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 ?

If you read one of my pp I said supermarket staff that means all staff who work in a supermarket. Perhaps you may want to read properly

Is that aimed at me @Vivana? Try using the @ otherwise it's really difficult to follow your diatribe!

And I'm really certainly sure that supermarket staff are not high risk! FFS get a grip!

Do you actually know the current death rates, please tell me the percentage that are supermarket staff?

Jeez! I work in a supermarket and risk my life every day......... not!

@ancientgran are you still clutching at them straws?

He is not unreasonable to try and drop your shopping off early - I mean if I was in that situation I wouldn’t hang around but he cannot get irate with you if you weren’t in as it’s not like you weren’t in for your actual slot. So YANBU.

I get my shopping delivered with Tesco usually. Often they ring a little before my slot to ask I’m in as they are in the area already and have my shopping (comes from the Tesco 12 miles away). I don’t mind if I’m around! Saves them sitting around or going back to the store and back here again!

The post is about a delivery driver being rude, wtf is someone waffling on about the driver might be doing overtime? Seriously, when I do overtime I need to be as polite to the public as I am when.doing my regular hours. If I.dont want to do overtime I refuse, I don't accept them say to the public no you can't have this service as tho I've agreed to work till 10 I cba and wanna finish at 8:30.
Anyway noone said he was on overtime, if its his regular hours he knows he finishes after the last delivery between 10-11 so if he finishes early tough. Its not the customers fault he cba doing the job he's paid for.

StillCoughingandLaughing

Well if you post on a public forum you will get people post things to your post. Bit like some others who agree with you keep posting to. If you do not like people posting on your posts then simple do not create a thread then.

@whatsyournamenow

Never ever spoke about checkout people *@Vivana* ! So why are you now bringing that into it?

Delivery drivers can very easily distance, why would they be at risk?

You tell me a pour the postman that died, my OHa a postman!

@whatsyournamenow delivery drivers are at risk because you won't believe how many people answer the door, take their shopping, touch the totes etc and then inform the driver that they're isolating due to symptoms/track and trace!

*@whatsyournamenow delivery drivers are at risk because you won't believe how many people answer the door, take their shopping, touch the totes etc and then inform the driver that they're isolating due to symptoms/track and trace!

just leave the bags outside the door, a meter away ..... simple !

Also @Snackasaurus what are "totes"

I wouldn't complain, but I would have told the driver on the phone that I wouldn't be in until 10pm when my slot was booked.

@whatsyournamenow 'totes' are the boxes the shopping arrives in

If only it was simple as leaving the bags outside the door. Many people answer the door before the driver even gets up the path. There's an option to tell the driver you're isolating on the notes but often people don't do it.

Since lockdown started, I've had three deliveries arrive on my doorstep, even though I haven't ordered the. The first time the guy had a foot in the van and, I think if I had been slower at answering the door, he would have gone.

He got really quite aggressive when I said I hadn't ordered anything from that particular supermarket. I was being gaslighted by a delivery driver! It was only when I got a word in edgeways and asked which road he was after that I realised where he'd gone wrong. Wrong road (wrong postcode as a matter of fact).

I didn't complain, but I was rather pissed at being spoken to as if I was a little woman who was too stupid to remember whether she'd ordered stuff online. And I'm by myself, so unless my DCat was in the mood for hoummus and pitta.......

Now when I open the door to an unexpected delivery, I just ask for the address.

“Is there scope to add a note on the delivery to say please don't come early I may be out?”

This is the answer. I have a standing notice with Ocado to say the opposite-that we are usually ok with early delivery. Drivers are very grateful and often mention it.

@HandsFaceSpace

“Is there scope to add a note on the delivery to say please don't come early I may be out?”

This is the answer. I have a standing notice with Ocado to say the opposite-that we are usually ok with early delivery. Drivers are very grateful and often mention it.

There is with Tesco. It’s on my notes after several deliveries coming early.

If only it was simple as leaving the bags outside the door. Many people answer the door before the driver even gets up the path. There's an option to tell the driver you're isolating on the notes but often people don't do it.

wtf @Snackasaurus ? Just get the delivery driver to leave the delivery a metre away?

Wtf about about when the customer opens or isolating.

@whatsyournamenow You really don't need to 'wtf' when all I'm trying to do is explain that being a delivery driver is a risk which was my original comment.

As I also said in my comment, people often don't tell the driver they're isolating or have symptoms which is why they are at risk. They also don't ask for the shopping to be left a metre away either which is another reason they're at risk. Hopefully that explains my point.

Snackasaurus

Take no notice some people on here really have no idea and seem to have answers to everything which dont make sense half the time

Well, they’re due again after 10 tonight - any bets on what time they’ll turn up?

I'm assuming they've already delivered?

I hope you haven't had the audacity to organise another jolly up tonight? Just in case they decide they can deliver two hours early and go on home!

Different driver tonight - he was also early, but phoned first. He did make a comment about how much wine I’d ordered though (it was 25% off!)

My husband is a delivery driver for Sainsburys. If he is early he will ring the customer to see if they can take it earlier if not he’ll just sit in the van and watch something on his phone. If they finish early they don’t get paid.