Takeaway companies that deliver using a car

thriftymanc

Or more accurately, city centre takeaway companies that deliver using a car. Just a vent!

As an example, the last three times I ordered takeaway in the past few months were from Papa Johns, Dominos and Deliveroo. I leave instructions on an order when possible saying where it's ok to park as I always seem to get a driver assuming they're going to get a ticket even though there's places they're allowed to park. You'd think if they deliver in the area all the time they'd know, but I figure it's no hardship to at least try and help them out a bit.

However! The Papa Johns driver parked in the spot suggested then refused to leave his car unattended in case he got a ticket. This is standard from past experience, I usually end up getting a shirty phonecall from a driver refusing to listen to me when I say I know that spot is fine to park in and saying I'm wrong, much grumbling from me (usually ill and still in my pjs hence wanting a takeaway, so having to get up and properly dressed to go round the corner isn't what I paid for), driver saying they'll take it back if I don't go out to get it, followed by sighing from me and eventually giving in!

I live in Manchester - anyone who knows Manchester knows the city is basically one giant roadwork at the moment. Despite this, Dominos sent my order in a car, the driver got so stuck it took him an hour to get my address despite being a 15 minute walk, then refused to even stop in the spot suggested because he didn't think it was safe (well lit open public street?! Not a dodgy alley or anything!), parked three streets away and expected me to come out and get it (I sent that one back as the food would have been stone cold by that point anyway).

My Deliveroo order - I was genuinely baffled when barely half an hour after ordering I heard a knock on my door and when I opened it the guy was stood there with my food! I thought I was hallucinating from hunger and asked him how he'd managed this voodoo. He told me he came by bike - cycled right up to the building, brought the bike into the lobby, and brought my food up to my door. Not a single phone call along the way asking for directions cos of the one way system, where was he supposed to leave his mode of transport, could I come outside and get it etc... just delivered like I paid for to the address that I actually live at. And so fast that the food was still steaming hot. Bliss!

So it does beg the question. Why do takeaways send cars to addresses that they know may be difficult to access or park at? They can tell from my address that I'm not going to live in a house with a driveway or easy on-street parking. Why not send a bike and make everyone's life easier? Deliveroo prove it can be done. In fact when I did live in a house our local Dominos always sent a guy on a bike even though we had ample parking (sod's law!). And from their point of view, wouldn't they save time on their deliveries if their drivers aren't faffing around getting stuck in traffic, roadworks, waiting for customers to eventually get out of their pjs and go outside to collect the orders (!) and so on? I've got no interest in ordering from Dominos or Papa Johns again now - love their food but now I know how easy Deliveroo is I'd take that extra convenience of my delivery actually being made to my door any day (after all that's the entire point of a takeaway).

AJXX

Perhaps you are expecting too much from a takeaway outlet?

I'm sure they've got better things to do than check the suitability of the delivery address on an ordinance survey/google maps/satalight images before then cooking your food and dispatching it out on a particular vehicle designed for the above scenario.

Most takeaway outlets have only 1 driver (who in turn usually owns the vehicle).

Tigsteroonie

Yours may not be the only delivery that the car driver is making on that run ... it's harder to carry half-a-dozen hot pizzas in thermo bags on a bicycle

But I do agree, it's not as though the roadworks have been suddenly sprung upon us in the city. I'm amazed anybody is still choosing to drive.

thriftymanc

AJXX wrote: »

Perhaps you are expecting too much from a takeaway outlet?

What, to deliver my food in an edible condition to my address?!

AJXX wrote: »

I'm sure they've got better things to do than check the suitability of the delivery address on an ordinance survey/google maps/satalight images before then cooking your food and dispatching it out on a particular vehicle designed for the above scenario. Most takeaway outlets have only 1 driver (who in turn usually owns the vehicle).

Now you know that's not exactly what I was suggesting I mean if they're a city centre branch delivering to people who live in city centre apartment blocks with no on-street parking then maybe they might have twigged that bikes ae going to be easier than cars? As I said, Deliveroo manage it just fine. I'm sure other companies do too. It's not like any one takeaway branch is going to be delivering to such a wide area that they wouldn't have a rough idea of where they're going beforehand! But yeah, you've got a point about small takeaways - I was meaning more the big chains as mentioned.

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Yours may not be the only delivery that the car driver is making on that run ... it's harder to carry half-a-dozen hot pizzas in thermo bags on a bicycle But I do agree, it's not as though the roadworks have been suddenly sprung upon us in the city. I'm amazed anybody is still choosing to drive.

That's a good point about the number of orders. Though wouldn't it be better to take a few at a time and deliver while they're still hot? If they're taking multiple orders out, that's gonna take some time, no wonder most of the orders I'd had from Papa Johns or Dominos in the past needed reheating if they've been sat in the car while the driver's gone on a little cruise round town!

The roadworks are such a huge pain in the backside it really does make the mind boggle that anyone would choose to send a car out. I ordered an Uber the other day and that was cancelled because the driver said I'd be better off walking! He could have made a mint if I'd paid him to sit in traffic, fair play to him.

HappyMJ

When they ring tell them you're disabled and can't walk the 50 metres around the corner to retrieve the take away. If they then refuse to deliver call someone else. Or...a better idea. Have some food in the freezer that you can cook when you want a take away. Pizza can easily be frozen. A Chicago Town takeaway pizza can be purchased for £3 from Iceland and stored until needed. This is exactly the same pizza as served in my local pub and tastes quite nice. It comes in Pepperoni and Four Cheese varieties.

tomtontom

HappyMJ wrote: »

When they ring tell them you're disabled and can't walk the 50 metres around the corner to retrieve the take away. If they then refuse to deliver call someone else. Or...a better idea. Have some food in the freezer that you can cook when you want a take away. Pizza can easily be frozen. A Chicago Town takeaway pizza can be purchased for £3 from Iceland and stored until needed. This is exactly the same pizza as served in my local pub and tastes quite nice. It comes in Pepperoni and Four Cheese varieties.

Pretending to be disabled just to get your takeaway delivered? It would take a sick mind to stoop so low.

PasturesNew

First world problems. If I want a takeaway I phone the order through, then go and collect it. Faster and cheaper (no tip required).

I was sitting online one evening chatting online with a friend. We both fancied an indian. He ordered via one of those websites where you've a choice of places that'll deliver. I phoned my order through.

We both then chatted for 10 minutes and I then left to collect my meal. I drove 2 miles, parked, got it, drove home, unpacked it, bunged it in a bowl. Ate it all. Burped ..... and he'd still not received his

thriftymanc

I wouldn't claim to be disabled - that's a step too far. But I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind to say I've hurt my back or something! If I ever really can't resist a Dominos again, rather than giving a reason I might just write in the comments that I'm not able to leave the flat and see what happens. For all they know I could be agoraphobic or something.

I know it's first world problems. That's why this is just a vent! But in all honestly, whether it 'matters' or not, I've paid to have my food delivered right to my door and it naffs me off when they refuse to do that because they're ill-prepared to do the one thing they're meant to do. I don't want to collect as I don't drive myself (for obvious reasons given how I've described the place I live!) so by the time I'd walked back my food would be cold - and if I'm going to go to the effort of getting dressed to go out, then I may as well go buy a pizza from Tesco and save myself a load of money (although, as nice as Chicago Town is, I have no willpower so it wouldn't be there when I really needed it, and it's not quite the same!). I order takeaways when I have zero desire to move and want to stay in my slobby clothes and lie on the sofa!

midnitegremlin

Yeah, I get what the OP means. Sometimes it's nice to have food delivered, and the last thing you need is it being wrong/messed up or the driver being arsey; although I can see the drivers point of view too. Dispite all the assurances that "it's fine to park there" I wouldn't risk a ticket on someone else's word. Especially if it's my own private car, which apparantly some of them use. Most of them, in fact.

tomtontom

thriftymanc wrote: »

I wouldn't claim to be disabled - that's a step too far. But I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind to say I've hurt my back or something! If I ever really can't resist a Dominos again, rather than giving a reason I might just write in the comments that I'm not able to leave the flat and see what happens. For all they know I could be agoraphobic or something.

But you're not agoraphobic, are you? Before contemplating making up a disability (agoraphobia can be extremely debilitating), think about how your actions affect someone who is genuinely ill - when the takeaways stop delivering to them because they're sick of being taking advantage and therefore assume everyone is a fraud.

Latazza

AJXX wrote: »

Perhaps you are expecting too much from a takeaway outlet?

I'm sure they've got better things to do than check the suitability of the delivery address on an ordinance survey/google maps/satalight images before then cooking your food and dispatching it out on a particular vehicle designed for the above scenario.

Most takeaway outlets have only 1 driver (who in turn usually owns the vehicle).

Some takeaways wont deliver to some areas because of undesirables so yes they do check the suitability