Ocado smart pass trials, tribulations and tiers

[Milky77]

Background

On March 23, Ocado divided anytime and midweek smartpass members into random groups for access then realised that didn't work so divided us again into most loyal, loyal and near to miscellaneous tiers with having different levels of frequency for order delivery and indeed how many slots you can book in advance.

Certainly the most loyal and probably generally high average spend compared to local populations are the only ones being treated well. They are allowed to still book every seven days, can book 2-3 weeks in advance and are encouraged to book several slots over this time.

The rest of us are being treated with varying levels or service, disappointingly some have not had a single email since March 23 and still don't have access.

Those anytime pass members on the extremely vulnerable list by NHS England should be able to book every 7 days though aren't given the ability to book 2-3 weeks in advance. A few are apparently being called for fortnightly orders.

Ocado has been too greedy. They blame poor service on helping the extremely vulnerable but actually they let too many new and infrequent shoppers place orders putting too much stress on the system.

Complaints on social media are typically met with cut and paste replies. Both the call centre and chat comms have been shut down.

Those with weekly Reserved slots have had their places cancelled. The technology failed, or maybe actually wasn't fit for purpose anyhow

Here was our first thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3862959-Ocado-Anytime-Smart-Pass-holders-have-you-received-priority-access-yet

Let's hope we don't go to a third

Top tip is to try other companies including Morrisons who also deliver from warehouses.

Good luck to all

@FlyingFlamingo in my experience with a blue stripe you can't book a slot until your current order has been delivered.

DH and I both have Ocado accounts (he used to work away, so made editing orders easier). Neither of us have had an email, but yesterday we had a "valued customer 14 day text" for the account we've not used for 6 months. (We are both "blue lines" now).

£17.99 for a pass -wow. I don't think we ever paid more than £6.99 .

Glad to see that most of us have now managed to get a slot.

Blue line here. I can book slots before my order is delivered.

Ocado's standard anytime pass price is 10.99. 17.99 must be a typo or for something else?

I’m not sure the stripe colour is linked to delivery tiers (Maybe it’s delivery area? Or more likely given all that has happened so far, completely random!) - I’m a blue stripe, and have 3 deliveries booked ahead for the next 3 Sundays

No email for me yesterday

All the screenshots that I've seen from people with access problems have had yellow lines so far.

I'm intrigued by the colours- purple line, on the 7 day tier, and in West Yorkshire. Anyone else got purple and where are you and what tier are you on?

I’m now on 7 day tier (was previously on 10 day) and my line has always been blue. I’m in the SE.

@FreakStar I’ve got the purple line and I’m in Manchester. I’ve got 2 deliveries booked for the next 2 weeks but I can’t see beyond that on the calendar

I'm guessing then that in Manchester your delivery will come from the warehouse in Batley, the same as mine.

There is a warehouse in Sheffield as well, but being in Manchester you are probably going to be easier to get to along the M62, same as me.

Absolutely fuming to receive this email!!!!!

NB: I AM an Ocado customer, I ordered from them 2 months ago! But even if I wasn't, what difference does it make?! Why only regular customers? They've said they can see I'm on the extremely vulnerable government list!

I think I’m blue - my deliveries come from Bristol

@crazydiamond222 thanks, that's encouraging.

I can't believe the mental energy that's having to go into the grocery shopping just now!

I'm blue (and 14 days "not quite loyal enough but thrown the odd bone" group) but if I log into my mum's account (in the no priority "sod off unlucrative old people" group) it goes yellow.

@Havendilema I’ve had the same - this be even sent them copies of previous orders- I’ve been a customer for years but they still won’t add me

What are the different colours people are talking about? Where do you see the stripes?

Haven I think Ocado has it's own idea of what a regular customer is, perhaps someone who order every week, or 2 weeks over a certain number of years but who knows?

@havendilemma was that your first order with Ocado? Do you have an anytime pass? And have you tried your regular supermarket? Morrisons have been great

Yes, agree that Morrisons seem to be really good. My 94 year old grandmother (not on the govt vulnerable list) wasn't a regular customer of Morrisons before lockdown.
She's been able to get slots whenever she needs them and not many out of stock items or substitutions.

Elephants on the "you're in a virtual queue" page, there is a coloured stripe across the page just under the Ocado logo. I didn't even notice it but apparently people have worked out that it has something to do with your status as a customer.

Haven that's super annoying. I think their problem is that everyone who has ever ordered from Ocado ever, even if it was once two months ago or two years ago or two days ago, is now trying to put in an order (I watched an update from their operations manager on LinkedIn a few days ago which said this). I think their idea is that they prioritise long-term regularly recurring customers because the assumption is that they are more dependent on Ocado - so if you ordered once two months ago, their thinking is that you have been ordering from elsewhere in the meantime so you're not as dependent on Ocado as someone who has been ordering twice a week for 15 years with a smartpass.

In terms of the shielding list I think the idea is that if each supermarket prioritises their most regular customers who are also shielding, then it spreads it between all the different delivery services rather than every delivery for every company being earmarked for the same 1.5 million people.

I'm not saying it's right, but I'll bet that's what's happening.

@FreakStar. I am also purple, 7 day tier. Previous weekly shop spend of c£250 and current weekly spend anything from c£280-£800. I have always shopped for more than 1 household and currently shop for a number of shielding households.

I have a weekly slot for the next 3 weeks and no queue to enter the website. Deliveries have been arriving with very few substitutions and only one or two missing items.

The first 2 weeks I had no deliveries and was in a queue of 80,000 and could not access the site. Things changed when I found e-mails from Ocardo in my junk mail with a priority link to give me access.

Once I have booked a slot I can no longer see any slots either side for 6 days as I can only book one a week. I can not book further than 3 weeks ahead. After one delivery arrives I can then see slots 3 weeks ahead.

FreakStar I'm purple (thought it was blue but turns out it's purple!), Berks, close to the M4. I've ordered once a week like clockwork for the last 12+ years, used to average between £90 and £130 (more now, as I'm shopping for others as well).

I've had the same experience as you RedTeam, slots disappear either side of a slot as soon as I book it, I am expecting a delivery today (no substitutions!) and I can see some slots on May 5th-7th now so exactly 3 weeks ahead.

Long time Ocado shopper here. I have left them for Morrisons, cancelled my smart pass, they can do without me from now on!

I have secured one delivery with Ocado since the second week in March, I usually have one every ten days.

Morrisons have made tons of slots available. People who don't have the internet can phone an order into their local shop and actually speak to a person.

They are giving the food bank in my town whatever they need, foodbank volunteers are literally filling cars with food from Morrisons.

They have increased the bonus for their staff from 3% to 6%, delivered Easter eggs and chocolates to all local nursing homes, schools, hospitals, emergency service stations.

As of today all NHS staff get 10% off their shopping.

They can have my business going forward - bloody well done Morrisons.

Is anyone finding eggs are restricted? I can't order more than 2 cartons of 6 eggs.
Perhaps I've been singled out for being too lavish with eggs in the past.

@slartibarti yes. I couldn’t have more than one pack of any size. MIL wants 12 ( she lives alone!) and I want 6 with my delivery on Monday. I’ve order 1 15 pack and we’ll have to divy them up!