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Original poster

Grocery Pickers in Tesco

135 replies

BeachTree · 13/02/2022 22:23

I try to do one shop a week to avoid the crowds and avoid covid. Yesterday in Tesco it was unbearably busy but I noticed just how many online grocery picking staff were in the aisles and on more than one occasion blocking the aisle. As if shopping wasn't unpleasant enough already, we've got these to contend with now (I realise they are just doing their job and obviously there is a huge increase in online shopping since the start of the pandemic, but still....)

OP posts:
SpilltheTea · 14/02/2022 12:44

What do you expect on a weekend? You could just say 'Excuse me please'. It's not complicated.

CornishGem1975 · 14/02/2022 12:48

Ah interesting @swampytiggaa I switched from Morrisons to Asda because I couldn't get a delivery slot anymore!

Rosebel · 14/02/2022 13:29

Asda is up to 10 orders per pick now. Although yes it's split between ambient, chilled and frozen.
I love the idea of doing picking when the store is shut, when are the shelves meant to be filled?
We don't do it to annoy you, it's a job. Don't know about other supermarkets but all the ones round here don't have pickers after 6 at night (or if they do it's about one or two). Go then.

EvilPea · 14/02/2022 13:33

I’m a lidl / aldi shopper mainly.
But do occasional bits elsewhere. Some pickers are mindful and treat you with courtesy (as I treat them), others seem to see you as an inconvenience and barge you out the way. I know they are timed I know they have a deadline. But a little courtesy goes a long way.

IcedPurple · 14/02/2022 13:51

You want to avoid crowds, so you went to Tesco's on a Saturday?

Yes, that makes perfect sense.

HappyDays40 · 14/02/2022 13:58

Weird thing to be bothered about what would you have them do magic it out of thin air?

Hillarious · 14/02/2022 14:18

I've swapped the store I shop at because of the pickers. The larger trolleys they use block up the aisles, and because they're picking for a number of customers, they don't move on so quickly from an area and you can stand there ages waiting for them to finish and move on. Yes, you can say "excuse me", but as their general awareness of other customers around them and the way in which your "ordinary" shopper moves on when the realise others are waiting seems to be lacking. With the pickers in store, it's more like shopping in warehouse conditions.

Moonface123 · 14/02/2022 14:47

We have a night team of 200 night staff, our isles are full of cages at night with stock to go out, this is why pickers can't pick at night, when we had to start picking at 2.00am because of covid, world war three broke out between the staff trying to fill shelves and pickers taking it off, plus there was no room to move. It is as much a problem for the pickers as customers as we are timed, and that is why the staff turnover is so high, imagine trying to fight your way around a very crowded store everyday for hours on end, we get alot of hostility from the customers, sunday is my favourite shift as store doesnt open until 9.30 am, its the only time we can get round in peace. They wont move pickers to a seperate place to pick as the building would only be used for a few hours, and insurance very high, supermarkets are looking more towards going solely online, and using more delivery services and click and collect options.

swampytiggaa · 14/02/2022 14:54

@Moonface123 I nearly cried one shift just before Christmas. I was hemmed in with shoppers who thought that was the ideal time to come to the supermarket as a family of 6. I was 7 hours into a 4 hour shift and had people keep asking me where stuff was. First time since I started in March 2020 that I considered just walking out.

My daughter is 18 and started part time as a picker in December so this was her first experience of doing the job. She’s obviously tough because she’s still there 😂😂

I absolutely love working Sundays 😊 best day of the week

PrivateHall · 14/02/2022 14:59

I always make an effort to dodge out of their way because I assume they have to meet certain targets, time wise. It is a thankless job, I really can't believe you are complaining about them. As others have said, you need to try harder to shop at quiet times if you don't like it.

Onlyforcake · 14/02/2022 15:02

There is a certain amount of chat (help bob, i can't see X where is it?; Did you see the rota, was X on on Friday?, Have you had your break yet? Hi, how's things?) These are chats I've overheard and quite honestly they're not time consuming and they are colleagues - it's hardly objectionable whole families blocking aisles still pisses me off, but they're other customers so what can you do?!

It's a shop. It's a given noone wants to be there very long. Just go to the calm place and get it over with.

the80sweregreat · 14/02/2022 15:05

The 'click and collect ' at our local big supermarket isn't that well used ; I go there at different times and days etc and mostly they all seem to be sitting around or it's just an area of the car park roped off without any cars there at all. The actual store itself is always heaving.
I don't think it's as popular as the deliveries to your door, but that is only one store out of hundreds of course
I've never used that option myself , if I have had it delivered to my door it's been fine but I prefer to do my own shop myself while I still can!
I can't see them doing away with traditional store shopping for a long time but who knows? Self scanners have also done away with a few employees too I guess . It's always about saving them money.

Mummywantsaweewee · 14/02/2022 15:11

I once worked as a picker for Tesco. They do 6 trays at once so usually 6 customer orders and each picker sticks to one dept e.g gathering chilled and frozen goods for 6 orders. They are timed - if you’re fast your screen is blue or green, slow and it goes amber then red. One picker is doing 6 persons shopping in chilled and another picker doing 6 persons shopping in ambient for example. They are more efficient than actually having 6 people in physically shopping as the machines tell them exactly where each item is and groups them into aisles.
As for avoiding covid… imo think everyone’s immune system can benefit from a bit of germ exposure by now and if you’re that concerned why not use online shopping?

CandyLeBonBon · 14/02/2022 15:20

@EvilPea

I’m a lidl / aldi shopper mainly. But do occasional bits elsewhere. Some pickers are mindful and treat you with courtesy (as I treat them), others seem to see you as an inconvenience and barge you out the way. I know they are timed I know they have a deadline. But a little courtesy goes a long way.
Are they ACTUALLY barging you out of the way? With their trolley? Because if they did that, they'd get the sack!

Or do you mean they are walking with purpose around the store, trying to get their job done, and you sometimes have to move out of the way?

If it's the former, report them because actually barging someone out of their way is dangerous. If it's the former, stop using overly dramatic language to describe what is probably nowhere near as dramatic as you've described.

Rosebel · 14/02/2022 15:30

It is a horrible job. We start picking at 3 and rows frequently break out between pickers and night staff. Then the night staff leave and customers arrive so we have no clear window when we can just pick.
It's a job that causes me massive stress and anxiety. I'm applying for any other job that comes up as I know if I don't I will likely end up screaming fuck off to my manager when he moans about my pick rate.
To give you an idea of how awful it is I've been there three years and at least 50 staff have come and gone in that time.
Don't hate us, the job is bad enough already.

cherryonthecakes · 14/02/2022 15:39

Thank you to all the pickers out there. I was an online shopper pre-pandemic too and I'm very grateful.

I get out of the way of pickers because I assume that they are going to pick up the item, scan and move onto the next thing. Some people like to umm and uhh which is annoying.

Saturday is the busiest day of the week so I don't understand why you'd go then if you wanted a quiet shop. Go at an unpopular time and you'll be in and out fast.

the80sweregreat · 14/02/2022 15:43

I appreciate all you retail staff!
Dh and I had to both isolate before xmas and we had two orders delivered, well picked and delivered on time.
Lockdown must have been hell and I know how hard that job is mentally and physically too. Customers can be awful and managers even worse too sometimes I bet
I don't think any of you earn enough considering the huge profits these places make as well.
Thanks for keeping the stores going.

MalcolmTuckersBollockingface · 14/02/2022 15:55

As a teenager I was a picker for a well-known catalogue. I worked in a warehouse and that was not for the faint-hearted. I cannot imagine what it must be like to do the same job in a busy environment like a supermarket. I tend to cut the pickers a bit of slack because they are most likely on a time limit.

Customers who sprawl themselves, and their trolleys, all over the whole aisle while seemingly having no awareness of anyone else in the vicinity, are my personal bugbear.

Fluffycloudland77 · 14/02/2022 16:05

Yes but co-op prides itself on being the worst shop of all time ever. I believe that's its main strategic objective.

They also manage to be simultaneously the most expensive yet scummiest shop as well. Quite a talent.

I can tell my hometowns going down the shitter by the sheer number of co-ops springing up.

BrickingIt44 · 14/02/2022 16:06

YANBU They take up the entire aisle and are bloody irritating! They always get tetchy if I ask them to move their carts so I can get through with my trolley.

the80sweregreat · 14/02/2022 16:15

I quite like the co op. Good choice of wines and pleasant music too , a decent baguette can be bought out of there as well. It's Cheaper than the Sainsbury's local.
It's just a shame it's not that close to me or I'd use it more often.

OnlyAFleshWound · 14/02/2022 16:41

@the80sweregreat

I quite like the co op. Good choice of wines and pleasant music too , a decent baguette can be bought out of there as well. It's Cheaper than the Sainsbury's local. It's just a shame it's not that close to me or I'd use it more often.
Co-op's stand-out feature is the ability to create an almost infinitely long and slow queue out of thin air, even when there are almost no customers in the shop.

They are helped in this quest by having self-service tills that literally just don't work at all.

They also manage to be the opposite of those magical corner shops that are 10 sq m and yet have anything you might need. Go in there for a specific item and chances are you won't get it.

One of my local Co-ops got taken over by an independent retailer recently and I cannot believe how much better they are doing with the same space and essentially the same set-up. They have an in-store butcher, huge deli section, brilliant fresh fruit and veg, massive booze section, etc.

Plus it always smells like someone's been sick in there and they haven't cleaned it properly. Probably because someone's been sick in there and they haven't cleaned it properly.

the80sweregreat · 14/02/2022 16:46

Oh dear re the co op !! Lol 😂
I don't go that often, but when I have been it's been ok. Our very local one became ' Nica ' about 14 years ago now which is ok , but the Sainsbury's local is much more popular than they are. I think people prefer a brand store even if it is more expensive. It is a little gold mine.

the80sweregreat · 14/02/2022 16:53

Nisa rather !

the80sweregreat · 14/02/2022 16:54

I do love a Mumsnet ' top ten ' of the various supermarkets! Nobody has done that thread for a while now..