Pros
***Please READ if you want a full and comprehensive understanding or what the role entails*** I was very excited to start working at Ocado. I had previously been working at ASDA doing the same job. I was excited because Ocado pay a bit better, you just drive (you dont have to load your own van), they do a 4 X 10hr shift pattern and they’re customer base is more affluent so you deliver in nicer areas. Let me start with the good. The operation is run very smoothly. Everything works, and all the vans are clean and tidy. You can deliver to customers early if you call them, so its possible to get ahead of schedule and go home early. They give you plenty of nice uniforms and all you have to do is drive. You dont have to load or unload your van and there is a subsidised vending machine in the driver hub area. It is paid the best out of all the supermarket delivery outfits, as a result of the surcharge you are paid for evenings and weekends. Furthermore, you get paid for your whole shift even if you get back early, however usually you only come back a tiny bit early as the delivery routes and drops are worked out perfectly to maximise your time on the road.
Cons
The training consisted of 1.5 days in a classroom, 0.5 days out with a driving assessor and 1 day doing a buddy run. You would expect that it would be a good idea to send new starters out with an experienced driver but they sent us out with another new starter, so it was the blind leading the blind. Totally pointless in my opinion. After that you are out on your own. For the first month you do 8hr shifts and they are less stressful shifts, giving you a bit more time for each delivery. Even with this more relaxed schedule you still feel rushed. For a few days I tried to do it as quick as possible and skipped my 30min break, i got back about 30mins to 1hr early so I could go home a bit early, but it felt so stressful. To keep up with the delivery schedule you have to rush a lot. In the training they emphasised the importance of asking the customer if they want you to bring the shopping into their house and ensuring you have a little chat with the customer. This is without question not possible with the pace they set. Sometimes I was going so fast i didnt even have time to make eye contact with the customer as i placed the shopping bags on the customers door mat. Additionally this makes for a boring work day as you dont get to have nice chats with customers, which for me makes my day more enjoyable and hopefully the customer’s too. As well as this, the job and workplace feels quite soulless. At the start of your shift you clock in and then see your name on a screen and which van you have been assigned. You go to the van and check it over and then drive. When you get back you hand your van to a marshall in the yard and they take it away and park it. There is very little reason or opportunity to interact with your colleagues. To some degree you are just a robot you drives the van and gives the shopping to the customer. Finally, the management do not care about you and the atmosphere they create is not pleasant. The atmosphere that I observed was one designed to make you feel dispensable. In a sense you are just a number to the company and how you are treated in any mistakes you might make shows this very quickly. Any accidents or mistakes you make are immediately dealt with by either threatening or serving you with disciplinary action. Even it is your first day. Even our assistant trainer openly talked about people being sacked for certain wrong doings, which in hindsight i feel is wholly unprofessional. Be prepared to feel like you are one mistake away from losing your job. To conclude, the headline is that working at Ocado is just a job. It is not somewhere where you go to feel part of a team or have banter with your colleagues. You drive and deliver at a hectic pace and then go home. For some people this is ideal and suits them down to the ground, but if you want to feel a bit more fulfilled in your work and hate stress, working as an Ocado driver is not the Job for you. My advice is, dont waste your time. I left after 3 weeks and went back to ASDA. At ASDA it is a bit disorganised and you have to perform a few extra duties other than driving, such a putting substitutes back and loading your van. You also only get paid for the time you are there. However, you get to work with nice people and the work is much more relaxed. Sometimes I have an hour between delivery slots. I cant speak for other supermarkets but ASDA has treated me right. Hope this has helped some of you assess whether the job would suit you, and good luck!
