When the Customer Is Not Ready at Pickup: A Driver's Guide

You arrive at 9:00am as agreed. The customer says "two minutes". At 9:40 the wardrobe is still in the room, the boxes are not taped and your next job starts in two hours. A late pickup costs you the same fuel and time as any other job, so it is worth learning how to handle it well.

This guide is for drivers on Sphere. It covers what to do before you leave home, at the gate and while waiting, so you protect your day without losing the customer.

Prevent most delays before you leave

Most waiting can be avoided with a short call or chat message.

1. Message the customer in the app when you accept, to confirm the pickup time and address.
2. Message again when you start your trip. Ask: "Is everything packed and ready to load?"
3. Ask about access: gate pass, parking, stairs and who will meet you.
4. If the answer sounds doubtful, say so clearly and ask for a realistic time.

Customers who know you will check are much more likely to be ready. A driver who goes silent and then arrives often meets a house that is not ready.

Confirm what "ready" means

A customer saying "ready" can mean packed, or can mean "I will start when you arrive". Ask specific questions:

• Are all the boxes closed and labelled?
• Are the big items disassembled?
• Is the fridge emptied and unplugged?
• Is somebody there to open the gate and the doors?
• Are helpers there, or are you expected to load alone?

If loading help was not agreed before you accepted, raise it now politely. Our guide on how to load a van or truck efficiently explains how to make the loading shorter when people are ready.

Decide how long you can wait

Before the job, decide your limit. A short wait, say fifteen to twenty minutes, is normal, and fighting over it makes you look bad. A long wait is different, because it takes time you could have used on another job.

When you reach your limit:

1. Tell the customer calmly, in person or in chat, how long you have waited.
2. Tell them what your next commitment is, if you have one.
3. Offer two options: load what is ready now, or reschedule.
4. Agree the choice in chat so both sides can see it.

Do not threaten and do not leave without a word. If you must leave, say so and say why.

Use the waiting time

Do something useful while you wait:

• Walk the route from the door to the vehicle and spot the awkward points.
• Check your straps, blankets and tarpaulin.
• Photograph the pickup scene and any items that look at risk of damage, so there is a record.
• Tell the customer what will go first and what will go last.

Do not start loading unprepared items just to save time, because that is how breakages happen. Our guide on lifting heavy items safely covers the habits that protect your back.

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Stay calm even when it is frustrating

Customers who are behind schedule are usually stressed. Raising your voice rarely speeds things up. Speak plainly, stay friendly and focus on what you can do next. If the customer is not responding, try another call and a chat message before you decide to leave.

If a disagreement does start, our guide on when a move goes wrong shows how to handle it.

Think about your next job

If waiting will push you into a clash, tell the next customer early. A quick message that you will be a little late is much better than silence. You protect your reputation, and customers usually understand when they are told in time.

Build it into your counter-offers

When you read a job request, look for signs that loading will be slow: lots of items, no helpers, stairs, a long carry. You can mention in your chat or counter-offer that these affect your time. Our guide on counter-offers that win jobs explains how to counter with a reason the customer can see.

How to do this on Sphere

1. Accept or counter a job only after reading the load, access and timing.
2. Chat with the customer to confirm time, address and loading help.
3. Message again when you leave and when you arrive.
4. Agree any wait, change or reschedule in the chat.
5. Complete the job exactly as agreed.

Not yet on the app? Read about driving and earning with Sphere.