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 ?

They're supposed to phone ahead and ask if you mind having the delivery early. I'm usually home anyway and more than happy to take delivery earlier but having the driver (lovely as they all seem to be in my area) add stress to my life by insisting I come home early to take delivery so that he can have an early finish isn't on. I shop online to relieve time pressure/stress, not to be put under it by the driver for his own benefit.

He'll no doubt get spoken to about his customer service attitude if you complain but complain you should as he was effectively bullying you into changing your plans so that he could finish early. Do you think he'd have tried so hard to make you come home early if you'd been male ?

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

I'm sorry but there are far more stressful jobs and way more shitty ones too. Your knowledge of the jobs market seems limited, I genuinely hope you don't find yourself made redundant any time soon.

Lots of people are going to find themselves redundant and would be glad of that job.

I got home an hour before my delivery was due yesterday and the driver was sat outside. He said he'd just had a good round with no traffic hold ups so was early, I was his last call. He said he was having a hot drink and snack while he waited and no worries waiting.

I don't see the problem, he was waiting for you, like my driver he had probably just had a quick round due to people being quick unloading/no road works etc. If he had refused to wait then complain but you got your order.

I am so grateful for my deliveries.

My DH works as a driver for Asda and they're absolutely not allowed to do this. If it's a few minutes early , he'll phone the customer to check but no way an hour and a half !

@SushiGo

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.

I agree with this. Anyone who has deliveries know they can come early or late.

Why would you complain when probably all he wanted to do was finish his day and get home to his family. If he was rude then that’s a different matter.

I usually book Sainsbury slots between 6 - 9 pm. I nearly always get a call asking if I’d like it bringing earlier. Which is fine because the call is asking if that’s ok and not just turning up. It’s a different driver each time so far. For me it’s no problem as I’m always in during the evening and the earlier it comes the better but if I had plans and specifically wanted or needed a certain slot then they can ask if you want it before then but not just show up. If it happened more than a few times I’d complain.

Ah Op, you should just have asked your friend to come to you instead.

Honestly, I don't know who you think you are, thinking that a time slot that you booked is for your convenience.

I mean you're just embarrassing yourself.

Of course you should complain about his attitude.

If he's early & it works for everyone, great.

If not, he needs to accept that.

I had this with Sainsburys, although it was a late slot I had to pay for it -which I didn't mind as I wanted my delivery.
The driver turned up 2 hours early and by the looks of the frozen food it was a good job he did - it definitely wouldn't have been frozen 2 hours later.
Good thing with Sainsburys I found was that I got all my ordered items.

I've had y Tesco shop come early before but usually get a call first asking if it's convenient, which if i'm in it is.

A couple of weeks ago I booked a slot for 4-5pm, when I was due home from my boyfriend's an hour away and I always leave with 30 mins spare to account for traffic, etc, so would have been home by 3.30pm.

Anyway, I got a phone call just after 3 asking where i was as the delivery driver was outside my house! I explained that I was on my way home and had intended to be there by 4, which is my slot and he just asked how long I was going to be. I explained when I got home that I had thought my slot was 4-5pm and had I got it wrong and he just said something about sometimes they are early - like it was my fault!

If I wanted 3-4pm I would have booked 3-4pm!

I have a delivery today but could only get one of those flexi slots so it is supposed to be sometimes between 1-5pm...will be interesting to see when it turns up!

From how you relay the first phone call, it sounded like you were in but weren't going to answer the door until your time slot. You yourself say his English wasn't great and that it took time to then explain that you weren't actually in. He only phoned again an hour and a half later - not really bullying or harassment.

It does sound like a large part of this is a language barrier and misunderstanding arising from that.

But yes, I would complain OP. If I do my job badly, I would expect a complaint.

Complain. It's really not this of a job. I know loads of people who do it and they're not too badly paid for essentially unskilled labour.

It's not about him being early, it's about him being rude. I cant imagine you're the only person he's kicked off at for not being there when he's early and pressured to change their plans. My PILs would be in a right panic if they were at the doctors or something and he did it to them. He's out of order and trying to get off work 2 hrs early paid at your inconvenience.

I also leave feedback for the helpful/ pleasant ones. The guy this morning was so polite/ offered to help and knocked at 8.01am so I make an effort to leave feedback either way.

@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?

What a ridiculous way to look at it. That's like asking a fancy cake maker to just make a really plain cake, rather than the elaborate decorated ones that they offer - as I'm sure a plain one is quicker, and they'd rather be spending the extra decorating time with their family

I agree with @lanthanum.

Ocado drivers are second to none. They are unfailingly polite and helpful.

They will always phone if they are early or running late and if it doesn't suit you, they will come at the appointed time. However, this very rarely happens anyway as they arrive well within the chosen hour's window.

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

That's most jobs, isn't it @AlwaysLatte ?

We all still get complained about if we're rude and/ or skiving.

I always book this slot because it's usually very cheap/free and I have never had my shopping later than 9pm with both Tesco's and Asda (never used Sainsbury's for delivery)

Why would you complain when probably all he wanted to do was finish his day and get home to his family.

And all I wanted to do was have a nice evening and get home in time for a pre-booked delivery. I’m sure we’d all rather be with our families than at work, but if I have a 5pm meeting, I can’t just turn up at 3.30 and ask why the client isn’t free now.

It is annoying, but I can see why this may happen. Sometimes the delivery can be done rather quickly than estimated time frame. The driver just wants to go home as soon as he finished his job.
If it were me, I would just don't plan anything if I was expecting a delivery in few hours time. It's not everyday.

By all means phoning and checking if you want/don't mind your shopping earlier than requested seems absolutely a-ok to me. Ocado do it with some regularity.

But if the cutomer's answer is 'no', then it's No. Accept it.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

Why would you complain when probably all he wanted to do was finish his day and get home to his family.

And all I wanted to do was have a nice evening and get home in time for a pre-booked delivery. I’m sure we’d all rather be with our families than at work, but if I have a 5pm meeting, I can’t just turn up at 3.30 and ask why the client isn’t free now.

Given supermarkets lose between £5-£7 for every delivery order, and then pay their delivery drivers minimum wage, maybe accept that some parts of our capitalist society are exploitative and be pragmatic about the odd time you get a call from a driver waiting outside your house.

I usually use Ocado. They sometimes deliver early but always phone and if I’m not home accept that graciously and wait outside until I am. Historically I have complained about early deliveries so there may be a file note about this.

I had trouble getting a slot though so used Sainsbury’s last week. And had an awful experience made worse by the fact I’d hurt my back that morning and could barely move.

Bloke turned up 2hrs early. No phone call. Rude on entry system as I took so long to answer (back pain).
Got up to my door in lift. Didn’t speak and just stood there. I was a bit confused as Ocado don’t like you to touch their crates.
So asked if he wanted me to empty them.

He made some wise crack about how the fairies weren’t going to do it. I explained don’t normally use Sainsbury’s so didn’t know. Emptying the crates on the floor was a killer for my back especially as nothing was in a bag. Driver stood and made impatient noises.

I commented that if they wanted people to empty the crates quickly it would be much easier if it was in a bag. More smart chat from driver.

As he left he muttered “I was doing you a favour you silly cow”. I challenged him and he told me that he was talking to someone on his Bluetooth headset.

When I asked him why he was attempting to have a conversation with someone while dealing with a customer he refused to answer.

And of course once he left I realised he hadn’t reminded me about the substitutions (I did get the email telling me about them) but forgot to reject them Due to all of the above so now I have some random stuff that I won’t eat festering in my fridge.

I complained. Customer service rep couldn’t have been nicer but it has really put me off Sainsbury’s.

Ocado came yesterdat. Not a driver I have met before. On time. Polite. Told me about subs. Stuff in bags making carrying from door to kitchen easy.

be pragmatic about the odd time you get a call from a driver waiting outside your house

But I am not sure this is about the odd call? The OP reads to me like they wouldn't have minded the odd call - and say they would have happily accepted an earlier slot had they been in. It's the irate response to them not being able to accept an earlier delivery that they find unreasonable.

I would complain - he’s done this twice now? Drivers usually call in advance if they’re early (were talking 20 minutes at best) or late.

I had this once with click & collect at Tesco. The man rang me, quite shitty, saying,
"I have your order. Where are you?"
I said it's not due to be collected for another 2 hours, he said,
"I know that, but its ready now"

If it was 50p or £1, to get an earlier delivery then YABU, because you could have gone out afterwards

@Svalberg That is just not True. They do get paid overtime and they should be asked if they want to go home before the end of their shift. They can say No, but then May he asked to shelf fill, clean vans, put back, etc.