Virtual Dispatch

The lost delivery and the challenge for the courier

Deliveries are the bread and butter of the courier mission. Every delivery counts and every delivery is a challenge. Most deliveries are smooth and go off without a hitch. The courier completes the delivery, and then the courier moves on to the next delivery. Then there are times when a lost delivery is unavoidable. It is rare but it does happen. There can be any number of reasons for the lost delivery. And usually, the courier has a front row seat when it happens.

The lost delivery, is about the delivery, that a courier cannot complete. It is not the job to leave a delivery opportunity incomplete. In fact it is the opposite. That is why a lost delivery has such an impact. Not only in the ratings but also in the pocket. Couriers and delivery completions are almost always inseparable.

The Lost Delivery

With this in mind, it is important to define the lost delivery. It isn’t a delivery that escaped when the courier was waiting at the red light. Misplacing the delivery, after pickup, might happen but it isn’t what we are looking for here. The lost delivery is usually lost, right where it is supposed to be picked up.

Once upon a time this would happen regularly. The courier arrives for the pickup and the delivery is not available. A previous courier made the pickup. Furthermore, the delivery offer is still on the courier’s dispatch screen. This scenario is from the solo courier using a delivery app. It usually meant a snafu happened somewhere along the way. Furthermore, it happened when the courier was on the way.

Sometimes the glitch was easy to discover. Other times it would remain in the queue, and the next courier would encounter the snafu. In recent times, this particular snafu, has almost become a thing of the past. However, the lost delivery can still happen. This is when the courier has to make a judgement call. They are not easy to make, and usually impact the courier in a negative way. Be it in the ratings, or the pocket, it still has an impact.

Challenge for the Courier

This impact happens when the courier arrives at a pickup location, and the delivery is not ready. Furthermore, it isn’t in the merchant’s queue of pending orders. The courier has a few small tools to alert the app of the delay. However, the delay will be significant. A loss of fifteen minutes here, will carry through the rest of the shift. It is the difference of one less delivery, overall. If the courier waits for the delayed pickup.

This is when the judgement call is most difficult. The courier can drop the delivery. Furthermore, in more than one instance, this is the only thing a courier can do. Sometimes merchant issues go beyond a lagging queue system. Or an overwhelmed crew, struggling to catch up. This isn’t a courier responsibility. The courier must determine how long it will be before the delivery is ready. Then decide if the earnings offer, is worth the wait.

Courier Call

This is an easier decision if the delivery offer is low to begin with. If there is a twenty minute wait at the pickup location, and then a fifteen minute drive to the drop off location, time is getting lost. It is important for the courier to remember no pay is coming from the merchant. Therefore, long waits, will not be compensated. There are delivery apps that consider this scenario. And they provide a way for the courier to release the delivery, without an impact on the courier’s ratings.

This is helpful for the courier. Getting back on track as quickly as possible is a best practice. After all, delivery completions are bread and butter for the courier. Stay safe out there.