Companies that have treated us well during lockdown - Deliveries

I'd like to add companies that haven’t helped at all: Sainsbury’s that has one help line keeps you listening to drivel for several minutes then cuts you off. There are NO ways to tell them a substitute is unacceptable for a refund. OK at the beginning maybe, but we’re 5 weeks in

Royal Mail have, for the most part, been brilliant. They are absolutely overwhelmed with everyone online shopping and apparently they are over twice as busy as at Christmas but with fewer staff. Post Office phone and broadband have been appalling. I was without phone for 9 days and without Internet for 17 days, so could not order urgent meds or online shop or even keep in touch with some family via WhatsApp.
Iceland have been great, providing hours for the vulnerable and NHS as well as good stocks of everything. Our local Co-op has also been great and I've found everything I've needed.

I have to admit I subscribed to Groobards Grobox vegetable and fruit box once a fortnight before isolation and despite taking on more and I do mean many more customers they have not increased their prices and have always delivered as before. The veg and fruit are superior quality and plenty for the fortnight. They also deliver soda bread, eggs, apple juice all from local businesses.

Postmen & Bin Men have been brilliant. All our post has arrived the day after it was posted to us.
I also think our Sainsbury's have got it just right. Of course we had to queue for some time outside but it was all so well organised & when you got into the shop social distancing was easy & the shelves - for the most part- were all stocked. I never went home without exactly what we needed & I was shopping for an elderly neighbour too.
Also very happy with our mortgage co. who sent emails on first day saying not to worry about payments for at least 3 months & this would be reviewed then & extended if needed.

Royal Mail deliveries have been erratic I agree! We have had done items taking over 2 weeks (first class) to reach us!

Unimpressed: with the supermarkets as getting a slot has been almost impossible and when we did it was weeks away, and we can't go out at all.

Impressed: the people who frequently dropped in to eat without inviting us back very often - they ring often and do ALL our shopping now as we're locked down as extremely vulnerable.

Impressed: the local council, personal phone calls to make sure we're ok and ask if we needed anything like meds collecting, food, dog walks etc.

Impressed: Hospital nurses: they drop stuff off for us on their way home from work, luckily we live near the hospital.

Not sure yet: Royal Mail - where are the essential medicines that were posted from the specialist hospital on Tuesday? It's Sunday now and my very ill son has run out....

We have not been able to get delivery slots either despite both DD3 and I being on vulnerable list! However we finally managed to get one yesterday for Monday! Hurrah!
We have had excellent service from our refuse collectors and have left them a thank you note, delivery drivers all friendly and helpful, especially the Amazon ones, the staff in our local Sainsburys have been lovely (despite my fears of shopping!) and yesterday we discovered that the Spar and Co op also do home delivery via deliveroo which means I can get the top up bits such as bread and milk from now on; I wish I had known this before.
I have been really, really impressed by the way so many small local shops have stepped up with a fantastic community spirit and organise deliveries promptly and friendly.
I really, really hope that people will remember this and continue to support their local independents when lock down is over!

My small local Tesco where I shop once a week is brilliant; well-organised, only nine people in the store at one time, orderly queues, well-stocked and a very cheerful, helpful staff.

I haven't bothered with home delivery, having found it impossible to get a slot and gave up after my first attempt. Having read about the amount of food and drink some people on here are ordering, consuming, and boasting about, I am not surprised.

well may be slightly off thread here, but touched my nerves

this clapping for the NHS.. not knocking it at all it has clearly been a moral booster,, but how many of the people clapping are the ones who did not want the Government to increase taxes to pay to the NHS? just wondering

so I think the first thing that should be done is to pay them more! the lower paid that is,, not the so called people who "earn" high salaries... they don`t "earn" it , they get paid,

ugh!

delivery drivers.... we need to turn the whole of society upside down, ..

DeedeeP have you had a letter confirming you or DH ned to be shielded, and have you registered on the Gov. site for assistance? If so, the supermarkets will give priority slots, but you have to keep revisiting sites and be lucky to get a delivery slot - it’s a bit haphazard but better than risking infection

NOT NATIONWIDE they dropped by credit card limit from £5700 to £1400 AFTER I'd paid off £500 and without any warning and won't tell me why

thank you everyone who has contributed so far some good information here. @Redhead56 yes I agree about NHS we clap for them and others every Thursday here on Hampshire Coast My idea is more about companies who go the extra mile during these difficult times for example even though I am in the vulnerable group I can not get access to Supermarket a and b deliveries but now that they know Supernmarket C and D (who I dont normally shop with) have given me access to deliveries. I will remember this once lockdown is over and I decide where my loyalties are. one notable company in Gosport are matthews Greengrocers in Forton Road. They take orders for veg boxes, and you can add other items when you order a box they will deliver or you can collect from them. They are making an effort to serve the local community and not inflating prices to do so.

What a lovely idea, we only ever get to hear about the “not so good thing in life” would be nice to recognise those that have stood by their staff in this difficult times.

Three cheers for our post man, and everyone elses, and my happy smiling Hermes delivery driver

I found plenty of vegan staples, loo roll and a money-saving laundry egg (very impressed with that for anything but whites) easy to order from the Ethical Superstore.

Local to NE London/Essex, we have 'Veg to your Door', a lovely big box of fresh fruit and veg, promptly delivered for £20. I'm not sure if it will continue after lockdown, though, as perhaps supplies are plentiful with restaurants etc. closed.

The local milkman from 'Milk and More' has been reliable for twice weekly bread and milk, plus other essentials. More expensive than shops - but maybe a literal lifesaver!

Just wanted to let some of you struggling with online food home delivery slots if you dont mind what brand you get or an exact description of food inside your hamper style boxes then go to morrisons.co.uk they're doing a fab deal on food boxes for £35.00 meat or vegetarian boxes, ready meal boxes etc for a similar price. And you get it next day home delivery, you dont get an option on a time when you order it but you get a message the next day with a time frame so u know wen its coming. Mine was brill and arrived today after ordering yesterday morning, with no hassle and you get your moneys worth. I just left a note on my door saying 'please leave the parcel in front of my door many thanks ?' everyday essentials in there too, like bread, loo roll, butter, potatoes, milk etc.

NHS, bin men, our local chemist which was willing to drop off Calpol for grandson when we thought he might have the virus.

I live in Cornwall and have a village close to us. The only shop is SPAR. I can ring through an order, pay for it and I can either collect it (2 car hoots when I arrive), they then put the box outside and disappear. OR Barry will deliver it for me, He is a volunteer who has a free loan of Age Concerns mini bus. Once a day he collects the orders and delivers. This delivery is done the day after you have placed the order

deedeeP. I found out about this through the village community Facebook Book Page. It's worth using Facebook just for this. Also through the page I found out the village pub will arrange a box of meat/fish/veg for us. The pub also deliver meals, ready to eat or for the freezer. Plus there's an ever growing list of support.

Our bin men are brilliant. They've turned up, every week, and have been so helpful to those of us who have struggled to get our wheelie bins out to the pavement and back in again. I know that several councils have cut down on the number of collections since lock down so we're very fortunate to still have a full service.

I think the gratitude should go much further afield. Without doubt all NHS workers should and are being praised for the work they are doing. There are other people doing important jobs every day single day and we all take them for granted. I would like to thank utilities workers delivery workers care workers transport and shop workers. A lot of these people are paid minimum wage. They are getting abuse on a daily basis because stock is not in the shops as usual. Without these people what would we do?

Yesterday I had to deal with EE on behalf of my Mother who had a problem with her broadband. She is hard of hearing so can't speak on the phone.
The call handling staff were absolutely fantastic.
Not only was the problem sorted straight away but they really went 'above and beyond' to ensure we won't have difficulties in the future.
The friendliness and kindness really was exceptional, I can't praise them enough.