YOUR DELIVERY IS HERE.
As a DoorDasher an Instacarter I wanted to share some do’s and don’ts for those who order out. I usually get frustrated doing it, because many of the customers do not use common sense. So, I am sharing some things you can do as a customer to make it easier for the delivery person.
Be Like Motel 6
It is annoying when you are delivering at night and the customer has no lights on outside. Not only do you make it difficult to see the number on your house, but you make it difficult for them to see walking to your door. The moment you have the idea to order and you know it is getting dark, turn on your light. Even before you finish the order, turn on the light.
Is This the House?
Every neighborhood is different. Sometimes the houses are number in order and then sometimes the numbers a skipped. I do not understand why, but there are times where two houses are together one is numbers 45 and the other is numbered 49. I never know where 47 is, but at the end of the day, it would be easier to find the house if everyone cared to number their houses. If you order out frequently, to help out your deliver person, have your number in two or three places. If your mailbox is by your door have the number on your mailbox as well as the house. Let it be big and clear. If your mailbox is out on the street have the number on both sides of the mailbox. It makes it so much easier to find the house when you do that. Especially at night when you choose not to be like Motel 6.
Set It and Forget It
This is not a set it and forget it type deal. You are a part of the journey from the time you order to the time it is delivered. Whether someone is picking up groceries or ordering at a restaurant, sometimes (you should know this by now) items are out of stock, no longer carried, or that particular chain of store does not carry what you ordered. Yes, it would be nice if the app knew that, but at the end of the day the delivery person may have to contact you to let you know. Furthermore, sometimes the address is incorrect or not complete. So, the only way the deliverer can bring it to you is contact you to let you know the address is incorrect or incomplete. And sometimes the deliverer is using Google Maps and it sucks and is taking you to California when you are trying to go to Colorado. All of these instances require the deliverer to contact you so you need to keep your phone on hand and be available.
This is Not the Time to Multi-Task
After you order, it is not the time to take a bath, clean the closet, go on vacation, or anything else. Now, because of the pandemic you have the option for the deliverer to leave it at the doorstep. But if you choose hand to customer then you need to have your hand ready so we can hand it to you. The app tells you when the delivery person is leaving and heading to your place. You should be ready and near the door. The app actually lets you know when the person has arrived in your neighborhood, on your street, and finally at your house. We should not have to wait any more than 30 seconds for you to answer the door. Some times we have more than one order and need to leave immediately to make the next delivery. So, not only be considerate of the delivery person, but also of the other customers. Be ready to open the door.
Dog Control
With that said, if you know your dog enjoys making a scene over someone ringing the doorbell, keep him/her someone where, where it won’t be a problem. Many times, I was greeted by a loud running dog. Get a gate or keep him/her in a place where they are away from the door until the delivery person leaves. As cute as pets are, petting a pet is not sanitary for someone delivering food. And yes, there is hand sanitizer, but some things are better left avoided than sanitized.
Back Up
Have a back up plan. As said prior to this, not all items are available once the shopper gets started. Always have an option B and C for just-in-casers. I know life would be perfect and great if every restaurant/grocery store had exactly what you wanted when you wanted it, but life is not perfect, great yes, but not perfect. So always have options ready so if you get contacted you can make any necessary changes.
Strange Neighborhood
Not every neighborhood is easy to understand. I had someone who noticed I was lost and called me. She said that even though her address was 200, on GPS it was 1. I wanted to go off on her, but I didn’t. I know for sure DoorDash and Instacart does, but I am pretty sure all delivery apps give you the opportunity to either leave note or contact the delivery person. If you know your place is not easy to find or there is some peculiar way to get there, then say so. This isn’t a game of laugh at the delivery person try to figure this out. Let him/her know ahead of time of any strange things about your neighborhood, so they are not driving through a jungle, safari or some back woods (that was me) instead of your neighborhood.
At the moment that is all the annoying things I have had to experience thus far being a delivery person through DoorDash or Instacart. If I think of any more or experience any more, I will let you know. Until now, if you are someone who orders through those apps, please adhere to suggestions mentioned. It will be of help to your fellow delivery person.
