Virtual Dispatch

It’s a holiday and the courier is planning a day of deliveries. Once upon a time, however, that wasn’t a thing. Not only has gig-work changed daily life but it has also changed the concept of holiday deliveries.

Holidays are a day off from the norm for most people. This means that many retailers are also closed on those holidays. For the intent of this article, the holidays are the big ones. The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, is a good example.

Many restaurants and retailers are closed on the Thanksgiving holiday. More than a few, are open for business. The courier will notice, merchants that are open, are contending with a rush of business. In some cases the merchant will be overwhelmed.

This can create long wait times and cargo that isn’t ready at the arrival of the courier. Furthermore, the holiday delivery scene has the feel of a Friday night rush. Intense rush.

With this being said, there are a few key ways to stack the deck, so to speak, with holiday deliveries. Some are common sense and are usual for any delivery rush. The rest are from one courier to another. Comments and ideas are very welcome. And can be posted at the end of this article.

Tips and Tricks

Pack a lunch. All the retailers that are closed, are closed to the courier as well. Finding a bite to eat after a few hours on the road is double difficult, on a holiday. This quagmire brings up another good tip.

Fully loaded on fuel. Having the ride fully loaded with fuel is the best way to avoid a long search for an open retailer. Especially on the faraway deliveries out to the boondocks.

Line Learning while waiting. On a holiday delivery the courier will encounter crowds. These are mostly courier crowds, so there will be some waiting time. This is a good time to gather intel. Other couriers are coming from, or heading to, different locations.

A small amount of communication can go a very long way. For example, a particular merchant is very short staffed, and wait times are excessive. The courier knows from this intel to expect a long wait, if accepting offers, from that merchant.

Check that closed merchant. Many businesses are closed on the bigger holidays. However, some are open for business and have altered business hours for the holiday. In the course of accepting deliveries on the holiday, the courier will encounter a closed business.

Holiday Run

Rather than simply canceling the order, the courier can take a moment, and report the closed merchant, to the app support agent. This removes the merchant from the queue, and prevents more offers from a closed merchant.

From working the Thanksgiving holiday last year, I can state that I received, and accepted, three different offers from merchants that were closed. The process for confirming the closures, with the app support services, was easy and fast.

Additionally, in each case, there was partial compensation for the time spent. So, check the closed merchant.

Patience is a virtue. Finally, it’s about patience, when the lines are long. The merchant is only able to do what they are able to do. Nothing more. No amount of loud comments, or complaints, will hurry anything. In fact it can slow things down. A lot.

Merchants that are open on a holiday are counting on staff that are usually stretched very thin. A little patience is warranted for the others working a holiday, as well. Stay safe out there.