How not to win customers

[Bardmaiden]

My b/f is a shift worker and as such tends to order groceries online, convenient and such, he orders some shopping and notices that a other company than the one he usually uses is quite a bit cheaper for a similar shop, so goes with them all good and happy so far.

Then comes the time for the order delivery, because of the place he lives it can be a bit hard to notice even though it is on a main road, it's not well marked and a basement place with no buzzer or such so when he gets deliveries he gets the company to call him and explains how to find it. So he gets the call answers it and hears the sound someone hanging up, looks out the door and calls to the guy who is getting in his truck, he didn't hear him, so he calls the number back twice while the truck is stationary, the phone isn't answered.

So getting a bit annoyed calls the company and explains the situation, they look into it and call back saying the driver stated he was in motion at the time and couldn't answer the phone and tell him that they can only get someone out to him tomorrow as all their drivers are out, not really handy, and as he had noticed while ordering they had slots up to 9 or 10pm. Now unless they have really big trucks and long working drivers I think they would have someone back at the depot at some point as this was about 2 in the afternoon.

He decides that the best thing is to cancel the order which was not small as it was about 3-4 weeks worth of shopping, the rep goes okay and b/f thinks now I'm going to have to go shop, but I'll finish watching my tv programme first. about half and hour later he gets a call, they have suddenly found a slot to deliver his stuff.

So instead of dealing with it right away, they annoyed him, made him think he was going to have to go do the shopping when he didn't want to and then only because he stayed in to finishing watching something managed to rearrange a slot, so good service there.

[Broomjockey]

Sounds like the place's motto is "stuff the customer as far as possible, but save an order if you can." That's usually a recipe for aggravation. If something happens next time (if there is a next time), then he should definitely switch back.

[wagegoth]

I miss Webvan still. I used to buy two weeks worth of basics from them, then just do specialty shopping as needed. The best part was having someone else carry the groceries up the stairs. Oh, and the driver I usually got also supplied some eye candy.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

You know, back when I had a job and was slam busy all the time, I tried ordering groceries from Amazon. I ordered something like 200 bucks worth of stuff, hoping that would be a good way to save some time.

Well, Amazon was fine, no complaints there, but their carrier refused to leave the box on the porch. "Driver discretion" was that it would not be safe on the porch and they didn't want to be responsible for it, and I'd have to come pick it up.

A few things:

1. I don't live in a bad neighborhood. I live in a nice neighborhood on a cul de sac, where everyone knows everyone else.

2. I told the guy to go on and drop it off and I'd take full responsibility for it. No dice.

3. The whole reason for the experiment in the first place was to save myself a trip to the store. It kind of defeats the purpose if I still have to make a trip to the UPS place.

These idiots tried to deliver it three times in three days, all that the exact same time of day. Wouldn't logic suggest that if a customer tells you that they are at their job from eight to five, that expecting me to be home between those hours is probably kind of dumb? And if you showed up at, say 10 am on Monday and found the house empty, and then again on Tuesday, that maybe, just MAYBE, nobody would be home on Wednesday, either?

I cancelled the order. I mean, I didn't get mad at Amazon, but I told them why I was cancelling.

Might try again now that I am a housefrau for a living. But ironically, now the need is not so great. But hey, I get free shipping, so what the hey.

[Pagan]

You know, back when I had a job and was slam busy all the time, I tried ordering groceries from Amazon.

Amazon has groceries? *Goes and pulls up the website* Well, look at that would ya? Will wonders never cease?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, pretty sweet, eh? Subscribe to Amazon Prime and your shipping on that stuff is all included and you won't have to pay extra. Which is good if you are ordering huge crates of stuff.

[Bardmaiden]

Sounds like the place's motto is "stuff the customer as far as possible, but save an order if you can." That's usually a recipe for aggravation. If something happens next time (if there is a next time), then he should definitely switch back.

He decided he isn't going to order from them again and try one of the other big four supermarkets here, but if you are from the UK I don't recommend the green one

[wagegoth]

I stock up on some of the gluten free products on Amazon. Love it.

[Soulstealer]

He decided he isn't going to order from them again and try one of the other big four supermarkets here, but if you are from the UK I don't recommend the green one

Which one's the green one? I'll be in the UK starting on the first for a few years because of my university programme and potentially a work experience. I could use as much information about life in the UK as possible if I'm thinking realistically.

[gremcint]

Amazon has groceries? *Goes and pulls up the website* Well, look at that would ya? Will wonders never cease?

they have medical supplies. seriously they do.

[Bardmaiden]

Which one's the green one? I'll be in the UK starting on the first for a few years because of my university programme and potentially a work experience. I could use as much information about life in the UK as possible if I'm thinking realistically.

The big four supermarkets in the UK are as follows:

Tesco (Blue signage, cheap and usually good)
Asda (Green signage, cheap but some products in my experience can be not so good)
Sainsburys (Orange, more expensive but better quality in some things)
Morrisons (Yellow, can be expensive for some products and my sister works there...)

All this is based on my own experience of the supermarkets YMMV, but if you can afford it go to Marks and Spencers and buy some of their stuff at least once, they have really yummy food

If you want to know anything more, PM me and I'm happy to answer your questions

[Victoria J]

I order from Tesco sometimes - and have been pretty pleased with the service. They were late once (on the last slot of the night) but they waived the delivery fee.

I've also ordered from Ocado (waitrose), but Tesco is better for brand names, and their finest range is often up there with Waitrose while still having all the cheaper stuff. (I like waitrose but it's definitely for treats not every day - like Marks and Spencers who really should do food deliveries).

I love online groceries - I don't drive and you can normally save enough by buying the big stuff (multipacks of soft drink particularly for me) to cover the delivery charge if you order a months worth of non-perishables. I do buy too much sometimes - walking round the shop I get as greedy but I also get worn out and have to run away after about half an hour in a supermarket.

I've always found the customer service excellent. I got really worried when I put things away and found a couple of things missing (ice cream twice, once forgotten, once melted) but they just take your word for it and refund it.

Victoria J

[Ironclad Alibi]

Amazon has groceries? *Goes and pulls up the website* Well, look at that would ya? Will wonders never cease?

I am happy to find this out. I visited Amazon and found out they carry a brand of breakfast bars (South Beach Living Crispy Meal Bars) my wife likes, but the local stores stopped selling. I signed up for their grocery subscription service to have them delivered every month. My wife is very happy.

[wagegoth]

they have medical supplies. seriously they do.

I order my moisturizers, essential oils and AHAs from Amazon and Amazon marketplace. It's just so much easier, and with the price of gas cheaper, than driving all around the Bay to get one item.

[Pagan]

Yeah, pretty sweet, eh? Subscribe to Amazon Prime and your shipping on that stuff is all included and you won't have to pay extra. Which is good if you are ordering huge crates of stuff.

Which, after looking at it, wouldn't really be practical since it's just me. I don't even think splitting with my best friend would work (just her and her husband).

Asda (Green signage, cheap but some products in my experience can be not so good)

Well, the are owned by Wal-Mart.

they have medical supplies. seriously they do.

That actually doesn't surprise me one bit.