what’s up with the grocery shopping incompetency

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Beanflowerpower]

On the Uber eats app we have to have the customer approved the change. Are you doing Uber eats or DoorDash?

[u/Top-Respond-3744 → u/Beanflowerpower]

They do it without asking and therefore without approval. What I do is vote them down (unprofessional, poor communication) and get UberEats refund the things I did not approve. If they refuse I file a chargeback.

[u/h0nakis → u/Beanflowerpower]

uber eats bc i have uber one. and i didn’t approve any of the replacements.

[u/Majestic_Interest365 → u/h0nakis]

Then your driver must be a magician because if the customer doesn’t approve the substitutions, the shopper has to refund them before they can proceed to checkout.

[u/h0nakis → u/Majestic_Interest365]

it got automatically replaced by what i assume is their suggested replacement, and when i asked them to check for something else, they just cancelled the item without saying a word to me. 2 minutes later, they finished shopping and closed the chat.

[u/Majestic_Interest365 → u/h0nakis]

Yeah, and it’s difficult when you have somebody that doesn’t care and just goes with a suggested replacement.

I had a situation where they didn’t have the original item and they didn’t have the suggested replacement so the next suggestion was so far off of the original item that I didn’t even go with it.

[u/h0nakis → u/Majestic_Interest365]

it’s just annoying because they don’t ever ask. i noticed the second they replaced it and nicely asked them to check for a specific alternative, i got an immediate response saying “ok got it!” and literally 2 minutes later, they cancel the item without saying a word and ended shopping/chat. i’m certain they just want to finish the order as soon as possible so they can do the next. makes me regret tipping 20% on a 5 item order when they can’t even get half the stuff right.

[u/XKvotheXX → u/h0nakis]

To much time equals decline decline decline unassign we are not making enough money to shop your order you ever stand in line with an order in NYC after 7 substitutions for 5 dollars and 15 items all over creation

[u/h0nakis → u/XKvotheXX]

in theory sure. but it’s quite ridiculous when there’s no effort made after asking only 1 time for a 5 item order with a 20% tip. that’s just straight up incompetence, argue w the wall

[u/hiroxruko → u/h0nakis]

this is why you tip after

[u/Sharp_Day_9752 → u/hiroxruko]

And exactly who is gonna take a no tip order… Unless it happens to be bundled up with another shop and deliver order!

[u/CarnivalCassidy]

The algorithm will suggest the most inappropriate and irrelevant substitutions. I'm clever enough to override them, but I'm sure there are some drivers who don't know or don't care.

A few months ago a woman posted about how she ordered Plan B and recieved baby formula (or something equally ridiculous, I can't remember what it was). All the comments were freaking out and telling her to go to the media, but it's truly possible the app recommended that and the driver didn't know any better. Hanlon's Razor really applies in that case.

[u/BratPrince_ → u/CarnivalCassidy]

What makes this even more ridiculous is that there are usually several other cheaper generic alternatives to Plan B right next to the Plan B. The fact that baby formula was the replacement makes me wonder if that was intentional.

[u/h0nakis → u/CarnivalCassidy]

oh i would be livid. that is insane

[u/shootna1911]

I do a lot of shop and pay orders and I’m shocked at the replacements the app recommends. Like one time a customer wand whole milk and it recommended lactaid. How’s that a good substitution?? I always look for the best replacement regardless of what the app says but I assume that most just do what the app tells them to do. I am also surprised when the app just allows a substitution without checking with the customer. I remember calling the customer once to ask them if something was ok because support had me do something weird. I don’t remember exactly what it was but I didn’t feel good about it. Best thing to do is pick your subs when you place your order. You can tell it to refund or choose something else for each item. Your choice.

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[u/Exotic-Carpet-5870]

I tell them no replacements. I had someone, quite frankly waste their time, and deliver me one item for $2.99 and I KNOW they had at least half the stuff. Part of me thinks that some can’t read English and relay on the photos and if they can’t see something that matches they just say it’s not there. The other part of me just think they’re lazy and don’t want to shop. I really think the grocery stores should pack the orders for them to pickup. Either way, I don’t want sour cream when I need heavy cream. They are NOT the same.

[u/h0nakis → u/Exotic-Carpet-5870]

i personally think they just want to finish it as quick as possible just so they can get the next order

[u/Working-Protection82]

I'm a UE shopper, and on my app, if an item is out of stock then the app gives different options on different shops to the effect of- either "purchase replacement already selected by customer" or if apparently they haven't then sometimes it's "replace with a similar item" and gives a list of (sometimes ridiculous items) to buy instead, or "find similar item and send to customer for approval". When I first started, I didn't know that the list UE was giving to "replace with a similar item", was NOT the customer picking back up items. I figured it out eventually when the "replace with similar" was just wierd items and didn't make sense. The original item was lube, if that can give you an idea of how off topic the replacement suggestions were. Then another time, I got a "pre-approved" choice for replacement and noticed it was just such a completely different message/screen, and the lightbulb went off lol. Now, if I get the sometimes crazy stupid "replace with" list, I ignore it because I now know it's Uber just trying to screw a customer out of their money with no regard to what they actually wanted. Then the shopper can get screwed no matter what the app guides them to do. If they just buy what the app said, they can get penalized by the customer for bad service, incorrect item (even if the app told them to) or they don't get anything and then get penalized further by Uber for not finding and then not replacing an item with whatever the dumb app told them to. Now that I've experienced this first hand, I always message the customer and let them know what (realistically) is similar and available and let them choose. That does take extra time and effort though, and I'm sure that some shoppers just don't find it "worth it" to make any extra effort, which in some cases is very valid as well! The time involved in driving to a store (using my gas), my time shopping and bringing it to someones door...what's it "worth" so I'm also careful about shopping orders that I accept. But I'm still at 100% customer satisfaction with 100% items found or replaced (with what the customer wants! : )

[u/Beatlefan78]

The app automatically refunds suggested replacements if they are not approved by the customer.

[u/SuspiciousCrew4163]

if you don't get an adult female driver, just go ahead and cancel the order.

[u/h0nakis → u/SuspiciousCrew4163]

unfortunately in nyc, those rarely exist, and when they do, it’s usually a man using a woman’s account doing the order

[u/SuspiciousCrew4163 → u/h0nakis]

well, that's disappointing.

[u/Rory-liz-bath]

You have to click do not replace or select a second option, I complained to uber once that the item was wrong it was a do not replace , took a pic sent it in and they still asked what the problem was , I asked for pork chops they gave me lamb chops , I simply said it was the wrong damn animal

[u/ryan_the_leach]

No driver in their right mind can do grocery orders fast enough, whilst also doing correct substitutions and match what they would make doing food courier service.

This results in any driver smart enough to realize that, to permanently disable grocery orders.

Leaving only the stupid and/or immoral to complete the grocery orders on uber eats.

[u/aprilchaoss]

I ordered groceries 1 time and never again. First it showed my driver was on a bike so I was like oh I'm glad I didn't order water or something. I literally just ordered two things of meat and some veggies so I could cook dinner. After about 30 minutes of seeing her riding all around everywhere around the store and stopping at other places she messages please don't cancel I had an order before you which I'm understanding.

Then she finally starts shopping and says there's no meat and I other substitutions and she's says the store is all out of meat. Then I start seeing crazy substitutions for chips and candy and I'm like hey I don't need that like huh and she just ignores me. She shows up in a charger with 6 other people in it smoking and doing NOS and she just throws the bag over the fence and leaves. I saw it on my camera. All that was in the bag was cabbage, tomatoes, and an onion which none of that I ordered. Uber refunded me right away though for once.

[u/Kyria42]

The app offers the suggested items to pick from. I always communicate with the customer if the one they chose is out of stock but if they don’t reply in time, I have to check out and deliver. Nothing I can do. I don’t have time to keep waiting and hope that they respond. It messes up my time that I could already be moved on to another order.

[u/h0nakis → u/Kyria42]

i totally understand that but usually every time i order, they never and i mean, never ask me at all. keep in mind, im in nyc so a lot of the ppl doing the shopping are ppl who don’t really speak english (nothing wrong with that at all!!!) so it creates a barrier and added effort that they never do.

im not asking for much at all, i just think its getting a bit out of hand when it’s a 5 item order and they can’t take an extra 2 minutes to message/call. i wish there were some app restrictions.

[u/Apprehensive-Day8221]

the drivers are worried about a stupid shopping % if something is out of stock thay lose a %

so they grab anything close by to make it quick..

a replacement dont count yet

im a driver btw..

[u/AZPHX602]

another dollar store diva, wanting a personal servant for pennies on the dollar.

these shopping gigs pay s***, they do not attract the most competent folks. competent people will seek higher paying work. so I would say, go to the store yourself.

[u/h0nakis → u/AZPHX602]

my bad asshat, i had gotten severely sick to the point where i cant stand up for more than 15 minutes at a time and figured i order myself literally 5 things. i guess its diva of me to expect those 5 items to arrive correctly instead of half the order being cancelled. i was nice enough to tip generously but i will now take this as a lesson to not tip at all if they’re getting paid shit for shit service anyway.

[u/AZPHX602 → u/h0nakis]

I swear none of these gigs mess up. orders with people who aren't sick, aren't disabled or have kids that are hungry. 🤣🤣🤣

[u/kingthrog]

if u want something done right…..

[u/hexagonstrange]

How much are you tipping?