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.

Ocado and Tesco phone or text too. OP is BU. You don’t have to accept an early delivery.

Communication is key.
I get deliveries from Sainsbury's and I have had them delivered 2+ h early and 10-15minutes late

The time they were 2h early I had a phone call saying they were on my estate and ahead of time so could was I at home if they were to drop my shopping off early. I was so they did.

Whenever they have been late I have had a text to say they were running behind and will be with me as soon as possible but possibly 5-15 minutes late.

We stopped using Ocado for a while when my son was tiny because they kept coming very early. I did end up complaining about it because it happened every single time. Ocado are meant to phone to ask if they could come early, but often ours didn’t. And when they did call, one of them was really arsey that I said no.

Being late, I don’t mind as it can’t be helped. Poor communication about it would annoy me though. I also don’t mind asking if you can come early, as long as you accept a no.

@youdon tyhank you for taking the extra time to help customers ....its always appreciated

When I lived in London Ocada would usually be early if I was in this was never an issue. Delivery driver would also ask if he could have his break in the residents' car park again no issue. Always offered him a drink and use of the loo.

If you are at home I don't see an issue. Can the butler not get it for you?

If I have a work meeting I am not free, even if I'm physically in the house. It's not being princessy to not be available at a time you've not said you're available.

I expect the supermarkets have benefitted from more people WFH as they can get more custom during the day and there is less pressure on the evening slots.

So if the postie/courier comes with a large parcel ordered by someone in your household what do they do?

Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’re available…some of us work from home and if we’re on a video call we can’t just run off to the door. I’ve had Ocado drivers that have loomed up at the window and banged on it because they can see me inside and are up to an hour early. Having already unloaded presumptuously so my frozen stuff is defrosting and I can’t open the door.

I’ve also had an early arrival just as I’ve dished up dinner - so while I then waited for them to unload my dinner went cold / the family ate without me.

I would add I didn’t say no, I still took the delivery, but I think expecting me to so they can clock off early is way more entitled than me to expecting it to come at the booked time. In my humble opinion of course.

If that makes me privileged or suggests I have a butler okay…(wtaf)

I don’t answer the door. Either they leave on doorstep or take away just as would be the case if I was attending that meeting physically in the office.

I usually try to order stuff that needs to be signed for for Mondays and Fridays when DH is also in the house.

If that's not possible/he has a meeting at the exact same time as me, I would excuse myself for a moment.

But that's a lot quicker than getting in the shopping and putting the refrigerated items away, and would probably be every couple of months at most, whereas groceries are weekly.

I was replying to a thread sharing the experience we had this weekend with our shopping delivery. I didn’t quote or @ you.

We've been shopping online with Tesco since 2000. Throughout that time, they have probably been late on 30 occasions and early a similar number of times. The worst time for lateness was when they switched our deliveries from a local store to a dedicated online only depot. This is about 40 minutes away on the M25. They were often caught out by hold ups on the motorway and there really isn't an alternative route for them. The worst individual late issues were during COVID when they had a couple of system failures which meant deliveries were delayed by hours and in one case, until the following day. However, they always kept us informed. If they are early they phone or knock to see if it's ok and on the rare occasion it isn't, they are happy to sit and wait.
With somewhere in the region of 6000+ deliveries a day, it's inevitable some won't run exactly to time. Obviously other areas may have different challenges.

I have never had this issue and neither did my mother, except on one occasion when there was a blizzard.

I agree about time slots though. Just think that BT, Openreach and other utilities should do them as well.

our recent sainsbury’s deliveries have been a. absolute shit show. We got no delivery last thursday. when it finally arrived on friday and I explained that the driver was sick, the friday driver rolled his eyes and said it was a new driver and he phoned in to say he was tired. He suspected it was the torrential rain as he said two other drivers had gone home early. Yes, I know it’s a hard job, but you know, they have big old rain coats and they should just, you know, do their fucking job. Call me old fashioned.

I'll lower the tone, Iceland, brilliant. The tracker they send you is spot on. They will phone you if they can come early, but ut isn't a problem if you say no. The drivers are great. It's a shame I can't do a full shop there.

I normally find mine arrives within the allocated time. I use various shops and not loyal.

however 2 weeks ago Tesco arrived 45 mins early. I was still in the shower and DP in bed. Panic to get to the door.

Tesco did have a bad run a while ago when they seemed to be late every week. If early they usually call first and are fine about if I’m out and can’t meet them. And actually on the odd occasion I’ve been held up in traffic and they’ve called they’ve been pretty good about waiting considering they are on a tight schedule, so I give them grace. What I don’t like is when the app says ‘three stops away’ with an estimate which is way off. Once it was at least five stops away but the delivery estimate was within the next ten minutes! I think twice though they just haven’t shown up at all (broken down truck) and I wasn’t notified at all til I called customer service. That’s annoying.

This!

Totally agree with everything you’ve said.

The absolute entitlement of some people is fucking breathtaking.

Give your bloody heads a wobble. If it’s so bad go and get your fucking shopping yourself and let those who appreciate it have your slot.

apologies for wanting the service I’ve paid for to be reliable and on time.

Tesco is very good here. They have been late a couple of times and rang both times. One was a couple of hours late (rang me and sorted another time) and the other time they were early by about 20 minutes. That time the driver sat in the van and was waiting till the time slot. It was only when I went to the hall that I realised he was there.

When it's late it's usually sitting in the warehouse of Tesco or wherever in unsuitable conditions , picked hours before and then left out of the cold chain for hours and then in the van back in the cold chain it's appalling , I would avoid services like this at every opportunity.

Don't be so bloody stupid. Late deliveries are more understandable but what's the point of offering delivery slots then turning up early if the person you're delivering to isn't actually there.

I assume you - or someone in your family - is a delivery driver given your silly, hyperbolic response.

It's not COVID any more. There are enough slots for everyone.

Why is it shockingly entitled to want this particular service?
Do I also have to be grateful that the cinema shows the movie I've paid for, or that the restaurant has the right ingredients for a meal on their menu?

As long as you're not taking it out on the people who deliver these services (who obviously often isn't the one running the show) what's the issue?

I use the free 4 hour Ocado slots, they text in the morning the hour they will arrive and they are always within this.

Varies so much. I booked 9-1 economy slot to get an email at 8.30 saying it was cancelled because i wasn’t there to receive it at 8.20