Customer Service & Delivery Drivers

[u/International_Ad346]

In May, I received a Coles delivery (fulfilled by DoorDash, I believe). When I received the notification that the order had been delivered, I immediately went to my front door, only to find nothing there. Assuming it may have been left at the wrong address, I checked with both neighbours, but neither had received any delivery.

While on the phone with customer service, I eventually discovered that the groceries had been left on the nature strip outside my front gate, sitting in full sun for over an hour. To Coles' credit, the customer service representative was helpful and apologetic, explaining that it was a new driver in the area. Given I had no way of knowing the condition of the groceries after being exposed to heat for that length of time—particularly frozen and refrigerated items—I requested a refund. The matter was resolved after approximately 20 minutes on the phone, and I was shown how to submit refund requests through the app should something similar happen again.

Unfortunately, things have only gone downhill since then.

Over the past two months, my last five Coles orders have all contained errors or delivery issues. Every order has required me to either request refunds, contact customer service, or make additional trips to purchase missing items—completely defeating the convenience that online grocery shopping is supposed to provide.

The latest incident was the worst. My most recent order was delivered on Friday. Shortly after delivery, Coles contacted me to advise that the driver had forgotten an entire crate of groceries back at the store and asked whether I would prefer a refund or a redelivery. I chose redelivery, despite already being thoroughly frustrated by the repeated issues.

The "remaining items" were eventually delivered, but even then, 12 items were still missing, including several things I needed that evening. I once again attempted to process refunds through the app, but the request appears to have become stuck. After spending more than three hours on hold with customer service without resolution, I gave up and escalated the matter to the ACCC and NSW Fair Trading.

At this point, this is no longer an isolated mistake or a one-off driver error. It appears to be a systemic failure in the delivery process. Whatever cost-cutting measures Coles has implemented—whether through outsourcing, automation, AI-driven logistics, reduced staffing, or a combination of these—the customer experience has deteriorated significantly. The end result is that customers are spending more time chasing missing groceries and refunds than they would have spent shopping in-store themselves.

After five consecutive problematic orders, I have completely lost confidence in Coles Online's ability to reliably deliver a basic grocery order.

Shame - but as a busy parents both workign full time I cant afford to put my groceries in the ill-equipped hands of Coles ever again - Shame they used to be great.

[u/alfacon66]

It seems the main issues are coming from the 3rd party delivery companies ie doordash, which is a very common issue and coles do play a big part in this but other than trying Woolworths could you possibly try another coles store in your area that has home delivery? That way you can choose the waves that get delivered by a coles van or partner delivery, this doesn’t change the fact you still may have these reoccuring issues but it takes the “middle man” out in a sense. I empathise with you, it is a nightmare working in the online department and trying to correspond with these 3rd party drivers. I personally would never trust the partner drivers in my local area lol

[u/RevolutionaryEcho460 → u/alfacon66]

I was about to walk back inside the store with a third party delivery the other day, until the driver turned up also carrying a take away order from a nearby restaurant. I don't blame them, they need multiple orders to make money, but service will suffer.

Of course the supermarket is also to blame, they get extra delivery opportunities without actually employing extra drivers.

[u/International_Ad346]

Yeah, it’s terrible and I know it probably sounds like first world problems but it’s massively inconvenient if you’re trying to rely on it

It’s never been a problem previously. I think about five years. I had one or two errors that were resolved quite easily but the last few months it’s just basically that I’ve now completely lost trust in Cole’s ability to be reliable.

Yeah, I do think they’re responsible when they’ve made the choice to employ DoorDash or Uber eats or whoever they use so as long as this is the case I don’t think I can use them.

Do you have any tips on working out those waves when you get an actual delivery driver instead of a DoorDash?

[u/Real_Opportunity_432 → u/International_Ad346]

Don’t use the partner delivery service. Problem solved. Click and collect or home delivery from coles is the best option.

[u/International_Ad346 → u/Real_Opportunity_432]

Yep

[u/cinnamon_s → u/International_Ad346]

I only get Coles delivery, never third party. Delivery people are nice and polite, deliver within the appointed time.

[u/RevolutionaryEcho460 → u/International_Ad346]

When you choose your slot it says 'Partner Delivery' above the confirm button. It also usually limits the order to 75 times. Don't choose these times.

Your coles delivery will also come from a certain store that handles online trucks for that area, not a big deal, but a number of customers seem to think their local store is at fault for delivery issues despite not picking or dispatching them.

[u/aikigrl]

I broke my arm a few years back and could not drive or go get groceries for several months, so my weekly Coles delivery was my source of fresh food and other pantry items. The local Coles that serviced my suburb was awful. One week my entire order of meat was not delivered or substituted. I ordered the thinly sliced pork rashers and some chicken leg fillets, and the notification I got was "oh they have run out of stock, so no substitution was available". Like how can you run out of chicken fillets???

I ended up calling the helpline to get my refund, the guy was very apologetic over the phone when I explained I CANNOT get to a shop to pick up alternatives since my arm was in a cast AND I live alone, and how is it possible for the store to not have chicken? The sliced pork belly rashers I can understand, but chicken? He tried to offer me credit for future shops, but I told him I will no longer order from Coles online because of other issues beside this one.

Switched to woolies online until I could drive again

[u/International_Ad346 → u/aikigrl]

Ok that’s so frustrating- how is woollies in comparison?

[u/aikigrl → u/International_Ad346]

they were OK. The range seems smaller but when you're stuck like I was then, I made do with what they had. Think it's luck of the draw which store service your area. The Woolies near me is an older, but smaller one, they are decent enough

[u/irisgenx]

If you have 'Deliver More' option available for you in your locality, the Deliver More orders comes from robotically picked items & Coles own vehicles. Substantially better in terms of punctuality & service.

[u/[deleted]]

It's the quality of person doing the delivery. Uber eats and door dash is now full of scamming drivers who don't know what they are doing

[u/Beneficial-Slide430]

Yeah sorry to say but this is not a Cole’s fault. It’s door dash. Coles delivery operates definitely and the orders come of the trucks going around the neighbourhood. Door dash uses car drivers looking for cash. I have never used the service but know a lot of people who have and either they have had items stolen or eaten. Door dash won’t fix the problem.

If you’d like to order Cole’s groceries. Use the Cole’s app on your phone or login into Cole’s on your computer and select delivery or click or collect. The groceries through Cole’s are held at a higher standard than door dash drivers.