Delivery Details

As I’ve mentioned before this week, a couple of weeks ago we ordered a couple of water-butts from Greenfingers.com. Because they were likely to be delivered while we were both out at work, I also left a note in their “special instructions” part of the order process to say that if we were out, then it was fine to leave them in the garden behind the house. All well and good.

Anyway, I got a call from Greenfingers, telling me they were going to send the butts out the next day. Again, all well and good. After that, though, it all got a little bit surreal.

“Now, sir, you’ve added a note telling us that if no-one’s in, the order can be left at the back of the house”
“Yes, that’s correct”
“Well, can you also write the same thing on a piece of paper, and tape it to your front door? Our couriers need to have permission before they’ll leave anything at a property”
“But I’ve already authorised that to happen, by adding the special delivery comments”
“Ah, but the courier needs authorisation from yourself”
“He’s got it. I’ve given it to you, and thus by proxy to the courier”
“Well all the same, can you leave a note taped to your front door?”
“Let me get this right. You want me to advertise to all and sundry that a) I’m going to be out all day, and that the house is empty, and b) that there’s a good chance there might be some good stuff out the back. Do you want me to leave the door open for the courier as well, just to make sure?”
“Is that a ‘no’, sir?”

Now tell me, what’s the point of passing on a special request like that, if it’s not going to make it to the people who’re doing the delivery? And what’s the point of leaving a notice like that on my door?

As it turned out, the water butts did get delivered, and did get dealt with just fine. Even without a note on the bloody door.