Thursday, June 30, 2011

Is There A Worse Company Than Ocado In The UK?

Mark Bentley,
Head of Service Delivery Division,
Ocado,
Freepost 13498,
PO BOX 362,
Hatfield, AL9 7BR



Dear Mr Bentley,

I started using Ocado several years ago after Tesco's home delivery service let me down.

Everything was fine until this week when your company failed to deliver. Literally. It seems to me that your company is now staffed by idiots who have no idea what customer service means.

I booked a delivery for between 10.30pm and 11.30pm on Tuesday June 28. I received a text during the day to confirm that Mohammed in the cabbage van would be handling the delivery.

On Tuesday 11.30pm passed with no sign of a delivery. At 11.50pm Mohammed phoned to say that he would be late and that he couldn’t guarantee to get to me before 12.15. He twice said that my £80 delivery was a large one which was why he would be late.

I told Mohammed that he should have called me earlier and that I didn’t want him going up and down the communal stairs after midnight.

I phoned Customer Services the next day, Wednesday June 29, and was told that my delivery would be rescheduled between 2pm and 7pm that day. I phoned again at 6pm to to be told that my delivery had been cancelled ‘because of temperature issues.’

I asked why no one had called me to tell me that my delivery had been cancelled but there was no explanation offered. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told one would call me back.

Eventually Martina phoned to say that she would get the goods delivered to me on Thursday June 30. I explained that I would be leaving for a meeting at 2pm and she said she would arrange a delivery time and get back to me.

A few minutes later I received an email scheduling a delivery for between 2pm and 3pm. Martina then called me back and when I pointed out that the delivery slot was after the time I would be leaving the flat she said that she knew that but it was the only slot she could book. She explained that she would call me back on Thursday morning to let me know when the actual delivery time would be and that it would definitely be between 11am and 1pm.

Well it’s now 11.45am on Thursday and no one from Ocado has called or sent a text. I don’t known what’s happening, and I don’t care.

Mohammed in his cabbage van should have been on time, and when he wasn't he should have phoned me to warn me of any delay.

Martina failed to call me back.

This is your responsibility. Customer Service as bad as this is always the result of bad management.

Anyway I'm done with Ocado. I’ll give Sainsbury’s a try from now on.

Your company is a disaster and deserves to fail.


Stephen Leather

3 comments:

Jake said...

Having read this I am perfectly happy being able to drive to one of many grocery stores in my area and pick up my own food and such. I hate having to schedule someone else's deliveries around what I am doing.
I feel for you, Stephen.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, try Tesco's home delivery! Once used, never forgtten (and not in the positive way!!!). When I took exception to the food actually on its sell by date and the cabbage that must have been out of date by about a month, they got shirty with me and told me my standards were too high! Maybe so, lets face it, Tesco doesn't have any standards so now I have taken to doing my shopping at another supermarket at 7am before work when the shop is empty !

Stephen Leather said...

No argument, Charlie! I was let down several times by Tesco and their food isn't great. I still use Waitrose but I won't be using Ocado again!