To expect online food shops to arrive within allocated time?

[morningtrain]

What’s the point if they don’t?! The last few I’ve had from both Ocado & Tesco have either been early or late..& not by minutes. Currently waiting for one that was booked 7-8pm. Previously had driver waiting outside when he arrived an hour early & we weren’t home too.. It’s infuriating.

Tesco are usually pretty good but tonight's delivery, booked for 9-10pm, was sat waiting when I arrived home at 8.35pm and knocked at 8.40pm. Muttered something about cancellations when said he was early. Barely got a thank you.

I agree. Plus or minus 10 mins isnt the end of the world usually but anything more is annoying.

Obviously occasionally something will happen like a broken down vehicle that knocks everything off but it shouldn't be regular.

Fucking hell. Some of you live in an absolute bubble of privilege, don’t you? I’m not talking about money, but the complete lack of understanding that some people have really difficult jobs because they work for big companies who come up with these fantastic new ways to make money, that someone on a minimal wage has to ensure actually happens. Try getting an hour delivery slot from any courier company a week in advance. It won’t happen because it’s bloody difficult. Why do you think supermarket delivery drivers won’t face similar problems?

You’ve surely noticed the variable nature of traffic, the increased amount of roadworks and the number of new estates springing up everywhere (It can take anywhere from two months to two years to appear on some Sat Nav systems). That’s without customers demanding that delivery drivers climb three flights of stairs to bring the shopping to their flat door, or fucking about with substitutions and wanting to check the use by dates of everything before they accept it.

tonight's delivery, booked for 9-10pm, was sat waiting when I arrived home at 8.35pm and knocked at 8.40pm. Muttered something about cancellations when said he was early So the driver is lucky enough to have light traffic and easy customers before he got to you and tried his luck five minutes after seeing you walk through your door? God forbid he try and get ahead of himself so everyone gets their shopping and he gets to go home within half an hour of his actual finish time. It’s not like he dumped it on your door step while you were still out and drove off! Barely got a thank you 😂 For what? Why would he be thanking you? He’s delivered your shopping and dealt with you whining about him being early. You should be thanking him!

Calm down dear (said from inside my bubble). We all have stuff to deal with.

Privilege?! We pay for a service, where’s the privilege there? I am not blaming the drivers & never complain to them directly.. it’s the companies I take issue with - they shouldn’t take a fee for a service they can’t fulfill & they shouldn’t offer such precise slots if they can’t keep to them.

There’s zero consideration for anyone else though, isn’t there? You very clearly don’t give a shit about what the driver is dealing with, just so long as they don’t inconvenience you by bringing your shopping 20 minutes early.

Bit of a ridiculous overreaction @TheFormerMrsTruelove…

I agree with you OP - the advertised service is within the slot picked. There’s a big difference between blocking out an hour when you’re working from home vs being available for a 3-4hr stretch. And not just work - we all live busy lives and so the slot fits around mealtimes, kids activities, travel etc. It can be really bloody annoying when they just assume you can take it outside of this time. And if they do unload all your shopping including all the frozen stuff only for you not to be at home or unable to answer the door that’s a bit shit.

I don’t think this is “living within a bubble of privilege” I think it’s expecting to get what is advertised / paid for - shock horror. Obviously sometimes there are unavoidable issues but these should be occasional not standard service.

Traffic. Road works. Vehicle breakdowns. Bad weather.

The list is endless...

I use Morrisons and they always phone and check if it's okay to deliver early. Very rarely do they deliver late.

Tesco delivery policy states the driver can arrive up to an hour early.

Oh do give over. You pay three quid so you don’t have to get in the car and do your own shopping. The privilege is being able to do that while having zero concept that some poor sod has to work really hard against factors that are completely beyond their control to ensure they don’t arrive too late or, God forbid, too early, and knowing that if they do arrive a bit late, someone like you will complain to their bosses and get them moaned at for failing to meet their targets.

I find Ocado are usually pretty good and will ring me if they’re early. On the odd occasion I’ve been out when they’re early, they’ve had to wait.

They usually let me know if they’re running late, but to be fair, it hasn’t happens often, and although I agree you pay for a slot, traffic happens.

However, over an hour late, especially if they haven’t informed you (eg motorway accident causing gridlock locally etc) is infuriating and I agree that if you book a slot, then they should adhere to it, within reason.

Sorry no idea why or how I’ve posted the same comment over & over! Twice!

Sainsbury's are good round here and have rarely been late (so clearly it is possible), and when they have been they send a message. If they're early they usually ring and ask if they can come. The only one that annoyed me was the one that came early and then got pissy when I said I wasn't in.

My last one came about 30 mins early. I'd just walked through the door and taken my shoes off when it arrived!

I did ask the driver what slot I'd booked as I thought I'd made a mistake. He said no he was early but he was rushing through his deliveries as the next area he was going to has a fantastic chippy. He was craving food from there and wanted to get there before it closed. Can't really complain about that can I? 😂

Wasn’t there another thread whereby someone’s ‘next day’ delivery hadn’t arrived next day, and the majority of people agreed that if she paid for this service, then that’s what should have been delivered. Surely this is a similar principle.

Obviously accidents etc can cause delays, but a simple telephone call can explain the situation to the recipient, and then they can choose to wait, or have the order re-scheduled.

We only use Tesco from time to time and always found they arrive within the allotted time slot. Occasionally they have rung and said they were early or running late which is ok because they’ve warned me.
I have a lot of time for them as it’s a stressful job with lots of unknowns for them with traffic and weather ( in winter)

It’s not an over reaction at all. You have no idea of how difficult their job can be and how much of it is completely out of their control. And you’re moaning because your £3 hasn’t brought you the sufficient amount of convenience you require? 😂 You’ve already had someone pick and pack your shopping for you so you don’t have to do it yourself, and now you’re getting arsey with some poor sod because they've had a day of traffic jams, new estates and dickhead customers and your shopping is a bit late?

I just assumed you felt very, very strongly about it 😂

@TheFormerMrsTruelovesounds like you feel online shopping is a privilege.. some people can’t get out to the shops of course. However, assuming you are one of those who can & does, how would you feel if you got there at 10am as it was advertised as open 10-4 & you had a jam packed day with other responsibilities, only to find it didn’t actually open until 11…? Same thing, no?!

Why are you making this about the driver?

If the supermarket got my custom by promising x service at y price but then often can't deliver on this promise then it is reasonable to be dissatisfied.

I might a) complain to them b) try a different retailer to see if they can do it. I wouldn't blame the driver (not least because I would assume it was a scheduling/logistics/resourcing issue)

I think I’ve only had this twice with Sainsbury’s and both were due to van break downs. Absolutely nothing to be done there obviously. If the driver is in the area early they will call me and if I can be home early I will so they can get on with their day.

No, I don’t feel like on line shopping is a privilege. I think sitting on your sofa whining about your shopping being picked, packed and delivered for you earlier or later than you were expecting, without any comprehension of what the drivers are having to work around, and for a bit of shrapnel, is a privilege.

I’m not one of those who can or does anymore. But no, I don’t think it’s the same thing at all. But if I did turn up at a supermarket to find it wasn’t open until an hour later than normal, I’d assume that they’d have a bloody good reason for that because supermarkets won’t lose an hour of shopping time unless there is absolutely no other choice.

People who think it's a privilege to get online shopping... 🍿

I've been using Tesco home delivery for at least 6 years. My delivery has been late once in that time and I was advised by phone.
It's also only been early twice and the driver phoned to ask if that was OK. So no issues here.