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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Question for Sainsbury's delivery drivers

46 replies

user19385567 · 03/01/2021 23:03

Not an AIBU, but unsure where to post.

Does anyone here do home grocery deliveries for Sainsbury’s? I’m curious how it works exactly. Do you sort out the groceries at the delivery address, putting them in the crates yourself, or is all that done beforehand?

OP posts:

Cotswolds10 · 03/01/2021 23:38

I’m not a delivery driver but I am a customer. They have ‘pickers’ that go round the store crating up for each customer and then it goes into the van. The drivers just deliver. They don’t sort it in the back of the van, if that’s what you mean.

Twiddlet · 04/01/2021 00:35

They turn up with crates and then I unpack it all on the floor by the front door because none of it is in bags anymore and the drivers can’t come on to the kitchen like they used to do. It’s a bit of faff but I’m glad to have it delivered.

Twiddlet · 04/01/2021 00:36

In to

partyatthepalace · 04/01/2021 01:06

They have pickers in store to pick.

The delivery drivers deliver.

NoIdea1234 · 04/01/2021 01:43

@Twiddlet we always bring the crates to the kitchen and unpack there. Can’t you take the crates inside?

Twiddlet · 04/01/2021 09:18

[quote NoIdea1234]@Twiddlet we always bring the crates to the kitchen and unpack there. Can’t you take the crates inside?[/quote]
Oh god - am I just being really thick?! We’ve only had three deliveries and the first time he put the crate on the door mat outside so I thought I wasn’t meant to bring it in the house! I’ve been unpacking it on the floor. They must think I’m weird!

InTheSnow · 04/01/2021 09:37

Another question.

If they are not allowed inside, what do they do if they need the loo? Is the environment now a place where different delivery drivers mark their own territory, a bit like big cats do?

Nikhedonia · 04/01/2021 09:41

[quote NoIdea1234]@Twiddlet we always bring the crates to the kitchen and unpack there. Can’t you take the crates inside?[/quote]
Even now?!

Tyranttoddler · 04/01/2021 09:44

I always bring the crates in as well

winesolveseverything · 04/01/2021 09:48

If no one in house is isolating, our driver always offer to carry the crates through to the kitchen. We generally do it ourselves though..

PP, if they needed the loo, they would be welcome to use ours if they asked... I doubt they are out for that long though as there's only so many houses worth they can get on the van before heading back to reload.

bilbodog · 04/01/2021 09:55

Waitrose used to bring the crates into my kitchen but since covid they will not come into the house or allow the crates in. However i pay an extra 40p and shopping comes in bags which i can easily move from front door to kitchen,

Twiddlet · 04/01/2021 09:59

I think most of them use petrol station toilets on their route. I’ve not asked them to come in with the crates just because I’m tier 4 and I don’t think it’s fair for them to be asked to go into lots of houses. Probably not ideal for the crates to be handled by people all day either really come to think of it - I assume at least some of them will be getting deliveries as they are isolating.

RumHoney · 04/01/2021 10:02

Mine always just bring it to the door and have never suggested bringing it further (although I've never asked them to either). I just have a couple of big bags ready to put it into to carry through to the kitchen.

MoiraNotRuby · 04/01/2021 10:02

Pickers pick into the crates. The crates go into the van. The driver brings to your door. You can carry the crates into your house and unload in the kitchen. Or you can unload at the front door. Either is fine.

The drivers don't have time for loo stops except on their scheduled breaks. You need a bladder of steel for the job.

Carolofthebellies · 04/01/2021 10:13

The drivers should leave the crates/bags by the door and not enter the house even for the toilet reason. People who ask the drivers to bring the crates to the kitchen are selfish.
They have to put the shopping by the door and step away like 2 meters. They see lots of customers throughout the day and this is for your own and theirs safety. Different times now.

MedusasBadHairDay · 04/01/2021 10:25

Oh god - am I just being really thick?! We’ve only had three deliveries and the first time he put the crate on the door mat outside so I thought I wasn’t meant to bring it in the house! I’ve been unpacking it on the floor. They must think I’m weird!

No, we do the same, one of the drivers told us that some people use a laundry basket to load stuff into then carry that through to their kitchens. So we do that now.

Nikhedonia · 04/01/2021 10:39

I had no idea drivers were still coming into houses.

Although I get funny looks from the delivery people when I ask them to leave the stuff at the door and I'll come back to get it. They seem to want me to stand there with them... were tier 4, if I was them I'd want to ditch and run!

TigerDrawers · 04/01/2021 11:05

I've had it where we've had wrong items and it transpires that someone knocked the crates over before they were loaded to the van and no one bothered to check they put the right things in the right boxes. Van driver was like "not my problem - I just deliver the crates with the right labels on to the right house" I had to tick off my receipt and call customer services. They just refunded me the stuff I didn't have and didn't charge me for all the extra stuff I'd gained.

A family member used to drive for them (hated it!) but it was very much a straight delivery job. Drivers should be aware of the weight limit of the vehicles though as once my relative was certain his van was overweight (ex-copper) and refused to take it out. It was made very clear to him by his manager that he was expected to go, whether it was overweight or not. My relative just said "if I go out in that I'm driving straight to the nearest weighbridge and not on a delivery". Manager had to back down in the end (relative is not one to be messed around with when it comes to road laws!)

TigerDrawers · 04/01/2021 11:07

Oh - and I keep a collapsible box that I use to transfer crate contents in. As some stuff comes in bags I find the box is just big enough to lug everything else in.

Always check your eggs! Our Sainsbury's pickers seem to deliberately place eggs in the same crate as whatever heaviest item you've bought. I find it's a 50:50 chance of whether there's a broken one.

SpiderGwen · 04/01/2021 11:11

Yes we either carry the crates through to the kitchen or decant everything into laundry baskets/bags at the door.

At Christmas when we ordered loads of booze and extras, they wheeled the crates to the shed so I could stir it all there (spare freezer etc), which was very helpful.

LastTrainEast · 04/01/2021 11:13

With sainsbury I empty the crates at the door as don't want to touch them and bring them inside in case I'm passing something on.
Before that I'd carry the crates in one at a time (my kitchen is too small for me, the crates and the delivery driver)

I did try having my own giant bags at the door but it wasn't really any faster.

Tesco use crate liners now which means I can lift out the contents of the crate in one movement and put it on the floor. The whole delivery takes about 20 seconds.

Belladonna12 · 04/01/2021 11:31

DH takes the crates inside, empties them and takes them back. He washes his hands afterwards. I think the risk is pretty minimal. I empty stuff onto the floor as I can't carry crates.

DecemberSun · 04/01/2021 11:33

I heartily recommend Tesco. Tray liners and delivered to the kitchen by a mask wearing driver. Excellent service.

RoganJosh · 04/01/2021 11:35

@Belladonna12

DH takes the crates inside, empties them and takes them back. He washes his hands afterwards. I think the risk is pretty minimal. I empty stuff onto the floor as I can't carry crates.

Does he wash his hands before too? It’s about risk to the delivery driver too.

Cadent · 04/01/2021 11:40

Do you sort out the groceries at the delivery address, putting them in the crates yourself, or is all that done beforehand?

This would be utter madness, OP, wouldn't it? Surely it's common sense that this is not done in the van?

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