# How many customer complaints before deactivated?



## LauraC (Aug 10, 2017)

Worked over 7 months at previous WH, over 6k packages delivered and 0 customer complaints. 4 weeks at new WH and have 4 customer complaints. After my first 2 complaints, I became super vigilant about how I delivered my package but didn't seem to work. There's nothing else I can do, short of returning all package I don't deliver in person. I'm just wondering how many complaints emails before you get deactivated? Thanks.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

Every 500 pkgs, dnr disappears. Go back to your previous station (if you can) and work a week or so there and your slate is clean.


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## Brandon Wilson (Aug 13, 2017)

Customer complaints and packages not received aren't the same. Customer complaints never go away and people have been deactivated over having just one while DNR resets after 500 packages. You must remain over 98% so your tenth package out of 500 is what will screw you over unless there is a string of them back to back indicating you are doing something you aren't supposed to. When I deliver to houses I take my picture with the address visible in the shot if possible. The most I had was 3. I stopped leaving packages at apartments unattended and that problem went away.


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## LauraC (Aug 10, 2017)

DNR complaints. Current WH don't have to take pics unlike previous WH. After my first 2, both on the same day, I did everything I could to limit my DNR complaints. I only delivered to apt if in person, leasing office or enclosed patios. SFR I made sure the boxes weren't visible from the street. If I didn't leave it by front door, I'd make a note on the delivery to where I left package. If I still didn't feel comfortable leaving the package, I would call customer and ask them what they wanted me to do with the package and I would notate the delivery. I know that's not what the notes are for but I was doing everything I could to cover my ass. I've delivered less then 600 packages at new WH due to the heatwave and I already have 4 dnr. 

As far as going back to previous WH, it was next to impossible to get blocks there. Driver saturation and wide spread use of autograbbers/bots. Much easier to use at that WH cause only blocks for that location showed up. Even if you used a bot, it was still very difficult to pick up shifts. Current location shows blocks for 4 location, constantly having to forfeit blocks cause you're picking up blocks from wrong location. Just easier to manually try to pick up blocks then use a bot, at least for me.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

Brandon Wilson said:


> Customer complaints and packages not received aren't the same. Customer complaints never go away and people have been deactivated over having just one while DNR resets after 500 packages. You must remain over 98% so your tenth package out of 500 is what will screw you over unless there is a string of them back to back indicating you are doing something you aren't supposed to. When I deliver to houses I take my picture with the address visible in the shot if possible. The most I had was 3. I stopped leaving packages at apartments unattended and that problem went away.


Package not received is now classified under Customer Complaint. If you received a DNR recently, the title of the email is Amazon Flex: Customer Complaint. There are other types of customer complaints such as not following customer directions, unprofessional conduct, etc.


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## uberer2016 (Oct 16, 2016)

I'm in a similar boat. Been working for Amazon for about 7 months now but never have gotten a single complaint until I received two in one day last week.

I rarely deliver in person. About 95% of the time, it's just unattended delivery with a picture taken. I only try to deliver in person if its a really shady neighborhood with no where to hide the package from street view.

I think its a lot of work if u try to deliver all the packages in person. I always try to get all the deliveries asap. On average, i get about an hour left over after all deliveries are done. It keeps the hourly rate respectable. It pays better than Uber if you dont have to work for the entire block.


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

Brandon Wilson said:


> Customer complaints and packages not received aren't the same. Customer complaints never go away and people have been deactivated over having just one while DNR resets after 500 packages. You must remain over 98% so your tenth package out of 500 is what will screw you over unless there is a string of them back to back indicating you are doing something you aren't supposed to. When I deliver to houses I take my picture with the address visible in the shot if possible. The most I had was 3. I stopped leaving packages at apartments unattended and that problem went away.


here's the great conundrum. Amazon CS (and via email support) both stated Amazon DOES NOT use those pics to validate a flex driver's claim the pkg was delivered.

I was informed by CS on numerous occassions that your pics are only used to show the customer where you placed the pkg --- but ONLY IF THE CUSTOMER EXPLICITLY REQUESTS IT.

This means that if a customer doesn't leave explicit directions ehere to leave their pkgs and
1. is too lazy to look around on their property for the pkg ie back yard, shrubbery, side of home etc.

And then

2. only calls Amazon to complain about their missing pkgs --ie they only demand a refund/replacement and so didnt ask where the pkg was left -- then

3. you're screwed. CS will never show them the pics.

And all bets are off if said missing pkg was the result of theft. No infinite number of pics on the flex driver's behalf will prove their innocence.

No matter how lazy, lying and/or conniving they are, it's Amazon's coda that the customer is always right.

You will be deactivated once you hit the limit for concession transgressions. Period.


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## tone17 (Sep 9, 2016)

The picture shows up on the shipping details for your order. That is also where customers can opt out.


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## RickCMC (Feb 4, 2017)

I have a question...typically how long after a delivery block would you get the email about the customer not receiving a package?


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## Amsoil Uber Connect (Jan 14, 2015)

They tell you the delivery date in the email.


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## tone17 (Sep 9, 2016)

RickCMC said:


> I have a question...typically how long after a delivery block would you get the email about the customer not receiving a package?


I'm sure it depends on when it is reported missing. I had 2 missing from the same date, but received email for each 3 days apart.


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## Flexibility (Oct 2, 2016)

I have received the nasty grams well over a week after the delivery timeframe. I complete each delivery with due diligence including calling the customer multiple times (could be seen as harassment), if I am having difficulty accessing a secure building. I am willing to wait a few minutes for someone sympathetic to open the door and I am always wearing my badge...I just need to get in the door to drop my package. I take all photos, as required. I have received plenty of nasty grams and I am still here.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

I wonder if deactivation is warehouse specific. I have gotten a lot in a short period of time with no issues.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> I wonder if deactivation is warehouse specific. I have gotten a lot in a short period of time with no issues.


I think a lot has to do with how many blocks you've done and packages you have delivered in your lifetime. Some week a driver may just get unlucky and get several in a short period, that doesn't mean the driver is crap.


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

definitely the number of missed blocks and concessions over a certain time period i.e. whatever period metric Amazon sets it at. They give you an idea of how FUBAR your performance was in the feedback email summaries they send you each week. They give you your weekly stats and overall reliability rating based on your cumulative performance from the start of the cycle. This is usually based on the successful number of deliveries you made without concessions. It's also likely value based as well. Regardless, there is a certain threshold metric a driver shouldn't bust in a given period. If they do, it's deactivation.


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## amazonflexguy (Nov 19, 2016)

LauraC said:


> Worked over 7 months at previous WH, over 6k packages delivered and 0 customer complaints. 4 weeks at new WH and have 4 customer complaints. After my first 2 complaints, I became super vigilant about how I delivered my package but didn't seem to work. There's nothing else I can do, short of returning all package I don't deliver in person. I'm just wondering how many complaints emails before you get deactivated? Thanks.


They will continue to ding you and there's nothing you can do about it. You see I was deactivated after being extra careful. If the delivery wasn't safe to leave then I took it back to warehouse. Missing package count kept going up so I would be even more careful and brought back more packages then usual. Then deactivated. (They said I didn't follow customer notes) After two months of deactivation I got the real truth. I was deactivated due to bringing back too many packages. They told me I was reactivated (two months later) and the letter said this and this stuck out to me as the real truth. They said you might want to take customer feed back into consideration and call the customer when your unable to deliver a package to insure a large percentage of packages get delivered. Also I might add that I was doing 1pm routes and these routes were made up of packages that weren't safe to deliver in the morning ( brought back and given to me like a hour after they were brought back) so if they weren't safe to leave a hour ago what makes them think there now going to be home and it's gonna be safe to leave ( 1 hour later) most of these would be apts in the ghetto and people in the ghetto are at work all day. So because I couldn't deliver these no where safe to leave packages I was deactivated. When in fact it was the stupid managements fault and they just decided to take it out on me
With that said. You can get several missing packages in a week and that's not a automatic deactivation. But if you over correct and take too many packages back to warehouse secretly they will deactivate you and blame it on something else like not reading customer notes


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## tone17 (Sep 9, 2016)

I was returning pax yesterday. Guy asked why I was returning them. I told him they were mostly apts and closed businesses. Weird, never been questioned about returns before. It was a 5 hour with a lot of apts in a good part of town so most of the people were at work. Doesn't matter what part of town it is in I am not leaving a package in a hallway with several apts.


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## amazonflexguy (Nov 19, 2016)

tone17 said:


> I was returning pax yesterday. Guy asked why I was returning them. I told him they were mostly apts and closed businesses. Weird, never been questioned about returns before. It was a 5 hour with a lot of apts in a good part of town so most of the people were at work. Doesn't matter what part of town it is in I am not leaving a package in a hallway with several apts.


Those 5 hour blocks I hear are for over sized vhicles
They are secretly deactivating for bringing back packages even if it's beyond your control. To combat this you need to do the following. Deliver large amounts without returning. If no one is home call them. Get the number from the customers voice mail and text them. Do all you can to get the packages in the customers hands. Other wise you will get deactivated. They won't tell you this is the reason you got deactivated. They will tell you you didn't follow customer notes or say you have missing packages daily till they have a paper trail to cover there butts and deactivate you that way.


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

btw: those 5 hr delivery blocks are a complete rip off. It doesn't matter if you're making the max base payout at $20 for San Francisco/Bay area region here in CA or $18 everywhere else in the country. It's financial suicide to use an SUV/Truck or non 4 door car vehicle to do these extended hour delivery blocks IMO. First, because the mileage sucks. Second, because the payout per hour will suck due to combined driver & Amazon route inefficiencies.

Also if an SUV/truck/van driver has to take the full 5 hrs to complete delivery of all those pkgs, they did way more than cut their profitability in half. They also just multiplied their weekly concessions/missing/returned pkgs and potential deactivation a hundred fold IMO.

A 5 hr block at max $20/hr payout = $100. I can make the same in one 4 hr block at $100 at higher rate. Or 2-4 hr blocks at $160+/day. 

If ppl are doing a 5 hr block filled SUV at $18/hr, they either need to go work for an independent contractor delivering Flex on FT or get a new gig.


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## amazonflexguy (Nov 19, 2016)

Cynergie said:


> btw: those 5 hr delivery blocks are a complete rip off. It doesn't matter if you're making the max base payout at $20 for San Francisco/Bay area region here in CA or $18 everywhere else in the country. It's financial suicide to use an SUV/Truck or non 4 door car vehicle to do these extended hour delivery blocks IMO. First, because the mileage sucks. Second, because the payout per hour will suck due to combined driver & Amazon route inefficiencies.
> 
> Also if an SUV/truck/van driver has to take the full 5 hrs to complete delivery of all those pkgs, they did way more than cut their profitability in half. They also just multiplied their weekly concessions/missing/returned pkgs and potential deactivation a hundred fold IMO.
> 
> ...


YOur right! It will take me a whole hours pay for gas, so I would be working for 4 hours pay and have 5 hours worth of packages. And that doesn't cover the cost of wear and tear. The tires alone are was more expensive on a SUV vs a car. Plus my car gets 45 miles to the gallon and my SUV only gets 15. I opted not to be involved in the over size program. It's probably the biggest rip off in flex right now. When I opted in I read it wrong and thought you would get paid extra for using a bigger vhiecles considering big SUV are gas guzzlers. This might work if you have a mini van or something to that effect


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## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

Cynergie said:


> If ppl are doing a 5 hr block filled SUV at $18/hr, they either need to go work for an independent contractor delivering Flex on FT or get a new gig.


 And a new brain.

Excellent points all.


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

Yep. When I drove for an IC in one of the SF bay WH, I got to drive this beast (but the version without the windows or any pax seating):

http://images.hgmsites.net/med/2017...wd-angular-rear-exterior-view_100602681_m.jpg

And if you got lucky that day, you'd get this smaller courier van that held 140-180 pkgs. These smaller vans were more geared towards business deliveries vs the larger residential home/apt delivery vans that were designed to better carry over sized boxes:

https://assets.mbvans.com/c_scale,w...2-LH1-744-brilliant-silver-met-RF-Ext-030.png

Each driver had one of the big vans to empty every morning. And they were loaded to the roof. Each of these vans had a capacity of some 190-240 pkgs a load and was a basic beast. And I'd yet to find one driver who didn't complain of missorted pkgs and BAGS OF MISORTED PKGS on a daily basis. lol.

Since there were so many pkgs, we had to put faith in Amazon drones who packed our vans. Check the pkg bags matched the sequences on the tote list, kiss a crucifix/rub a lucky rabbit foot or two and then depart the WH for the day. lol.

We'd do 10 hr/day shifts and leave the WH for route deliveries all over SF city/SF peninsula. Go as far down as Mtn View/Sunnyvale/Salinas in Silicon Valley area in SJ. Go as far east as Martinez, Walnut Creek/San Mateo. Amazon delivery network pretty much has the Bay area covered like Verizon. The pros working for an IC were you no longer paid for gas, or had to worry about mileage or O&M for driving the company vehicle. You got a gas card. You got guaranteed 10 hr blocks (aka paid to work a regular 40 hr week + 10 hrs OT weekly guaranteed). You got 30 min lunch breaks for every 8 hrs worked. But some of the veteran drivers I met who were really good at delivering 200 pkgs in 6-7 hrs would take a 1 hr break. Either way, the IC didn't care as long as the pkgs got delivered on time without concessions etc. If you got your 10 hr route done early, you could leave for the day unless dispatch needed you to rescue other drivers on their routes. And you were still paid for an 8 hr day + 2hr OT if you got done early. So it really paid to be efficient delivering pkgs on your route. Whenever I got done early, I'd check in with dispatch and drop my delivery van off. If they didn't need me, it was off to making more cash flow Ubering.

On the downside, concessions and return pkgs were a daily job hazard. High driver turnover rate from job burnout due to daily job stress/faced paced/dynamic delivery environment. You didn't get to pack your van which was a blessing and a curse when delivering on routes. You were assigned whatever random route of the day Amazon gave you and had to deliver it. You couldn't work regular flex (as self employed driver) and work for the IC because of the conflict of interest. You had to use a rabbit, which is the Amazon version of your personal smartphone to scan pkgs. The rabbit is a crappy POS tech which Amazon needs to update from 1995 infra red scanning technology. lmfao. That thing added unnecessary time to my delivery routes when scanning pkgs. Since you were officially delivering for Amazon as an IC partner, then you had to take CS more seriously when needing to call them about CS and delivery incidents on routes.

Another not so obvious downside is that Amazon would direct it's nasty emails about your route failures to your contractor employer. And then make your employer post all driver delivery sins aka concessions/returned pkgs etc.in a weekly list at the dispatch window. That was the Amazon management's subtle way of letting all drivers know where they ranked on the warehouse weekly E. Coli list for potential deactivation. All of those WH manager mind games added additional job stresses to your day as if your delivery time suspenses weren't already enough. lol. But the nice thing about that is that once a driver's concessions/return pkgs got too high, dispatch would intervene. They'd talk with the drivers and tell them where they went wrong on their delivery routes. Tell them what Amazon had dinged them for on their delivery routes. That way, drivers could course correct themselves on future delivery routes. Unlike the immediate deactivation that Flex drivers get from Amazon without warning or email follow up.

But for me, the stress of an early morning commute into the Bay area daily just to make the 6:30 am start time, eventually outweighed the income/hourly bonuses and other employee incentives (which included great OT and health care benefits). I eventually downgraded to regular flex as a self employed driver. While lacking a guaranteed 40 hr+ block work week and paying gas mileage/car O&M, I'm still making more per hour at $20+ on average. So in a sense, this balances out.


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## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

For the ICs with full time drivers, I'm surprised they don't assign guys to a particular route or region -- it clearly improves efficiency, better customer service, and seems better for the driver too. We've had the same UPS guy for years on end, the dudes know where to park, and it has to help get stuff delivered.

I have no doubt the warehouse drones would make a huge mess of loading up those damn vans, they screw stuff up all the time just doing totes on a cart. Gives me chills just thinking how awful it must be to do 200 stops with all the screw ups.... 

And don't forget crappy weather -- I just plain don't bother if there's a slight chance of mist, but obviously for full timers it's not optional.


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## Brandon Wilson (Aug 13, 2017)

Cynergie said:


> here's the great conundrum. Amazon CS (and via email support) both stated Amazon DOES NOT use those pics to validate a flex driver's claim the pkg was delivered.
> 
> I was informed by CS on numerous occassions that your pics are only used to show the customer where you placed the pkg --- but ONLY IF THE CUSTOMER EXPLICITLY REQUESTS IT.
> 
> ...


Ask your Blue Vest for a book of Missed Delivery Notices. Stamp them on the customers door where they are sure to see it and if you are paranoid, take and picture and note the address for safe keeping. CS won't tell you the address where your complaint came from but it can help you out if you somehow "magically guess" where it came from and call bullshit on it.


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

That's the video Stepfordville way it's supposed to work--in theory anyways.

The reality is my WH have been out of those Amazon "sorry to have missed your dumb @$$" notices 99.9999% of the time. lmao


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