Ocado are suspending their reserved order system

[Neednewwellies]

I’ve been using Ocado for 12yrs. We pay extra for a reserved pass. A week or so ago they emailed to say existing customers were priority and especially those with a reserved slot. Made a thing about supporting loyalty etc. Now today I’ve received an email telling me that not only is the delivering expecting tomorrow not coming but they’ve decided to suspend the reserved slots and it’s every (wo)man for themselves. Of course, there’s no slot available for weeks.
I’m angry and worried. Why not continue to prioritise those who have a set slot. Surely adding those thousands into the traffic of people desperately trying to get a slot will just make the situation worse? As soon as this is over I’ll be leaving them. No way will I continue to pay extra when they’ve behaved like this. How can they leave it until the day before to drop this on us? £150 a week plus the monthly fast pass fee to be treated like this. I wouldn’t even mind if they were on twitter holding their hands up but they’ve gone silent.

In fact I know it’s not as I know someone who had a delivery yesterday after booking that slot about 3wks ago.

I booked mine about a month ago and, as far as I am aware, it is arriving tomorrow. Who knows what I will receive though.

On the website they have said they have contacted customers who can bypass the queue and log in and order but I assume they are the 'vulnerable' customers?

Not unless you had an email. They do not have enough slots even for shielded group. They are prioritising.
Government has said shielded group should not go out the house at all. To be able to do that, they need food.

Those customers with equivalent reserved slots with Tesco seem to still be getting theirs so it seems that Ocado are simply not coping and worse as far as I’m concerned, not coping and hiding away.

But then I’m the parent who always punishes less for full disclosure Lying or hiding anything is always far worse than whatever you’ve done.

I’ve just had an email from Ocado stating that regular customers will be given different access to the slots to ensure they are more likely to get a delivery. Surely this is their way of compensating those who have lost their regular slot?

So I’ve just now received the other email that you’re all talking about mentioning suspension until the technical issues have been fixed. No mention of that will be 1wk or 3months. No explanation as to whether the technical issues are relating to allocation of slots to the vulnerable in which case I can expect it to be suspended until this is over or just an IT issue and thus it’s expected to be fixed within the week. Why can’t they just bloody communicate???

Those online slots should be focussing on the people whose lives depend on not contracting Coronavirus

That’s pretty much anyone now, did you see that 21 year old girl?

@FudgeBrownie2019, goodness, so that’s another email again. I’ve not received that one. What on Earth are they playing at?

I’ve had the same email as Fudge Brownie it says they will text or email starting tomorrow . To be honest zi can see their problem , there is a part of me that says they should just deliver to smart pass holders and vulnerable people but that’s probably not possible

@BubblyBarbara it really is not. The shielded group are at highest risk.

This could be the end of Ocado.

Like many, been a customer for 10+ years. They always had capacity before this, so if they had simply allocated slots to people based on their historical usage there would have been no issue.

Will be cancelling delivery pass, and never returning. Customer service is king, and companies should be ensuring they look after their loyal customers - all of them. If everyone had been allocated slots in proportion to their previous use then there would not be a single issue.

Just got an email from Ocado saying anytime smart pass members will get access to the priority queue.

Thank goodness. Does say members pre 2020 which is fair enough!

I also got the email that I'll be in a priority queue. Thank fuck for that. I'm not sure I agree with the supermarkets prioritizing delivery slots for the vulnerable. Sounds great in theory but how do they decide who's in the category. There's 400k volunteers to help them get their groceries. Plus, I think practically every town going has a FB volunteer group. How do they know if your vulnerable? What about key workers? I feel like after the vulnerable everyone will have a reason they should be so special as to have a slot. For instance, we don't have a car. So no delivery means we'd have go out to the shops pretty frequently and we are supposed to go as infrequently as possible! I saw someone today saying to try to limit it to once a fortnight.

@pinksauce so the very vulnerable elderly person that does one small online shop should have less access than you?

This is a difficult situation and fast changing. Not ideal they emailed you and said that but only to change it. But a lot has changed in a week. I have had a weekly Tesco slot for years now. I’ve decided I’m going to do click and collect only. I’m vulnerable but I do have a car so I’m leaving deliveries for those who don’t have cars or are too sick to drive. I think in this climate if you’re able to shop and not high risk you really should.

Really poor cancelling the day before though.

@alloutoffucks :Absolutely, companies need to be loyal to their base that helped them grow.

@pinksauce Well thankfully in a time of national crisis others do not agree and prioritise those who most need help.

I am further confused as I have had a text asking me to make all edits to my Sunday reserved order by tonight- the order that they claim not anyway to be delivering, but haven't cancelled so I cant even try and book a new delivery. I am fine with prioritising those in most need but I dont think this is at all what they are doing.

Ocado demonstrated they had no regard for their core customer base over the Adult Human Female billboard fiasco. They don't value the middle aged, middle class woman whose purchases make up the bulk of their income.

I hope they go under. Really poorly managed companies don't deserve to survive

I wouldn't like the way I'd sound if I started getting worked up over this. At the end of the day, you're saying that people with the wherewithal to pay for a reserved slot should go in front of people who really need the service. It's time for a bit more humility here.

The way I read the email is that if you just assume that your reserved order is going to come, you haven’t edited it or checked it’s there, you’ve not had a confirmation email then it’s not coming. I don’t read it as my next order which I have had confirmed for tomorrow is cancelled. But we will wait until tomorrow I guess.

Mine reserved slots have been cancelled for April. I'm a smart pass holder.

I'm a single parent in the shielded group who must remain at home. I'm on immunosuppressants and there is a high chance I will be seriously ill or die if I contract corona virus, so I can't risk going to the shops myself.

I am on the government list of vulnerable people and have emailed Ocado to tell them this but I guess they are mega busy with emails as I've not had a reply yet.

I know there are volunteer groups set up to fetch shopping but if I had a slot, I could remain independent and do my own shopping leaving the volunteer free to help someone in greater need.

@yorkshire You need to register at yougov.uk If you are in the shielded group and want access, you should have a letter before the 29th to tell you to do that.

@Barbie222, I have repeatedly said I understand the need to provide slots, including my slot, to those in the shielded community. I do not agree that those who just joined up in the last month and fo not fall into the vulnerable category should have equal access to slots as those with fast pass reserved slots. I work with someone who is a bit of a prepper and whose garage is basically chest freezers and cupboard space. She has enough provisions to see out the year. I made a point of editing my order to remove an unnecessary delivery of loo roll which under normal circumstances I’d have just left on there and shoved in the cupboard. I have been following the guidelines of just buying what I absolutely need and now I’m wishing I hadn’t trusted Ocado and just emptied the shelves at Tesco instead.

Ocado have been greedy - their communication has been shit - no excuse...takes minutes to send around an email, they have treate dtheir customers appallingly - I don't have an issue with losing my reserved slot to the vulnerable but I believe I have paid for that slot before this crisis - for 3 years and I have a right to it - unless it is needed for someone more vulnerable than I. Waitrose are stepping up on the online shopping - I'll be making the move after this - Ocado have been awful.

The vulnerable is weird.

My DH has received a letter. He finished caner treatment in February and is on treatment for high blood pressure and doesn't have a thyroid. he cant see how he hits the list

My DF is in the middle of cancer treatment and in his 80s but no letter, he also doesn't have a thyroid.