To expect Tesco delivery to be on time

[Mellowyellow222]

So I know this is a minor issue. But - I pay £4.50 for a one hour slot for my Tesco delivery.

About 50% of the time I get a call on my mobile about an hour earlier from a stroppy delivery driver telling me he is at my house and there is no one home. I remind them of the time of my delivery every single time and they still seem to think I am in the wrong.

I always try my best to be home half an hour before my slot, but my weekends are busy and I pay extra for the one hour slot for a reason.

Am I the only one this happens to - it’s the ride attitude that really gets me - as if I am in the wrong to not be home one hour before I ordered the delivery.

I had this problem with Sainsbury’s for a number of weeks. They couldn’t sort it, so I stopped shopping with them.

I agree OP. I started using Morrisons because of this issue with Tesco and never looked back. They are more sensible with subs as well.

I don’t mind them calling to ask if they can deliver early.if it’s convenient that’s fine.

If they get huffy when you say it’s not convenient that’s not on.

A note in the delivery section will work as suggested.

Complain. Their twitter customer service is good. I was all ready to say yabu but then saw you pay for the hour slot. So it's not acceptable for them to be rude about it if you aren't ready before then.

YANBU. It happens to me about 75% of the time with Morrisons, I book the 8pm-9pm slot as I don’t get home from work until half 6 then I’m putting DD to bed between 7-7:30. I don’t mind if they turn up after 7:30 but if it’s before 7:30 and I’m busy it’s very annoying. Definitely not unreasonable to ask them to wait/ come back. Like you say what’s the point in paying for a slot if they don’t come between them times!

Wondering how everyone on here would feel if they were the actual delivery people, with apologies to anyone who is.

You're not being unreasonable!

I book with Ocado & they're often early too but they always try to call to check if that's ok. I would be annoyed if they were rude when I said that wasn't possible for me.

Not acceptable if this is a regular issue. Change to a different provider.

I am with Ocado and they were only late maybe twice in 5 years!

The whole point of this service is that you pay for a specific slot of your convenience.

Absolutely bizarre that people think the OP should be the one changing their behaviour!

I used sainsburys and pay a yearly fee and can choose an hour slot. Very rately early or late but if they are going to be early they ring and ask me if its OK.
I do feel sorry for all shopping delivery drivers. They are doing their best under stressful conditions. They can't dictate how long it will take someone to sort their shopping on the doorstep.

YANBU. My Tesco delivery is often around 30 minutes early but only once has a driver called to ask if it’s okay if they deliver early.

I use the app and I’ve noticed in the last few weeks that it’s stopped giving the estimated 30 minute time slot once the delivery is on the way.

That is hugely unreasonable! I have sainsburys snd the rare occasion they are early they will call. Ive never knowm them an hr early and ive seen them park and up wait to be on time

I imagine it's very difficult for the delivery drivers to actually know exactly when each job is going to start or finish. We all know how unpredictable the traffic is and they don't know how long each customer is going to take with each delivery.

I'd say Tesco are in the wrong offering 1 hour delivery slots and charging extra for them. If they can't guarantee that they will achieve the 1 hour most of the time, which it clearly seems they can't. Then it shouldn't be on offer. 3 hour slots would seem more realistic. The poor drivers must be under a lot of pressure with this and it's not within their control.

However, if this happens regularly it would seem a bit pointless still booking and paying for a 1 hour delivery slot when you know it's probably not going to actually happen.

@Mellowyellow222 if you save up your Tesco vouchers you can triple their value and use it against delivery saver - my recent 6 month renewal cost me £1.44 by doing this

And YANBU complain to Tesco

Tesco deliveries are brilliant round here, despite being very rural area and 45 miles from the shop in which they make up the delivery.
Great timekeeping, rarely omissions or substitutions and helpful/ cheerful drivers.
I won't hear a word against them!

My Tesco delivery driver always delivers on time. Occasionally Sainsbury want to deliver 20/30 early but they always call.

I think you're unlucky. The Tesco delivery drivers in my area are fab. If they are early, they will wait or ring and ask if I mind.

Last week, one if the drivers was delivering and he mentioned he had another delivery down my small road in an hour's time. I asked him why didn't he just go and see if they were in now? He replied they weren't allowed to do that. It was frowned upon.
I've never had a rude or grumpy one! I've been using Tesco delivery for over 10 years in various areas of the country.

The point is that one hour slots are on offer to be purchased and people usually book them because that's when they are at home and/or available to take the order in.
Not everyone is sat around the house with nothing else to do than wait for the food shop to arrive.
I wouldn't be at all bothered if i got a call asking if i was available for an early delivery, but it shouldn't be expected just so the driver can clock off early.

If you are not happy with Tescos then try somebody else or click and collect.

Just get home an hour before

There are so many variables that can make a delivery late, I just can't bring myself to stress over it.

Asda is brill. £6 priority pass for a whole year. Within a 2 hour window. Never early nor ever late. Win win. Dates of food are good too.

Ours are doing this more and more in a Sunday evening delivery.

We’re home, but often eating dinner when they turn up without having rung beforehand. Once I’ve opened the door and they stood there with the crates of shopping I don’t like to turn them away (my issue, I know!)

If they’d only ring rather then just turn up I could ask for them to arrive within our booked slot.

@Chloemol

Just get home an hour before

or better, just free your schedule and wait at the door all day, how dare you not make yourself available for a 12 hours window when you pay for 1 hour slot 😂

Back in the real world, of course YANBU.
Drivers are the ones wasting THEIR time, too bad if they are grumpy. A friendly phone call asking if it's convenient earlier (or later) absolutely fine, turning up when you are not around just plain stupid.

Even when WFH, parents are not going to cancel the school run in case the driver turns up early, or give up on running errands just in case

It'd be nice if they were on time but, with the best will in the world, things like traffic, other customers & weather can have an effect on delivery schedules. If it bothers you so much, might be best to go back to getting your shopping in yourself.

I wonder if there could be improvements to the booking system, although I suppose there are so many variables about size of order, accessibility of property etc that it's hard to judge how long the drivers need for their slots.

We tend to book a 9-10pm slot or later so that the kids are asleep and I always assumed our problems came from it being a later slot. It seems that's not the case. I really don't mind being called and asked if it's convenient to take the delivery early, but sometimes they don't ring or I can't answer and to have someone hammering on the door and ringing the bell several times when I'm trying to sort the kids out is really disruptive. I don't think it should be happening when we have a note on our account about early deliveries.