“AITA for revoking my delivery driver’s tip and rating them 1-star?”
For context, I am 24 and have some moderately impairing disabilities that make it hard to go to the grocery store normally, but nearly impossible to leave my apartment on cold days, so I rely on Walmart delivery to get me my groceries.
I live in a city where there is a sizable immigrant population, and 3 of the most common languages are English, French, and Spanish. In my delivery instructions, I write in all 3 languages to “deliver my items to the back door. You can access the driveway by turning on (insert main street you have to drive on before you can get to the front of my apartment).”
So the driver I had delivered my groceries at my front door, but also placed them in such a way where it blocked my storm door from opening, so I had to bundle up extremely well and had to walk around the front of my place to get the groceries moved where I could open my front door and then had to carry them all the way across the house to put them up.
(The exertion in the cold triggered an asthma flare, which is why I don’t leave in the cold.) I was telling a friend about this, and she said I was an AH for taking away the tip and giving the driver 1 star, but I am confused.
Before my illnesses got worse and I could leave more frequently, I used to go with her to help her do Walmart delivery orders, so I know for a fact the delivery instructions are not hard to miss.
And she also insists that it’s messed up because most of the income comes from tips. So AITA for calling in to cancel my tip and give the driver a 1-star rating?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
Still_Condition8669 said:
NTA. If they can’t follow simple instructions, and it led to your asthma flare up, that doesn’t deserve a tip, and it does deserve a 1 star. Everyone just expects a tip and a 5 star Google review without putting the work in. I understand mistakes can happen, but you said your friend has done Walmart delivery and you know the instructions are easy to be seen.
Queen_of_Catlandia said:
Nope. NTA. I recently did this to a driver who ignored very specific instructions about the entry to my apt complex. I even pointed out there are no side gates, that GPS is wrong. I watched this person drive around my apartment complex 3x, ignoring both entries.
I’d tried calling them and they declined it. When they finally brought it to my door, they were on speakerphone, cussing about me and finding my apt. I yoinked that tip so damn fast lol.
maniacmcgee559 said:
NTA, I did grocery deliveries for a while and I would never place the groceries in a way that blocks the door. That shouldn’t need special delivery instructions. 1 star service gets a 1 star review and tip.
depressedbch777 said:
NTA! First off using all three languages is amazing! You were clear in your instructions and they completely disregarded it and did what they wanted. I would have done the exact she thing. (I used to do grocery deliveries) it’s not hard to read instructions and at bare minimum look and see how a door opens so you don’t block it.
CMDR-TealZebra said:
Nta – this is no different than me requesting delivery to the side door of our house as its the access to my apartment. If someone delivered to the front door, they have not completed the delivery to me.
Asleep_Objective5941 said:
NTA!!!!! I too have chronically severe asthma. Many people do not understand how much you have to basically baby your body to prevent an asthmatic flare-up; and if you’re anything like me, it takes weeks to get it back under control even WITH a pulmonologist and the proper regimen.
Let’s assume they felt uneasy coming to the back door. They were still TA for blocking the door so you couldn’t open it. That shows they did it on purpose because they could have set it to the side of the front door if they has any self respect for the work they do. And I don’t want to hear anything about it just being a delivery. It’s still a job. They absolutely EARNED every bit of that one star 1 and tip change!!!
HamImplants said:
NTA. In this day and age, one would think that ANYONE whose income depends on tips would make sure to follow special instructions, and always act courteous. The last thing I would do is anything that would reduce my tips!
