Well this is not a rant but an observation. In this household, people order things. Parcels come to the door regularly and as I am the only one in the house I have to be on alert to hear them. So slightly worried I have notes stuck to the front and back door, one which says 'knock loudly' the other please slip the parcels inside the door. All our 'eco' stuff comes through the post, so it is not all frivolous stuff.
So, when the two came back from Switzerland last Monday, my daughter had ordered a takeaway for tea. My granddaughter answered the door to the driver and he mentioned the note.
Well lots of the drivers make jokes to me as well and it doesn't worry me at all, but Lillie was obviously embarrassed and said why did we have to have to notes on the door.
We could have a bell I suppose, but there are strong stone pillars on either side which are terrible to drill in, as we found out when I demanded a number on the door for said drivers to find us! Someone mentioned a wireless doorbell but I rather fancy the CTV camera in which you can watch your dog use the doorbell which tickles me but we haven't got a dog only a resident deaf cat who can't be let out.
I feel for these drivers as they stand on the doorstep in the pouring rain, trying to keep on schedule for a heavy workload, it is hard labour and we should speak out against it for better pay and working conditions. Technology has given us good tracking systems so that a delivery can make its way straight to your door through Google guidance.
We have in this town pick-up points for parcels, at Morrison and Lidl supermarkets, the train station and 'One Stop' so the underpinning of another change in how we live is slowly being evolved.
Here they leave the package on the front porch and snap a photo of it that comes in a text to my phone so I know something is out there, in case I didn't hear the door. Seems to work well but, then again, I don't order much online.
ReplyDeleteYes Ellen tracking the parcel till it arrives outside your house is one of the advantages. Though I suspect with more people buying stuff online, the shops are used less.
DeleteMy son in law drove for Amazon after retiring from the military, while he looked for a good job. He drove for one day. He had a package addressed to a place that did not show up on GPS. He asked for directions from locals. He finally called back to Amazon. They really gave him holy hannah. He said, "I'm done. I'm parking the truck (told them where) and putting the keys (told them where). He got on a train and went home. Those poor souls get paid by the package, not the hour (at least they did). If they have a problem package, it costs them money to deliver it. Just another way to prey on people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Amazon workers are getting more unionised now Debby. There was a scandal at one time because their 'comfort breaks' were not allowed. Serfdom is on the rise again.
DeleteI've noticed that several places now have InPost pick up/drop off lockers, and our local shopping centre has a similar Amazon facility.
ReplyDeleteAs for Amazon drivers, our local depot must employ ones incapable of reading addresses as we keep on getting parcels for each other in our small courtyard, and there's only 5 houses!
Will I think because they only have a time limit on each house, they will drop your parcel next door. Houses also need an inbuilt box to receive parcels without them being stolen.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have a worse story which may make you laugh.
ReplyDeleteI ordered a new bag for university to put heavy books and laptop in. It was one of those heavy duty laptop bags you can put on your back. I ordered it from amazon but I wasn't going to be there that afternoon so I put a note on amazon for the delivery chap to leave it behind the bins. So he arrived, delivered the goods, and duly left it behind the bins.
The next day I was coming home ..... only the bin men arrived and chucked everything in their bin truck - including my new laptop bag which I hadn't even opened. It was £25 wasted!! Furious!!
Liam you now know what to do, have it delivered to your nearest pickup point. I have stopped feeling guilty about not hearing the knock - other people's parcels are their problems not mine. I don't know actually how young people in flats, etc manage to get their parcels.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Yes, that might be a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI assumed they were for travellers and people commuting ...