Mum shares disappointing Woolworths experience: ‘I just want my items delivered’
- Replies 28
In the world of online shopping, convenience is king. But what happens when the convenience you're paying for turns into a frustrating ordeal?
This is the question many Woolworths customers are asking as they face repeated issues with the supermarket giant's home delivery service.
Eliza, a mother of 16-month-old twins, has relied on Woolworths' home delivery service since her children were born. The convenience of having groceries delivered to her doorstep was a game-changer for her busy family life.
However, her experience with the service has been far from smooth sailing.
In a video, Eliza shared her frustration with the supermarket giant.
‘Sometimes things don’t always go right, and there’s weird product substitutions, or it’s not the exact fruit and vegetable I would have picked, but I sort of just live with that because it’s part of the delivery experience,’ she said.
‘But what s***s me the most with Woolworths delivery is when they miss an entire bag or several bags and they won’t re-deliver. They always offer to give you a refund, but I don’t want a refund, I just want my items delivered. I need these groceries.’
The missing items then leave her with no choice but to make a quick trip to the supermarket, making the whole point of ordering moot.
‘[It] is really inconvenient because I would have just done my whole grocery shop in person if that was going to be the end result,’ she said.
‘If it’s their mistake, they should deliver it.’
Eliza's followers were quick to share their own experiences and frustrations, with many agreeing that Woolworths should take responsibility for their mistakes.
One user commented, 'If I'm paying a premium for delivery, I'm not paying to then drive to the shops again!'
Another shared their disappointment with the click and collect service: ‘I live an hour away, and I’ve driven home three times before and then realised they’ve missed half my order.’
In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for Woolworths stated that they have a 'dedicated team of personal shoppers who work hard to handpick thousands of online orders to the highest standard every day'.
‘While our teams work hard to provide a great experience every time, we don't always get substitutions right, or selected items may be out of stock,’ they said.
They also encouraged customers to contact them directly should something be amiss with their order so they can rectify it as quickly as possible.
Professor Roberta Crouch from the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University weighed in on the issue.
‘You can't be offering a service and then not follow through,’ she said. ‘And consumers don't have to put up with it.’
‘The field is far too competitive for Woolworths or anybody else to be providing this crap service, quite frankly.’
Eliza’s experience also underscored the power of choice among ordinary shoppers.
Source: TikTok/@peppercg
‘When you have someone like this young woman, who has got two little kids, it's major for her to go out to the store and pick up groceries,’ Professor Crouch said.
‘If this is an ongoing experience for her, then she needs to swap supermarkets because, as she rightfully says, it's about the fact that she now has to get in her car and go and get the stuff, and if she has to do that, she might as well have done that for the whole shop in the first place.’
‘I just think she shouldn’t have to put up with it, and consumers have more power than that.’
Professor Crouch also explained how Eliza’s complaint put brand loyalty into the spotlight.
‘We all love to be brand loyal because it saves us this cognitive work... and nobody turns their back on a brand that's been good to them because they got it wrong once,’ she said.
‘But if it becomes a pattern and they're not fulfilling their main promise, then you've got to cut them loose and find somebody else who will.’
Have you experienced similar issues with your online grocery shopping? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
This is the question many Woolworths customers are asking as they face repeated issues with the supermarket giant's home delivery service.
Eliza, a mother of 16-month-old twins, has relied on Woolworths' home delivery service since her children were born. The convenience of having groceries delivered to her doorstep was a game-changer for her busy family life.
However, her experience with the service has been far from smooth sailing.
In a video, Eliza shared her frustration with the supermarket giant.
‘Sometimes things don’t always go right, and there’s weird product substitutions, or it’s not the exact fruit and vegetable I would have picked, but I sort of just live with that because it’s part of the delivery experience,’ she said.
‘But what s***s me the most with Woolworths delivery is when they miss an entire bag or several bags and they won’t re-deliver. They always offer to give you a refund, but I don’t want a refund, I just want my items delivered. I need these groceries.’
The missing items then leave her with no choice but to make a quick trip to the supermarket, making the whole point of ordering moot.
‘[It] is really inconvenient because I would have just done my whole grocery shop in person if that was going to be the end result,’ she said.
‘If it’s their mistake, they should deliver it.’
Eliza's followers were quick to share their own experiences and frustrations, with many agreeing that Woolworths should take responsibility for their mistakes.
One user commented, 'If I'm paying a premium for delivery, I'm not paying to then drive to the shops again!'
Another shared their disappointment with the click and collect service: ‘I live an hour away, and I’ve driven home three times before and then realised they’ve missed half my order.’
In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for Woolworths stated that they have a 'dedicated team of personal shoppers who work hard to handpick thousands of online orders to the highest standard every day'.
‘While our teams work hard to provide a great experience every time, we don't always get substitutions right, or selected items may be out of stock,’ they said.
They also encouraged customers to contact them directly should something be amiss with their order so they can rectify it as quickly as possible.
Professor Roberta Crouch from the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University weighed in on the issue.
‘You can't be offering a service and then not follow through,’ she said. ‘And consumers don't have to put up with it.’
‘The field is far too competitive for Woolworths or anybody else to be providing this crap service, quite frankly.’
Eliza’s experience also underscored the power of choice among ordinary shoppers.
Source: TikTok/@peppercg
‘When you have someone like this young woman, who has got two little kids, it's major for her to go out to the store and pick up groceries,’ Professor Crouch said.
‘If this is an ongoing experience for her, then she needs to swap supermarkets because, as she rightfully says, it's about the fact that she now has to get in her car and go and get the stuff, and if she has to do that, she might as well have done that for the whole shop in the first place.’
‘I just think she shouldn’t have to put up with it, and consumers have more power than that.’
Professor Crouch also explained how Eliza’s complaint put brand loyalty into the spotlight.
‘We all love to be brand loyal because it saves us this cognitive work... and nobody turns their back on a brand that's been good to them because they got it wrong once,’ she said.
‘But if it becomes a pattern and they're not fulfilling their main promise, then you've got to cut them loose and find somebody else who will.’
Key Takeaways
- A mum of twins named Eliza shared her frustrations with Woolworths’ delivery service.
- While she understands that products do go missing occasionally, Eliza aired her disbelief that Woolworths misses entire bags of orders and doesn’t offer redelivery.
- Woolworths claims to have a dedicated team for online orders but admits that substitutions and stock issues can occur.
- Flinders University College of Business, Government and Law Professor Roberta Crouch encourages consumers to consider switching supermarkets if they experience consistent problems with their service.
Have you experienced similar issues with your online grocery shopping? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.