Tesco delivery couldn’t bring shopping to my door

[anonforme7]

We live in a first floor new build (no lifts) and I have terrible sciatica, I’m almost 30 weeks pregnant.

I usually do the food shop and take the meat and fridge items up split in a couple of strong bags and DH will bring the rest in when he gets home from work so I’m not carrying much up the stairs.

We have our own business and he’s usually home by 5 as he leaves early however he is on a big job this week and isn’t home until gone 8pm so thought it would be easier to get a delivery instead of waiting hours for the rest of the shopping to come up.

Tesco delivery arrived this morning, I buzzed the door to let the driver in however he shouted up from the bottom of the stairs that I needed to come and get it.

I got down and explained I’m unable to carry shopping up the stairs due to my back and he said he couldn’t do anything about it, he’s got 6 open ulcers on his legs. I managed to convince my 2 year old to sit in her cot with some books for 10 minutes and went downstairs with bags.

He’d opened up a camping chair and had sat at the bottom with the crates piled up, I felt sorry for him as he was clearly in pain and you could see fluid leaking through his dressings, it smelled really really bad.

Luckily we only share the entrance with one other and I text her to say to be careful when she got home from work as I’d left some heavy bottles, family pack of laundry conditioner etc at the bottom of the stairs (she actually bought these up to me when she got home which was lovely of her).

The whole reason I got an online shop was to avoid carrying up the stairs, I’m tempted to put a complaint in but I don’t want to get him in trouble. He is clearly unwell, I don’t know how he is driving to be honest.

Will I get him into trouble if I complain as that’s not the intention? I just think what if this was an elderly person who physically could not possibly bring any shopping up stairs.

I don't mean this to sound heartless, but if your driver was medically unfit to bring them to your door, then he should not be working in that state. Many people who use these delivery services, do so because of disabilities, or illness, or in your case sciatica and heavily pregnant. That was the reason behind requiring the delivery service. So, yes, you absolutely should raise this, and the BB date issue with customer service. Make it clear that you're not complaining against the driver personally, but it's not acceptable that you've booked the delivery to your door and they've not been able to do it, due to no issue with safety or impracticality of your building.

Ocado drivers are super helpful, you get what you pay for ;).
I also use Sainsbury's- but their ahopping is not bagged so a real pita.
Morrisons are also good.
Tesco - shite ;) imho
Never used Asda.

He should have delivered to your front door. A (young and fit) delivery driver tried to avoid delivering to my front door of my first floor flat once because my neighbours pram made it “unsafe to do so”. I moved the pram and said there you go you can bring it up now! Your delivery driver should be off sick, so I’d complain. It might help him get some paid sick leave :/

My toddler walks up and down the stairs holding an adults hand and I’ve got a baby carrier for the baby. I’ve never had a pram indoors, it’s always stayed in the car so this isn’t an issue.

Thanks all for your input, will put it on the feedback form instead of a complaint. Will send photos of the items with a best before date of today through to customer service.

My Tesco drivers bring it in to the kitchen and help me unpack. Always every time never had an issue. This poor chap sounds like he could do with time off.

They also say this…

For deliveries to a residential apartment block, we will generally deliver to the front door of your apartment. However, we reserve the right to deliver only to the main entrance of the property if the driver believes it is unsafe or not practical to deliver to your apartment front door.

I’ve been getting groceries delivered since 2013, in which time I’ve had 4 babies and SPD, slipped discs etc. I just assumed they couldn’t bring your shopping in. 🤷‍♀️ I just carted it up the stairs to the kitchen myself…albeit slowly. And I order monthly so about £400-500 of food.

I feel bad for the driver. He sounds like he’s in a much worse condition than you to be fair!

A quick google shows they do but depends on length of service and first 3 days may be unpaid.

https://www.google.com/search?q=do+tesco+staff+get+sick+pay&rlz=1CDGOYI_enGB897GB897&oq=do+tesco+staff+get+sick&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIQCAIQABiGAxiLAxiABBiKBTIQCAMQABiGAxiLAxiABBiKBTIKCAQQIRigARiLAzINCAUQABiLAxiABBiiBDINCAYQABiLAxiABBiiBDIKCAcQABiABBiiBDIKCAgQABiABBiiBNIBCDc1MDRqMWo5qAITsAIB4gMEGAEgX_EFOx6MkG7qlVk&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

I absolutely agree that he’s in a worse position than me and I stated that my complaint IS NOT about the driver himself, so I don’t really understand the tone of your comment.

Check Ocado (they now price match) they brought the shopping into my kitchen when I was pregnant.

Well, it was unfortunate but that specific staff member was clearly not medically capable of doing it.

You can contact them to mention ideally you need it delivered to your internal door. I just think it didn't happen this time because of that poor guy's illness.

If it was a massive block and you were twenty floors up, I don't think they'd just leave it by the communal front door?

But equally if you had a lift then the driver could probably have assisted more than he did.

Amazing, thank you. Price isn’t the issue to be honest, Tesco were the quickest delivery I could get so will look at Ocado in case I need to for the future.

I used to work for Waitrose and have always delivered to the front door of the property and I know all of the other drivers did too. However it does sound like this particular driver really shouldn’t be at work at this point. Feedback but not a complaint sounds like your best bet. It could possibly be that staff back at branch don’t know how bad his condition is and it might open up a conversation that helps him out.

Rubbish! It was made clear in the delivery that assistance would be required and tesco failed to provide it. No it might not be the drivers fault but it is the responsibility of the person coordinating the routes.

I would definitely be complaining. Sick of shitty customer service particularly for those of us who are ill or disabled. No we can’t all wait for a partner or someone else to be around - we don’t all have them. If assistance is required and asked for it should have been provided.

Well get use to it as more and more disabled people will be working soon

A lot of the "shitty customer service workers" are also ill and disabled

Yes ocado do that to every customer. I got a deal so used them for one shop and was shocked how professional, bags labeled and brought into the kitchen. If I had more money I'd use them all the time

I have back and heart problems and cannot lift stuff. I put this on the website when I order - it asks if there are any instructions for the driver. When they arrive they know they have to lift them into the house for me and they often stay and help me empty the crates.

Your poor driver sounds too ill to be working quite honestly.

was going to say the same as you.

THis is Tesco I am talking about above.

Tesco are notoriously bad for paying sick pay . Poor man and poor you OP. I wouldn't complain but l would get a click and collect order instead and get DH to pick it up on the way home .

There was nothing unsafe/impractical about delivering to her apartment, the driver wasn't medically fit for what sounds like a very standard delivery situation

It appears that it is down to the driver’s discretion though.

And they bring it right into the kitchen too. Price match with Tesco as well.