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AIBU?

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Original poster

Supermarket driver nearly two hours early

320 replies

StillCoughingandLaughing · 14/10/2020 22:18

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 ?

OP posts:
Redglitter · 15/10/2020 03:47

My Tesco order is usually early but the drivers know I'm normally home. Saying that though they always phone & will say they're either elsewhere in my street or the next street and would it suit me if they dropped it off. I think there's only been once when I said no but it was no problem

If have maybe let it go as a one off but not if its happening more often

user1481840227 · 15/10/2020 04:04

@Realii

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.
6:10am ShockShockShockShock

That's the middle of the night lol

Lemonylemony · 15/10/2020 04:04

@Dreading2020sSeasonFinale

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

Quite! I’d love to be paid to sit in a van for a few hours, have a nap, listen to the radio, read Mumset a book, watch videos on my phone..... way more cushy than most jobs.
Marnie76 · 15/10/2020 04:10

@eatsleepread

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.
People often book those slots because they are at work late, are you suggesting they should leave work early to accommodate a driver disregarding a delivery time?
Dita73 · 15/10/2020 04:21

Definitely complain! I get deliveries from Tesco and on a few occasions they’ve called to ask me if I would mind them coming a bit earlier and that’s fine. To call you wanting to know why you’re not there when they’re over an hour early is so out of order! I’d be bloody fuming

AuntieJoyce · 15/10/2020 04:46

@StillCoughingandLaughing

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

Well that’s why I don’t want to complain - but at the same time, I don’t get to knock off at 4 if I’m ahead of schedule.

If your job was literally doing deliveries and there were no more deliveries to do why wouldn’t you want somebody to knock off early?

The problem in this case is the rudeness, not the fact that he’s asked to deliver early

Oddsocks101 · 15/10/2020 05:06

Please complain. I had a similar-ish situation. I am pregnant and we have stairs up to our flat. Obvs at the moment the drivers are not carrying the shopping up due to COVID which is completely fine. So, we picked a delivery time when my DP would be home so he could do the lifting/carrying, it was a big order, lots of of heavy things I shouldn’t be lifting. The driver came early when I was home alone and made me feel like I was being really unreasonable for not wanting to take the delivery in (I told him I was preggers and partner would be home at our booked time (his reply ‘I only have a certain amount of time per slot so I can’t wait/I can’t guarantee I can come back in your booked slot/why can’t you carry the shopping? It’s in bags not crates so should be easy etc etc). In the end I said fine you can leave it in the hallway. So, massive delivery sat blocking our communal downstairs hallway until DP got home. I was really upset (...hormones!...). DP complained and the customer service team were lovely about it. I’m still pissed at the driver though (and at myself for not being more assertive, and for getting so upset! but I blame the hormones for that!)

BedknobsNoBroomsticks · 15/10/2020 05:07

I would complain purely because of his attitude.

Unless all supermarkets are different he will only get paid for the work he does so if he finishes early he loses money. I would rather have sat in the van for a few hours being paid to do nothing.

Vivana · 15/10/2020 05:11

Supermarket drivers get paid hourly and not a set wage. If they finish early they only get paid the hours they work.

PrincessPain · 15/10/2020 05:17

Is there anything in their T&Cs?
That sounds silly.
But I book for the 10 and 11am slot as husband works nights/early mornings and gets home around 9:45.
I've had them turn up anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes early several times.
I can manage the shopping, I just find it hard to manage it with a 1 year old and a 3 year old that doesn't listen to a work I say who are trying to run out the front door with each tray I try and take off the driver. Its been horrendous.
When I've asked why they are early they say their T&Cs state they can still come early or later than your booked slot 🤨
Then whats the point in being able to choose a slot?!?

EyeDrops · 15/10/2020 05:17

We had this on Monday, except I missed the phone call (25 minutes early) as I was doing DDs bath and bedtime. Slot was 8-9pm, missed call 7.35. I realised and DH phoned back at 7.55 (I was getting DD to sleep still), so still before the slot time. The driver said he couldn't find our property, had tried to ring but we didn't answer so he was on his way back to the depot and we MIGHT get our delivery the next day but he couldn't guarantee it! He only agreed to turn round and bring it when DH threatened to complain.

NeonGenesis · 15/10/2020 05:25

I'm in Australia and Woolies have done this to me twice. It really pissed me off because on both occasions I wasn't home, so It really mattered.

The second time it happened I received a text saying they would be there in 15 mins, 1 hour before my delivery slot! I got home as fast as I could, which was about 20 mins after they said they would be there, but they hadn't been. They turned up right at the end of my delivery slot - hours after they had said they would be there. No apology. I was bloody livid!

emilyfrost · 15/10/2020 06:33

@AlwaysLatte

Also, please don't complain. It's a shit job and so very stressful atm.
Even if it is a shit job and very stressful, that’s no excuse to behave inappropriately, unprofessionally and be rude to customers.

Fair enough to ask if they can stop off early, but not to harass like this man did.

So of course a complaint is warranted because you don’t just get free reign on your behaviour if your job is shit.

OverTheRainbow88 · 15/10/2020 06:40

I understand why he called once in the of chance you were home and he could then go home earlier than 10pm.

I would be grateful to be able to get a slot and not complain.

FippertyGibbett · 15/10/2020 06:44

Tesco frequently deliver early to me and it drives me mad !
There’s never an apology or asking if it’s ok.

RoseGold7 · 15/10/2020 06:53

@StillCoughingandLaughing I would complain for how unprofessional he was. He’ll continue to think it’s okay to behave in this way. Next time it could be someone riddled with anxiety and they don’t know how to react. 2 hours in way too early, 1 hour early might be okay. I don’t get to leave work 2 hours early.

HaggieMaggie · 15/10/2020 06:55

I doubt he could clock off early anyway as he wouldn’t take his van home, it would need to go back to his base, and if Sainsbury’s are like Tesco staff clock in and out. Maybe he was getting pressured by his manager to make those calls so his manage can have him packing deliveries in the warehouse for the next two hours.

Complain.

Littleposh · 15/10/2020 07:01

It's more his attitude - the sighing and then hassling you again to get home - that I'd be complaining about. It's not on. We all have stressful jobs right now, it's no excuse for being rude and not giving good customer service. The next person he pulls this on could be vulnerable and it causes them issues. Someone who desperately needs their shopping might miss out

Kazmerelda · 15/10/2020 07:02

I just had this on Sunday with Ocado and a very crap experience. 50 mins early and left my heavy shopping with a neighbour. All I got was a phone call to say it was left there!

What is the point of a delivery time if they are going to consistently deliver outside of this? Ocado are really bad with this, the whole point of booking the slot you do is because that’s a convenient time!

I would complain but don’t expect much

Beautiful3 · 15/10/2020 07:04

Yes definitely complain. That's not right.

SushiGo · 15/10/2020 07:05

Honestly, don't complain, if you regularly book the free slots you must know that the 10pm ones always arrive early and you can't have made plans to out. That's the flipside of it being free!

It's a shit, keyworker job and the poor guy doesn't need a disciplinary over it.

JamminDoughnuts · 15/10/2020 07:05

it is not the drivers fault, it is the person who set out his rota.

JamminDoughnuts · 15/10/2020 07:06

i never book the last one as one time it was cancelled because it was so late and they didnt want to come

nosswith · 15/10/2020 07:08

Say something, politely, point out that some people work shifts that end mid evening.

It's never happened to me in years of having their deliveries so does seem to be one delivery driver.

MsSquiz · 15/10/2020 07:14

It's one thing to call and ask if they can come early as they are in the area (this has happened a few times with Tesco and Waitrose for me) but it's another to then complain that you won't be in until your booked slot.

That's the point of booking a slot, you make sure someone will be in to receive it, not guarantee someone will be there 2 hours before the slot.

Tbh, I would complain and say it obviously would've been fine if you had been home to receive the delivery, but you weren't. You said you'd be home by the time of the booked slot and he huffed and puffed about it