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 ?

An Ocado driver told me you’ve paid for a slot that’s what you get regardless of my round. Why should i book slots to please the driver? I will of course do what I can and will accommodate any requests

I've only ever one issue when a shouty pissed off driver wanted to deliver 3 hours early cos he was in my area. I told him I as still at work so that’s a no.

I've not had any issues since

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

That's such a strange behavt of the driver. Normally they ring to ask if it's ok to come earlier which is how it should be. Just because your slot is late evening they shouldn't assume you will be at home.

@AlwaysLatte

I never book late slots, I did once or twice but the drivers often come really early and I totally understand it - imagine sitting in your van for two hours and not being able to go home to your family. So much more likely to happen in those last slots. Could you book early mornings or just a day that you're in at an earlier time?

But presumably the driver is paid until the end of his shift? Would you expect a taxi driver to want to take you early because he wanted to go home early? And why should OP book early if it doesn't suit or be in earlier than her delivery time? Delivery slots are there for a purpose, not just a "well, you've booked one time but we might come a lot earlier".

DN is currently working as a delivery driver for Tesco and only gets paid up to when he finishes his round, not until the end of his shift. He doesn't get paid overtime either.

@AlwaysLatte

Also, please don't complain. It's a shit job and so very stressful atm.

Still no reason to take it out on the OP though. He deserves a complaint so someone can remind him to be more polite. What if he does it to more vulnerable people who are relying on these deliveries at certain times when carers might be there to assist and they darent say no in case the delivery driver won’t come back? Or women home alone who don’t feel comfortable saying no to some fella getting shitty down the phone at them who knows where they live? I’m so tired of the fact that people think the fact they hate part of their jobs means they have the right to take it out on other people.

I have a Morrison’s driver who does this, only i book the 8-9am delivery and he’s turned up as early as 6.10am. He’s woken me up a few times and waited in a mood but the worst was when he got there at 6.10 and my phone was on silent. I woke up just after 7’and he was in a foul mood sitting outside.
I’ve starting booking later to manage it.

imagine sitting in your van for two hours and not being able to go home to your family.

Imagine being paid a wage to sit in your van because that's your job which you agreed to do and not being able to go home to your family... because you're working your shift hours.

Fixed it for you @AlwaysLatte

Most just ring if they are early, and are fine if you aren’t in. One poor (probably new) knocked half an hour early but actually brought it to the door then waited. It was pissing it down and he was there 10-15min waiting while I dashed home

I had Iceland deliver early this week. I booked a 2 till 4 slot and they came just before 12.
Somebody knocked the door and by the time I had answered it (I am disabled and slow about the house) their was a pile of shopping at the bottom of the step and the driver waving at it from the van as he drove away. I had booked the later slot so I would have somebody home to help me bring it in. But luckily a family member came earlier than expected and brought it into the house for me. If he had waited and passed me the shopping it would have been fine. If he had called to say he was running early and could he bring it that would have been fine too. It was that he must have unpacked the bags then rang the bell and got bored waiting so left. That could have left me in a really difficult position.

People normally book late slots because of other commitments surely. I have had tesco turn up early occasionally but no more than half an hour. Is it worth putting on the delivery instructions saying you don’t want them turning up early?

It’s absolutely NOT ok for them to turn up hours early. More than one Tesco driver has told me in the past that actually they are not meant to do this and if they phone to ask they must accept the no politely. You pay and book a service. You have NO obligation to accept in a minute earlier!
I have been on my own with 3 very young children at Bath / bedtime before and the driver has turned up early. I have made them wait plenty of times outside because with 2 x 1 year olds and a 3 year old, I am just not able to take in shopping until my DH returns home!
If any of them were in the slightest rude, they would be getting a scathing complaint and j would be demanding an apology! It’s not a ‘shit’ job. It’s a job just like any other! They are paid to be at a certain place at a certain time

sorry but saying its a shit job isnt an excuse

he clearly wants to knick off early hes done it before-complain op

I would find this annoying too, BUT as my Morrison’s deliveries were regularly an hour early during lockdown I asked the drivers about this

• I was told normally they can ask to deliver 1hr early, (it’s ask, they come back if you are not there), but due to the huge demand at that time they were permitted to do up to 2 hours to maximise the slots ... not sure of the logistics of that but made sense at the time

I’ve tried to be in eg 1hour before, I realise it doesn’t always work that way especially as cant always get an appropriate slot, but I’ll be a bit more flexible than usual in months to come as pressure in deliveries is building again

I agree it’s fine to call and ask if you’re free to accept early delivery but not to pressure you to do so. Even if you are home you might be in the middle of doing something else. I think I’d complain in this case.

My last delivery (10 days ago) was 3.5 hrs late, the driver said due to an increase in deliveries they have now added other stores and my area now comes from a store in the opposite direction and this was the first day of this change, so some teething problems.

Ok, I can live with that...but, when I opened the front door he was busy shoving groceries into bags as they had spread everywhere. I had noticed he was eating something and tried to hide this behind his hand, but all these jigsaw pieces didn't fit together until I was washing each item (due to Covid) and checking the invoice before putting food in the pantry or fridge etc. The sliced ham was missing, but there was a piece of white deli paper in one bag.

Then the penny dropped, he had either spilt my groceries or tipped them out looking for something to eat, and decided to eat the ham. The store has given a credit but I'm missing sliced ham and due to a chronic illness unable to get to the store, which is why I pay for home delivery.

Of course I can't prove what he did, but his guilty actions told me all I need to know. I have since completed feedback on the store site although I doubt if anyone reads it.

I would be annoyed but I also could not imagine doing their job and the dramas they would have to put up with because of peoples attitudes of the 'survival of the fittest' mentality have where people complain constantly as their lives are more important than anyone elses

I should not have to do this but I would only get a delivery if I was already home beforehand so I get home at 5 so would arrange it for 7, for example. Yes they should not show up at 6.59pm or earlier but not everything in life is always exactly as it is should be and if I can make their lives a bit easier I will.

I once had an ASDA delivery show up early with no warning. I was in but was in the shower in my downstairs bathroom. I heard the door knock so quickly rushed out of the shower, walked out of the bathroom undressed... to be confronted with the delivery mans face peering through the kitchen window to see if I was in

@WindyRose: that really is bad!

DespairingHomeowner Most deliveries have had something missing and it didn't enter my head that they might eat or steal that item, as I like to think people are trustworthy until they prove themselves otherwise.

I just assumed my groceries had fallen over, but not so sure now as they were really tossed around. Will keep a closer eye from now on though. Thanks ;-)

Couple of weeks ago our delivery came at 1pm instead of btw 5 and 7pm. I didn't mind cause I'm wfh and I was in the house anyway. Poor guy was really apologetic and flustered as he had started with us instead of ending with us!

I've had two early deliveries, by about 15 mins, both times Tesco were incredibly apologetic when they knocked on - not a problem as I was in both times.

Another time I ordered from Sainsburys, they didn't turn up - when I rang the call centre they told me the delivery driver had knocked on and there was no answer so he had returned to the shop. I was in a ground floor flat with a street level front door and was literally sat next to the living room window for the hour slot. No apologies from them, they just verbally shrugged their shoulders and told me to rebook for a future day and to ensure I was in next time!

Yes, I've experienced this too.

Woken up an hour and forty minutes before a Saturday morning slot to ask if they could deliver early

Been harassed by phone on the way home from work an hour before the slot started. My response was that I'd be home for the start of the slot and not a second before. If I'd said I'd be home at 16:45 they'd have been at the door at 16:44 waiting for me open it for a 17:00 slot.

My husband has even had to turn them away at the door over an hour before the slot started because they've turned up unannounced during an important meeting that was already underway. The slot was booked around this pre-arranged meeting with a professional that charged by the hour.

I've had to put my foot down and now always say no to deliveries earlier than the booked on principle, because I've booked that slot for a reason. If you say yes once, those drivers may well presume you'll always say yes.

If I booked a slot that late - not that I would! - then I definitely wouldn't be coming home at the last minute. Not when there's every chance they could be early.

I'd complain. If he'd been polite and asked if it was convenient to deliver early then it would be different. However he can't basically demand you come home or want to know why you aren't home 2 hours before delivery.
Perhaps it came across rude because his English wasn't good but really he shouldn't be arriving so early anyway.