The Amazon Flex on-boarding videos, while informative, are pretty boring. Like most things you’re not really going to learn the ropes unless you do it. Here’s a list of things to avoid. Five common mistakes new Flexer’s make:
- They’re nervous. It’s totally rational to have some nerves about starting a new job. Even if it’s the most laid back gig ever, Amazon Flex. We covered this is detail here. Don’t worry you’ll be fine.
- Unrealistic expectations. We need to remember that this is a Gig. If you want to make it a full time deal, you’re going to have to hustle and put in the work. That means spending a lot of time tapping to get blocks and learning the pattern of when they drop in your area. Always have a back-up plan.
- Hiding packages TOO WELL. Doing this will undoubtedly leave you with “Marked delivered but not received by customer.” emails and marks on your weekly summary. I made this mistake starting out and ended up with 3 did not receives. If you get to many of these, your Hasta La Vista baby (terminated). If you hide packages AT ALL leave a note. Even if it seems obvious to you, leave the note. I can’t tell you how many times customers have come out and stared blankly when their package was barely hidden.
- Leaving packages in unsafe locations. Exposed apartment hallway doors are not a safe place. Blatantly visible packages from a customers porch in a busy area is not safe. Rule of thumb: if an area has HIGH TRAFFIC, foot or otherwise, you need to do your best to make sure the package is not highly visible to everyone passing by. You’ll get a better feel for this over time. There are so many exceptions and variables to the rule. Such as neighborhoods, size of package, etc. Use best judgement and common sense.
- Too many returns. Yes you can be penalized for excessive returns. You need to attempt all the deliveries (within reason). Don’t be overly anal about numbers 3-4. Find a happy medium and try your damndest to complete every delivery.
BONUS: Many new Flexer’s are unsure of how to pack their cars. Don’t just throw everything in there. You’ll have to dig around for boxes and it’s a serious pain in the ass! Everyone has their own methods. Your best bet is to ask a fellow driver at the warehouse or one of the warehouse workers. Eventually you’ll develop a method that works for you and you’ll be flying through those deliveries with ease.
Anything I missed or you’d like to add? Drop it in the comments! Thanks for being here, hope this helped. Flex On! Be safe.
