To expect online food shops to arrive within allocated time?

I have never had this issue and neither did my mother, except on one occasion when there was a blizzard.

I agree about time slots though. Just think that BT, Openreach and other utilities should do them as well.

We've been shopping online with Tesco since 2000. Throughout that time, they have probably been late on 30 occasions and early a similar number of times. The worst time for lateness was when they switched our deliveries from a local store to a dedicated online only depot. This is about 40 minutes away on the M25. They were often caught out by hold ups on the motorway and there really isn't an alternative route for them. The worst individual late issues were during COVID when they had a couple of system failures which meant deliveries were delayed by hours and in one case, until the following day. However, they always kept us informed. If they are early they phone or knock to see if it's ok and on the rare occasion it isn't, they are happy to sit and wait.
With somewhere in the region of 6000+ deliveries a day, it's inevitable some won't run exactly to time. Obviously other areas may have different challenges.

I was replying to a thread sharing the experience we had this weekend with our shopping delivery. I didn’t quote or @ you.

I usually try to order stuff that needs to be signed for for Mondays and Fridays when DH is also in the house.

If that's not possible/he has a meeting at the exact same time as me, I would excuse myself for a moment.

But that's a lot quicker than getting in the shopping and putting the refrigerated items away, and would probably be every couple of months at most, whereas groceries are weekly.

I don’t answer the door. Either they leave on doorstep or take away just as would be the case if I was attending that meeting physically in the office.

Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’re available…some of us work from home and if we’re on a video call we can’t just run off to the door. I’ve had Ocado drivers that have loomed up at the window and banged on it because they can see me inside and are up to an hour early. Having already unloaded presumptuously so my frozen stuff is defrosting and I can’t open the door.

I’ve also had an early arrival just as I’ve dished up dinner - so while I then waited for them to unload my dinner went cold / the family ate without me.

I would add I didn’t say no, I still took the delivery, but I think expecting me to so they can clock off early is way more entitled than me to expecting it to come at the booked time. In my humble opinion of course.

If that makes me privileged or suggests I have a butler okay…(wtaf)

So if the postie/courier comes with a large parcel ordered by someone in your household what do they do?

If I have a work meeting I am not free, even if I'm physically in the house. It's not being princessy to not be available at a time you've not said you're available.

I expect the supermarkets have benefitted from more people WFH as they can get more custom during the day and there is less pressure on the evening slots.

When I lived in London Ocada would usually be early if I was in this was never an issue. Delivery driver would also ask if he could have his break in the residents' car park again no issue. Always offered him a drink and use of the loo.

If you are at home I don't see an issue. Can the butler not get it for you?

@youdon tyhank you for taking the extra time to help customers ....its always appreciated

We stopped using Ocado for a while when my son was tiny because they kept coming very early. I did end up complaining about it because it happened every single time. Ocado are meant to phone to ask if they could come early, but often ours didn’t. And when they did call, one of them was really arsey that I said no.

Being late, I don’t mind as it can’t be helped. Poor communication about it would annoy me though. I also don’t mind asking if you can come early, as long as you accept a no.

Communication is key.
I get deliveries from Sainsbury's and I have had them delivered 2+ h early and 10-15minutes late

The time they were 2h early I had a phone call saying they were on my estate and ahead of time so could was I at home if they were to drop my shopping off early. I was so they did.

Whenever they have been late I have had a text to say they were running behind and will be with me as soon as possible but possibly 5-15 minutes late.

Ocado and Tesco phone or text too. OP is BU. You don’t have to accept an early delivery.

I'm a driver for Ocado and just wanted to say it's also frustrating for us if we're running late - I think what some people forget or don't realise is that although as a customer you may have booked a 1 hour/2 hour/4 hour delivery slot it doesn't mean that the driver has had that amount of time to get to you. I'll often start and I always check through my route to see what times I've been scheduled to arrive at my 25+ deliveries - if I can see it's been planned for me to arrive at lots of my customers say 2 mins before the end of their time slots then I'll try and get out early as all it will take for me to be late is a bit of traffic, a customer needing assistance taking their shopping to the kitchen (which obviously I'm always happy to do), someone not being awake and taking a long time to answer etc. That's without the issue of needing to find toilet facilities to use - depending on where we are this can be very tricky! But I do always update customers.

It’s ok when they phone to ask if you mind first, sometimes you’re not home so what would be the point in turning up early? I haven’t had many late orders, I think one happened because the van broke down and another in icy weather.

I don’t mind if it’s early if I’m in. Delivery driver usually calls to check first. They’re only ever late if something has happened eg the van got stuck in some mud - and driver called to say.

Do you want the poor driver to sit in the van for an hour with your delivery because he’s now early and you’re in but it’s inconvenient?

We’ve used Asda and Morrisons over the years and they have always been pretty good. They ring if they are going to be early and ask if it’s ok and on the rare times it has been late I get a text letting me know and apologising.

I’ve driven for Ocado and Sainsburys. Ocado would occasionally plan for you to arrive late or early but only by a few minutes

Ocado drivers will go out early, work through their break and often have a gap in their route. It could be an hour. It’s also job and finish with both of these companies hence the drivers wanting to deliver early if possible

I would never sit outside somebodies house as described. I would wait say a mile away and then call to see if I can deliver early

Ocado are not allowed to call a customer more than an hour before the delivery slot and should do drops in order. Sainsburys are totally the opposite. You could ring the customer regardless and you could do your last drop first if okay with the customer. Ocado was so strict and Sainsburys the absolute opposite, even down to not loading the van so the weight is spread evenly

I agree. Ocado have got quite bad recently for early delivery. If I'm home and it's covenient I will accept the slot but often I can't. They usually ring first but he other day one driver called two hours before the delivery slot. We were all out so I messaged that it wasn't possible that day. DH got home 20 minutes before the slot DH arrived home and the driver was sitting outside. He unpacked the order but DH said he was really grumpy. Maybe he had a long day but that's not our fault.

Might be a first world problem but this is the paid for service they offer and it is a bit annoying when it changes. I plan around the delivery time I have booked.

You pay three quid so you don’t have to get in the car and do your own shopping.

😂

Around here, we are surrounded by road works - I’m not surprised that they are often late. 🤷‍♀️

You find this comment bloody offensive?! Oh the irony…

You've been raging (maybe rage-baiting) through this thread accusing people of being arsey, whiney and rude to drivers when there’s no evidence of that and chucking in 😂😂😂 as though that makes your raging somehow lighthearted?

I think everyone is very clear on the extreme and bizarre view you have on the topic now, you can rest easy.

Mine (tesco) is hardly ever on time. Usually late and its an early slot too, 8-9am. I don’t bother complaining but make sure i’m not going anywhere straight after.

Ocado app gives you real time info on day of delivery so you can plan accordingly and the driver will call anyway. I can't get worked up about late / early delivery as I'm grateful about not having to do the horror of an instore shop.

If I know that my delivery will be time sensitive, I prefer to change slots.

advertised as open 10-4 & you had a jam packed day with other responsibilities, only to find it didn’t actually open until 11…? Same thing, no?!

No - 9.40 in your scenario.