Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Make 'em wear a camera

for house call services
  (+4, -14)(+4, -14)
(+4, -14)
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One of the biggest problems plaguing home delivery services is the fact the employees making the deliveries are completely unsupervised. Pizza drivers badger their customers for tips, UPS and FedEx drivers forge signatures and leave packages on doorsteps, and others steal personal property and assault customers. This happens frequently. And not only in delivery services, but any business that has to send employees out to people's homes.

It seems to me that there is a very simple solution: make the employees wear hats with cameras in them that stream the feed live to a receiver in the truck, which in turn uses a more powerful transmitter to stream the feed live to the office, where it is viewable in real-time and recorded for liability purposes. Not only would this protect the customers, but it would also protect the company from bogus complaints.

21 Quest, Oct 23 2009

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       Would also increase overall employment as more people are hired to watch all the video, maintain the cameras and transmission gear, and work out how to pass on the costs to the customers. [-]
coprocephalous, Oct 23 2009
  

       What if we always film everybody to ensure that no one ever does anything bad?   

       That's not only a snide comment, but also pretty much how London is genuinely trying to solve the crime problem. Last I checked it wasn't working.
wagster, Oct 23 2009
  

       Having several times waited all day in vain for something to be delivered (or someone to visit and perform some service) I think this is a good idea. I get the impression that if they're running behind they just scratch a few addresses off their list to catch up.   

       I was thinking they should be required to take a photo of themselves in front of the door, to prove they'd been there.   

       This should be in combination with some sort of remuneration to miss-served customers.
Loris, Oct 23 2009
  

       [-] overenforcement. If you have a gripe, just phone the pizza company and give them an earful, and let them deal with the delivery person.
MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 23 2009
  

       Well, mrs smith, I really can't see what the problem with our serviceman was, the video clearly shows that you were, how do you say, Multiply satisfied?
Sparkyplugclean, Oct 23 2009
  

       The problem with your method, Max, is that it seldom results in disciplinary action, because there's no evidence against the driver. Just the word of another cheapskate trying to get free pizza* against that of the manager's employee.   

       *That's the most common type of complaintant, and the kind that seasoned managers expect every caller to be. Like it or not, agree with it or not, that's the truth of the situation. When I delivered pizza, I had people call and complain about me for speeding through their neighborhood when I was moving 5 mph below the posted limit. They see a roof-top sign, and think they can call the number on it and get free stuff by complaining.
21 Quest, Oct 24 2009
  

       [21] Why would anyone bother trying to scam a free pizza?   

       The point is that you ring up the company, tell them their delivery guy is a twat, and leave them to it.
MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 24 2009
  

       //Why would anyone bother trying to scam a free pizza? //

I have one word for you "stoners".
kaz, Oct 25 2009
  

       I have another; Me.
blissmiss, Oct 25 2009
  

       What on earth is a stoner? And, Blissmiss, shame on you - get some class.
MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 25 2009
  

       Stoners are individuals who consume large quantities of a substance known as Marijuana. This substance has been proven in the short term to cause hungriness and a lack of spending cash. Both conditions may persist for several hours at a time.   

       It is true that delivery people someimes behave unreliably. However, in my experience with unsupervised pizza deliverers, I have never experienced individuals with attitudes. I   

       Invariably, my problems with delivery pizza have arisen from phone operators who are too stupid to write down a complete address. The delivery person then must say "Uhh... I'm at the address you gave me. It's a 20-dwelling apartment building. Which one should I go to?" To which the phone operator has no answer, having neglected to actually write down the call-back number.   

       An hour or so after my first call, I must then re-call the pizza place, ask them what the problem was, and they then deliver my pizza about 25 minutes later. Since it's been an hour and a half since I originally called in my order, (More than 30 minutes or less) I would feel entitled to a free pizza, even though the delivery person assumes he has gotten there on time. I then may have to deal with the annoyed phone operator, for whom no amount of ball-cap mounted cameras will help.
ye_river_xiv, Oct 25 2009
  

       But that can be solved with a call recorder. And Max, who do you know that would bother shoplifting cough syrup or a toothbrush? Cheapskates like to scam delivery places over the phone because they know there's no evidence that they're lying even if the manager who receives the complaint doesn't believe them. it's a virtually risk-free scam. Either you pull it off or you don't, so there's no reason not to try. The worst the store can do is blacklist your address.
21 Quest, Oct 25 2009
  

       [21 Quest] Plenty of people shoplift small things, largely because they are quite easy to steal. I have a friend who didn't pay for an eye-shadow, lip stick, or in fact, toothbrush for nearly a decade.
kaz, Oct 25 2009
  

       Kaz, that's precisely my point. People think it's easy to get a free pizza because all they have to do is call and complain about the service, or claim they found a hair or a dead bug in their food. People have this delusional concept that if they're not satisfied with something (or, indeed, *claim* they're not satisfied) then they cannot be required to pay for it, and if they paid then they are entitled by law to a refund.
21 Quest, Oct 25 2009
  

       Ah, but if the product doesn't come up to the advertised standard then they are entitled to a refund. Using subjective terminology to advertise your product can be a minefield. The definition of what is 'delicious', for example, is totally subjective. So if I buy your 'delicious' pizza, and it turns out, in my opinion, not to be 'delicious' but is instead a random assortment of offcuts smothered in a rubbery mess that vaguely resembles melted cheese and served on a base that tastes of aging polystyrene, then I am quite entitled to get my money back.

I quite like the camera idea in this context, although my personal preference is for human surveillance. You should be able to pay a small surcharge on your pizza to engage the services of a fully independent 'Pizza Witness' who will observe the progress of your order from the phone call to the delivery and consumption (if required). Certified 'Pizza Witnesses' would be based near all pizza outlets and the person taking the order would have to ask if you wanted to hire the services of a pizza witness before taking the details of your order.
DrBob, Oct 26 2009
  
      
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