Calling the Customer Before Pickup: A Sphere Driver's Checklist

You have accepted the job, the customer has chosen your offer and the pickup is forty minutes away. You could just drive. Plenty of drivers do, and then spend an hour at a gate that has no name, outside a house that has no number, with a customer who has not packed.

A two-minute call before you leave the road fixes most of that. Think of it as part of the job, not an extra.

When to call

Call when you start driving, or earlier for a big job. For a truck job with a long distance, a short message the evening before is also sensible. Use the chat in the Sphere app for details you want written down, and call when something needs a quick answer.

Do not wait until you are at the gate. By then every question costs time you cannot get back.

What to confirm

Run through this list in the same order each time.

1. The address. Ask for the landmark, the gate colour and the nearest junction. If it is an estate, ask for the street and house number.
2. The load. Ask what is being moved and compare it with the job description. If it has changed, say so now, before you arrive.
3. The access. Ask about stairs, lifts, narrow roads, gates and estate rules. Ask whether the vehicle can reach the door or must wait outside.
4. Readiness. Ask whether everything is packed and ready to carry.
5. Loading help. Confirm who is loading, how many people will help and what you agreed in the chat.
6. The person at the drop-off. Ask who will be there to receive the goods and get their number.

Keep your tone friendly and short. Most customers are nervous, and a calm driver sets the tone for the whole day.

What to do if the load has changed

Sometimes the customer remembers a second wardrobe or an extra carton once you phone. Do not agree to anything on the spot. Check whether it still fits the vehicle, then ask the customer to update the job or agree the change with you in writing in the chat. If it will not fit, say so honestly and early. Our guide on loading a van or truck efficiently will help you judge space.

What to do when the customer is not ready

If the customer says they are still packing, agree a realistic time and tell them clearly what happens if you have to wait. Our post on when the customer is not ready at pickup covers it in detail. The call is the best time to set expectations, not the moment you arrive.

After the call

• Save the customer's number under their name and the job.
• Write down the landmark and the gate details.
• Check the route and fuel before you leave, and allow time for the unexpected.
• Message the customer when you are near, and again when you arrive.

If a customer cannot be reached by phone, try the chat in the app, wait a short while and try again before you make a decision. Do not leave the pickup area in anger. A calm message and a second try often solve the problem.

Why it pays

A driver who calls first usually arrives at the right place, loads without argument and finishes on time. That builds your name with customers, and it lets you take the next job instead of sitting at the last one. It also keeps the conversation friendly when you need to talk about extra items, because you have already spoken.

How to do this on Sphere

1. Accept the job or send a counter-offer from the driver app.
2. Once the customer chooses your offer, open the chat and confirm the address, load, access and loading help.
3. Call when you set out, and message again when you are near.
4. Keep drop-off contact details in the job.

Keep 90% of each job you complete. Not yet on Sphere? Read about getting approved as a driver, then visit drive and earn to get started.