AIBU to think this John Lewis Policy is dangerous?

[SquashedSpring]

Earlier this week I posted about John Lewis refusing to do contactless deliveries.

Reading their Twitter feed today it appears that their policy is for delivery drivers to call customers on the day to ask if the household have any corona symptoms. If they do, the delivery is cancelled, if they don’t it goes ahead - but they are still appear to be refusing contactless drop off.

This is a terrible policy. People can be asymptomatic, people can be infectious before showing any symptoms.

Shockingly, they are trying to take some kind of moral high ground with people who are asking for contactless delivery because they are isolating. This was their response to one person:
“our business made a decision to protect our drivers & our customer's safety. I'm sorry you don't agree with it. In this situation, we're not taking any chances & neither should you expect us too.”

They appear to be ignoring people who are asking outright if they are doing contactless delivery.

All of the other companies I have heard about are now leaving parcels at the door, knocking and moving to a safe distance while the parcel is taken inside. Why is John Lewis refusing?

Because the board members went to the same school as BoJo?

John Lewis generally don't deliver their own stuff and unless big items. We have had john Lewis deliveru roday by DPD and it was left by door then driver stood back. Why do you care so much?

Royal mail didn't today, tried to hand my husband a parcel (ordered ages ago arrived damaged, this was the very delayed replacement). DH stepped back and the postman rolled his eyes and said are you going to take this? DH said no could you leave it on the step please. Postie huffed and walked off. It wasn't a signed for parcel.

@DontStandSoCloseToMe Are you leaving the parcel on the step then for three days or something?

If your DH was that close anyway taking the parcel wouldn't have caused any rise in risk of infection.

I have a delivery coming from JL and I bloody hope it's not contactless delivery and it's an oven and needs to be brought inside!

Otherwise, yes agree - Contactless delivery is the way forwards. Shame not everyone is doing it where they can.

Yeah, John Lewis won’t personally deliver anything like supermarkets do. Therefore all you need to do is set a delivery instruction with DPD/Royal mail etc to leave in porch (or whatever safe place)

We had contactless JL delivery today. Left on doorstep by deliver driver and then we took it inside. It was delivered by JL themselves if that makes a difference.

Having said that, I do understand their logic. If their driver is inadvertently infected by a household who are self isolating, they could then inadvertently infect many other customers as they continue working. Therefore it is safer to completely avoid people who are self isolating (who therefore have COVID symptoms, as self isolation is not the same as social distancing)

I had a delivery of a piece of furniture from JL on Friday. They called me be beforehand to say that they weren't allowed to bring it in and check I was still happy to receive it, which I was. They delivered it to the doorstep.

I have 2 enormous sofas due to arrive in the next few weeks. I shall be trying to delay them if they cannot bring to the room. Otherwise I am not sure how I will get them in the house on my own........

Agreed that it is dangerous, because it will encourage people to lie, and that's the last thing we need.

Absolutely brownsingss, no one wants to see this happen, which is I was shocked about the apparent policy, when leaving a parcel on a doorstep and phoning from a distance away is the safe option for everyone, whether they are symptomatic or not.

Anyway, it seems like some JL drivers are doing this, so perhaps customer services aren't aware of what's going on at ground level. I just wish they would have a clearly laid out policy available online like other companies do.

What can I say Needbettername, I'm a worrier and since this is something that I came across directly, I have been worrying about it.

I hadn't even thought about that safariboot

@BraveLittleDragon all other delivery services are doing contactless delivery, by stepping back DH was around 6ft from the postman as is appropriate. We're both taking enough risks at work and have to follow strict measures, unless hands on contact with the public is required for public or personal safety reasons as it is sometimes in our sector. Our next door neighbour is 86 and has several underlying conditions would it be ok for him to stand in her doorway waving a parcel arrived? Or should he do what every other organisation is doing and maintaining a safe distance wherever possible?

@BraveLittleDragon my oven was delivered to doorstep in Tuesday..Had to bring it in myself.

We had a contactless John Lewis delivery yesterday.
I had received an email saying I would need to sign but, after answering the bell, the driver was back in his van and just waved his response.

John Lewis use their own delivery staff for white goods and furniture, I believe.

safe option for everyone, whether they are symptomatic or not.

I think John Lewis are actually saying that they have risk assessed their options and:

• they think contactless deliveries are safe for households who have no symptoms
• however contactless delivery to symptomatic households are too risky for them to offer, they’d prefer not to deliver to symptomatic households at all

Particularly as they aren’t likely to deliver essential items like a food shop, so they may deem that the risk to the driver isn’t worth it.

JL also tend to sell high value items that may need delivery signature confirmation, and it’s possible that they don’t want to waive the signature requirement completely just yet so they can’t offer blanket contactless delivery.

This is a non issue. I have had four deliveries from John Lewis (dd x 2 birthday and could not find anyone else I could rely on to actually deliver!!) and not a single one asked for a signature! They all took a photo of the goods delivered in said place, asked for my name and was on their way - all where observing at least 2m distance and some closer to 8-10 metres.

I have to say JL are the ONLY company that have actually turned up with the goods, I have ordered other things ten days ago, yet to arrive, and no customer service to talk to.

If you need anything at all, JL is clearly delivering safely still, which is nothing short of a miracle, and secondly neither of my children have gone without a gift for their birthday this year. I nearly cried when the parcel arrived from relief.

I am incredibly grateful to JL. As for Next etc, they have completely shut down. How helpful is that, when we are all housebound.

JL had better not decide they're dumping my delivery on the doorstep and Going Contactless. It's a washer dryer, and I have paid extra for removal and installation.

Reading through JL’s tweets, it seems to be at the delivery driver’s discretion. If the driver feels too uncomfortable to deliver, your order will be cancelled. I agree that this may lead people to lie about symptoms.

Also if your item is small enough to be left in a safe place/doorstep, delivery drivers across all companies are likely to do this by default. But if it’s furniture/white goods that needs to be brought inside, they are more likely to refuse to carry it out if you have Covid symptoms for their own safety

God, I'm worrying now.

I really need my washer-dryer, and I really need JL to remove my old one.

I am as fit as a flea.

I hope they have some discretion in this.

friend had delivery of washing machine before coronavirus they had arranged to have old machine picked up & new one fitted - this didn't happen - it was delivered to front door & friend had to get it in themselves but they will have to wait until CV has passed before they will pick it up - meantime its an additional decoration in their flat another friend helped them via zoom to fit it. So ignore what is said on web this has been updated

cantata maybe if you disconnect it & place it outside? ring JL & check?

I had 3 deliveries from John Lewis this week (bits arriving separately for some reason)

Every single one of them was contactless. They did call me 30 mn to check I was home, I waved at the window and the packages were left at the door. I picked them up after they were gone.

They don't seem to have thought about 'shield' type isolation - where one or more person in the household is exceptionally vulnerable and therefor everyone needs to be absolutely stringent in maintaining distance.