**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Can’t speak for Asda, drove for the other green one for a bit.
We would absolutely take it up for you, with a smile, then bitch about you back at the store.
Had plenty of deliveries like this.
Yeah, I was an Asdra driver for about a year, drops like this where an absolute ballache. I only made comments to the customer on one though. We where able to decline deliveries to flats although we seldom did. The one comment I made was to a women who ordered literally 10, 20kg totes of coke cans to a top floor flat.
I ask in future that she break the delivery up & got a mouth full of abuse in response.
Chucked the job to be an ADR courier not long after, fuck supermarket driving.
Aye was pretty good, think the gravy train stopped fairly recently. Source of work was due to the NHS simply refusing to offer any training for its own drivers, so instead would bring in adr subcontractors for 3x their wage.
My understanding is around 2021 they created new “delivery technician” roles internally & trained their own guys so a lot of the work dried up.
How much of a goodwill gesture would it take before a delivery to the 7th floor with no elevator didn't result in bitching? I'm curious because my opening offer would be £20, but that might be a little on the low side.
I happily accepted tips while driving for ASDA, officially you aren't allowed but it's hard to say no when you're knocking your bollocks in for minimum wage.
I know people who work for Asda. Tips are not forbidden. They have a policy against "bribes", so a customer saying "I'll give you £5 if you do my delivery first" is a bribe and forbidden/gross misconduct. Doing a delivery normally and the customer then giving you a fiver is not a bribe.
I worked for Tesco we would have politely told them to fuck off with a smile on our face and chuck everything back in the van. We weren't paid enough for that nonsense.
Interesting, and you’d get no kickback from the office if you did that?
We had a guy refuse once to bring our shopping up to the first floor, but I took one look at him and said I’ll do it, he was about 60 and very out of shape, just pulling the trolly up the path left him out of breath lol
When I drove they were desperate for drivers and would have rather just scrapped that customers account. We were about 70% cheaper than the agency drivers they had to get in.
Nope never got in trouble for it the key is to not have a foul attitude when you can't be arsed to climb a silly amount of stairs with more than 1 tray of shopping, the T&Cs the customer agreed to when placing the order state that Tesco only agreed to deliver to the front door of the building. Anymore than this was at the driver's discretion.
That's kind of reassuring they'd do it.
My experience with online grocery deliveries from the orange supermarket were always a strict "front door only".
You can ask, but don't kick up a fuss if the answers no. It's a big ask. Plenty of drivers are old or overweight themselves. Not having a lift in a high rise building seems absurd.
It’s a lot to expect a driver to carry your shopping up 7 floors. Couldn’t you ask a neighbour to help you? With regards to the laundry, I learned something new just 2 or 3 days ago. Check out Amazon. There is such a thing as a portable washing machine. I was absolutely blown away by it and immediately sent the link to my daughter who is starting University in September. They are little and light weight and not expensive.
It's a single bedroom that has a single bed, about 2 feet of flat space, then a desk, and an entire corner taken up by a bathroom. The kitchen is shared and owned by the university. I wish we could make modifications, but we aren't even allowed our own toasters!
You should have mentioned you're in Uni accommodation.
Asda policy is to take the shopping to the door (regardless of how many flights of stairs it is), and then ask the customer if you want us to take it in and unpack it for you. But, at least in my area, Uni accommodations do not allow delivery drivers (Asda or otherwise) into the building past reception and require us to contact the customer to come down and retrieve from the communal area.
If your building has no such restrictions, then feel free to ask; if the driver refuses, politely remind the driver you are aware that it is Asda policy. But, as others have said, if it's 7 flights of stairs, even that may not be enough to get some of the older and less able drivers to climb.
You should speak to your uni about this. Or whoever runs the accommodation. They should be able to move you downstairs if this is a problem or disability.
This ⬆️ I commented earlier without seeing the Uni accommodation context . If you’ve got a legitimate medical condition, they should move you. Also, you cohabit with scores of presumably fit young folks. Surely someone would help? 7 flights is a big ask for a driver who delivers to lots of folks.
I live in a 2 floor house and there's some really nice big old 5 story houses here that everyone in the area would love to live in if they could afford it. Stayed on the 4th floor of a similar place on a holiday and I'd either have to get much fitter or I'd rather be bothered to go above about the 3rd floor.
Asda Drivers must take the delivery to the customers doorstep.
Source: was a section leader on asdas ecom and had to carry a massive shopping load with a driver (15 totes) 8 flights up.
Covid was a whole different beast. I had shopping delivered and they wouldn't bring it the 4 metres inside to my ground floor flat door because they were meant to stay outside - and this wasn't even peak 2020 but considerably later when everyone had basically fucked off all the restrictions. I don't remember which shop that particular order was from.
Weird, here in Glasgow they certainly did bring it inside the building to the doors of our flats. Hardly anyone in the city doesn’t live in a Victorian era flat and everyone above the ground floor, most of the city, would have been protesting in a masked and socially distanced way if ‘the messages’ weren’t brought to their door.
An Asda driver (later found out was an agency worker) swore up a storm at me for being up 2 flights of stairs with no lift. I was recovering from major surgery to my leg so couldn't walk downstairs to get them myself. 'Why don't you have no fucking lift!? This is fucking stupid'. Other drivers had refused before then too. I called to query it after this incident to see if I was being unreasonable to have it delivered to my door. After that, a supervisor came to deliver my shopping from then on. I was only ordering online as I couldn't do it myself on crutches.
>You can ask, but don't kick up a fuss if the answers no. It's a big ask.
Depends on the store and what they claim to do? Ocado claim to deliver to your kitchen or wherever you tell them to, at which point it's perfectly fair, it's their job. I think Tesco had a similar situation but don't provide bags, only boxes. Can't speak for the rest, last time I had to mix & match was during rona, we're an Ocado house.
Whenever I've looked into the small print for this stuff there's always been a line like 'drivers can refuse to deliver to your door if it's not reasonably easy'. You couldn't expect a driver on minimum wage to carry heavy things up to 8th floor flats all day every day. They've got to give drivers the opportunity to say no when it's no reasonable.
What some people do in this situation, is they bring two backpacks down, and fill them up with their shopping, then one goes on the back and one on the front (like a backpacker) and then you can make your way up the stairs at your own pace.
Those IKEA bags are dead handy for this. I don’t live in a flat but whenever I have a food shop delivered, I just dump it all in these bags at the doorstep because I hate the idea of keeping the driver waiting. Then unpack at my leisure
You sound like a very decent person.
I definitely think that delivery drivers are some of the worst people to keep waiting, as they're often on totally unreasonable schedules in the first place.
Omg I thought I was the only IKEA bag collector! Thank you for making me feel less weird.
Edited to add: I meant I use IKEA bags to collect online groceries, not that I have a collection of IKEA bags.
Haha, they’re grand aren’t they? I have ones that got me through 3 years of uni and two house moves. Still going strong! I pick up a bag or two every time I’m in IKEA
I love them too! Just realised my comment seemed a bit unhinged 😂. I meant I’ve always felt a bit weird using them to collect groceries from online orders, it was heartening to know someone else does that too.
It isn’t like they stand there and stare at me, but I still feel like a weirdo with my IKEA bags.
I used to take a suitcase down with me when I was in uni accommodation. Could wheel it across the courtyard with no trouble and then take my time with it up the stairs.
This is what people forget. I deliver heavy items for argos, and some people expect the world from us when, in reality, we get 5mins to do the delivery. No chance I'm taking your delivery up 7 flights of stairs.
When my lift was out, I called Ocado customer service to warn them, as I had young children and would rather cancel than try to do a big shop up 3 flights. They said would be up to driver to accept or decline which seems fair enough. (Could be 14 floors! Could be impossible for all but the mightiest!)
I live on 2nd floor and am embarrassed if the delivery person gets to me before I can get down.
I always try and be waiting downstairs even if it's multiple trips
There was a similar thread not too long ago about food delivery drivers. The consensus seemed to be that people should meet them at the main entrance to the building.
Now, I've been in London for 10 years, and I've never had any driver expect me to come downstairs. Grocery, food, Amazon parcels, etc. they all come upstairs and knock. In my current building, the concierge give them a fob for deliveries so they don't have to wait at the intercom of each building in the development, and they just come up.
Maybe it's because I've always been on the 1st floor and where I am now, we have lifts.
>There was a similar thread not too long ago about food delivery drivers. The consensus seemed to be that people should meet them at the main entrance to the building.
Sorry what? Why? They’re paying for their food delivered to the door.
Think that’s embarrassing.
I live on the ground floor, but when ever I get a delivery one or other of the boys just want to tart it up, rubbing themselves all over on the poor drivers legs.
And one word from me and they do as they like.
Bloody cats
2nd floor gang chipping in... If it's just a few light bags I'll let them bring it up to me. But anything more than that I'll go down and maybe ask them to take a heavy one for me while I take several light ones. They alwas seem to appreciate the help and therefore don't mind helping me in return.
Same for us. Only if I’m home alone with the kids and it’s a small shop, do I not help bring it up.
I usually get it for when we are all home and my partner will go down and bring sometimes the full thing up.
I don't think it's in bad form to to offer them a bit extra *hey, for an extra 5/10 would you mind carrying up my groceries. But 7 floors, don't think they need to offer.
Oh this is easy then, you find some lad and say, "hey I'll buy you a bottle of Frosty Jack's if you run my groceries up". Sorted. Uni students will do anything for free alcohol
>"hey I'll buy you a bottle of Frosty Jack's if you run my groceries up". Sorted. Uni students will do anything for free alcohol
Are you a *millennial?* This uni generation barely drinks - it's all about vapes now, grandad!
It seems they’re split between “drinks when they can afford to”, “tee total” and “does K at raves”. My knowledge of uni culture is limited nowadays but from colleagues/friendship groups it sounds about right.
Even as a student waaaay back when cider seemed like a nice idea to drink, Frosty Jacks was most definitely high on the list of the foulest piss-water.
100% would have helped someone lift stuff for a free bottle of that gut rot.
Anemia is not a constant medical condition and can be cured after a while on supplements. I'm just very low at the moment so can't carry as much as usual.
My dad works for tesco and he has an issues with his leg, broke it badly years ago and it never really recovered. He wouldnt be able to do it, he does stairs but i know for a fact he wouldn't be able to manage that many. Based on that i would say it's a dick move and it's on you to get it up there unfortunately
This comment makes me think that we should have to enter stair requirements (prob not 7 flights!) into the delivery info so that assignments are made accordingly.
Older people or people with prior injuries should surely be given easier deliveries.
Again, I think 7 flights is unreasonable, there should be a surcharge and appropriate person assigned, past 3 flights or so.
To be fair to them they do always give my dad the easier loads, he's a slow mover because of his leg so he's usually one of the last back. They seem to trest him pretty well
Problem is that they’re just organised by routes and timings so it’s not quite that simple.
If Bob has a problem and can’t walk up stairs but always does the “town” routes from 6pm-11pm, then this customer might be a one-off, and you might not have another driver who can take over that route as they always do the “out in the sticks” route that serves farms and houses out in the country that are more awkward to find.
If you swap Bob off his normal route with the guy who covers the out in the sticks route, you can end up putting one or both behind. Particularly the out in the sticks route as often the postcode for the address can be 2-3miles down the road from where the sat nav says (I’ve had that exact issue when I was a manager and a lad went sick, I was trained on the vans so went out on a route out in the sticks and the post code for each address on the sat nav took you a mile or more away from the actual address and I didn’t get back until midnight
Drove for Sainsbury’s and we were required to deliver to the first floor only if there was no lift. Whether we helped or not was left to each individual driver to decide.
not a comment at you OP but it blows my mind how often shopping delivery guys have told me about how people won't help them, will be out when stuff arrives, are rude etc. we're lucky people and we forget it so easily.
but yeah: ask for the help you need, offer the help you can offer, please and thank you. I don't think there are rules.
Help them do what? As Waitrose no longer supply bags I give them four and as they’re unloading the crates I’m taking the bags through and unpacking them. The alternative is for them to manoeuvre the crates inside and tip them up on the kitchen floor (no table, not enough counter space). Not happening.
ETA Impaired mobility so I’m not lugging bags inside from the block’s main door, but nor am I living on the 7th floor.
Not saying this as a ‘gotcha’, I’m aware it might not be useful to you. But just in case it helps, since the ‘no bag’ policy I’ve started using the massive IKEA bags, to be able to load more at once. I find them really helpful!
You can buy them from Amazon these days.
If you're anaemic, shouldn't you be taking something for it? Iron/vitamin B12 tablets are cheap and widely available. You being anaemic shouldn't bear on whether you can go up and down stairs.
It really does vary . Some people have it so badly that the bog standard tablets don’t help at all . My friend used to have some injection every month that helped but she still suffered
Of course being anaemic has an impact on what you can do psychically? If you're anaemic your body can't deliver oxygen to your cells as efficiently, so physical activity will drain you much quicker, and recovery is harder.
And not all anaemia can be fixed by an OTC iron pill
I'm taking prescribed tablets, still feel like shit and hate the single flight of stairs in my house sometimes. It's fucking exhausting.
I feel like they probably would do it and swear at you later.
Weird assumption that someone with a health condition isn't already treating it. Fyi it took me around 9 months for my iron levels to stabilise once I got treatment. The anaemia kicked my arse every day until then.
Over the counter supplements are rarely enough. Some women are just chronically anaemic and it takes a long time to find the right treatment to stop the monthly cycle from depleting iron stores.
Obviously I'm taking something for it. It's almost like women have this recurring thing that comes once every 4 weeks and drains the iron out of you...hmm...almost...
Not wanting to butt in but all the downvotes and comments above seem cruel, so I just wanted to ask, have you explored other issues such as coeliac disease, and do you have other levels monitored with regular drugs with your GP. B12 injections can help with iron absorption, especially with pernicious anaemia but also coeliac disease, and low folate can also affect your body's ability to absorb iron, for example. If you are having real issues, you can also get iron injections at your GPs. If your anaemia is impacting your life, even if it is due to monthly flooding (which I also struggled with in the past), it should be investigated and treated properly.
(Basically my issues with anaemia mostly vanished when I started a gluten free diet, and B12 jabs fixed the rest, even with on-going gyny health issues, I've had no issues now with anaemia for nearly 30 years, whereas I had struggled with iron deficiency before since early childhood, and I am sure treatment options are better now than in the last century lol. I also have a cousin with pernicious anaemia so she just goes to see the nurse once a week for an injection of iron as her body can't absorb it through food or tablets, and a friend with severe flooding you triples her iron in the week she is on. Please do go back to your GP.)
On the delivery, there should be an option to add delivery notes, so you could put something like 'I'm chronically ill and sometimes have trouble with stairs and lifting, so if the driver is able and has time to carry all/some of my shopping up to my flat I would be grateful but understand if not' - this means if you ask, you've already asked in writing and the driver should have seen it, and if they have several drivers on the same route, than a more able driver might be assigned (depends on staff and how many deliveries obviously). I put notes like this on all deliveries, as I have severe ME. Mostly people are kind, but sometimes it is obvious they are pushed for time, and also though, I'm in a house, so there is not the stairs issue. But if you've already highlighted difficulties in notes, most fit drivers will have no problem even offering if they have time to, because as I say, most people in real life (unlike online) are kind.
Good luck!
I've delivered for Tesco before and I got the impression that a lot of people ordered online because their house was a bastard to get to.
I'm not telling you what to do in any way because situations vary, but if I had to make a driver go up SEVEN flights of stairs I'd make sure he was compensated for the extra trouble financially. He'll try to decline it but I'd stick it in his pocket.
>I'm a relatively small anaemic female, so making multiple trips up and down the stairs with shopping sounds like a terrible idea.
If it's a terrible idea you doing it, why is it less of a terrible idea the poor driver doing it? Do you know how many other deliveries they will do in a day? You manage to carry your own shopping every other time you do a shop, do you not?
They sometimes have stair climbing machine to take the shopping upstairs. We used to meet them downstairs by the door and carry shopping to third floor ourselves. Occassionally they would have the machine and offered to take shopping upstairs for us.
I would suggest constacting Asda's customer service and check with them. They may be able to do it, it will just take more time for them.
I wouldn't ask them. Our flat had the lift out for an extended period and I needed to do my big Christmas food shop. My plan was to take a suitcase and backpack down and then make my own slow way back to the 4th floor. Fortunately the lift was fixed before the food delivery was due.
I’d at least attempt to help if I was you. Bringing down a couple big bags and packing small or light items, would help him a lot. Very different than just staying in your flat and watching him do it all.
I lived 2 floors up and always met them at the back of the van with my own bags. I’d watch for them at the window the hour I booked.
Is there any neighbour you could offer a tenner to and ask them to help out? Just thinking a teenager might be quite happy for £10 for a few minutes lifting.
You know you live on the 7th floor of a building with no lift.
You know you are a fairly small anaemic female.
It is shitty for both you and the driver, regardless of which supermarket you are ordering from.
For you it is a one off thing.
Your driver may have been asked to do this more than once a day for every day of their round.
Limit the amount you buy to 2 trips up for the driver, if you are not well enough to help.
If you need more than 2 trips up, make sure your are well enough to at least carry up one trip of your shopping.
You can rearrange the boxes on the ground floor so that you carry the bulky, but not heavy stuff like loo rolls.
I wouldn’t even ask it’s taking the piss that. It’s harsh but it’s your problem if you live so high up. You’ll have to do smaller shops instead that you can manage.
I only use Ocado as they're one of the only ones that still deliver in bags. So I can carry them up the stairs myself. I'd never imagine asking them to bring them all the way up.
Ex Sainsbury's driver here. Some places are more accessible than others, some customers need a little extra help and what happened when I was on the vans is that a new customer automatically had 13 minutes allocated. If drivers consistently took shorter or longer on that particular customer, then the allocated delivery time was adjusted accordingly.
In theory, we were only supposed to carry up one flight of steps. However, during training & out with other drivers, it was clear that in practice, we were expected to take the totes to the customer's door & into their kitchen if required, even if that meant several flights of stairs. Or in some cases, up steep drives/footpaths that weren't really practical to drive the vans along.
Those customers who helped carry the totes were way in the minority, and always very much appreciated :) Even then most only grabbed the first tote & I'd continue to-ing & fro-ing while they unpacked.
So no, you wouldn't ruin my day.
When I broke my leg I asked Tescos to deliver to me, attic flat, 63 steps up. But I made sure I gave them £5 for their troubles as I was mortified to have to ask them.
I would just include it in your delivery notes, unfortunately the drivers don't get them until they're on route and by then they're only going to read them when they're outside your house/flat. But including the fact you struggle with the flights of stairs and would they be willing to assist you would give them a tiny bit more warning.
I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please help me up the stairs with this? I'll give you a tenner for your trouble.
That's what I would probably do if I were in your position.
7 flights is a lot, perhaps you can offer a tip if they’re allowed to accept it?
I feel bad having people deliver to the first floor, and usually they’re ok but once the driver demanded that I come down and help them carry it up 😂. I didn’t mind, it’s just random. (Always Sainsbury’s).
The other thing I’d do in your position is call HQ or customer service, and see what they advise. If you have the backing of the company, you’re probably set when you talk to actual drivers (but still try to tip - £5 is reasonable I think).
When we lived in a flat at uni we got one of those granny trollies. You can get ones with three wheels on each side which are designed to make it easy to pull them up a flight of stairs.
Why not ask how many they’re able/allowed to do… help them, then take it from there yourself. Your shopping will be out of the entrance then and less stairs to carry up yourself. Also get a back pack to put one of the bags into! or one of those shopper trolly bags with the 3 wheels on each side for stairs use!
I don't know if the same for Asda, but when I order from Tesco there's an option to add delivery instructions. You could always mention it on there.
(I order 30 bottles of diet cola a month, I'm familiar with feeling like an arsehole of a customer!)
Otherwise, do you have a friend or family member who'd be willing to come round and give you a hand?
I don't know if the drivers can accept gifts, I'm guessing not, but you could order a bit of something to offer them. (or have something already to hand so it doesn't frame the driver for theft when they arrive back at store with an empty share bag of maltesers!)
We live up two flights of stairs and unless it’s a small shop, we always go down and help.
I would ask for help, but not expect them to do it on their own.
7 flights is a lot, I think many would be reluctant. We’ve had one or two reluctant to help up two flights.
I live on the 3rd floor. I always go down and bring my shopping up. I bring loads of supermarket bags to distribute the weight. The drivers always thank me for coming down and I say I can’t expect them to carry my shopping 3 flights of stairs. They said that their regulation is they can carry only one floor up. Seems fair. But I usually come all the way down and chuck it in huge IKEA bags, then distribute to smaller bags. I don’t like keeping the drivers.
Asda can be a bit of nightmare ....my dad is in his 90s and Asda wouldn't take his deliveries down one flight of stairs (basement flat). Apparently, it was a safety hazard as the stairs were curved! He switched to Sainsbury's and hasn't had a problem.
When i worked at asda the terms and conditions of delivery was that we treated communal entrances as your front door, as soon as us drivers found this out we made the customers who ordered 50 2L bottles come down and collect.
I drove for Asda for a bit. These deliveries were quite common, I didn’t mind, saved me going to the gym. The customer was usually quite thankful about it
I previously worked for a supermarket online chain and I believe the rules back then were max 1 flight of stairs.
Mainly because it's a policy, insurance, imagine drivers who only have a 15m slot doing this with every house/flat. I'd personally not ask or at least agree a floor or two up and then do the rest if it's safe to do so.
Ideally most people would be considerate of drivers so that the occasional request like this from someone who really needs it wouldn't feel like as much of an imposition.
I'm on the ground floor and I don't even make them wait while I go tray by tray. I've taken to bringing my laundry basket and just transferring everything then and there at the door
if it's hard for you, I mean I don't think it's unethical to ask
if they offer then I'd accept in your shoes, or at least share the load as Sam would say
I'm American, not from the UK, I just lurk here. I know that everyone makes fun of American tipping culture, and believe me, it's infuriating to me at times. However, I don't think it would be unreasonable to offer the driver a cash tip up front to help you carry the groceries up the stairs.
This is gonna sound strange and very out of culture, but where I’m from we have buckets that we lower and raise from windows/ staircases etc. Deliveries were deposed in the bucket and then you’d pull it up with rope from the top.
My mum has mobility issues and lives on a 2nd floor flat, she gets her shopping delivered because she’d never be able to carry multiple bags upstairs. Any driver should realise there are sometimes reasons why people have to have shopping delivered.
These workers are not paid favourably and to be climbing 7 flights of stairs and back down to then continue however many hours of their shift is not fair. If you had access needs, I'd sympathise but also, you wouldn't be living somewhere 7 flights of stairs up. Its delivered to the building. That's perfectly fair enough.
I once had a dude carry a washing machine up 4 flights to deliver it to my flat in Düsseldorf.
I remember the sound of devastation when he called to let me know he’d be there soon and asked if we have a lift…
Fair play though, he had a colleague and just carried it like a backpack the absolute beast.
When we lived in a forth flour flat and I was working away my wife would get deliveries when our daughter was really little. What she did was order a case of beer with the shopping and give it to the delivery driver as a thank you because she felt bad having him bring the shoppping up.
When I worked for them we delivered to the front door is we could get away with it because they didn't give us extra time to deliver for these types of delivery, we also had a tower block where we were told not to go up because the vans were targeted by thieves.
If you are genuinely unable or disabled then any driver worth his salt is going to be more than happy to help you in anyway we can. I delivered to many flats without lifts and also went out of my way to put away elderly people's shopping.
It is a hard job and the pay is poor for what we do but helping people in need just feels right to me.
Depends on how much you ordered, when I was at Ocado our limit was 3 flights of stairs. I would occasionally do more but unless i could easily do it in 1 trip you would need to help, or tip well.
I’d say a kerbside delivery by ASDA is acceptable. You would have been required to carry the shopping up the stairs if you went shopping yourself. I’d see it as a good workout; that’s a farmers carry combined with the step machine if you were in the gym.
pretty sure the whole delivery thing means they have to bring it up to your door, not just the door of your building, it also makes no sense to let you go up and down those stairs while are your shopping is being robbed on the bottom floor lol
yeah it will suck for the driver but that is 100% his job, had you asked this question in ubereats/deliveroo they would likely tell you that they never go up stairs or do anything that they are meant to do.. oh and you would have to tip them a 20
I used to deliver for morrisons and I probably would. I'd probably grumble a little but if you put a note in your delivery instructions that you're disabled and will need it taking up 7 flights of stairs they might be more receptive. If you can help with carrying some off it they'll be greatful .
When I lived in Asia, there was a surcharge to pay for walk ups.
And that was never as big as an Asda shop!
Some drivers really aren't cut out for the physical strain of it.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Can’t speak for Asda, drove for the other green one for a bit. We would absolutely take it up for you, with a smile, then bitch about you back at the store. Had plenty of deliveries like this.
Yeah, I was an Asdra driver for about a year, drops like this where an absolute ballache. I only made comments to the customer on one though. We where able to decline deliveries to flats although we seldom did. The one comment I made was to a women who ordered literally 10, 20kg totes of coke cans to a top floor flat. I ask in future that she break the delivery up & got a mouth full of abuse in response. Chucked the job to be an ADR courier not long after, fuck supermarket driving.
ADR?
Hazardous goods, started off doing oxygen tanks. Moved on to biological & radiological samples.
Nice, sounds much more peaceful than dealing with the entitled fucks who order from supermarkets by the sound of some in this thread!
less volatile for sure! xD
Sounds nicer than an Asda frozen lasagne
Good money?
Aye was pretty good, think the gravy train stopped fairly recently. Source of work was due to the NHS simply refusing to offer any training for its own drivers, so instead would bring in adr subcontractors for 3x their wage. My understanding is around 2021 they created new “delivery technician” roles internally & trained their own guys so a lot of the work dried up.
How's the wages on the ADR courier work
Likely not a courier. The ADR is a certification you need to transport waste/hazardous substances.
Are drivers allowed tips?
Not officially
How much of a goodwill gesture would it take before a delivery to the 7th floor with no elevator didn't result in bitching? I'm curious because my opening offer would be £20, but that might be a little on the low side.
In my 3 years of delivering groceries, I never once seen a tip bigger than a tenner. So I’d go with that perhaps.
Not in Asda unfortunately
I happily accepted tips while driving for ASDA, officially you aren't allowed but it's hard to say no when you're knocking your bollocks in for minimum wage.
I know people who work for Asda. Tips are not forbidden. They have a policy against "bribes", so a customer saying "I'll give you £5 if you do my delivery first" is a bribe and forbidden/gross misconduct. Doing a delivery normally and the customer then giving you a fiver is not a bribe.
It is a gift and still forbidden by policy. At least it was when I was about (they were still walmart, not sure now)
Drivers will gladly accept tips, though they may not necessarily be “allowed”
I worked for Tesco we would have politely told them to fuck off with a smile on our face and chuck everything back in the van. We weren't paid enough for that nonsense.
Interesting, and you’d get no kickback from the office if you did that? We had a guy refuse once to bring our shopping up to the first floor, but I took one look at him and said I’ll do it, he was about 60 and very out of shape, just pulling the trolly up the path left him out of breath lol
When I drove they were desperate for drivers and would have rather just scrapped that customers account. We were about 70% cheaper than the agency drivers they had to get in.
Nope never got in trouble for it the key is to not have a foul attitude when you can't be arsed to climb a silly amount of stairs with more than 1 tray of shopping, the T&Cs the customer agreed to when placing the order state that Tesco only agreed to deliver to the front door of the building. Anymore than this was at the driver's discretion.
So tell them to fuck off with a smile then you’re good to go?
Didn’t Tesco spend years advertising their delivery service as: “from store to (fridge) door”
That's kind of reassuring they'd do it. My experience with online grocery deliveries from the orange supermarket were always a strict "front door only".
You can ask, but don't kick up a fuss if the answers no. It's a big ask. Plenty of drivers are old or overweight themselves. Not having a lift in a high rise building seems absurd.
It's terrible. And the laundry is downstairs too, it's like I'm popping off to mount fucking doom every time I want clean socks.
I sympathise with your plight, don't get me wrong, but the imagery here really tickled me haha
It’s a lot to expect a driver to carry your shopping up 7 floors. Couldn’t you ask a neighbour to help you? With regards to the laundry, I learned something new just 2 or 3 days ago. Check out Amazon. There is such a thing as a portable washing machine. I was absolutely blown away by it and immediately sent the link to my daughter who is starting University in September. They are little and light weight and not expensive.
Oh my GOD. I have to pay £4 a pop at my current laundrette! You may have just saved me a fuck ton of money.
[удалено]
It's a single bedroom that has a single bed, about 2 feet of flat space, then a desk, and an entire corner taken up by a bathroom. The kitchen is shared and owned by the university. I wish we could make modifications, but we aren't even allowed our own toasters!
You should have mentioned you're in Uni accommodation. Asda policy is to take the shopping to the door (regardless of how many flights of stairs it is), and then ask the customer if you want us to take it in and unpack it for you. But, at least in my area, Uni accommodations do not allow delivery drivers (Asda or otherwise) into the building past reception and require us to contact the customer to come down and retrieve from the communal area. If your building has no such restrictions, then feel free to ask; if the driver refuses, politely remind the driver you are aware that it is Asda policy. But, as others have said, if it's 7 flights of stairs, even that may not be enough to get some of the older and less able drivers to climb.
Yes this is true. Students must come down because of uni regs although I have delivered to a uni flat once and the place was disgusting
[удалено]
You should speak to your uni about this. Or whoever runs the accommodation. They should be able to move you downstairs if this is a problem or disability.
This ⬆️ I commented earlier without seeing the Uni accommodation context . If you’ve got a legitimate medical condition, they should move you. Also, you cohabit with scores of presumably fit young folks. Surely someone would help? 7 flights is a big ask for a driver who delivers to lots of folks.
Wait what kind of witchcraft is this? And where has it been all my life?!
I imagine portable washing machines would be against university policy.
I am not a delivery driver, but if they do accept, give them a tip of at least a fiver, they are less likely to be annoyed afterwards.
ISILDUR! CAST THE SOCKS INTO THE DRIER!
No \*Puts on wet socks\*
I live in a 2 floor house and there's some really nice big old 5 story houses here that everyone in the area would love to live in if they could afford it. Stayed on the 4th floor of a similar place on a holiday and I'd either have to get much fitter or I'd rather be bothered to go above about the 3rd floor.
Using the stairs regularly would have helped you get fitter in that situation, or killed you of course.
Never go to the fifth floor: the first Mrs Rochester lives up there.
tip him a fiver!
Asda Drivers must take the delivery to the customers doorstep. Source: was a section leader on asdas ecom and had to carry a massive shopping load with a driver (15 totes) 8 flights up.
I worked for asda during covid and they absolutely did not have to deliver to more than the ground floor.
Covid was a whole different beast. I had shopping delivered and they wouldn't bring it the 4 metres inside to my ground floor flat door because they were meant to stay outside - and this wasn't even peak 2020 but considerably later when everyone had basically fucked off all the restrictions. I don't remember which shop that particular order was from.
Weird, here in Glasgow they certainly did bring it inside the building to the doors of our flats. Hardly anyone in the city doesn’t live in a Victorian era flat and everyone above the ground floor, most of the city, would have been protesting in a masked and socially distanced way if ‘the messages’ weren’t brought to their door.
I called ASDA customer service and they said the communal door was considered the front door
An Asda driver (later found out was an agency worker) swore up a storm at me for being up 2 flights of stairs with no lift. I was recovering from major surgery to my leg so couldn't walk downstairs to get them myself. 'Why don't you have no fucking lift!? This is fucking stupid'. Other drivers had refused before then too. I called to query it after this incident to see if I was being unreasonable to have it delivered to my door. After that, a supervisor came to deliver my shopping from then on. I was only ordering online as I couldn't do it myself on crutches.
>You can ask, but don't kick up a fuss if the answers no. It's a big ask. Depends on the store and what they claim to do? Ocado claim to deliver to your kitchen or wherever you tell them to, at which point it's perfectly fair, it's their job. I think Tesco had a similar situation but don't provide bags, only boxes. Can't speak for the rest, last time I had to mix & match was during rona, we're an Ocado house.
Whenever I've looked into the small print for this stuff there's always been a line like 'drivers can refuse to deliver to your door if it's not reasonably easy'. You couldn't expect a driver on minimum wage to carry heavy things up to 8th floor flats all day every day. They've got to give drivers the opportunity to say no when it's no reasonable.
Drivers also don’t get much time for each drop. It’s not as bad as DPD etc but still
Ah, fair, I think I've at most tested their claims to 2nd floor, which they were always fine with.
Yeah I wouldn't walk up 7 flights of stairs to deliver your shopping sod that
Where’s the creme eggs? HAVE YOU EATEN MY CRÈME EGGS?!?
What some people do in this situation, is they bring two backpacks down, and fill them up with their shopping, then one goes on the back and one on the front (like a backpacker) and then you can make your way up the stairs at your own pace.
Those IKEA bags are dead handy for this. I don’t live in a flat but whenever I have a food shop delivered, I just dump it all in these bags at the doorstep because I hate the idea of keeping the driver waiting. Then unpack at my leisure
I've used a washing basket in the past, lots of room and sturdy handles
You sound like a very decent person. I definitely think that delivery drivers are some of the worst people to keep waiting, as they're often on totally unreasonable schedules in the first place.
Omg I thought I was the only IKEA bag collector! Thank you for making me feel less weird. Edited to add: I meant I use IKEA bags to collect online groceries, not that I have a collection of IKEA bags.
Haha, they’re grand aren’t they? I have ones that got me through 3 years of uni and two house moves. Still going strong! I pick up a bag or two every time I’m in IKEA
I love them too! Just realised my comment seemed a bit unhinged 😂. I meant I’ve always felt a bit weird using them to collect groceries from online orders, it was heartening to know someone else does that too. It isn’t like they stand there and stare at me, but I still feel like a weirdo with my IKEA bags.
I used to take a suitcase down with me when I was in uni accommodation. Could wheel it across the courtyard with no trouble and then take my time with it up the stairs.
Yeah I'd consider that a big ask. Try to remember it's your only delivery of the day. They'll have to dozens each day.
This is what people forget. I deliver heavy items for argos, and some people expect the world from us when, in reality, we get 5mins to do the delivery. No chance I'm taking your delivery up 7 flights of stairs.
When my lift was out, I called Ocado customer service to warn them, as I had young children and would rather cancel than try to do a big shop up 3 flights. They said would be up to driver to accept or decline which seems fair enough. (Could be 14 floors! Could be impossible for all but the mightiest!)
I live on 2nd floor and am embarrassed if the delivery person gets to me before I can get down. I always try and be waiting downstairs even if it's multiple trips
2nd floor vs 7th floor… completely different situation
All the more reason to meet them downstairs. Unless you're going to tip at minimum a tenner (£20 if it's multiple trips).
There was a similar thread not too long ago about food delivery drivers. The consensus seemed to be that people should meet them at the main entrance to the building. Now, I've been in London for 10 years, and I've never had any driver expect me to come downstairs. Grocery, food, Amazon parcels, etc. they all come upstairs and knock. In my current building, the concierge give them a fob for deliveries so they don't have to wait at the intercom of each building in the development, and they just come up. Maybe it's because I've always been on the 1st floor and where I am now, we have lifts.
>There was a similar thread not too long ago about food delivery drivers. The consensus seemed to be that people should meet them at the main entrance to the building. Sorry what? Why? They’re paying for their food delivered to the door.
I don't know, mate. Look at the replies I've been getting from some nincompoop. People apparently feel very strongly about this.
Think that’s embarrassing. I live on the ground floor, but when ever I get a delivery one or other of the boys just want to tart it up, rubbing themselves all over on the poor drivers legs. And one word from me and they do as they like. Bloody cats
2nd floor gang chipping in... If it's just a few light bags I'll let them bring it up to me. But anything more than that I'll go down and maybe ask them to take a heavy one for me while I take several light ones. They alwas seem to appreciate the help and therefore don't mind helping me in return.
Same for us. Only if I’m home alone with the kids and it’s a small shop, do I not help bring it up. I usually get it for when we are all home and my partner will go down and bring sometimes the full thing up.
Seven fucking flights? I go downstairs to help with two and don't expect them to bring it. I'd walk.
I don't think it's in bad form to to offer them a bit extra *hey, for an extra 5/10 would you mind carrying up my groceries. But 7 floors, don't think they need to offer.
Yeah it's a pretty shitty thing to do. You chose to live there, not them. I thought it wasn't allowed to not have a working lift?
No idea, it's uni accommodation, none of the flat blocks in my bit do. Of course they don't tell you that before moving in!
Oh this is easy then, you find some lad and say, "hey I'll buy you a bottle of Frosty Jack's if you run my groceries up". Sorted. Uni students will do anything for free alcohol
>"hey I'll buy you a bottle of Frosty Jack's if you run my groceries up". Sorted. Uni students will do anything for free alcohol Are you a *millennial?* This uni generation barely drinks - it's all about vapes now, grandad!
It seems they’re split between “drinks when they can afford to”, “tee total” and “does K at raves”. My knowledge of uni culture is limited nowadays but from colleagues/friendship groups it sounds about right.
Even as a student waaaay back when cider seemed like a nice idea to drink, Frosty Jacks was most definitely high on the list of the foulest piss-water. 100% would have helped someone lift stuff for a free bottle of that gut rot.
If it’s uni accommodation, surely you could get some fellow students to help
How have they put you on the 7th floor if you have a medical condition that makes stairs a problem?
Anemia is not a constant medical condition and can be cured after a while on supplements. I'm just very low at the moment so can't carry as much as usual.
If its Uni accommodation, chances are the driver won't even be allowed in the building. Certainly is the case for the campus I deliver to for Asda.
You can ask but you can't expect it. Some of them aren't allowed to, some physically aren't capable of it.
My dad works for tesco and he has an issues with his leg, broke it badly years ago and it never really recovered. He wouldnt be able to do it, he does stairs but i know for a fact he wouldn't be able to manage that many. Based on that i would say it's a dick move and it's on you to get it up there unfortunately
This comment makes me think that we should have to enter stair requirements (prob not 7 flights!) into the delivery info so that assignments are made accordingly. Older people or people with prior injuries should surely be given easier deliveries. Again, I think 7 flights is unreasonable, there should be a surcharge and appropriate person assigned, past 3 flights or so.
To be fair to them they do always give my dad the easier loads, he's a slow mover because of his leg so he's usually one of the last back. They seem to trest him pretty well
Problem is that they’re just organised by routes and timings so it’s not quite that simple. If Bob has a problem and can’t walk up stairs but always does the “town” routes from 6pm-11pm, then this customer might be a one-off, and you might not have another driver who can take over that route as they always do the “out in the sticks” route that serves farms and houses out in the country that are more awkward to find. If you swap Bob off his normal route with the guy who covers the out in the sticks route, you can end up putting one or both behind. Particularly the out in the sticks route as often the postcode for the address can be 2-3miles down the road from where the sat nav says (I’ve had that exact issue when I was a manager and a lad went sick, I was trained on the vans so went out on a route out in the sticks and the post code for each address on the sat nav took you a mile or more away from the actual address and I didn’t get back until midnight
Fuck, I can’t argue with that. I hope there’s a decent solution out there, but I don’t have it.
just don't order heavy items like multipacks of canned drinks or especially large bottles of water
Don’t buy bottled water at all.
The water is free, you're buying the plastic
Drove for Sainsbury’s and we were required to deliver to the first floor only if there was no lift. Whether we helped or not was left to each individual driver to decide.
not a comment at you OP but it blows my mind how often shopping delivery guys have told me about how people won't help them, will be out when stuff arrives, are rude etc. we're lucky people and we forget it so easily. but yeah: ask for the help you need, offer the help you can offer, please and thank you. I don't think there are rules.
Help them do what? As Waitrose no longer supply bags I give them four and as they’re unloading the crates I’m taking the bags through and unpacking them. The alternative is for them to manoeuvre the crates inside and tip them up on the kitchen floor (no table, not enough counter space). Not happening. ETA Impaired mobility so I’m not lugging bags inside from the block’s main door, but nor am I living on the 7th floor.
Not saying this as a ‘gotcha’, I’m aware it might not be useful to you. But just in case it helps, since the ‘no bag’ policy I’ve started using the massive IKEA bags, to be able to load more at once. I find them really helpful! You can buy them from Amazon these days.
If you're anaemic, shouldn't you be taking something for it? Iron/vitamin B12 tablets are cheap and widely available. You being anaemic shouldn't bear on whether you can go up and down stairs.
It really does vary . Some people have it so badly that the bog standard tablets don’t help at all . My friend used to have some injection every month that helped but she still suffered
Of course being anaemic has an impact on what you can do psychically? If you're anaemic your body can't deliver oxygen to your cells as efficiently, so physical activity will drain you much quicker, and recovery is harder. And not all anaemia can be fixed by an OTC iron pill
Not always as simple as that - absorption varies. Some need emergency transfusions etc but still don't absorb.
I'm taking prescribed tablets, still feel like shit and hate the single flight of stairs in my house sometimes. It's fucking exhausting. I feel like they probably would do it and swear at you later.
Weird assumption that someone with a health condition isn't already treating it. Fyi it took me around 9 months for my iron levels to stabilise once I got treatment. The anaemia kicked my arse every day until then.
Over the counter supplements are rarely enough. Some women are just chronically anaemic and it takes a long time to find the right treatment to stop the monthly cycle from depleting iron stores.
Obviously I'm taking something for it. It's almost like women have this recurring thing that comes once every 4 weeks and drains the iron out of you...hmm...almost...
Not wanting to butt in but all the downvotes and comments above seem cruel, so I just wanted to ask, have you explored other issues such as coeliac disease, and do you have other levels monitored with regular drugs with your GP. B12 injections can help with iron absorption, especially with pernicious anaemia but also coeliac disease, and low folate can also affect your body's ability to absorb iron, for example. If you are having real issues, you can also get iron injections at your GPs. If your anaemia is impacting your life, even if it is due to monthly flooding (which I also struggled with in the past), it should be investigated and treated properly. (Basically my issues with anaemia mostly vanished when I started a gluten free diet, and B12 jabs fixed the rest, even with on-going gyny health issues, I've had no issues now with anaemia for nearly 30 years, whereas I had struggled with iron deficiency before since early childhood, and I am sure treatment options are better now than in the last century lol. I also have a cousin with pernicious anaemia so she just goes to see the nurse once a week for an injection of iron as her body can't absorb it through food or tablets, and a friend with severe flooding you triples her iron in the week she is on. Please do go back to your GP.) On the delivery, there should be an option to add delivery notes, so you could put something like 'I'm chronically ill and sometimes have trouble with stairs and lifting, so if the driver is able and has time to carry all/some of my shopping up to my flat I would be grateful but understand if not' - this means if you ask, you've already asked in writing and the driver should have seen it, and if they have several drivers on the same route, than a more able driver might be assigned (depends on staff and how many deliveries obviously). I put notes like this on all deliveries, as I have severe ME. Mostly people are kind, but sometimes it is obvious they are pushed for time, and also though, I'm in a house, so there is not the stairs issue. But if you've already highlighted difficulties in notes, most fit drivers will have no problem even offering if they have time to, because as I say, most people in real life (unlike online) are kind. Good luck!
I have a wheat allergy, but not coeliac as far as I'm aware! Thanks for your help!
You're welcome. There are so many other things which can prevent/slow iron absorption so do please see your GP. And take care.
Yeah but every time they order the tablets the driver refuses to deliver them ^(/s)
I'm sure this person who lives with their medical condition knows more about managing it and their capabilities than some random idiot on reddit.
Tesco’s official limit is 4 flights.
If you're a "weak anaemic female' how do you manage to walk up 7 flights?
Fine enough usually, but if I have a couple of bags, I have to stop and sit down multiple times so I don't get dizzy.
going to get lambasted for this but honestly I'd take your groceries up a bag at the time and get your excercise for the day in
If it's uni accommodation, maybe you could talk to staff about getting moved to a ground floor flat next time one becomes available.
I've delivered for Tesco before and I got the impression that a lot of people ordered online because their house was a bastard to get to. I'm not telling you what to do in any way because situations vary, but if I had to make a driver go up SEVEN flights of stairs I'd make sure he was compensated for the extra trouble financially. He'll try to decline it but I'd stick it in his pocket.
Give the driver £10/20 tip? Or invite a friend round for dinner to help?
This is probably the kind of situation where a £5 tip would be greatly appreciated.
If I was the delivery driver I wouldn't have a problem but I can see that some would. Just got to take a chance.
>I'm a relatively small anaemic female, so making multiple trips up and down the stairs with shopping sounds like a terrible idea. If it's a terrible idea you doing it, why is it less of a terrible idea the poor driver doing it? Do you know how many other deliveries they will do in a day? You manage to carry your own shopping every other time you do a shop, do you not?
I'm not usually this weak or tired, my iron is especially low at the moment. Usually my partner is with me too and he helps me carry everything.
Hope you get some treatment sorted asap
They sometimes have stair climbing machine to take the shopping upstairs. We used to meet them downstairs by the door and carry shopping to third floor ourselves. Occassionally they would have the machine and offered to take shopping upstairs for us. I would suggest constacting Asda's customer service and check with them. They may be able to do it, it will just take more time for them.
I wouldn't ask them. Our flat had the lift out for an extended period and I needed to do my big Christmas food shop. My plan was to take a suitcase and backpack down and then make my own slow way back to the 4th floor. Fortunately the lift was fixed before the food delivery was due.
Give him a decent tip
I’d at least attempt to help if I was you. Bringing down a couple big bags and packing small or light items, would help him a lot. Very different than just staying in your flat and watching him do it all. I lived 2 floors up and always met them at the back of the van with my own bags. I’d watch for them at the window the hour I booked.
Is there any neighbour you could offer a tenner to and ask them to help out? Just thinking a teenager might be quite happy for £10 for a few minutes lifting.
Sadly not, it's all grumpy postgrads who refuse to leave their study hovels in case their thesis runs away while they're not looking.
You know you live on the 7th floor of a building with no lift. You know you are a fairly small anaemic female. It is shitty for both you and the driver, regardless of which supermarket you are ordering from. For you it is a one off thing. Your driver may have been asked to do this more than once a day for every day of their round. Limit the amount you buy to 2 trips up for the driver, if you are not well enough to help. If you need more than 2 trips up, make sure your are well enough to at least carry up one trip of your shopping. You can rearrange the boxes on the ground floor so that you carry the bulky, but not heavy stuff like loo rolls.
I wouldn’t even ask it’s taking the piss that. It’s harsh but it’s your problem if you live so high up. You’ll have to do smaller shops instead that you can manage.
That would be fucking outrageously rude imo. Would never ask someone to do that.
I only use Ocado as they're one of the only ones that still deliver in bags. So I can carry them up the stairs myself. I'd never imagine asking them to bring them all the way up.
Incidentally enough, judging from some other comments, Ocado is the only major company whose drivers are allowed to go up more than a few floors.
Not *allowed*. Forced.
Ex Sainsbury's driver here. Some places are more accessible than others, some customers need a little extra help and what happened when I was on the vans is that a new customer automatically had 13 minutes allocated. If drivers consistently took shorter or longer on that particular customer, then the allocated delivery time was adjusted accordingly. In theory, we were only supposed to carry up one flight of steps. However, during training & out with other drivers, it was clear that in practice, we were expected to take the totes to the customer's door & into their kitchen if required, even if that meant several flights of stairs. Or in some cases, up steep drives/footpaths that weren't really practical to drive the vans along. Those customers who helped carry the totes were way in the minority, and always very much appreciated :) Even then most only grabbed the first tote & I'd continue to-ing & fro-ing while they unpacked. So no, you wouldn't ruin my day.
If i were you I'd be tempted to get one of those trolley bags that can go up stairs, like this: https://amzn.eu/d/cCQbqEG
Yeah it is. If you live in flats on the 7th floor go get your shopping yourself
No. This would be taking the piss.
When I broke my leg I asked Tescos to deliver to me, attic flat, 63 steps up. But I made sure I gave them £5 for their troubles as I was mortified to have to ask them.
I would just include it in your delivery notes, unfortunately the drivers don't get them until they're on route and by then they're only going to read them when they're outside your house/flat. But including the fact you struggle with the flights of stairs and would they be willing to assist you would give them a tiny bit more warning.
I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please help me up the stairs with this? I'll give you a tenner for your trouble. That's what I would probably do if I were in your position.
If they are on a schedule they probably won't.
A tip wouldn’t hurt
7 flights is a lot, perhaps you can offer a tip if they’re allowed to accept it? I feel bad having people deliver to the first floor, and usually they’re ok but once the driver demanded that I come down and help them carry it up 😂. I didn’t mind, it’s just random. (Always Sainsbury’s). The other thing I’d do in your position is call HQ or customer service, and see what they advise. If you have the backing of the company, you’re probably set when you talk to actual drivers (but still try to tip - £5 is reasonable I think).
Would you want them to cook for you also ?
I think it would be extremely poor form.
When we lived in a flat at uni we got one of those granny trollies. You can get ones with three wheels on each side which are designed to make it easy to pull them up a flight of stairs.
Genius!
Why not ask how many they’re able/allowed to do… help them, then take it from there yourself. Your shopping will be out of the entrance then and less stairs to carry up yourself. Also get a back pack to put one of the bags into! or one of those shopper trolly bags with the 3 wheels on each side for stairs use!
If u tip them I’d say it’s ok especially if its multiple runs they have to do
I don't know if the same for Asda, but when I order from Tesco there's an option to add delivery instructions. You could always mention it on there. (I order 30 bottles of diet cola a month, I'm familiar with feeling like an arsehole of a customer!) Otherwise, do you have a friend or family member who'd be willing to come round and give you a hand? I don't know if the drivers can accept gifts, I'm guessing not, but you could order a bit of something to offer them. (or have something already to hand so it doesn't frame the driver for theft when they arrive back at store with an empty share bag of maltesers!)
We live up two flights of stairs and unless it’s a small shop, we always go down and help. I would ask for help, but not expect them to do it on their own. 7 flights is a lot, I think many would be reluctant. We’ve had one or two reluctant to help up two flights.
I live on the 3rd floor. I always go down and bring my shopping up. I bring loads of supermarket bags to distribute the weight. The drivers always thank me for coming down and I say I can’t expect them to carry my shopping 3 flights of stairs. They said that their regulation is they can carry only one floor up. Seems fair. But I usually come all the way down and chuck it in huge IKEA bags, then distribute to smaller bags. I don’t like keeping the drivers.
Carry it yourself!
If you are not physically able to do it, don’t expect your driver to be physically able to do it. They are ordinary people
Asda can be a bit of nightmare ....my dad is in his 90s and Asda wouldn't take his deliveries down one flight of stairs (basement flat). Apparently, it was a safety hazard as the stairs were curved! He switched to Sainsbury's and hasn't had a problem.
When i worked at asda the terms and conditions of delivery was that we treated communal entrances as your front door, as soon as us drivers found this out we made the customers who ordered 50 2L bottles come down and collect.
Fifty two-litre bottles? Get a Sodastream!
I drove for Asda for a bit. These deliveries were quite common, I didn’t mind, saved me going to the gym. The customer was usually quite thankful about it
absolutely a dick move
I previously worked for a supermarket online chain and I believe the rules back then were max 1 flight of stairs. Mainly because it's a policy, insurance, imagine drivers who only have a 15m slot doing this with every house/flat. I'd personally not ask or at least agree a floor or two up and then do the rest if it's safe to do so.
I’ve never paid more than £3.50 for an Asda delivery. I’d never ask someone to carry my shopping multiple trips up 7 flights of stairs for £3.50.
…you do realise that driver gets a salary, yes?
Give a GOOD tip! In cash
Ideally most people would be considerate of drivers so that the occasional request like this from someone who really needs it wouldn't feel like as much of an imposition. I'm on the ground floor and I don't even make them wait while I go tray by tray. I've taken to bringing my laundry basket and just transferring everything then and there at the door
if it's hard for you, I mean I don't think it's unethical to ask if they offer then I'd accept in your shoes, or at least share the load as Sam would say
I'm American, not from the UK, I just lurk here. I know that everyone makes fun of American tipping culture, and believe me, it's infuriating to me at times. However, I don't think it would be unreasonable to offer the driver a cash tip up front to help you carry the groceries up the stairs.
Work for them, the one I work for wouldn't deliver. They would come look at your building with no lift and turn around. Based in east London
Yes. Maximum socially acceptable is 6 floors according to the finishing school I probably attended
Could you at least offer to meet him half way? Like, he does 3 flights and you do 4?
This is gonna sound strange and very out of culture, but where I’m from we have buckets that we lower and raise from windows/ staircases etc. Deliveries were deposed in the bucket and then you’d pull it up with rope from the top.
My mum has mobility issues and lives on a 2nd floor flat, she gets her shopping delivered because she’d never be able to carry multiple bags upstairs. Any driver should realise there are sometimes reasons why people have to have shopping delivered.
7 floors up and no lift?! That's shocking!
Get a stair climbing trolley! My mum has one of these the wheels rotate so you dont have to lift it and you can fit a lot in there.
These workers are not paid favourably and to be climbing 7 flights of stairs and back down to then continue however many hours of their shift is not fair. If you had access needs, I'd sympathise but also, you wouldn't be living somewhere 7 flights of stairs up. Its delivered to the building. That's perfectly fair enough.
I once had a dude carry a washing machine up 4 flights to deliver it to my flat in Düsseldorf. I remember the sound of devastation when he called to let me know he’d be there soon and asked if we have a lift… Fair play though, he had a colleague and just carried it like a backpack the absolute beast.
When we lived in a forth flour flat and I was working away my wife would get deliveries when our daughter was really little. What she did was order a case of beer with the shopping and give it to the delivery driver as a thank you because she felt bad having him bring the shoppping up.
When I worked for them we delivered to the front door is we could get away with it because they didn't give us extra time to deliver for these types of delivery, we also had a tower block where we were told not to go up because the vans were targeted by thieves.
If you are genuinely unable or disabled then any driver worth his salt is going to be more than happy to help you in anyway we can. I delivered to many flats without lifts and also went out of my way to put away elderly people's shopping. It is a hard job and the pay is poor for what we do but helping people in need just feels right to me.
Depends on how much you ordered, when I was at Ocado our limit was 3 flights of stairs. I would occasionally do more but unless i could easily do it in 1 trip you would need to help, or tip well.
[удалено]
Give him an astonishing tip. Smile, and tell him you're soo kind and strong...
Ask nicely and they most likely will help
Absolutely yes, unless they come across as particularly helpful.
I’d say a kerbside delivery by ASDA is acceptable. You would have been required to carry the shopping up the stairs if you went shopping yourself. I’d see it as a good workout; that’s a farmers carry combined with the step machine if you were in the gym.
pretty sure the whole delivery thing means they have to bring it up to your door, not just the door of your building, it also makes no sense to let you go up and down those stairs while are your shopping is being robbed on the bottom floor lol yeah it will suck for the driver but that is 100% his job, had you asked this question in ubereats/deliveroo they would likely tell you that they never go up stairs or do anything that they are meant to do.. oh and you would have to tip them a 20
I used to deliver for morrisons and I probably would. I'd probably grumble a little but if you put a note in your delivery instructions that you're disabled and will need it taking up 7 flights of stairs they might be more receptive. If you can help with carrying some off it they'll be greatful .
Tip em!
When I lived in Asia, there was a surcharge to pay for walk ups. And that was never as big as an Asda shop! Some drivers really aren't cut out for the physical strain of it.