In the first issue of this year I reported on Tajinder Singh’s problem with the deadlines for his separate orders for ambient and chilled goods via Londis. The routine is that chilled products have to be ordered at 9.30am, with the order being passed on to the third-party supplier. The frozen/ambient order from the depot is then ordered at 9pm the same day. He had missed a few deadlines and although subsequently got his frozen/ambient with a following delivery, he didn’t get the chilled, but still had to pay. 

Here comes a handy tip from Dilip and Falguni Patel (Londis, Clapham Park, London). Dilip writes: “As a Londis retailer who has, like others, had many similar order/delivery issues, we fully sympathise with the frustrations.

“Our RSM previously suggested that the ‘safest solution’ is for us to send our 9.30am deadline orders the previous evening and top up on the ‘Webshop’ online site by 9am, should we forget to order any fresh produce.

“Frozen and ambient 9pm deadline orders we now send by 6pm and again top up by 8.30pm.”

It sounds fiddly, but workable.