Why Wait in Line When You Can Click a Mouse?
Written: Nov 29 '05
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I have used Peapod online for over a year now. I live in a high rise in D.C. metro area and no longer have a car, plus I dislike shopping, so this seemed to me the way to go.
Why I initially tried Peapod:
The only grocery store within walking distance is always packed with people, and I can never get in and out in less than a half hour, with most of that spent waiting in line. Nearly all of their checkouts are self-serve too, which adds to the hassle if you have a lot of stuff – you have to scan the items, bag them yourself, but the belt will stop if you have more than a couple items on it at a time, so then you're running back and forth to scan, bag, scan, bag, etc. How is this saving anyone time or effort?
Inevitably the computer messes up too, or freezes, either on your turn or the person's in front of you, and then you have to wait for a clerk (of which there seem to be only two in the entire store) to come and reset it and then you start over again. Arrrghh!
A discount isn't even given for checking groceries yourself. Yet there are usually only one or two checkers working the lines, and so those staffed lines run clear down the aisles. So I really hate shopping there, not to mention I then also have to lug the stuff for several blocks to get it home.
So to me, Peapod is worth the delivery fee and additional tip for the driver. Here are a few additional comments:
1. Quality of items has been high. I've never received expired milk or meat or eggs, or fresh veg. etc., which was a concern of mine letting other people pick the produce. So far, so good.
2. Saves me the hefting and lugging of groceries, but mostly saves the trip to an awful store that raises my blood pressure!
3. Selection is also good – a few items I can't find online, mainly toiletries-type stuff, but almost anything you want in the way of food is there.
4. Site is easy and pleasant to navigate, you can continue to update list up until the night before your order arrives.
Here are a few drawbacks:
1. The time window for attended delivery is very large – in some cases, 4 to 5 hours. This means you have to stay home waiting for the driver during that time frame. Not a practical thing if you are a busy person who comes and goes a lot.
2. Sale items are almost always out of stock – once in awhile you get an equivalent substitution, but usually it's just dropped off the list and then you are back to being without whatever it was. So I've learned never to count on the sale items or plan meals around them. If I get them, I'm delighted, but I'm also surprised.
3. I've had three separate instances of items missing. I don't feel comfortable making the drivers wait while I rummage through bags and check off everything on the list, since I make large orders to make it more cost-effective, but it's very aggravating to discover items missing that you were charged for – you have to watch this carefully. Once it was an entire grocery bag of items. Peapod's customer service is good. I called in each case and received a refund, but I always wondered if they thought I was making it up (since it happened more than once) just to get free stuff. They need to institute a tighter policy or double-check the packing process somehow.
4. Peapod doesn't seem truly cost-efficient unless you make one or two large orders a month, which is how I use it. This way I feel the delivery fee plus driver's tip is definitely worth it. For little items I need in between orders, I just walk to the store, but then I can get in and out more quickly in the express lane anyway.
All in all, I have been pleased with the Peapod service, with just a few aggravations mentioned above. I think the benefit still outweighs the hassles in terms of saving time and stress at the grocery store.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Groceries
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About the Author
Reviews written: 8
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