British retailer Morrisons has launched a dedicated telesales shopping service aimed specifically at helping to ensure vulnerable and elderly people can get the groceries they need.
It is one of a number of measures that are being introduced by the supermarket, along with a number of other retailers who are doing the same, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Morrisons says it has received many calls from customers who are self isolating, elderly, vulnerable and not able to visit a shop and are worried about how they will stock up when demand for home deliveries has been high. Some have never used online ordering.
“We are playing our full part in feeding the nation and ensuring those that are most in need can receive a delivery from a familiar face,” says David Potts, Morrisons Chief Executive. “This new telephone service will ensure that more people who can’t leave their home to go shopping will be able to get a delivery.”
Customers will be able to place orders over the phone and delivery will be made the following day by a store colleague from their local store, often the store’s Community Champion, who is tasked with helping the community.
They can:
- choose from a ‘takeaway’ menu of 47 essential groceries, including bananas, potatoes, milk, butter, eggs, pasta, and flour
- pay for delivery on their doorstep via a mobile chip and pin device
- refuse an item on delivery should they wish to do so but every effort will be made to match the customers’ specific preferences.
Morrisons Community Champions will be identifying customers who need support and offering it on a postcard through their door. Customers will be able to ring them directly if they need their shopping delivered.
Those vulnerable and elderly customers who do come to stores will also be offered a helping hand from colleagues wearing ‘Love To Help’ t-shirts.
To help support this new service, Morrisons has invested in a van for every one of its 494 stores so that colleagues can drop the shopping off on a customer’s doorstep.
Morrisons is already helping elderly and vulnerable people by expanding its home delivery service and making more slots available to customers both through Morrisons.com and the Morrisons Store on Amazon Prime Now. It is also rolling out food boxes and has partnered up with Deliveroo to allow customers to order from a range of essentials delivered to their door by a Deliveroo rider on the same day.
