I'm two blocks from you. How can you keep screwing that up?

[An Haddock]

I moved about a year ago to an apartment above a store on Main Street that runs along the course of three towns.


Now, if you know anything about South Jersey, the entire area is fucked up with regards to town lines, zip codes, and municipalities. And don't even try GPS.

For example: my best friend lives in, let's say, West Equestria. He works in Equestria. His zip code, however, is the one that Ponyville uses. But for municipal purposes (taxes, water bill, etc.) his chunk of city belongs to Equestria.

See what I mean?


I live in Canterlot. Canterlot is a town in Trottingham Township. Trottingham has its own municipal hall (which is 1 block away from me, technically located in Canterlot) There are a couple of small sections that also fall under Trottingham Township, but I digress. You see, you problem is that Trottingham Township and Equestria use the SAME zip code. And I live on the main street that runs right up the center of them.


Here's the problem:

When I order pizza, especially from a larger place like Dominos, they ALWAYS deliver it to the same street address I have but in Equestria.

When I order online I always put in the special instructions: deliver to CANTERLOT NOT Equestria!

When I call an order in, I literally tell the guy three times, every time, make sure the driver goes to CANTERLOT, NOT Equestria!

And yet, I'd say 2 out of 3 times, they ignore me and go to Equestria anyway. Then the guy inevitably calls me with his cell phone to find out why I'm not answering my door. Then I have to tell him to drive back to my address and then my pizza is 30 minutes old and lukewarm.




Now there's about 2 - 3 drivers there who know me and know to bring it directly to my apartment. But out of the dozen or more they have, the odds are still that they'll go to the wrong address first.

And what pisses me off even more... not that they're not listening to my instructions, it's that I am literally 2 blocks from their store. If my left knee cap wasn't in multiple pieces and my 40 year old legs didn't look like they belonged to a 60 year old I would walk down there myself. They could bring my stuff over, collect an easy $2 - $3 tip (I delivered myself for a few years, so I try to be a little generous with pizza guys) and the whole trip would take them 3 MINUTES. Shit, THEY could walk it down if they wanted to.



I literally DO NOT. KNOW. WHAT. IT. TAKES. to get them to listen to me.

Every time I call an order in I'm going to have to grill the guy on the phone to make sure he lets the driver know where to go. I'm going to have to repeat myself five fucking times to make sure they got it.


I don't want to be a dickhead customer, but it seems I have no choice. I'm screwed because of our state's crappy layout and half-assed municipal piece-mail. But even when I go out of my way to tell someone where to go - which is a faster trip for them, mind you - they DON'T LISTEN.

[Andara Bledin]

I don't suppose you have a place that's almost the same address as you that you could use for the delivery that doesn't have a double in Equestria. You might try that.

^-.-^

[An Haddock]

Quoth Andara Bledin

I don't suppose you have a place that's almost the same address as you that you could use for the delivery that doesn't have a double in Equestria. You might try that.

^-.-^

Not really. Part of the problem is that you need to go behind the row of stores to get to the steps that go up to our second floor. There's no access to it from the Main Street.

Actually, I guess I could hobble down the steps and give them the address of the Liquor store on the corner near us. But it's the principle of the thing, you know?

[Merriweather]

Perhaps when you order, ask to speak to a manager? Apologize for sounding like the proverbial SC, explain you've had it delivered wrong so many times and unfortunately, will not accept more lukewarm pizzas due to them simply not listening to you, and ask him to please do whatever it takes to have the delivery go to the right place the first time, or else you'll have no choice but to refuse to pay, send it back, and call corporate. But of course, you're sure it won't come do that, cause you know he'll fix the problem.
All in the sweetest possible voice, LOL.

You might also try grilling the delivery guy when they call/deliver late, to find out if they're not reading their tickets properly, or if the info isn't being passed on to them.

[MiloMorai]

Quoth Merriweather

Perhaps when you order, ask to speak to a manager? Apologize for sounding like the proverbial SC, explain you've had it delivered wrong so many times and unfortunately, will not accept more lukewarm pizzas due to them simply not listening to you, and ask him to please do whatever it takes to have the delivery go to the right place the first time, or else you'll have no choice but to refuse to pay, send it back, and call corporate. But of course, you're sure it won't come do that, cause you know he'll fix the problem.
All in the sweetest possible voice, LOL.

You might also try grilling the delivery guy when they call/deliver late, to find out if they're not reading their tickets properly, or if the info isn't being passed on to them.

This! ^^^ Piss off the driver so they tell the phone person off, then maybe they will start putting the special instruction on your order for the driver.

[EricKei]

Quoth Merriweather

You might also try grilling the delivery guy when they call/deliver late, to find out if they're not reading their tickets properly, or if the info isn't being passed on to them.

Agreed - I used to work at pizza joints, and we always made sure that we read those special instructions/made sure the dirver knew about them when present -- the fact is, "special instructions" are just that: special. and so RARE as to be worth mentioning by their mere presence!! Actually reading the damn things has saved me tons of time on deliveries on more than one occasion. You could also ask that they preface the "I live in ___" with "CALL FIRST PLEASE!" in all caps. If they don't call within, say, half an hour of the order being placed, you know they didn't read the note at all and they're busted.

[Sparky]

Or you could talk to the manager of the liquor store. Get your pizza delivered there. Have a liquor store employee run it up to you. Give HIM the big tip.

Okay, kidding. Mostly.

[rose_metal_nz]

The very fact that you're putting these instructions in writing & they're being ignored is enough to warrant a complaint. I'm not suggesting you be anything but nice to management, but c'mon, what else are you supposed to do?! Whether the drivers are aware of the local shenanigans or not, if you give specific instructions, and they ignore them, they shouldn't be putting you out - and not multiple times.
My advice: Ring the manager next time it happens. And again the next time. And repeat until the message gets through.

[ohsobitter]

Could you maybe place the order online and make that part of the special instructions? In all caps and bold?

[An Haddock]

Quoth ohsobitter

Could you maybe place the order online and make that part of the special instructions? In all caps and bold?

I did.


The driver didn't bother to read the special instructions. I said "We are in EQUESTRIA not Ponyville". And when I pointed it out he admitted that he didn't read the special delivery instructions.