'He threw a temper tantrum': Coworker gets fired after other delivery drivers get back at him through malicious compliance

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 16, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

Have you ever had that one coworker who will manipulate every situation and use every tool and any loophole at their disposal in order to make sure that things always go their way? If you haven't, good for you, and please let me know how you've managed to avoid them for so long. These coworkers—Gary, let's call them Gary… Now, Gary is no dull blade; the ability to gaslight and manipulate your way through a team of people takes knowledge, brains, and skill. But Gary is often lazy, looking to avoid doing work whenever possible—or do the least amount of work with the most reward.

Well, in this case, Gary's name was Brian, and Brian is exactly the sort of coworker you don't want to work with using his stupid loopholes to profit off of his coworker's compliance with rules and fairness. Luckily, this would backfire spectacularly when his coworker sunk down to his level to fight in the mud.

We love stories from the delivery world; if you have one of your own, be sure to share it with us. Next, check out this Karen, who demanded to be served a pizza at a closed restaurant. 

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/Night_Fev3r 19 hours ago Coworker plays dumb and benefits, backfires the next day. LOC I'm currently a pizza delivery driver, at a physical store not for apps. We have a pretty basic dispatch system. Half of the touch screen is upcoming delivery orders, the other half is a list of drivers sorted by who's been checked-in (not clocked-in) the longest. It basically ensures deliveries are assigned fairly, so drivers cannot pick and choose the good orders whenever they please.
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  • 02
    Font - Just yesterday we had an "issue" that resulted in a rule change. What happened was: Driver Andy was next in line to deliver. Andy delivered the order, but forgot to check-out said order through the dispatch system. As a result, Andy's name was #1 in driver order while the delivery order was also "unassigned" and "still in the store." This is pretty common and there's no real penalty or punishment if you forget, just a silly mistake. When Andy returned, he checked-out the delivery he just
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  • 03
    Font - Again, normally this is inconsequential but Brian realized he could try to screw things up in his favor. The orders up for delivery were: unknown customer, known customer who tips very well. So when time came for unknown customer to get delivered to, Brian (who is #1 in order and is supposed to be there) refused to deliver it saying, "I'm not next on the order. Andy was #1 for 20 minutes, I don't know how he's #3 now but I'm not delivering next it's Andy's turn."
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  • 04
    Font - Cue a huge waste of time of looking at camera footage and the boss not understanding anything. I would elaborate but it's such a consulted series of events that frustrates me just thinking about it again. It basically boils down to the boss apparently not having object permanence. The boss ultimately decides "Andy you are next, take the order." This completely screws me over as I am now no longer lined up to take the big tipper delivery and Brian is instead, the exact result Brian was hop
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  • 05
    Font - Later that Friday the boss would tell me "From now on we are going by what the dispatch system says. This will punish the driver that made the mistake (like Andy) instead of others." Which is completely false. The only person who got punished by Andy's "mistake" was ME. Andy got to deliver two orders back to back, which the dispatch system is supposed to prevent. And Brian benefited from the driver order by getting assigned the big tipper I was supposed to go to.
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  • 06
    Font - I explained this to my boss as well as how ripe for abuse this new rule is. His only response was, "Andy's mistake may have negatively affected you today, but next time it probably won't. This is the only way to solve this type of thing." Again, completely false. We have a history log of what driver took what orders, which I pulled up to show that the boss's decision made Andy take two deliveries in a row. Which also proved Brian was next in line and not Andy. But the boss just shrugged a
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  • 07
    Font - Next day, Saturday. I clock into my shift and notice that the dispatch system says that Brian is currently checked-out on a delivery. But I see his car parked, so clearly he's already back and forgotten to check-in. I assume he's either in the bathroom or around the building smoking like usual, ignoring the other duties we have until a delivery is ready. So the driver order is currently: #1 Brian (but he's "out") and #2 me. Then a delivery order comes in, a big one for 8 large pizzas. Big
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  • 08
    Font - Brian comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later, walks over to the dispatch system and realizes he forgot to check-in. So he check-in. As a result, his name moves down below mine in the dispatch system as it thinks he just got back. Normally, as many drivers make this mistake, this wouldn't really affect anything. Brian tells me, "Oh hey I was here before you I just forgot to check-in." I say, "Oh, well boss says we're going by dispatch order and it says I'm next so." Brian walks over
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  • 09
    Font - Another driver, Ivan (friends with Brian), comes back from his lunch break and clocks back in. Brian calls him over, since before Ivan left the building he witnessed Brian come back from a delivery and go straight to the bathroom before I ever clocked in for my shift. The boss is annoyed, simply reiterating "We're going by the dispatch order, Night Fev3r is next." Brian continues to argue while Ivan comes over to me and says, "Hey man you know Brian just forgot to check-in and he's actual
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  • 10
    Font - The big order finishes getting prepped and I check-out the delivery under my name and take it to my car. To my surprise no one ran out to stop me, I didn't think I'd get away with it. This isn't the first time Brian caused a rule change. Normally when it comes back to bite him in the ass it's been long enough that the boss forgets and reverts the rule, causing Brian to always get his way. But I guess since it literally happened yesterday this time it was clearly fresh on the boss' mind, p
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  • 11
    Font - While I was out, Andy told me that a known non- tipper delivery came in. Under normal circumstances I would have been assigned this order, but Brian's rule change caused him to be assigned this delivery instead. He threw a temper tantrum, refusing to deliver it until the boss forced him to. When Brian returned, he decided to clock out for the day. Working less than an hour. Having one less driver on a busy day is bad, it puts us behind on delivery times and causes a ripple effect that mak
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  • 12
    Font - Aftermath For some reason Saturdays have been relatively slow, so Brian's tantrum didn't affect us. It was actually good, as one less driver meant I got more deliveries. The rule is still in place, unfortunately. It's ripe for abuse and I'll probably get screwed over by it sooner or later. For example, imagine the two Saturday orders were reversed. Brian comes out of the bathroom, checks in and is placed second. This makes me first in line for the no tip.
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  • 13
    Font - Mini updates: 1. Rule may potentially get reversed? With the help of an old coworker who shows up to hang out, I was able to show the boss a dispatch system glitch. When two drivers check-in with the system in a relatively short time to each other, the system will reverse their order. For example, Brian checks-in and a minute later Ivan checks-in - the system will glitch and make Ivan #1 and Brian #2. This ex-coworker demonstrated the glitch, telling the boss "Yeah this has been a thing f
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  • 14
    Font - 2. Brian will be fired... again, allegedly. Brian got fired two weeks ago for getting into a screaming match with a manager, over not wanting to deliver an order he was supposed to... huh, deja vu! The screaming match scared our newest phone girl into quitting. Brian also stormed off that day making orders late, SO boss said he was fired. But, the boss is short staffed and Brian was back to working a week later. After today and telling the boss, "He can't keep storming off, it ruins the d
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  • 15
    Font - Why the new rule is bad. I understand why some people are saying the new rule is pretty straightforward. Yes, from your perspective with the information I gave you it does seem pretty simple. But you guys do not have the history of dealing with the two coworkers I have, who try to cheat out extra deliveries and steal orders at the expense of other drivers.
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  • 16
    Font - RealUltimate Papo +1. 18 hr. ago Good that you made things right for yourself, but having a boss that incompetent is surely gonna cause more issues in the future Is there any way to go over his head, and explain what's happening to anybody higher up? Reply Share Vote
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  • 17
    Font - Night Fev3r OP 18 hr. ago I really wish there was. The store is completely owned by the boss, it's not a franchised chain. Brian is a C tier "villain coworker." I had to deal with an even worse coworker for 3 years. Brian, like the guy before him, won't get fired because they both have the ultimate protection: nepotism. The worse guy did eventually get fired, but only because he committed the only sin that could get him fired: screwing over another nepotism hire. Unfortunately I've made a
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  • 18
    Font - The only reason I've toughed it out is because the tips push me to make an average of $23/hr (on a bad day). Quitting for any other minimum wage job would slash my checks in half, something I can't afford. Reply Share Vote RealUltimate Papo +1 - 18 hr. ago Hmm... that sucks The easy answer would be to abuse the system in your favour until boss changes his mind completely, but that may make you a target in one way or another Vote Reply Share
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  • 19
    Font - 00 01 17 hr. ago The solution to this problem is to not show any order details in advance. That way there is no ground to want to skip an order. JochenVdB It would make the delivery system more simple in fact. Vote Reply Share Night Fev3r OP 16 hr. ago This could work, kind of. ●●● The thing about memorizing the good/bad tippers is you also memorize their orders, they're very consistent. The Friday order I got scammed out of is known as the soda lady, her order is always the same: 1 xl pi
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  • 20
    Font - I can name every order of our regulars and how much they tip. So can the other guys. Hiding the names/address wouldn't accomplish much. But as I said in another comment, it's only been two drivers in my 4/5 years of working here that behave this way. Otherwise we never have these kinds of issues and drivers aren't competitive and get along. Vote Reply Share
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  • 21
    Font - Night Fev3r OP. 11 hr. ago The camera footage, explained. The boss' decision on Friday was made based on camera footage from the store. The boss, in a hurry to resolve the issue so the orders can just be delivered, processed the video footage in a comically awful way. Here is the reality of what happened: Andy was inside the store, getting ready to leave on a delivery. ● • Before Andy left, Brian and I drove into the parking lot at the same time. ● Brian was in the parking lot first and w
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  • 22
    Font - Andy then leaves a minute or so later with his delivery order, but forgets to check-out through the dispatch system. • As a result, the entire time Andy is on delivery (about 20 minutes) the dispatch system says: #1 Andy, #2 Brian, #3 me. According to the dispatch system, Andy is still inside the store and so is the delivery order he has with him. This is obviously false. Andy is not inside the store nor is the order he is delivering. • Two delivery orders get placed, Order 1 is an unknow
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  • 23
    Font - • 20 minutes later, Andy returns. Andy realizes he forgot to check- out through the system, a manger and I poke fun at him. ● Andy checks-out the delivery, then checks-in immediately. This changes the system to correctly state: #1 Brian, #2 me, #3 Andy. I want to explicitly say this is the correct placement. If Andy checked- out when he was supposed to, this would still be the same placement. • Order 1 is ready for deliver, manager asks "Who is delivering next?" • Brian replies, "Andy is
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  • 24
    Font - • Andy replies, "Oh no, I forgot to ● check-out when I left. You're next." • Brian replies, "No. You're next." Manager gets annoyed. • I explain, "Yes, Brian is next. Andy forgot to check out, he just came back from a delivery a couple minutes ago. I watched him leave and come back, Brian is next." • Even though the dispatch system now (correctly) states the driver placement (#1 Brian, #2 me, #3 Andy) Brian refuses to deliver Order 1. • The owner comes out from his office asking what's go
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  • 25
    Font - • Brian says that Andy is lying. • The manager (who understand what's going on), Andy and I all reassure the owner Brian is indeed up next. • The owner then decides to review the camera footage. • A couple minutes go by and I'm wondering what's taking so long, the footage should clearly show Brian is wrong. • I go into the office and ask, "What's going on?" • The owner, confusingly states "Brian is right, Andy is next." • This literally cannot be true, it's just physically impossible. I a
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  • 26
    Font - Andy walking into the camera's view, from inside the store. Brian pulling into the parking lot followed by myself literally a second after. Brian walks into the store, followed by myself literally a second after. • The boss says, "See, Andy is in the store first!" • The boss does not understand that Andy is about to leave, physically taking a pizza out of the store to deliver it. • I tell the boss to keep playing:
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  • 27
    Font - Andy leaves the store, pizza in hand. • I tell the boss, "Look, Andy literally just left with a delivery order. Now it's Brian and me inside the store. Andy just forgot to check out." Brian tells the boss to rewind. • • He does. When Andy walks into frame they both say, "See, Andy was here first." ● • They are actually stupid. Yes, Andy is here while Brian and I are not. But Andy is about to fucking leave the store, he is clearly not next in line. This would mean Andy fucking teleported t
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  • 28
    Font - After I deliver Order 2 (which I was not supposed to take), I get back to the store and pull up the driver history log which has information like: 1. The amount of delivery orders placed so far. 2. The accompanying information of those deliveries (order #, customer name, delivery address). 3. Who delivered the order and at what time.
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  • 29
    Font - I take a picture (I'll need to edit out details to upload it) and show the boss. Here is what the picture shows: • Order 0: delivered by Andy. • Order 1: delivered by Andy (because of the boss' final say). I tell him, "So how do Brian and I walk into the store, watch Andy leave with Order 0 and watch Andy return and is immediately assigned Order 1. You made the wrong call, you messed up the driver placement with your final say."
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  • 30
    Font - The boss is annoyed and tired. He said he doesn't care, from now on we're following the dispatch placement regardless of what drivers claim. Because he does not have the time to check camera footage every time there is a placement dispute. I tell him it's basically instant to just pull up the driver history instead of using the security system, but the boss does not want to hear it.
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  • 31
    Font - Why this is a bad rule. 1. The rule was made from Brian's malicious actions to give himself the big tipper order. Brian knows Andy forgot to check-out and that's why Andy was #1 for 20 or so minutes. Brian physically saw Andy already in the store when Brian checked- in, and Brian saw Andy leave the store with a pizza. Brian used this clearly wrong dispatch placement to get the boss to rule in his favor, at my expense. Yes, Brian does things like this intentionally. The guy worse than Bria
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  • 32
    Font - This rule and others made around these two awful coworkers always get made on the spot in a way that "resolves" a problem in the favor of the cheater, because of nepotism. • 2. The rule is easily abused. As mentioned earlier, imagine Saturday was different. Brian is in the store for at least 15 minutes before I clock in for my shift. But Brian forgot to check-in. Brian comes out of the bathroom, realizes his mistake and checks-in. This places Brian as #2 with me being #1. So far this is e
    via u/Night_Fev3r
  • 33
    Font - The bad delivery is ready and I tell Brian, "Your order is ready." Brian would then reply, "Actually the system says you're first." I would get upset and tell the boss "Hey you watched me clock in at 4 PM while Brian was in the bathroom, I'm not next. Of course, because of the rule the boss would say, "We went over this. From now on we follow the dispatch system placement. It says you're next, so you're next. Deliver it."
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  • 34
    Font - • 3. The dispatch system has a known glitch. I explained it in the mini update but there is a known glitch among the drivers with the dispatch system. It will swap the placement of drivers if they check-in within a short time of each other, messing things up. This was never an issue before Brian. Other drivers would just let each other know, "Hey it did the thing. It put me ahead of you even though I watched you get here before me."
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  • 35
    Font - • 4. There is already a solution to these placement disputes, innocent or malicious. If someone really doesn't remember and doesn't believe the other drivers on who is first, we can check the driver history log. It is incredibly fast to bring up and review, quickly resolving these disputes with time stamps of everything. If somehow you still think the rule wasn't a bad choice then I don't know what to say. Maybe I explained things wrong but it is very clearly both terrible and abusable wi
    via u/Night_Fev3r
  • 36
    Font - Dancerbella 3 hr. ago Why are there two systems at all instead of just going off the driver delivery log? Are there often more than three drivers in? Vote Reply Share ... Night Fev3r OP. 2 hr. ago Well the driver log only shows a history of what has happened. The dispatch system is how we view upcoming orders, a map of where they're all going and how drivers assign an order to their name. It just doubles as a way to show who's also next. Vote Rarely has there been an issue with this syste
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  • 37
    Font - readerf52 18 hr. ago I love ordering pizza from the small, still delivers their own pizza, places. We tip about 25%, more than at a restaurant because of gas, insurance, and upkeep of the vehicle. And because we often (sorry, really we are) order on a night with terrible storms and we've lost power and can't cook. So I'm glad this still being done. But warn me if I'm getting Brian. The other guy always gets the pizza to the house when it's still hot, I don't think Brian would care. Vote R
    via u/Night_Fev3r

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories workplace-malicious-compliance malicious compliance tales-from-the-workplace pizza delivery coworkers food delivery karen-coworker package delivery coworker delivery
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