Oftentimes, during your Amazon Flex delivery blocks, new and unexpected situations can arise. Although you are an independent contractor, Amazon makes it very easy to reach their dedicated support line. If you haven’t called in yet, you should definitely read up on how to do it and make sure you have this valuable lifeline in mind!
Overview
The Amazon Flex support line can be reached at any point when you have an active delivery by tapping on the question mark button at the top right corner of the app. Depending on the particular phase of your delivery (heading to the warehouse, dropping off a delivery, etc) different menu items will appear when you click on the button. Without fail, however, you should see the “Request call from Support” option.
What it’s like to call the support line
As soon as you confirm that you would like to call support, the app will automatically have a number (typically Seattle area code e.g. 206) call you within 30 seconds.
Once you answer, you will be on the line with a support representative, who will ask you to verify your delivery area and name for verification. From there, you are free to discuss with the support representative.
It’s like a customer service hotline!
Amazon Flex needs to ensure that their ultimate customers (Amazon Prime) are happy customers, and to ensure that their drivers are getting the support they need, they have set up an excellent phone support system that is far better than your typical customer support line.
You will rarely wait more than 30 seconds to be connected to someone, and the support representatives are extremely competent. The first person you speak to has all the tools and system access necessary to look things up for you. No long holds, no transferring to another representative / department, and definitely no need to “ask for a supervisor!”
Remember, if Amazon Flex drivers can complete their tasks smoothly, Amazon Prime customers receive their packages on time and are happy. So Amazon Flex has very smartly ensured that the phone support system is top notch, and you should take advantage! Read on to see particular situations where you should definitely call the support line.
Finally, just like a customer support line that warns you “this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes,” the Amazon Flex support team will record the time and reason for your call. In certain situations this can be very important for you, since this will be your alibi in case something happens and your account gets terminated for an alleged policy violation.
Examples of when you should call the support line:
1) You run into a difficult situation. If during your delivery, you run into any kind of situation that prevents you from completing a package drop off on time or at all, call support. This includes car trouble, an unsafe environment, dangerous road conditions, or anything else that you can think of that would be a reasonable obstacle that would keep you from completing your deliveries as scheduled. Even if the support staff do not provide you with any immediate instructions or recommendations, at the very least, you have called ahead and let them know of the situation, and they have recorded the time and reason for your call.
Let’s say it is 5:40 PM and you are on your last delivery 10 miles away and due at 6:00 PM, but suddenly a tree falls down and causes a complete road closure, and you are fairly certain a detour is either not possible or would make you late on the last delivery. You should call Amazon Flex support immediately, so that they can be alerted to the situation. If you later receive a “Customer Expectations” email from the Amazon Flex team, you can always reference the fact that you called, and they can cross check this with any publicly available information about road closures. This would certainly be a reasonable explanation for the late delivery beyond your control that would not be grounds for account termination.
Let’s say in the same situation above, you didn’t call, but instead still tried to find another way to the delivery drop off location, but still end up late. This time, you do not have as strong of a case, because there is no record of you calling in to describe the problem ahead of time. That is not to say you are dishonest or lying, but you are now lumped into the same group of drivers who simply did not follow these tips to stay on time and were simply late and making excuses after the fact. By showing that you proactively called prior to the end of the shift, you are appealing to the fact that the delay was completely out of your control, and, if nothing else, shows Amazon Flex that you have their Amazon Prime customers’ best interest in mind.
2) You are having app problems. Software bugs are very common, and you never know what could go wrong with a sophisticated program like the Amazon Flex app. If you think about it, the app is an impressive product in itself – it has to be universal, instantaneous and interact across variety of platforms (iOS, Android) and communicate via GPS or Wi-fi seamlessly. So, inevitably, you will run into an issue with the app at some point.
If you are having persistent issues that prevent you from completing the delivery or notifying the system of your completed deliveries, call the support line. Similar to the situation above, by proactively calling ahead to let them know what is happening, you are much more likely to have a better shot at account reinstatement should something go wrong. It’s easy for someone who was simply slacking off or unfocused, to realize at the end of their shift that they failed to complete their deliveries on time, to later call in and blame the app for issues. Again, you must separate yourself from these people so that you have a better chance of getting your account reinstated, if it ever becomes necessary.
3) The Amazon Flex app gives you an unreasonable or impossible delivery
This happens less frequently with Amazon Prime deliveries, but for restaurant deliveries and one-hour deliveries, you are essentially on standby during the entirety of your delivery block. Then, when orders come in, you are expected to be immediately available and on your way to the pickup point (oftentimes a restaurant). Usually, the scheduling is tight but doable, and you should be OK. Other times, however, due to some glitch or the fact that no other drivers are available, for example, the Amazon Flex app may nonetheless direct you to complete a pickup or delivery that is not practical – for example, driving 10 miles in 5 minutes.
When this happens, short of risking getting a speeding ticket, your best bet is to call the Amazon Flex support line and let them know that the app has routed you on an unrealistic timeline / pickup point. The folks at the call center will either provide you with instructions to proceed anyway, or they will provide an alternative route or pickup instead. Either way, by calling in, you will be able to have on record your prompt handling of the situation, and you should be able to avoid any Customer Expectations emails. Worst case scenario – you’ll be able to very reasonably explain the situation and get any suspension or warnings reversed.
