Couriers described clients with “cockroaches in their heads”: “They come to us naked”

Daria and her four-legged assistant

Daria, one of the few female couriers, lives in Voronezh. At the same time, she carries heavy bags-boxes with food, and not some flowers, which causes surprise among those around her.

People get into this profession in different ways: some work part-time while studying, some come from other republics, some are disappointed in the income of their specialty, and some, like Dasha, lost their job and decided to try to make money this way.

“I have a higher education, I used to work as an operator at the post office for a long time,” says Daria. “Then I quit and couldn’t find a job for some time. A friend advised me to look for a job in food delivery. And now I’ve been working as a courier for three years now, and I’m happy with everything.

Clients come across different types, with their own cockroaches in their heads, so consistency and patience are very important in our work. It happens that I come to a client, say hello, wish them a good day/evening, and in response there is silence – neither hello nor goodbye. Of course, such things spoil the mood.

Some townspeople are already accustomed to having their orders brought to them by a courier girl. But there are clients who are perplexed as to why the girl brought them a heavy order with groceries? (If the order reaches 20 kg, our service calls us a taxi). It happens that I’m carrying a heavy bag and mentally swear that I received such an order. Especially when the client later turns out to be a big, strong man. But it happens that I am carrying a heavy load, and am greeted by a client with disabilities. I feel like a hero. Or daughters and sons order groceries for their elderly parents, such care is very touching.

– Does it happen that customers want to get to know you?

– In my experience, it has never happened that they asked for a telephone number, but with other female colleagues it happens. But clients often meet me in underwear. It happens that without underwear, just covered with a towel.

– What interesting thing happened to you on New Year’s Eve?

There was one interesting incident. My four-legged favorite dog, a cross between a Jack Russell and a fox terrier, sometimes works with me. For the New Year holidays, I made her a beautiful outfit, a red cap and cape, decorated with snowflakes. My order arrived. It was a long way to get to both the restaurant and the client. And then a client calls with a showdown, why does he have to wait so long?! I explained to him that there was no need to worry, the order would be delivered hot. I arrived at the client, I get out of the elevator, there is a disgruntled man standing. And then my four-legged pet comes out of the elevator, all so beautiful. The client immediately had a smile on his face. He changed his anger to mercy, greeted and congratulated on the holiday. After work, people go home with fatigue in their eyes and face. And here we are, so bright and attractive. Many people come up and say “thank you” for the high spirits. According to the rules, it is prohibited to take animals with you during delivery. But the city residents have known her and me for a long time…

“The couriers were washed away by streams of water”

Couriers in the southern regions of the country have their own specific work. For example, in Adler and Sochi they are required to have remarkable physical strength, endurance and dexterity. This region, as everyone knows, is often flooded with downpours, storms periodically rage there, and then the cities become like Venice. But Adler’s deliverymen don’t have gondolas. Therefore, on such days they have to literally sail on foot or on a motorcycle to the required addresses. This was the case last spring, and this November, when the elements were in earnest.

Courier Renat from Adler sent MK a video of the flood, in the waves of which he had to ride on his motorcycle. “This spring, Adler’s couriers had to deliver orders through such flooded streets,” he explained. – Someone’s equipment (a bicycle) even drowned. And in general, many cars drowned, and couriers were literally washed away by the flood. And just recently, in November, when there was a flood, I had to deliver an order to a coastal hotel. I left the house, drove about 500 meters and saw women asking for help. I left the motorcycle and began to help them, they tried to leave the store, but there was knee-deep water there, and the current was so strong that they were literally knocked off their feet. And it so happened that I had to work as a rescuer for a couple of hours, helping people get to their homes.”

During their service, delivery workers often find themselves in various unusual situations. “It often happens that people confuse orders, you arrive at the wrong place, then you go to the right address; Dogs attack us, and we run from them,” says Renat. – There are funny situations when teenagers order the delivery of contraceptives, and you have to sneak somewhere, give them somewhere, so that none of the adults notice. And if adults see you, you need to come up with an excuse for why you came here. But much more often this is ordered by so-called “massage parlors”.

It may happen that the bag of food you left at the door is stolen. Then you have to quickly go back and try to figure out who might have stolen it and look for some evidence. I have never had a situation where I found a thief, but it has happened to my colleagues. Or the client says that the order is not at the door, although he picked it up himself. Therefore, sometimes I may be charged with a hold on an order with the wording “some of the items were lost during delivery.” But with my income these are trifles. If necessary, you can pull up recordings from CCTV cameras if someone wants to get confused.

Another funny, but everyday thing: people often come to us in what their mother gave birth to. Or in some obscene form. They especially often go out in shorts. And there are also cases of sexual harassment from inappropriate clients. The other day my colleague was greeted by a completely naked girl. I don’t understand this behavior. It can be assumed that each such person has his own psychological traumas, or is simply under some kind of drugs, or under the influence of alcohol, or is engaged in pranks. I don’t know which couriers would dare to get involved in such a sex adventure. You have to be, it seems to me, out of your mind,” said Renat.

From recent cases. Perhaps even more than tips, couriers love this nuance in their work – when the customer for some reason does not pick up the order, and then it goes to the delivery person (for free). One day Renat took an order to deliver four pizzas for one girl. But it turned out that the client indicated the wrong address, and she is located in Sochi. And Renat is in Adler. And he couldn’t take her to Sochi. Renat was already happy that the girl would cancel the order, and… But the girl said that she really needed pizza right now, otherwise she would die of hunger. As a result, the girl was able to persuade the management of the delivery service to give her order to a taxi driver, who would take it to her in Sochi. “I spent a lot of time and ended up without pizza. But almost immediately after this, one client refused an order from a fast food restaurant, and I, satisfied, took this food for myself,” says Renat.

It is important for a courier that he somehow stands out from the general mass of his fellows. Firstly, his colleagues will recognize him, and secondly, customers will be more willing to leave tips. Renat himself wears a bright outfit and became famous in his city as a “terminator” courier. “I lift people’s spirits, and they leave me a tip,” he smiled.

“We donated money to the courier from Ufa so that he could move to warmer climes”

“Each courier has his own story about how he got into this job. Based on my surroundings, I can say that about 40% of couriers have a higher education,” continues Renat. — People go to courier service because they can earn more money there. For example, I know the chef of one cafe, he said that, working intensively every day at his job, it was difficult for him to earn 100,000 rubles even in Sochi! He switched to couriers, and now he says that, without particularly straining and with two days off, he has 120,000 rubles. He now has time to spend with his family, he no longer stands on his feet for 12 hours, he has much less responsibility than at his previous job, etc.”

However, Renat warned that to build a successful career, a courier at the initial stage requires considerable funds: for equipment (winter, rain) – about 150,000 rubles, for a good gadget with an external battery (another 50,000), and if delivery is by motorcycle, you need to invest for driving lessons (25,000) and the purchase of a vehicle (from 70,000 rubles – the simplest scooter). Many even take out a loan for this.

As for earnings, they are no lower than in Moscow. In the summer in Adler, couriers earn 7,000-12,000 rubles per day (depending on the number of hours). In winter – less: 3,500 rubles for a 12-hour working day. Delivery bike drivers in Krasnodar earn 8,000-9,000 rubles per 12 hours.

As MK wrote earlier, big money in this area can only be earned by working hard. “In one of the delivery services in Adler, the guys work 16 hours a day and seven days a week, delivering 80 orders a day, they are very tired, but they have 170,000 rubles,” says Renat. “I also work 30 days without days off, but 11 hours a day, and I get 120,000 plus now there will be New Year’s bonuses (so it will also reach 170,000 rubles).”

Couriers unite in professional communities and share their news. And if couriers from Adler and Sochi posted photos of the horrific floods this year, then those who live in the northern regions post photos of how they make their way through a snowstorm and blizzard to customers with their boxes.

One day, Renat and his friends helped one such comrade move from the cold to warmer climes. “From the chat we learned that couriers in Ufa earn 4,000 rubles a day, and this in a frost of -35! – said Renat. “And my caring colleagues and I pitched in so that he could come to Krasnodar and earn 6,000-8,000 rubles a day. We chipped in for his ticket and a “financial cushion” for the first time. He moved to Krasnodar and settled well there. This is our courier brotherhood.”