FreshDirect Employee Forces Way Into Customer's Apartment For Tip

Does FreshDirect explain its "no tipping" policy to its employees? Because Tessa on Metroblogging recounted getting mugged by her FreshDirect delivery guy last week:

The delivery guy who was a cross between Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Federline told me tipping was optional. I told him I knew. He then said "Where's my tip?"

Aghast. I immediately decided not to tip him. Wrong answer. The guy put his foot in my door and would not let me close it, demanding his tip. I tried to close it, my heart beating faster realizing I'm a single female who lives in a studio with all my neighbors out already for the night. I think by the third time, he realized it too, pushed his way into my apartment and demanded I give him money. I gave him all the cash I had which amounted to only about $10. He left and said, "I meant tipping isn't optional."

Yikes! At least she made it out safe, if freaked out. Of course, Tessa called to complain after the incident, and then called again today, learning that she should have asked the name of the employee before letting him up to deliver the groceries. Perhaps FreshDirect should call/email customers with who their delivery person when they are en route. But this incident brings up another question about opening your door to essential strangers - attack dogs or cats, anyone?

Have you had bad FreshDirect experiences with the delivery people? Or good ones? A FreshDirect employee was stalking customers last year.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on October 17, 2005 5:10 PM

Comments [rss]

Roq

I think there is a direct link between the social status of tipping and a well regulated minimum wage. Here in the UK with a standard minimum wage of £5.05 (~$9.30) getting paid tips of £2 each time soon adds up.

Imagine a deliveryman on $9/hour that makes 4 deliveries an hour and gets a $5 each time. Working 9-5 he would earn $232/day. For a 48 week year working mon-fri, that's $55,680. That's extremely respectable for a delivery man!! Tipping isn't necessary!

run-on

Oh, and by the way, of course I am appalled at this mugging and will be on higher alert. I do wish that it had been reported to the police. I just can't believe the negativity this poor girl's story drew - I guess it's the same for any blog, some people just want to spew their insanity. I just thought it was completely retarded that one take was, "Look at all the lazy people who have groceries delivered!" Pathetic and disturbingly off-point.

run-on

I guess it's just the typical grade-school jealousy reaction, but why is getting groceries delivered so hard to fathom or so egregious? It has saved my nutrional life. I moved from Texas several years ago, happy to leave the car culture behind, but certainly braced for the increased self-sufficiency that would require. I am of the ilk who does not like people picking things out for me or handling my dirty laundry, so when there is a Direct service - thus the name "Fresh Direct" - that allows me to place my order directly from them to be delivered to me, and they exist only, primarily or originally for that purpose, that is the epitome of self-sufficiency. I have a busy life, and let's face it, it's those little daily needs - like food - that bog down time spent better, even necessarily, on more creative and productive endeavors. Resigning oneself to only being able to buy bits of groceries here and there, a meal at a time, because there are physical limitations to what you can carry for several blocks and up several flights of stairs, and often ending up just getting take-out because you don't have proper groceries for a complete meal, also seems to be a form of laziness, or lack of resourcefulness. Not that I think everyone can afford the "luxury" of grocery delivery, but through Fresh Direct it really only amounts to an added $5 delivery fee, plus optional tip, partially offset by some cheaper prices. Hardly elitist, and blissfully practical.

JLD

After inquiring directly to FreshDirect regarding the incident (as the idea of this man not getting let go, if it's true, is alarming). FD quickly responded back to assure me that after completing an internal investigation the delivery man involved was terminated as of October 19. I just want to pass this info on for the record.

JLD

I love FreshDirect and 99% of the delivery men have been extremely pleasant and friendly. Most don't even appear to expect a tip. This attitude of non-expectation always makes it a pleasure to give them one. I was extremely alarmed to hear about this woman's experience, but worse, I was surprised according to her report, on how Fresh Direct handled it (not FIRING him). Today I wrote FD directly to find out if this claim was valid and how it was resolved. I'm awaiting their response.

JLD

I love FreshDirect and 99% of the delivery men have been extremely pleasant and friendly. Most don't even appear to expect a tip. This attitude of non-expectation always makes it a pleasure to give them one. I was extremely alarmed to hear about this woman's experience, but worse, I was surprised according to her report, on how Fresh Direct handled it (not FIRING him). Today I wrote FD directly to find out if this claim was valid and how it was resolved. I'm awaiting their response.

Um.

Jo, you're a much better man than I'll ever be. :)

Jo

"Jo is conspicuously silent all of a sudden. Must be...."

Good 'un.

OK, I was totally fucking wrong earlier. Seriously, no sarcasm, this really did happen to Tessa. I'm an idiot for saying otherwise.

As for pricing, yeah some things are spot on, other things are a tad overpriced. The quality is worth it though.

Your Slumming Friend

What is it anyway with tipping? Why is it that everyone and their brother these days has their hand or a cup open for a tip?

My theory? Businesses are feeling the squeeze, and can't afford to pay their employees a decent salary and push it onto their customers. Yet another sign of the coming economic crash: inflation is squeezing us all, but what's the limit going to be?

chuck

Rich and Lazy?

No.

Compare the price of Cheerios at Fresh Direct, and then you local grocery stores.

It is cheaper for me to buy groceries from Fresh Direct than the Grocery store.

Since when does shopping around for the lowest prices equate to rich and lazy?

Moron.

Esster

It just slays me that getting groceries delivered means that I am rich and lazy. Slaaaaaays me. I get groceries delivered for this reason:

The stores near me suck! Have you ever tried to buy an edible fruit or vegetable at Key Food? Don't bother trying.

And these guys don't go from store to store shopping for me like you seem to think.

Look - I forgot to have tip money once, ok? Once! I have ordered FD about twice a month for the last 2 years and have tipped every time. So, what did I do this time - I made sure I wrote an email to FD saying how great the drivers were. I figured it was the least I could do since I didn't have cash on me.

But, hey, I'm rich and lazy. So, what do I know?

Boots

if you're rich and lazy enough to pay someone else to do your grocery shopping for you, and you don't even have the decency to tip, you are a huge asshole

Boots

if you're rich and lazy enough to pay someone else to do your grocery shopping for you, and you don't even have the decency to tip, you are a huge asshole

Um.

Jo is conspicuously silent all of a sudden. He/she/it must be out on a delivery.

Jo has anger issues

I think Jo must work for Fresh Direct, it's weird how gratuitously hostile he/she/it is about something it knows nothing about. To call someone a loser? I mean, just because others haven't necessarily (yet) had a negative experience? If you haven't personally had a specific experience, does that mean it doesn't happen? Can't happen? Won't happen? I haven't been mugged before, so people who say they get mugged are lying? If nothing else, Jo suffers from a lack of logic.

Um.

I don't understand, Anna's comment disappeared? She had more than one, and one was deleted?

Gawker picked it up yesterday-- it's near the bottom of the front page.

Jo

It disappeared (as you can see, when I try to edit/hit the stop button I get a triple post hehe). Something along the lines of people like you think rape victims were asking for it".

Tessa is getting lots of offers from newsprint bloodhounds. Hmmm, think this will be independtly verified and show up in the Daily News/Post tomorrow? Or will she decide "it's not worth the hassle and I so do not want the bad pub".

Somebody posted on her blog "Gawker picked up this story". Except they didn't. But if you repeat it enough times, it might be true.

Um.

Jo, can you point the rest of us to Anna's "low-brow rape comment," or is it written only where you can see it?

Jo

Reasons for not calling the cops:

1) filing a false police report is a crime

Oh now she's getting some response from FD, e.g., looks like calling the cops is moot. Nice backpedal Tessa.

Anna, as for your low brow rape comment, are we now comparing an alledged $10 push in with the devastation of being sexually violated and/or beaten?

OK, that's not precisely what you did, but if you think my skepticism is akin to people who don't ever believe rape victims, aren't you trivializing rape? Like that was the best metaphor you could come up with?

Talk to Tessa, she can probaly help you come up with something witty next time.

Jo

Reasons for not calling the cops:

1) filing a false police report is a crime

Oh now she's getting some response from FD, e.g., looks like calling the cops is moot. Nice backpedal Tessa.

Anna, as for your low brow rape comment, are we now comparing an alledged $10 push in with the devastation of being sexually violated and/or beaten. I know, I know, that's not what you did, but it's just wrong to trivialize rape.

Like that was the best metaphor you could come up with?