Disabled mum Danielle Riley lost her entire £220 Iceland order because a delivery driver allegedly refused to bring her shopping to her flat and just drove away with it.
The 44-year-old from Tuebrook was left in tears and feeling “sick” after the incident, which she claims unfolded after an Iceland home delivery arrived at her home.
Danielle, who has fibromyalgia and nerve damage to her spine, claims she needs home delivery for necessary shopping and is unable to leave her flat without help.
She uses two crutches to get around and said she has been unable to work since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia five years ago.
She says she spent £220.17 on a grocery order from Iceland’s Norris Green store, claiming she had already written on her order that she was disabled and was unable to come downstairs to collect it.
Having received a text to say her order was on its way, the driver then contacted her, saying: “Hi, it’s Iceland”, before the call cut off.
“Then he was ringing the bell, so I got to the door, and he started shouting: ‘Are you coming down here to get this?’ I apologised and said I couldn’t because I’m disabled.
“He brought one tray up, got to the top of the stairs, stared at me and shouted, ‘I’m not here to bring this up, I bring it to the communal door.’ But that’s not my front door.
“I tried to explain to him that none of the other drivers has an issue with it, and he yelled at me: ‘Well, I’m not them, am I!’
“I said I apologise for being disabled. Then he picked the tray up and took it back down to his van and said, ‘Well, you’re not getting your shopping then’. He took it all back with him.”
An Iceland Foods spokesperson explains: “Our customer care team is looking into this alleged incident, and is in regular contact with the customer.”
Being an Iceland Delivery Driver can be rather challenging work, but it can also be extremely fulfilling, even if you have to carry weighty bags upstairs. Some kind delivery drivers will even take them into the kitchen if they see you’re elderly or disabled. Should they take them into people’s homes? Probably not, but some people need the little extra help, and sometimes the delivery driver is the only person they see, so a cheerful smile and a quick chat make all the difference, and if you don’t have that in you, you’re in the wrong job.
And it’s not just Iceland; it’s other superstores as well because they don’t bag their deliveries anymore; they simply unpack on the doorstep. Now, while I appreciate drivers need not put their back out, just bring the containers in so people can put them on the side in their kitchen, especially the disabled and vulnerable.
Also, if stores are providing a delivery service, they need to consider who they’re delivering to, and have staff that will willingly go above and beyond when necessary in order to help the customer. After all, it is a service. Nowadays, everything is do it yourself and don’t complain, but a little help goes a long way, particularly from those who really do have a need for assistance.
Home deliveries are, in the main, paid for, so any supermarket delivery managers who may find themselves here, please read and feedback. At least take on staff who care and have interpersonal skills, and for those who do and have, thank you; you are valued.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 