To be puzzled that Tesco online 'don't do' customer service or contingency planning

[GrettaM]

I ordered a grocery shop online from Tesco to be delivered between 9 and 10 pm Friday. That evening I received two text messages each giving an estimated later time of delivery. The shopping was not delivered and I received no further messages as to why.

The next day I called Tesco online asking what had happened. The person said they didn't know, the manager was away and the delivery driver was't due in until that afternoon. I asked whether I could have the shopping delivered that day and was told I 'could book another delivery slot' for the next couple of days. I said that wasn't convenient and could I have a refund. I was told 'yes' but that would be done by the store and would take 3-5 working days. I said I wasn't happy with the level of service, and was offered a £5 voucher to spend on my next Tesco online shop and told the manager would call back later that day. Later that day I received a generic, anonymous email from Tesco online with no mention of my specific complaint, no confirmation that my money would be refunded, but simply offering the £5 voucher. The manager did not call back and that was that. No shopping, no acknowledgement of my problem and no confirmation my money would be refunded, as I had asked for.

I found the whole encounter with the person from Tesco online casual and 'not bothered'. I totally accept that problems happen but I was very surprised that there was no urgency from Tesco to rectify the problem given that my shopping had simply not turned up with no reason given. There was a sense in the conversation that 'you are only making a fuss to get money out of us'. I know some people do this and 'play the system' but not in my case. It was like 'here's a fiver, now go away'.

It really seemed like there were no systems or contingency planning in place for this happening. For instance, I would expect there to be some contingency to get an urgent delivery out to people who's shopping hadn't arrived. If a refund was requested I would also expect some sort of written acknowledgement of the problem and that the money was on its way. All in all I found Tesco to be lacking in systems, in terms of customer service and contingency planning.

This was only the 2nd time I had used Tesco online and after this experience I intend to return to shopping with another big supermarket online as I had used them successfully many times without a major problem like this. I had only used Tesco because of a particular product I liked but its not a deal breaker.

What I am puzzled about is that Tesco are giving off the attitude that they can afford to lose my business and they don't need my custom. I am not naive enough to think that Tesco really care about their customers but I would have thought it would be in their interest financially, reputationally etc to sort out these sorts of f-ups more efficiently. I can only assume that they can afford to lose customers in this way. I would be interested if there is anyone who knows more about retail etc could advise whether this is true. However I am aware that Tesco's profits have been down recently and wonder whether their attitude towards customers is anything to do with it.

Well, they can afford to lose your business. Their profits are down to over three billion pounds. You are 1 person. They can afford to lose your hundred and whatever quid and that of hundreds and hundreds more like you and not even notice it. This is mainly because they swap customers with those who are pissed off with asda for taking their money twice, leaving them overdrawn and not delivering the shopping and not giving a shit (yes asda you arseholes I am still mad). There is good service and shit service from the same companies. I don't think it necessarily means anything huge about the ethos of the company.

my experience of tesco is positive. On the few occasions I've needed to call them, the call centre worker has been helpful, they've phoned through to the driver, and everything's been sorted out to my satisfaction and they've called me afterwards to make sure it was sorted out and I was happy. I have never felt that there is no organisation or planning or anything like that. But 99% of the time, my shopping arrives on time and with everything there.

There will be lots of people like me, who use tesco with no problems at all but wouldn't touch asda again with a ten foot bargepole. There will be lots of people like you, who feel that way about tesco but had a fine time with the other company.

I'm not really sure it means anything about any of them other than sometimes a company is a bit shit.

I've had a few issues with Tesco online. However, I've always called when the problem occurred and it might be that because you didn't call till the next day that they were unsure how to move it forward. There's a definite disconnect between the online/call centre staff and the staff in store.

To share my experience, when some of my shopping wasn't delivered. I called the online number. They contacted the store. The store manager called me back within 10 minutes then he phoned the driver. Then the store manager called me back again to say the shopping was in the van and they rearranged the delivery with me so that it arrived within the next hour. I'd expect if you had called when the delivery didn't arrive then they would have offered the same service.

I find they're always very quick to offer a refund and it's simply transferred back into your account.

By the next day, it's possible there was a different driver and a different in-store manager, so it's more difficult for them to establish what exactly happened with your shopping from the previous night. Depending on when you called, their drivers may have already left with their deliveries for the day which does make it difficult for them to schedule in an impromptu delivery as they would have had to repicked and repacked, and asked the driver to return to store, and rescheduled the other deliveries for the day. I think logistically that would be a nightmare to manage, so it's definitely easier to just offer a refund and another slot.

BookABooSue - appreciate your point about calling that day. The final text message from Tesco that day gave a new estimated delivery time of '23:11' - and I must admit I eventually went to bed and forgot about the shopping. Young baby not sleeping, tired etc.

Vitalstatistix - yes, all of what you say is true I should think. Sorry to hear about your Asda problems.

I don't use Tesco for online food orders any more. 3 or 4 years ago they cancelled my order without telling me. I waited for hours for it, putting it down to traffic etc even though it was a Sunday. When I finally made phone contact with them they blithely said they'd cancelled my order but they'd give me 10 voucher for my next shop. It was a Sunday so there was nowhere else to go and get my shopping. They had my money so I couldn't actually afford to shop elsewhere anyway. There were specific reasons why I needed the order to come that day. It was thoroughly inconvenient and they just thought a voucher would make it ok. The most annoying thing was, they KNEW hours earlier that they wouldn't be coming. Had they informed me, I would have been annoyed, but I could have done something about it - hard as it would have been I would have had options like borrowing the money from my mum and running to another shop. I understand that from time to time things will go wrong but it was the complete disregard for me that threw me.

Tesco did this to me one Easter when I was going away and had specifically ordered my food shopping to pack straight in the car and get off.

Although I ordered it online, they were adamant I had to sort it out directly with my local shop. I argued I didn't order it from the local shop so why should it be down to me to make alternative arrangements with them. As it was Easter Monday the day after, they couldn't re-deliver and sent me the apologetic £5 voucher which I sent back. The reason they gave me for not delivering was that the driver had finished his hours before my delivery so just took it back to the depot. Unbelievable.

I never, and never would, shop with Tesco online again. I changed to Sainsbury's and haven't had a single problem.

Fortheloveof01 - I also use Sainsburys online and I have never had any problems with them. So I will be returning to them. I would add that I was inundated with marketing emails from Tesco plus emails urging me to order from them, until I turned off the emails. Annoying when they can put so much effort into sending unwanted emails but not wanted customer service.

Sounds very like my experience of Tesco GrettaM! I use Tesco regularly as works best for me for various reasons (deliver to kitchen not just front door, will deliver without bags, clubcard points, etc)

However I find their "customer services" shocking. I have had several issues with my shopping not being delivered and the call centre response was pretty much "I don't care and I can't be bothered to find out more".

Once I received a text ten minutes before my order was due to be delivered advising me my order had been cancelled and that I would need to place another order for another day with no explanation.

Almost every week there is something wrong with my order - usually out of date or about to expire items despite my notes specifically asking for long dated items.

They do refund me but I always feel like I am a pain to ask!

The delivery drivers are generally lovely though./

Tesco once cancelled my Christmas. Delivery did come but minus everything needed to cook Christmas dinner! I have never used them since.

Tesco don't give a stuff about their customers. I hope that people desert them in their droves and they get a big wake up call.

I complained about their clubcard vouchers not being accepted on the products stated on the vouchers and they basically sent a 'tough shit' reply.

There really isn't a reason to use them unless you have no other choice. Their own brand products are terrible quality and they are generally more expensive than everywhere else except Waitrose/Ocado.

The last time I used Tesco online the delivery driver decided he couldn't find my house (funny as he'd had no problem delivering the week before) and took my shopping back to the store. After lots of to-ing and fro-ing with customer services I had to get DH to go and pick the shopping up after work (at midnight!) as we had no food in, and I couldn't afford to get another shop as I'd spend all my money on the online shop.

I won't do online grocery shopping now, not after the way I've been messed around by Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. I'd rather endure the actual shop.