Tesco piss-take!

[BoronationStreet]

This is a WIBU since I've already done it and now that I've calmed down, shame is creeping in.

I was meant to have a Tesco delivery tonight and 9 minutes before my delivery slot, a woman called from a mobile number and said they had a driver call in and my groceries would not be delivered.

Before I could respond she said that my groceries had already been packed and were ready for me to come use Click and Collect to pick them up.

I admit this immediately made me angry because if I wanted to go pick them up, I wouldn't have scheduled a delivery! Also the way she said it, as though it was basically the same thing as home delivery.

So I said no, I've got a toddler and I'm not getting back out and I'd rather reschedule the delivery for tomorrow in the same time slot. She sat there for an intentionally awkward pause then said she would try to do that but the only way to guarantee I got my groceries would be to come get them.

I said no, I'll take a delivery tomorrow night and she said "fine, I'll see what I can do and call you tomorrow to confirm." Then she hung up without letting me respond.

I sat there for a minute then got really really angry, so I called back and pretty much gave her an earful. 🙈

I don't even remember exactly what I said because I was just on auto pilot. I said it was an absolute pisstake to wait until my delivery slot to tell me they weren't coming when surely they knew for hours that they were short a driver. I told her I could have arranged to get them had I had more time and I also said her attitude was rude and instead of apologising and offering me choices, she just called and told me to come get my shit then got rude when I said no. At that point she interrupted me and said "I TOLD you I would try to get them rescheduled" and I said it was terrible customer service and I would be complaining to Tesco head office etc then hung up on her.

I didn't yell but I still feel embarrassed that I called her back and went off on her.

Should I feel bad? Or should I just find a more reliable home delivery service?

Sounds like you took it out on the wrong person.

Yup you should feel embarrassed, you took it out on the messenger it was not her fault that someone had called in sick.

Agree. She's probably sick of having people go off on her and wants to tell you to fuck off but she needs to pay her rent.

You're not alone, this happened to me about four weeks ago. They actually waited until 30 minutes into my timeslot to call and tell me that my delivery wouldn't be coming due to a shortage of drivers, and unfortunately there was nothing they could do to help.

I politely (!) pointed out that that there were a few things they could do, such as re-scheduling me to the afternoon deliveries, or sending my shopping out from the store in a taxi to my home address. Unfortunately I couldn't get to the store to collect as I was on my own with our disabled son who was actually waiting on food in the delivery for his lunch (he wasn't, but you know ....)

Funnily enough, they managed to get the delivery out to me only 3 hours later at the end of the morning deliveries by offering overtime to one of the drivers to do so. I was correct, there was something they could do to help.

Unfortunately these things happen. If a driver has let them down theres not much thet can do. Similar happened to me a while back. I reluctantly went to pick the stuff up. I got a free bottle of wine and double club card points out of it mind you so that softened the blow.

I cant totally understand you being annoyed but you've taken it out on the wrong person.

Yes you could swap to another place for delivery but nowhere is perfect.

YANBU to be annoyed or to insist on redelivery. That's perfectly reasonable.

YWBVU to ring her back and shout at her. She's already trying to get the slot rescheduled. That's literally all she can do. That's her job, not listening to abuse from customers.

No way you called back and spoke to the same person from a call centre, it doesn't work that way. This is a little fantasy about what you WISH you'd done but of course you didn't do at all.

Poor woman. It wasn't her fault.

Jizelle- it was a mobile number? (And love your user name!!🤣)

Anyway yabu but you know that! I’ve been known to lose my calm at times could you somehow apologise?

OP: "a woman called from a mobile number ".

It wasn't a call centre number so perfect feasible that OP spoke to the same person.

OP - YWNBU. Until people speak out and complain, we'll continue to get bad service.

I've heard of this happening alot with Tesco recently. Wonder if there is bigger problems?
Hope you get your shopping OP.

YANBU.
If she'd been apologetic and accommodating (as she should have been because the issue was their end), you wouldn't have called back and let rip. They were in the wrong as she should have been polite about it, not rude and unhelpful.
Tesco should have a general customer services number for follow up.

Tesco are awful for this thing. Consistently miss the delivery deadline. Numerous texts pushing the time slot back. We have so many bad experiences. One time they came late and realised they didn’t have the fresh food, only cupboard. The delivery driver initially said they would just refund the fridge stuff but we were due to go on holiday the next day and we wanted the food. In the end we had to phone he customer helpline and negotiate for someone to deliver the fridge stuff. We had to stay up to 10pm for a driver to come back with the fridge items. They didn’t even offer any sort of compensation so I called them and complained when we got back from holiday and they offered to refund that months’ delivery charge (which was something like £4). Not very impressed.
Having said that, I wouldn’t have shouted at the person on the phone. As people above say above, it’s not their fault.

I think Tesco are brilliant. Their customer service is excellent. I once had an issue and they bent over backwards to correct it. Where as Asda I’ve had that many problems and they never give a shit.

You took offence at nothing. Then you made it worse by being ridiculously angry. Probably the Tesco woman was very busy or just a bit short.You are completely out of order.

I hate this sort of thing in our society. It's totally rude of you. Be cool and be firm. You were rude and aggressive totally needlessly.
The person on the end of the phone is a human being. Did you know that? She was only terse and professional. if she was terse that is.Probably you just are so touchy it's untrue.

Whether or not it was Tesco lady’s fault, her job is front line customer service and dealing with disappointed customers is the job.

The call should have begun with massive apologies and contained options for the customer, with a promise of something (money off the delivery or future deliveries, for example). It should have ended with anything other than “I’ll see what I can do” and a hang up. That’s shoddy.

All employees represent the organisation. It doesn’t matter if OP took it out on the wrong person. It doesn’t matter if it’s the delivery person who let down the company. It doesn’t matter if this poor woman needs to pay her rent (what a fucking assumption, dripping with condescension!).

Tesco (ffs, of all companies to feel sorry for), could have had a placated customer; instead, they have someone who has relayed their inefficiency to an international public forum. Not a win.

If you made a conscious decision to call back your aggression and rudeness were deliberate. YABU.

I wouldn't be surprised if many of the drivers have quit or are injured due to the carrier bag changes, they are probably having to do a lot of juggling around.

YABU

Taking your anger out on the person you want to help you is never a good idea!

YABU. The delivery driver could have called in sick at very short notice or gone home from their shift because they were taken ill. They offered you collection or rescheduled delivery.

The person you had a go at is probably paid minimum wage and has no control over the situation.

Blimey.

Why do people think it's acceptable to be so rude?

Completely agree with @StabMeReapers.

Tesco do call you from mobile numbers, I've had this many times.

Also like a PP has said they would have known way before they contacted OP that they were a delivery driver short.

Not good to lose your temper. But I agree, Tesco don't handle delivery cancellations at all well. I've never been asked to collect what was supposed to be delivered, but every time a delivery has been cancelled it's not rescheduled - I have to redo the order online myself.

Tesco really messed up and deserve to get a complaint from you regarding the delivery cancellation. But being overly rude to with women who had hardly any control over the situation was just unkind. She's probably used to angry and rude customers, but it's embarrassing to be one of them. There are other ways to sort out these issues.
It can't be nice to be one of the reasons this woman's probably sat at home recovering from a shitty, shitty day at work.

Hmmm so someone has to repick your order tomorrow and another customer has to be told her order won't be delivered at the time she chose because you can't be unconvinced..