Do delivery drivers get in trouble if they miss their delivery window?

Broken Hope

Broken Hope

Broken Hope

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I was due a delivery this morning from Citylink, the online tracking stated it would be delivered between 7-12, come 12 it still wasn't here so I checked the tracking and it had apparently been delivered at 11:52 and signed for by myself, this of course hadn't happened. I phoned Citylink and whilst being on hold for around 10 minutes there was a knock on my door, it was my parcel, the driver dropped it off and said it didn't need signing for before leaving pretty sharpish.

Am I right in thinking he knew he would be late, so signed for it before the 12:00 cut off so he wouldn't get in trouble?
 
Almost certainly, I would say!

I wonder what he would have done if no one had been at home though!
 
Bizarrely I had a DPD delivery the other day which was too early. The guy's handheld thing wouldn't let him process the delivery until the start of the hour window - we ended up having a natter for a minute or so until the clock ticked over. Very strange...
 
Had a similar "issue" with a delivery drive last week when a camera lens turned up which I bought. The driver said he turned up 10 minutes early so I couldn't actually sign for the delivery on his PDA until that time had passed lol. He told me to sign it but not press okay so he could start his trip to the next drop and then okay it for me so he didn't get into trouble.

Sounds daft to be that just because a delivery driver is doing his job better than expected, he has to then wait around wasting time to get a signature when the customer is stood right in front of him!

I know its the complete opposite to what your experience has been BH, but just felt I'd share it as it seems it goes both ways.

EDIT:
Bizarrely I had a DPD delivery the other day which was too early. The guy's handheld thing wouldn't let him process the delivery until the start of the hour window - we ended up having a natter for a minute or so until the clock ticked over. Very strange...
Click to expand...

Exactly the thing courier and issue here.
 
It depends on the situation - but the situation you specifically describe is generally considered to be extremely bad practice.

Don't forget the driver will have personal targets, the depot will have targets, and the business overall will have targets that they are trying to achieve. I'm sure we've all had a Special Delivery pre 12 come rocking up at 12:05 and the postie asking us if we wouldn't mind putting the time in as 11:55 for example.
But PODing something when you haven't delivered it at all is a serious no-no for us and I would hope the same would apply to most other couriers.

EDIT
The boys above are talking about Saturn, which as far as I'm aware will not physically let the driver POD the con unless he's inside the projected delivery window. Now THAT is a pain in the arse.
 
I work for Royal Mail. All our drivers have to deliver tracked and Priority service items pre13.00 or its nuts off time.

So i would have thought that the driver knew he was going to be late to your address, and decided to sign for the item himself, so that he meets his target, and doesnt get his nuts kicked in :D
 
I'm currently a delivery driver for ASDA. If we are late then we get called up on it by the managers. Whenever it's happened to me there's always been a legitimate reason behind it. I guess if there was an issue with a driver regularly then checks would be done to make sure they weren't extracting the urine (parking up all the time and just wasting time) and disciplinary action would be taken.
I wouldn't personally sign for a customer as there would be issues if they weren't in.
 
Broken Hope said:
I was due a delivery this morning from Citylink, the online tracking stated it would be delivered between 7-12, come 12 it still wasn't here so I checked the tracking and it had apparently been delivered at 11:52 and signed for by myself, this of course hadn't happened. I phoned Citylink and whilst being on hold for around 10 minutes there was a knock on my door, it was my parcel, the driver dropped it off and said it didn't need signing for before leaving pretty sharpish.

Am I right in thinking he knew he would be late, so signed for it before the 12:00 cut off so he wouldn't get in trouble?
Click to expand...

I'm sure my old department used to claim compensation if they missed the delivery window. City Link were ALWAYS trying to find ways to lie and claim they tried to deliver it on time. Him saying it "didn't need signing for" was almost certainly him faking the delivery time.
 
I actually had a delivery from DPD recently when the driver apologized for being 30 seconds too early!

I am all for timed deliveries, but that is getting ridiculous... not that I am complaining mind you! :)
 
It's only City link I seem to have issues with, this one today, I've had a case where the driver delivered to the wrong house. DPD are always perfect around here, they always turn up during the 1 hour delivery window on the tracking site.
 
I get fed up with waiting and usually take the before 12 delivery. Never had an” early” one.
 
Several times our Parcel Force driver has missed the AM delivery slot and put it as 'Customer not in'. I'm pretty sure its because its not on his route or something, as he delivers it between 1-2pm for both AM and any time deliveries. Complained a few times to the place I've bought from and had a little money off the charge each time.
 
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