Online Ordering System

Just for a change this isn't about either Royal Mail, Post Office ltd or even my customers.

Today I will be mostly ranting about the new online ordering system I've been using for my confectionery supplier.

Previously, I used to get a phone call at a set time each week to go through my order. This worked fairly well but meant that I needed to be ready at that time and I had to have the order codes for everything I wanted written out. It was fairly easy to get these codes wrong and order something random and occasionally, due to the stupid way the catalogue was laid out, it was difficult to find what I wanted.

When I was offered the chance to use the new online ordering system I thought I'd give it a go. It sounded like a good idea. Place the order when I wanted, search the catalogue online, brilliant.

I placed my first order and then got back a confirmation email a couple of hours later. Hmm, thinks I, I'm sure I order individual cans of Coke, I wonder why they've been substituted for multipacks. That's no good.

I then had to ring an 0845 number to get this corrected. While I was talking to them I asked if it would be possible not to have any substitutions on my account, if something's not in stock, I don't want something different instead. "No problem." I was told.

The next week and it was time to order again. I reordered the same things that had randomly been replaced confident in the knowledge that if they're not in stock, I won't be swapped.

Imagine my utter shock when I received another confirmation where several things had been swapped.

Another pointless phone call later and I've it sorted. Not only had my stuff been swapped but the original items are in stock anyway.

Today was my final attempt with the system. If it didn't work them sod it, I'm going back to the old fashioned but actually better method of talking to a human on the phone.

As you have probably already guessed, this didn't go well. For some fantastic reason known only to the company in question, the special offers that they do don't actually appear on the web site.

YAY!!!

I wonder why the online ordering system was sold to me as being more convenient and quicker when it's actually neither.

Twats.