Sainsburys - update.

[SerendipityJane]

No email received, despite being carer to a vulnerable person. (Although Twitter reveals that some non-vulnerable people have got an email to their puzzlement).

Engaged for past 6 hours. (Yes, engaged. No queue).

Ignored on Facebook

Ignored on Twitter - where it transpires a lot of people are having issues with this. I'm lucky enough to be able to use the telephone, but as some people have noted, the "phone only" option excludes some people with disabilities.

Looks like a store visit is called for ... after I was told on Saturday that my charge clearly "doesn't need any proof" as they are in a wheelchair.

Rant over, blood pressure lowered. Stay safe all.

Update from me, after 18 phone calls through the day I finally got past the two minute menu and onto a second menu and I’ve now been waiting 49 minutes to get through to someone...

The email I got from Sainsbury's says:

We have been able to identify a number of customers as elderly and vulnerable based on the information they have given us previously. These details would include date of birth and if you have ever used our vulnerable customer helpline. For all of these customers, we will email you today (Sunday) with information on when slots will become available.

If you do not receive an email and you consider yourself to be vulnerable, please visit our Groceries Online website on Monday for information on how to contact us. We are also working as quickly as possible on an option for people to register themselves as disabled and vulnerable on their online shopping accounts

I see what PP means now (slow of me). Un-bloody-believable.

Go you @MidsummerMeadow !

@ArriettyJones 58 minutes now, I’m close to giving up.

See even if they are looking at DWP records they will still miss a whole load of people. Not every disabled person claims benefits. You won't find me there. And you won't find anyone who isn't the account holder. Or people who have their name misspelt in one record, people who use short names like Jackie, Ben or Alex on their account but full names for officialdom.

I feel like Phoebe in that scene from friends ‘your call is important to us, you are the next caller’ (that’s not the message I’m getting btw). Do I put the phone down when I could be next? How long do I stay on this bl**dy line for? It’s been over an HOUR ffs.

Can you put it on speakerphone and adopt an air of indifference?

That's the sort of thing I do Arriety and then get all flustered when someone answers.

They’re not going to answer now are they? I’m going to have to put the phone down 😫😭

How can I show Sainsburys I am in a vulnerable group. Too ill to go out in my wheelchair.

I can't think what to do.
Am getting scared

@AlunWynsKnee

I am on PiP so I don't think they are using DWP records.

@goldfinchfan I think the phone lines must calm down as the week wears on. There is a finite number of people who qualify and they cannot have missed all of them off the original list.

NEWS FLASH I have just really scrutinised my online grocery page and scoured for any tiny chinks or dents within the system that I might get my message through....and down the right hand side in minuscule writing it says sideways “FEEDBACK”I pressed on that and hell fire and brimstone poured down my arm into my typing finger and I let ‘em have it gals! Hopefully I might hear something back. This is truly outrageous, Watch this space keep you all posted!

Look down the side of your online account, where it says ‘feedback’ sideways and click on it then click leave comments about website and follow the instructions, hell anything’s worth’s try at this point, I’ve got 3 very OAP’S with COPD, rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease, and I am their full time carer and if I catch this bloody thing it’ll kill’em all! Give it a go. GL x!

Good spot.

Really hope I can get slots.

I'm classified as vulnerable but DH has been able to go out for shopping still.

But someone drove into our PARKED car and we now don't know if we can safely drive it.

Can anybody tell me wtf Sainsbury’s DO NOT answer emails and have unmanned yet workable replyable to email addresses? They have ONE dam phone line that no one answers yet one minute it’s that smooth silky voiced woman then the overbearingly cheerful bloke waffling on the road to nowhere then they hang up despite being engaged ALL DAY LONG!

Im just getting call failed!

I've been trying to get through on that wretched phone number since 8am. No such luck. I will keep trying

ArriettyJones

Thank you for making this point... I am over frazzled.

FIngers crossed. I think I will post when I do manage to get through.

You do all realise that Sainsburys are not actually the Ministry of Food?

The situation we are in is unprecedented. Everybody's winging it, everybody's learning on the fly. Everybody's anxious, everywhere's understaffed, rules are changing on a daily basis, new challenges are thrown up constantly. Don't expect everything to work normally. Don't expect a system thrown up in an emergency to be designed and executed flawlessly by a supermarket that never expected itself to be put in charge of rationing.

Every day feels like a month to me at the moment but hand-san and loo rolls aside, the food situation has only been a problem for about a week (a bit longer in parts of London). This is a rough and ready attempt to meet some of the need as quickly as possible, just like item limits and special shopping times for elderly/vulnerable and NHS staff. And they haven't worked perfectly either.

There are tentative signs that the food situation is calming down a bit. If it doesn't then I think we do actually need a Ministry of Food. We can't leave this stuff up to individual profit making companies to solve. Especially if Sainsburys are actually working with the government.

There is provision in GDPR for sharing even special category data (health information) if it meets a substantial public interest condition. Supermarkets have all been meeting with the government to coordinate their response.

If you are worried about getting enough groceries you need to be exploring all avenues and not pinning all your hopes on one supermarket. Friends, family, churches, community groups, local authority coordinated help, smaller local shops, other supermarkets, click and collect ...

...and down the right hand side in minuscule writing it says sideways “FEEDBACK”I pressed on that and hell fire and brimstone poured down my arm into my typing finger and I let ‘em have it gals!

You know there have been calls not to treat supermarket staff like shit during the current clusterfuck? I think this includes the low paid customer services staff whose job it is to trawl through all the 'feedback' emails. I imagine most of them have been redeployed by now anyway.

There are limited very small supermarkets in my area Langcle
I buy regular;y from Sains and Waitrose because they deliver and because I am vulnerable, ie very ill and housebound I have done so for years.
To be pushed out of online delivery slots is the equivalent of being physically pushed out of the queue at the shop.
Lidl do not deliver and I am casting around.
But because i am very ill I have limited energy. Also being housebound I have less connections.
You are attempting to bully a vulnerable person please do not.

Sains have informed me I am not receiving a slot so I think they have so far only gone on age. Otherwise they would know how ill I am.
And I speak for many others.