower, or just busy in the middle of a complex task. I don't answer the door then either.

There is no obligation to answer the door just because you are physically present. I wish more people understood this.

[Curiousgeorgey]

Went for a bath, not a nap!

[MaroonPencil]

I can understand where you are coming from OP. I also work from home. It's possible I could be on the phone with, for example, a government minister in a conversation that had taken months to arrange. I also would find it very difficult to pause such a conversation, and yes it would feel (and be, in my opinion) unprofessional.

However I can also see it from the other point of view - working from home as I do it is vastly more common for delivery drivers to stick a note through the door having not even tried to knock (or if they did doing it very quietly) so in most cases I would appreciate a loud knock. So I am on the fence!

[Curiousgeorgey]

Read this thread. Went for a nap during DDs nap. Heard the doorbell ring. Then again, then knocking, then more ringing. Thought please just leave and ill collect the package from the post office!!

As I thought this I heard my front room open and the postie toss the package on the floor then close the door. I'm livid.

[HuskyMcClusky]

Nope his job is TRY and deliver the parcel.
The delivery driver job is NOT to force someone to answer the door.

Exactly.

The ‘whose job is more important’ thing is a red herring. The OP could be unable or unwiling to answer the door for any number of reasons (baby in bath/waxing her legs/practising pole dancing).

[ThunderboltsLightning]

YANBU I am on mat leave and also have a dog. My DH regularly shops online.

The number of times my DS has been woken by the dog getting excited by a parcel delivery! I won't answer the door if i am in the middle of feeding or settling DS and I would be furious if someone was as persistent as this man.

I am actually interested in getting some sort of locked parcel drop box outside my house (thankfully i have a driveway and a porch so not right on the pavement) which will be helpful when i am back at work and nobody is in to accept parcels. Except the dog of course.

[lionguard]

tbh I get more fucked off with delivery drivers who don't even TRY to deliver a parcel before sending it back to the Post Office. Even when I'm in.

He sounds like he REALLY likes delivering parcels.

[Skittlesandbeer]

Nup. Totally reasonable for the OP to take this further. In fact, go hard.

Buying something to be delivered doesn’t mean accepting that your door/bell/window will be hammered on repeatedly. You never know what’s going on in a house: be it work, child-care, sick people, dying people, resident with other issues. And if you can’t go through that stuff peacefully in your own home, does it mean you aren’t allowed to organise deliveries? Bollocks.

I’m sure the company using this delivery service would prefer you buy from them again, so they’ll be interested in your complaint, OP. The delivery guy himself is likely judged/paid on how many times he successfully harasses people to open the door, so his (subcontracted) company is likely less interested.

I work from home. Is my job so much less important than his? Nope.

[LipstickHandbagCoffee]

Her parcel was not left in rain/over a hedge/visible on doorstep.it was delivered.to op
Complain if parcel left in rain/over a hedge/visible on doorstep.not if delivered
How would delivery man know she’s on a tc?he can’t determine the significance of her call
He didn’t force the door.no physical damage to frame/lock/door. Just some loud knock
I really can’t see the problem.if you shop online expect your day to be interrupted with delivery

[RhiannonOHara]

You do realise their are cost implications to both the driver and the delivery company of your actions?

I think she does, yes, which is kind of why she was asking whether she should complain.

Kate, you're absolutely right about meetings and phone calls being interrupted in offices too. I'm not sure why in the OP's experience some people – well, men – seem to think that the odd interruption at home is not acceptable.

It's a good tip, I think, to say 'There's a problem with the connection' as an excuse if you need to break a phone call in future. I mean, it'd be better if men stopped acting like twats about women working from home, but...

[LipstickHandbagCoffee]

Her parcel was left in rain/over a hedge/visible on doorstep.it was delivered.to op
Complain if parcel left in rain/over a hedge/visible on doorstep.not if delivered
How would delivery man know she’s on a tc?he can’t determine the significance of her call
He didn’t force the door.no physical damage to frame/lock/door. Just some loud knock
I really can’t see the problem.if you shop online expect your day to be interrupted with delivery