What's the strangest "substitute" item you've been offered on your home delivery?

porlock

I used to be a picker for Tesco, and yeah, we chose the substitutions - this was about 3 or 4 years ago so things might be different now.

The thing that always amused me was that the box the customer has to fill in sub details, or preferences, is a lot bigger than the one we get on our picking screen. And we can't scroll. So many times I'd have to make a sub, and the little box would say, 'If product not available please send instead...' and that would be it - I had no way of finding that out!

So, if it helps, keep these things short and sweet!

jenniewb

porlock wrote: »

I used to be a picker for Tesco, and yeah, we chose the substitutions - this was about 3 or 4 years ago so things might be different now.

The thing that always amused me was that the box the customer has to fill in sub details, or preferences, is a lot bigger than the one we get on our picking screen. And we can't scroll. So many times I'd have to make a sub, and the little box would say, 'If product not available please send instead...' and that would be it - I had no way of finding that out!

So, if it helps, keep these things short and sweet!

:rotfl: :rotfl: Seems it does NOT pay to be polite- so something like "DIET Schwepps or else" would fit better then (If you have no more,) "I would be grateful if you would please swap for diet lemonade by schwepps".

Had ordered 10 bottles of Tescos own diet lemonade and had insted....Non diet schwepps lemonade!! Had to send the whole lot back and then go out- the entire point of getting in the delivery was to order heavy stuff so I would not have to carry it home again!:mad:

Curlywurli

This thread is really making me laugh on a wet, miserable day! Thank you

emay

socks_uk wrote: »

Hiya emay... haven't seen you at work lately! :hello:

Had some 'sliced tiger bread' substituted by....... non-sliced tiger bread!!!! lazy picker!!

Thats cause I swapped depts again (trying all the ones instore;) !!) In the George warehouse now, think I mght stay put this time...nice and cosy up there on me own with no customers or managers!!!!!

tallullahbelle

I'm loving reading through these!

Asda always do the weirdest subs but I can't remember any off the top of my head, the best I can remember was from years ago when home deliveries were a new thing - I ordered a box of red wine and 6 cans of coke. Delivery arrived minus these items and 'no sustitute available'. I rang the store to ask if they had any red wine or coke in stock and was asked if I was trying to be funny! The manager got in his car and brought me a bottle of red and the coke and didn't charge me...

I'll ask the kids to remind me of our funny subs tonight...

blue_monkey_2

I've had Lemon Flash in place of.... Lemon Juice. LOL. I had to smile, it would not really of had the same taste I think! And then you have to wonder.

It annoys me when you order something cheap and get sent something expensive in it's place (Tesco). This week was 99p small nestle section boxes for the kids stockings replaced but HUGE selection boxes at £5 a piece. I think not! Another week was some meat at £3 sold out so sent a piece of meat priced at £12 instead. Again, no!

helenhugs

loving some of these. What interesting pickers you must all have lol. I always tick no substitutions, i'm a wuss & wouldn't dare find out what they chose for me lol
Keep them coming though.
Hugs
Helen

socks_uk

helenhugs wrote: »

loving some of these. What interesting pickers you must all have lol. I always tick no substitutions, i'm a wuss & wouldn't dare find out what they chose for me lol
Keep them coming though.
Hugs
Helen

I don't know how it works with Tesco but at ASDA a 'substitute' could be the exact product you want but with a percentage free.

e.g. If you order a 9 pack of Andrex toilet rolls it would have a certain bar code but, should there be some 9 packs with 3 free rolls the '12 pack' would have a different bar code. So in other words - a different product to what you ordered!

Just bear this in mind if you click 'no substitutes' because you won't get the 'bargains' unless the picker is able to 'override' it. At ASDA the pickers are told to equal or upgrade with 'price match'.

georgie262

oliveoyl wrote: »

Many years ago I worked in an office which had a young lad that used to make the tea/run errands etc. One of his daily tasks was to go to the sandwich shop for everybody's lunch. He wasn't very bright so we all wrote down our food order for him just to hand over the counter. One time when he came back he plonked a cup of hot chicken soup in front of me... I hadn't ordered soup so checked with everyone else that it wasn't theirs before asking him... I'd ordered a jam doughnut but they'd ran out, so he got me chicken soup instead :rotfl:

Having read this thread, I think I know where he's working now!

That makes me laaugh. Reminds me of the Victoria Wood sketch years ago. "They didn't have a raspberry yoghurt so I got you a meat and potato pie instead":rotfl:

competitionscafe

From Waitrose:
I once got a waiters friend (corkscrew wine opener) as a substitute for bar keepers friend (a powdered cleaning product for cleaning stainless steel)! :rolleyes: I didn't even realise it was a substitute - thought it was a mistake from somebody elses order so gave it back to the driver - only when they left did I realise the barkeepers friend was missing from the order.

From Sainsburys:
Order on Xmas eve last year was missing several items (a couple of bags) - maybe somebody else got a nice Xmas present as I was still charged for them on my till receipt! Had to go into the small Sainsburys shop in town on Xmas eve to try and find the missing items (Hell on earth) avoiding the place was the whole reason for ordering online in the first place. :mad: Have not used Sainsburys online since - used Waitrose when they had the vouchers though as it worked out as free delivery and 10% off for 3 orders.