To expect online food shops to arrive within allocated time?

As far as I can see they're only blaming the drivers where there is a lack of communication/willingness to accept that people may be busy outside of their delivery slot

Why do you have some kind of weird anger against people who choose to get their shopping delivered? It's hardly an elite service.

I have to disagree with you there.
There are some pp who are quite clearly blaming the drivers!
And they don't realise what a shit job it can be at times. They're sitting at their kitchen tables, furiously tapping their perfectly manicured nails, waiting for their deliveries, because they can't be assed to do their own shopping!

This past Saturday I had Tesco booked between 1 and 2pm.

He pulled up at 12:40. I don't mind them being early, it's when they're late and I'm sat in "waiting mode" that I get pissed off.

I’ve always said to our Tesco delivery drivers we are more than happy for them to come early. I remember they delivered to our next door neighbour at one point, we had a slot a couple of hours later, so I asked if they had ours on the van too and we were happy for them to deliver then if it made things easier for them (which is did apparently). We often get a phone call or a text asking if they can come up to a couple of hours early on a Sunday morning. We always say yes as we are home and it makes their life a little easier. Our town is 40 mins away from the store. If multiple people from our town book the first slot of the day, they will struggle to deliver them all from one van as they will only have 20 mins by the rind they get to the town! Yet it’s incredibly rare that they are late.

I think that everyone knows that traffic happens, which can cause delays. However, a simple phonecall to the customer explaining this, and asking if it’s still convenient to deliver the goods at a later time, wouldn’t go amiss. (I know alot of delivery drivers do do this, but some don’t).

Once more for those at the back: no-one is blaming the drivers!

You should try and make a delivery on time when you get stuvk in rush hour traffic in the centre of Birmingham, with road works everywhere. Then you'll realise how bad it can get.
My friend is a delivery driver for a supermarket. He was stuck like this is Brum way after his finishing time, with deliveries still to make, and the traffic wasn't moving.
He's had people trying to break into the back of his van to steal the food.
He's had to struggle through when he needs to loo and there's nowhere to go and leave the van in a safe place.
Just be thankful you're in the priveleged position of having someone do your shopping for you for a pitiful small fee.

Ocado offer two options, a more expensive 1 hour delivery slot, or a cheaper 4 hour option. I choose between the two depending on how busy I am on the day of delivery.

I have complained when I have paid £7 for a one hour delivery and then they turn up early (without calling ahead) as this is not the service I have paid for...

I ordered a few bits from Tesco whoosh today. They arrived on time.... along with someone else's order!!!
I have rung customer services but they are unable to track the order.
So if anyone is missing their order today.... I've got it 🤣🤣🤣

I agree with you, but it’s also quite tricky to get a delivery schedule bang on, and Tesco, in my experience, are pretty good. If they’re early, so long as they’re prepared to wait if necessary, I don’t see the issue. I wouldn’t book a delivery if I had somewhere to be, so lateness isn’t a massive problem, usually.

I must be very lucky as I’ve never has a late delivery from Tesco in over 20 years of having deliveries. A couple of times I’ve had a phone call from the driver asking if he could come early and if I’m in, I will agree. Once he was up the road delivering to a neighbour and my delivery was booked for a couple of hours later so it made sense for him to deliver to me at the same time.

But then I’m a kind person who really appreciates the delivery drivers, I have mobility issues and they are always willing to carry my food into the kitchen and usually help me unload. In all this hot weather I always offer them a bottle of cold water to take away and they are really grateful - I actually buy bottles of water specifically to give them ( and other delivery people or workmen) as I use reusable bottles when I go out.

They have a VERY basic easy job to ! Drive a van and drop the contents to different houses at different times! Not exactly brain surgery is it!!

Any time we've had a delivery early they text to say they'll be early but will wait at your property until the allocated time. We've also had texts if they are running late (both Asda and Tesco, although Asda are better at communicating).
I don't mind in that case but if they just show up late and don't let you know then that's irritating. Maybe you need to change supermarket if it's the same one letting you down.

Varies so much. I booked 9-1 economy slot to get an email at 8.30 saying it was cancelled because i wasn’t there to receive it at 8.20

I use the free 4 hour Ocado slots, they text in the morning the hour they will arrive and they are always within this.

It's not COVID any more. There are enough slots for everyone.

Why is it shockingly entitled to want this particular service?
Do I also have to be grateful that the cinema shows the movie I've paid for, or that the restaurant has the right ingredients for a meal on their menu?

As long as you're not taking it out on the people who deliver these services (who obviously often isn't the one running the show) what's the issue?

Don't be so bloody stupid. Late deliveries are more understandable but what's the point of offering delivery slots then turning up early if the person you're delivering to isn't actually there.

I assume you - or someone in your family - is a delivery driver given your silly, hyperbolic response.

When it's late it's usually sitting in the warehouse of Tesco or wherever in unsuitable conditions , picked hours before and then left out of the cold chain for hours and then in the van back in the cold chain it's appalling , I would avoid services like this at every opportunity.

Tesco is very good here. They have been late a couple of times and rang both times. One was a couple of hours late (rang me and sorted another time) and the other time they were early by about 20 minutes. That time the driver sat in the van and was waiting till the time slot. It was only when I went to the hall that I realised he was there.

apologies for wanting the service I’ve paid for to be reliable and on time.

This!

Totally agree with everything you’ve said.

The absolute entitlement of some people is fucking breathtaking.

Give your bloody heads a wobble. If it’s so bad go and get your fucking shopping yourself and let those who appreciate it have your slot.

Tesco did have a bad run a while ago when they seemed to be late every week. If early they usually call first and are fine about if I’m out and can’t meet them. And actually on the odd occasion I’ve been held up in traffic and they’ve called they’ve been pretty good about waiting considering they are on a tight schedule, so I give them grace. What I don’t like is when the app says ‘three stops away’ with an estimate which is way off. Once it was at least five stops away but the delivery estimate was within the next ten minutes! I think twice though they just haven’t shown up at all (broken down truck) and I wasn’t notified at all til I called customer service. That’s annoying.

I normally find mine arrives within the allocated time. I use various shops and not loyal.

however 2 weeks ago Tesco arrived 45 mins early. I was still in the shower and DP in bed. Panic to get to the door.

I'll lower the tone, Iceland, brilliant. The tracker they send you is spot on. They will phone you if they can come early, but ut isn't a problem if you say no. The drivers are great. It's a shame I can't do a full shop there.

our recent sainsbury’s deliveries have been a. absolute shit show. We got no delivery last thursday. when it finally arrived on friday and I explained that the driver was sick, the friday driver rolled his eyes and said it was a new driver and he phoned in to say he was tired. He suspected it was the torrential rain as he said two other drivers had gone home early. Yes, I know it’s a hard job, but you know, they have big old rain coats and they should just, you know, do their fucking job. Call me old fashioned.