Proof of delivery for gas cylinders

What disputes usually look like

• Not delivered. The customer says nothing came.
• Short. 3 were ordered and 2 arrived.
• Empties. The customer says they handed back empties the driver did not record, which changes their deposits or rent.
• Left in the wrong place. Or left when they should not have been left at all.
• Who took it. "Nobody here signed for that."

Every one of these is a question about a single stop. Good proof answers it without anyone having to remember.

What good proof records

• Who. The name of the person who took the delivery, written or typed, not only a signature.
• What. The quantities actually delivered and the empties collected, for each product.
• When. The time, recorded automatically rather than written in later.
• Where. The delivery address, and for a left delivery, a photograph showing where.
• Anything wrong. A shortfall and its reason, such as a damaged cylinder or a refusal.

Agree the rules with the customer first

Much of what makes proof useful is settled before the driver arrives. When you set up a customer, write down:

• whether cylinders can be left when nobody is in, and if so, exactly where
• whether a neighbour can take them
• whether they must never be left, which matters for some commercial sites
• anything the driver needs to find the right spot, such as a cage, a side gate or a code

Put those instructions in front of the driver at the stop, not in a note back at the office. A driver who can see "do not leave, ring the bell twice" makes the right call without phoning in.

Signature or photograph

When someone is there, take a signature and their name. A signature on its own is often unreadable, so the name is what makes it useful later.

When nobody is in, a photograph is the right proof, but only where the customer has agreed that cylinders can be left. The photograph should show the cylinders and enough of the surroundings to identify the place.

A photograph does not make a place safe. If the agreed spot is not suitable on the day, the driver should not leave the cylinders, and should record the stop as not delivered with the reason.

Paper delivery notes can work, but they get lost, get wet, and are hard to find a month later when the question comes up.

Make it routine

Proof only helps if it is there every time. A few habits make that happen:

• Take proof at every stop, including the regulars you have delivered to for years.
• Record it at the door, not in the van afterwards.
• Count empties with the customer before you leave.
• Make sure it can be captured without signal. Rural stops are exactly where the signal drops.

Send it to the customer

The best dispute is the one that never starts. Emailing the customer what was delivered, with the signature or photograph, straight after the stop means they see it before they ever need to ask.

When a dispute comes in

Find the stop and check the name, the quantities, the time and any photograph. Most disputes end there.

If the proof is missing or does not match what the customer says, fix the process as well as the one dispute. A gap that caused one argument will cause another.