Supermarket driver nearly two hours early

[StillCoughingandLaughing]

I had a Sainsbury’s delivery booked for 10 - 11 tonight. I wasn’t particularly fussed about having a late slot, but it was the only one with no delivery charge, so I booked it. I wasn’t planning to go anywhere.

Earlier today, a friend invited me for a drink. I said I’d have to leave at 9.30 to be back, which she said was fine, so I went. At 8.20 I got a call - it’s my delivery driver wanting to know why I’m not answering the door. I explain my slot isn’t until 10, but he tells me I’m the last delivery of the day, so he’s there now and can I answer the door. He doesn’t speak great English, so it takes several attempts to explain that I’m not at home.

Eventually he gets that I won’t be there before 10. After a big sigh, he eventually says again, ‘I’m here now - you’re my last delivery’ - but then says he’ll wait for me. As I was arriving home at 9.45 he was on the phone again, wanting to know where I was.

This has happened to me before with Sainsbury’s, and from the missed calls on my phone, I can see it’s the same driver. I’m torn, as it’s massively frustrating when you’re trying to plan your day to get irate phone calls asking why you’re not in 90 minutes - two hours before your booked slot. I absolutely wouldn’t have minded an early delivery if I had been in, but I can do without being treated like an inconvenience. Because it’s happened before, part of me wants to complain. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want the driver to get the sack over it either.

Should I say something or not? Obviously it’s not a big thing, but shouldn’t I be able to plan around a slot rather than two hours either side ?

Just goes to show how ungrateful some customers are (not OP) but some of the other people. Pickers are supposed to start at 5 but now being asked to start at 2. Drivers are working flat out but perhaps we should all stop
Then await the outcry because people can't get their shopping delivered.

Cassilis I'm not sure, I'll have a look in a minute. I normally spend around £40 if that helps. I think at 60p a week it is a brilliant service, it is more expensive if you want deliveries at weekends but I can have deliveries on Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday which is fine for me.

It looks like £40 is the minimum so I suppose it might be a lot if you are living alone. I've never noticed it as I generally spend between £40 and £45.

The outcry would be at the shop @Rosebel ! Not at the individual staff members.

Again yes everyone of them should stop working unpaid hours, otherwise the lines of Tesco's etc are just making more profit!

Again, if I order for late at night or early morning etc, I book the slots available that for with my life.

Ok it they want to come earlier or later and it fits with me, yes I'll accept but I can't accept if it doesn't fit with me.

Are you saying that people are being asked to go I at two instead of five and not being paid?

It would be reasonable for them to ring and ask if it would be okay with you if they delivered early. It would also be perfectly reasonable for you to say sorry but no, and insist it gets delivered in the hour booked.

My sainsburys drivers have been utter legends. In the heatwave this summer I would leave a cold can of drink for them, and they have rang if they would be 10 minutes early and when they were held up and 10 minutes late.

It's definitely okay to object to them trying to insist on delivering 2 hours early and being rude about it.

The entitlement of people on this thread makes me laugh.

What ‘entitlement’? Company offers delivery service with pre-determined slot. Customer books slot. I fail to see what’s particularly audacious about expecting said company to deliver in said slot.

I see no entitlement other than customers expecting to get the services offered.

What a bizarre comment.

You got your delivery, he didn't drive off did he.

I never said he did

So what's the drama? He arrived early and asked if you were there so he could finish work. You weren't there so he waited. I mean did him parking outside your house for 2 hrs when you weren't there really cause a problem?

What’s wrong with you? Read the bloody thread! It was all there in the first post.

Yes it is all there, he arrived early, phoned you, you were out, he waited till you got back. Drama of the century.

Is your issue that his English wasn't good? Maybe you should stipulate you only want your shopping delivered by someone who has passed a test to ensure their language skills are up to your standard, although I suspect if he'd used bloody in his reply you wouldn't have been impressed.

No one ever said it was the ‘drama of the century’. Most things on AIBU aren’t. You’re coming across as pathetic and ridiculous now.

Actually, I don’t think it’s that big an ask to think someone communicating with customers should have decent language skills. But that aside, loud sighs and long frustrated pauses tend to be the same in any language. 8.30 is 90 minutes earlier than 10 in any language. Turning up on spec rather than calling to check isn’t a language issue either. But you keep on trying to make out this is all just me being snooty about his English if it makes you feel better.

Is your issue that his English wasn't good?

Wtf? How was that ever the issue? The issue was the fact he was ridiculously early and then chasing again ahead of time.

@ancientgran you're being unreasonable. He repeatedly rang her to pressure her into changing her plans so that he could clock off early. She booked a slot and would have been home in plenty of time; he was the one who caused the disruption.

@whatsyournamenow I’m not who you asked but I am a supermarket picker. Personally I get paid for every minute I work over my scheduled hours. I clock in and out and get paid minus my breaks.

Plus discount, bonus and heavily subsidised canteen along with a fantastic team of people all adds up to one of the best jobs I’ve ever had tbh

That's great to hear @swampytiggaa , I worked in retail some years ago and it was exactly as you've described!

I'm wondering and wish the PP would name and shame the supermarket that's expecting unpaid hours by their staff and double shifts etc.

I'd boycott!

@StillCoughingandLaughing I'm totally on your side. This would really annoy me too. I'm not sure why everyone on here is attacking you!!

Honestly I went down to my local supermarket when lockdown happened and volunteered my services 🙂 they were setting up a temporary home delivery service and I was taken on to help with it. It’s proved so popular that it’s now a permanent feature at our store. I went back to my original job and did both for a while then I’ve resigned my other job as the picking is more money and less hassle tbh

Thanks @FrostyGirl66 To be fair, most people have been fine - it’s just a couple of rather odd posters...

If a delivery driver rings and makes a polite enquiry if they can deliver early then it is really up to the customer if they agree or not. Our Morrisons driver rang and asked to come 2 hours early only he rang my dh who was not home and who said it would be ok. I was at home dying my hair. Baked because I always make a bit of a mess. The doorbell rang, I ignored. 3 mins later rang again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I had to put towel over my head and dressing gown on as I did not know who it was at door and thought it must be urgent because of so much ringing. I went down and was furious when I found no emergency just a bit of shopping. He did apologise and looked at me oddly. I later found I had a dark brown streak right down my face which I had to wDh about 6 times before it would go and I ruined my towel and got drips of hair dye on my good dressing gown. I told off DH for assuming I would not be busy and not texting me to warn me. It seems I am destined to never get an entire hour to myself. I was so pleased he had taken child out too.

Yes say something. Ours always turns up early, it’s annoying. They always wait though, I’d definitely be reporting it if they had that attitude.

@BlusteryShowers you're being unreasonable. He repeatedly rang her to pressure her into changing her plans so that he could clock off early. She booked a slot and would have been home in plenty of time; he was the one who caused the disruption. He rang twice, once to ask her to open the door, obviously she couldn't so he waited. 15 minutes before her delivery slot he rang, probably wanted to remind her. But good heavens above he sighed, I mean he actually sighed.

Seriously, just fuck off now. You’re becoming a massive bore.

I once had a Sainsburys slot booked 4-5. They came at 11am and dropped the order at my office reception without calling me, despite specific instructions in the delivery note to call me when they arrived. I came out of a meeting at 2 to find all the ice and ice cream I had ordered for the company event that afternoon in a melted pile on the floor. Customer services tried to tell me that the driver had called me and I had said the early delivery was absolutely fine!! I gave them a pretty short shrift, got a full refund and voucher as apology.