Grocery delivery service, Ocado, launches text reminders

Excellent idea. Retail Bulletin is reporting that Ocado have launched a text reminder service for their customers. This, I reckon, is a critical aid for both Ocado and the customer. There’s nothing worse than heading out somewhere because you thought you were free for the afternoon, only to get a mobile call from the ‘driver’ asking if you’ll be home in 15 minutes to receive your delivery. Cue creative excuse as Ocado co-founder Jason Gissing explains:

“Over two thirds of our customers work and roughly the same proportion have children so they are some of the busiest people in the country. It’s easy to understand why they occasionally forget that we’re due to deliver. Whilst most people genuinely forget because their busy, we have had situations where customers admit to more creative reasons for not being in when we show up – from being whisked off on romantic getaways to organising deliveries of their own in the labour ward.”

Ocado should miss less customers as a result and customers should be more prepared to receive!

Key point: Can you reply to the text message you receive? I’m willing to bet the answer is no, for the time being. I’ll check with Ocado.

The holy grail here would be the facility to reply to the text and reschedule the delivery — and do everything you’d normally do by phone, by text.