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And if so, how do you work their hours/pay, please? I am sure we're going to need one, but do you call them in twice a day for am/pm deliveries, or once, or what?
Do you pay them by the hour or by the delivery? Help please!
Cheers guys

I think it very much depends on if you've bought a shop or starting a new one. I started from scratch and didnt need a driver staright away. It woluld be a nightmare to staff because the deliveries are so sporadic whereas if you have taken on a relay co. you'll have lots.

I've managed doing funeral dels before work, some delsafter work myself and then calling on people as and when. I have been really lucky with the help I've had though. You really need a bored old duffer, but then again they can sometimes be slooooow. As for payment, because I dont have huge amounts going out I pay whatever I have charged for del to make it worthwhile and then slightly less for a 'round'.

There is a lot of juggling but it comes good in the end.

i have my hubby, dad, dad in law & my eldest son ha ha!!!! if they can't do them then either myself or one of the girls will do it, preferably on the way home. i ask them for a fuel receipt every now & then to re-imburse them but with my son its as if he thinks i'm his personal hole in the wall where fuel money is concerned.

Hi there
You really need to tailor this to your needs. However what I think you and everyone should remember is that old saying, "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys"
Work out what best suits the needs of your business and initially, if possible use yourself, family etc but as your business grows you will have to ensure that the delivery aspect is dealt with correctly. Not everyone of a certain age is sloooow, if you invest time and effort in selecting the right person you'll get good results.

unless you are taking over an existing shop or your business takes off like a bat out of hell from day one, you will manage fine on using friends/family and yourself.

before i took leah on i used to do before/after work del. for funeral and local del needed during working hours i would just close the shop. put a sign up saing 'out on deliveries, sorry for the inconvenience, please have a drink on the house next door (cafe)'.
it all worked out fine, no one ever got stroppy and it helped to show the customers that i thought of them even when i wasnt there.

good luck

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Never say never.

Well, unless your sure.

I didn't realise how times had changed in the trade. We used to have two retired gentlemen to do our deliveries each doing alternate weeks. They would come in to work when we did at 8.30 am ready to delivery the funeral work and then would do a number of rounds before finishing about 1 p.m.ish. Some times they would come back in for afternoon deliveries, usually to the hospital, or else the owner would do them on her way home. As for peak times all three of them could be out all day. My first christmas I worked I became a van girl doing all the running to the doors once we got to an address, to save the driver getting in and out.

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Life is not measured by the breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away....

Yes, GB.....our delivery driver started work when we did, and finished at the same time as us......and at busy times a retired dear old boy would come in to help her.......but in those days the local shop would deliver your groceries, milk was on your doorstep when you woke in the morning, newsagents sold just papers and fags and the only supermarket was the tiny co-op.......

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plastic fantastic not suitable for recycling
['I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Voltaire

jesus i knew you were old, but come on ................

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Never say never.

Well, unless your sure.

This is one that is close to my heart/profit strings!! We have employed drivers over the years, you do have to look at your shops requirements, we usually have a driver who has to help condition flowers, answer phone, wrap, & serve.. therefore work same hours as rest of staff. Ps They also need to muck in with cleaning the shop too. I don`t go for the elder retired person because it would not suit our shop.. too slow for me, at peak`s I expect a delivery every 4 mins.

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He he GF I'm old (56) but not slow run 10 miles a day 5 days a week

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