What's the weirdest substitute item you've been sent?

z1a

The only figure that I can find is that the
average pick rate at Tesco in 2017 was 143 per HOUR.

Amanda65

I once ordered Quorn fillets as we had a veggie coming to dinner. I received a whole chicken! When I said to the driver what had happened he said earlier in the day a lady who had ordered lemon washing up liquid had it substituted with a lemon :rotfl::rotfl:

ska_lover

GlasweJen wrote: »

I did a couple of overtime shifts picking for Asda, yes the targets really are that high.

You don't pick one person's shopping though, you'd pick a section and other pickers were doing other sections and then it would all come together to go on the vans at the end.

The best was bakery as if the bakers started late you'd either have hardly anything to pick or you'd get loads of substitutes that were all the same (all the posh baked in store loaves subbed with kingsmill). I hated ambient, could never find the right tin of beans and someone would always want something mental that I'd never heard of.

Did you have to do the ridiculous interview with the spaghetti and marshmallows?

I was mostly on ambient as the slots on the bakery were always taken by the managers favourite LOL - it seemed the section that everyone wanted to be on. I was never a favourite though as I just could not keep up

I was glad I only worked there for a short while, a few months whilst we were saving up - we both took on second jobs for a few months, as I found it more way more stressful than my regular job, for like half the wages.

The other staff though, were lovely. In terms of camaraderie, and team , it was probably the best place I have worked

Did you ever try the tills? One day I agreed to be till trained, and they put a sign up on the till, to say 'training in progress' - and first of all, the supervisor scanned a shop through to show me, and then the second customer, I had to do. However this customer had a lot of items that needed weighing (which I hadn't yet been shown) and the supervisor was talking me through it....at which point the customer lost their rag and started raising their voice about us 'standing around talking'. I refused to take the till training any further.

Then there are the customers who come up to you whilst you are picking and say in a demanding voice voice 'Sketti Hoops(!)' as if it is a question. Each time, I would say 'Are you asking me a question?'...It is like people forget their manners ......

Where I worked it was a superstore, literally biggest branch in the city...and I do know of a colleague who used to direct rude people to non existent isle 59...when the aisles ended at 50....and then scarper.

Also the woman who did the 'click and collect' (which the home shoppers also have to pick) for her daughters birthday cake. The cake she wanted was not available, as you know the bakery is funny with times....and when I took the delivery out to her at the collection point she went beserk 'SHE WILL HATE THAT EFFING CAKE....YOU HAVE RUINED MY DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY'...to which I replied, 'Sorry for that, I do not know your daughter, or what she would like, however.....There are literally dozens of cakes instore, if you would care to walk into the store (which was 12 feet away), you can chose one your daughter will like...' but she refused and threw the cake on the floor in the car park.

Oh the tales.... It is a godawful job...but there were a few laughs along the way

GlasweJen

ska_lover wrote: »

Did you have to do the ridiculous interview with the spaghetti and marshmallows?
i had to "sell" an incredibly overweight manager a bike bell. There was also a part that involved building a bridge out of newspaper and then sitting on it. It was awful.

I was mostly on ambient as the slots on the bakery were always taken by the managers favourite LOL - it seemed the section that everyone wanted to be on. I was never a favourite though as I just could not keep upi was actually pharmacy and optical so if they were getting me anywhere near home shopping it was a good pick or no pick

I was glad I only worked there for a short while, a few months whilst we were saving up - we both took on second jobs for a few months, as I found it more way more stressful than my regular job, for like half the wages.

The other staff though, were lovely. In terms of camaraderie, and team , it was probably the best place I have worked
yeah I loved my team and the staff meals! Breakfast for 12p! Couldn't be beaten.
Did you ever try the tills? One day I agreed to be till trained, and they put a sign up on the till, to say 'training in progress' - and first of all, the supervisor scanned a shop through to show me, and then the second customer, I had to do. However this customer had a lot of items that needed weighing (which I hadn't yet been shown) and the supervisor was talking me through it....at which point the customer lost their rag and started raising their voice about us 'standing around talking'. I refused to take the till training any further.
we were a SOL which is a proper training store so I learned the tills on a fake till but then kept doing things like forgetting to hit clear before putting money onto a savings card so I'd actually take money off of said card. I also had no memory of the fresh produce codes and I'd always have some pillock complain because I scanned their red pepper as a green pepper WHO CARES ITS THE SAME PRICE
Then there are the customers who come up to you whilst you are picking and say in a demanding voice voice 'Sketti Hoops(!)' as if it is a question. Each time, I would say 'Are you asking me a question?'...It is like people forget their manners ......

Where I worked it was a superstore, literally biggest branch in the city...and I do know of a colleague who used to direct rude people to non existent isle 59...when the aisles ended at 50....and then scarper.

Also the woman who did the 'click and collect' (which the home shoppers also have to pick) for her daughters birthday cake. The cake she wanted was not available, as you know the bakery is funny with times....and when I took the delivery out to her at the collection point she went beserk 'SHE WILL HATE THAT EFFING CAKE....YOU HAVE RUINED MY DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY'...to which I replied, 'Sorry for that, I do not know your daughter, or what she would like, however.....There are literally dozens of cakes instore, if you would care to walk into the store (which was 12 feet away), you can chose one your daughter will like...' but she refused and threw the cake on the floor in the car park.

one of our methadone patients tried to run through the window at the front of the shop because he was high as a kite and forgot to collect his script. He ended up unconscious and bleeding because he bounced off the glass. When he came round he tried to talk the paramedic into shoplifting him a loaf and a microwave cheese burger, was a good shift.

Oh the tales.... It is a godawful job...but there were a few laughs along the way

Once a colleague, always a colleague.

Videostar

I ordered frozen chips from Tesco - there was no substitute.

Reason ? "No suitable alternative" ! ! !

In our local main store there is a a whole isle dedicated to frozen chips, fries and other frozen potatoes - AND THERE WAS NO SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE ? Why do I not believe that ?

ConnieTact

Ken_Workman wrote: »

I ordered two pairs of trousers from Chums mail order; they were the same item except one was in black, the other in beige. They didn't have beige in stock so they despatched TWO IDENTICAL pairs of black trousers. This was just the first in a list of errors by this company which lead to me telling them to cancel my account and stop sending emails.

My son had a Tesco Delivery and was shocked to find he had been given Red Christmas tinsel! He looked suitably horrified as he open the substitution bag!
In his most serious voice while shaking his head, he explained to the delivery driver “My Christmas colour scheme is Silver and Black this year. Please take this away!”
We had a good laugh about it afterwards.
He was expecting black tinsel! 🤣🎄

BusyBargainz

Worst - Instead of apples I got apple scented toilet wipes.

Best - ordered 100g of loose prawns (about £1.50) got subbed with 5 packets of prawns (1500g!) and only had to pay the £1.50. We were eating prawns for days.

MSE_Laura_F

Brilliant thread.

I've moved this from the Families board to the Food Shopping & Groceries board in the hope that it will garner some new examples.

GaleSF63

Not a physical substitution, but on my Tesco "favourites" list. Jam doughnuts not available; suggested alternative - white lasagne sauce!

qwert10

We had a steak and kidney pie instead of. Vegetarian.one!!!