Category Archives: customer service

prime now vs. peapod delivers, fresh direct, and instacart.

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I have tried them all…..all of the grocery school delivery services that is.

Who I have been using most is Giant by Peapod. But they don’t always have delivery availability when you need it, and even with a “plan” their delivery is getting expensive. Oh and don’t forget the fuel surcharge.

I used to use Fresh Direct when it was a special occasion but they are probably almost the most expensive. And then there were those instances of frozen fresh flowers, fresh herbs and vegetables when I needed them to be fresh and not frozen for holiday dinners and parties.

I tried Instacart a few times, but really didn’t mesh with them so I actually deleted the app from my phone and tablet. I also find them hugely expensive.

Recently I have tried Prime Now Whole Foods by Amazon. I have to tell you thus far I am really impressed.

The Prime Now app is easy to use. It is attached to my Amazon Prime account and the customer service is outstanding. I had a couple snafus with my first order and they cleared them right up practically instantly.

The other thing with Prime Now is the groceries come packed neatly, and frozen and perishables are packaged separately in an insulated bags. As a matter of fact if you buy ice cream it comes in an extra insulated bag inside the insulated bag.

Everything comes in environmentally friendly paper bags so I don’t have to remember to give the plastic bags back for recycling. The bags for perishable items are also recyclable.

Now the one thing I don’t like is Prime Now is another grocery delivery service that has delivery people using their own vehicles. Instacart does this too. So unless they’re wearing ID (which my delivery people were), you have to look twice before opening the door. Peapod still does better here in this area as well as Fresh Direct with uniforms on their drivers and business trucks.

So far, Prime Now is beating all of the grocery delivery services on speed and delivery availability. And they also give you options of time frames where they will offer free delivery. Prime Now is also kicking butt in then produce area. Their meat and poultry is as expensive as Fresh Direct but the quality is impressive.

Prime Now also prefers you add your tip into your total before you hit submit for your order – their drivers are not allowed to accept cash tips.

I used Prime Now when we came home from a little time away with family because they were the only people I could get to deliver groceries when I needed them the day of my return. I wasn’t going to use them again so soon, but when I pulled up Peapod yesterday they didn’t have any availability for a couple of days.

I will be honest I never thought I would be a person who would get my groceries delivered. But it’s a nice option when you’re short on time.

Please note my opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way by any of these grocery delivery services to write a review.

it’s not best buy, it’s worst buy?

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I have to say no one should bother with Best Buy because their customer service and delivery is the pits. And I will tell you why.

One of my best friends ordered a new washer dryer stacking combo from the Plymouth Meeting PA store. The store was fine, but let’s talk about their delivery people.

With regard to delivery, first there was an understandable cancellation due to snow.  But instead of giving them a delivery priority AFTER the snow, they just shunted this family to the back of the line. And when they finally showed up they arrived without the right install stacker kit (or whatever you call the pieces that make a set “stack”). Did they come back with the stacker kit? That would be a NO. They instead left my friend’s new washer and dryer sitting in her dining room and made it all the customer’s problem.

So my friend has three kids. Which means A LOT OF LAUNDRY. So there was all the time at the laundromat, the fact her husband had to go find the proper stacking kit at one of the Best Buy stores and subsequently hire someone ELSE to install it because wait for it…..Best Buy customer service and delivery people couldn’t be bothered making it right!    My friends even had someone to take the old washer and dryer out of the house to make it easy when Best Buy people were SUPPOSED to come pick up the old set. Best Buy could not even do THAT and for Easter my friend’s guests and family were greeted by dead appliances in the driveway…..you know what everyone wants on a holiday when they are hosting friends and family. A Hillbilly Holiday.

I told her honestly she should have used Sears or a local appliance store in the first place and I will certainly never use Best Buy personally after this horror show.

I have dug up some comments (people are from ALL over the country) I saw posted on social media regarding Best Buy, so I know my friend is not alone. And she is one of the nicest people so I am indignant on her behalf.  Best Buy did not even offer to compensate her for her additional costs and time!  Smart customer service would have apologized and offered a gift card equal to what they paid for having to go purchase the install kit and hire someone else to install and gotten someone out to her home ASAP today to pick up the old appliances. But no…they didn’t.

I will note my friend said the people physically in the Plymouth Meeting, PA store are super nice, but these are things outsourced to faceless customer service people and whomever does their deliveries.

Here is also what I dug up regarding executives of Best Buy, because when you call corporate ((612) 291-1000) , they are super unfriendly and will basically not transfer you to executive escalations. So this is what I found (in addition to Facebook@BestBuy.com):

At the end of the day, this is WHY it is so good to SHOP LOCAL.  There are plenty of excellent businesses who sell appliances.  Yes, maybe you will pay a little more because they are mom & pop or regional but at least you get good service.  I will also give a plug to the Sears Outlet. We have used them several times and they have been terrific.  We have also used Queen Appliance and they are terrific.On my own in years past I have also used D & K in Newton Square and I love them – they are old school.  I also used Gerhard’s once.

There are options.  Even Home Depot and Lowe’s aren’t bad.  I guess I just do not get how Best Buy stays in business because I never hear positive stories about them any more.

The moral of this story is shop local because Big Box can be a Big Bust, or at least that appears to be a regular occurrence with Best Buy, unless of course all the negative reviews are figments of customer imagination?

 

 

 

hunker down, chester county

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I have lost count of how many people are without power in Chester County.

It is going to be one of those winter weekends.

We have been told by neighbors 5pm Sunday for power restoration maybe. And others have been saying that as well.

When I first reported my power outage, PECO’s system gave me a hard time. Both on the app and the toll free emergency/outage number. The system did not believe me there was a power outage.

Then as more and more people called in power outages the text messages started. First they said 5 PM today, but by 4 PM the system said “assessing damage”

As of 8:44 PM they still say “assessing damage” which is utility speak for we don’t know what the hell is going on right now.

So is it time for our elected officials to ask PECO Energy some tough infrastructure questions? As in did they ever put it all back together after the 2014 ice storm? Because my sources say no.

I have been told that PECO Energy’s website is completely overwhelmed and crashing. I don’t know from personal experience if that is true because I use their app or I call them.

The emergency/outage number is 1-800-841-4141.

There are lots of trees down everywhere, so I think some of the roads are a bit of a mess. And the winds are crazy outside.

So March has definitely arrived like a veritable lion. Stay safe and warm and dry everyone.

foodie heaven and worth the wait: whole foods exton, pa

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One of my Christmas presents was a lovely gift card to Whole Foods in Exton. Yes, the store we never thought would open. A giant construction project and a corporate buy out by Amazon later, and it finally opened on January 18th.

The Whole Foods in Exton is located at 175 N. Pottstown Pike in Exton. Is easily accessible from 100 and also from 30. The parking lot was a bit of a crush, but when we went today for the first time, a good spot opened up quickly.

I actually think this is the best Whole Foods I have been in. I used to avoid the Wynnewood store because the crowd was obnoxious and the parking lot worth your life. Even re-built in Wynnewood it feels cramped. I never liked the Devon Whole Foods because of the crowd and the parking lot. But Whole Foods Exton? It’s a whole new experience.

I also think Whole Foods Exton is going to kick Wegman’s behind and I will tell you why.

Wegman’s in Malvern is cavernous and dark. The aisle shelving is SO tall in spots you feel isolated in the aisles. I also do not find it well organized and the store since it opened doesn’t flow. You can’t necessarily find things easily, nor necessarily someone to help you when you need it.

I like Wegman’s all right, but I am thinking I am going to like Whole Foods in Exton better. If I managed a Wegman’s I would be “shopping” the Whole Foods in Exton.

When you walk into Whole Foods in Exton, it’s huge but light and airy. You see the mechanicals in the ceiling but the store has loads of natural and electric lighting and as opposed to the darker feeling of a Wegman’s or a Giant, it’s so much better lit.

Wegman’s is also spotlessly clean. And the staff is friendly, well-trained, knowledgeable, and also neatly dressed.

From produce, to the fish market in the store, to the butcher it’s clean and well laid out. First time in the store and I did not have a problem finding anything.

They have a wonderful array of very fresh pre-made food if that is your thing. For pre-packaged food which is NOT my thing, it’s quite appealing. Especially the array of salads and grains and roasted vegetables.

They have an amazing yogurt selection. And breads and bagels ? Yum. Cookies too. I tried a double chocolate chip and it was delicious.

I had way too much fun buying produce and fresh fish that did not smell fishy. One of their great deals today was a shrimp ring for $7.99. The shrimp was incredibly fresh and I loved the cocktail sauce.

Whole Foods in Exton also has a nice in store wine and beer store. Admirable wine selection which was very boutique-like. The beer selection my husband said was o.k. but could stand some improvement. But beer-wise we are spoiled in Chester County by The Beer Store in Lincoln Court Shopping Center on Route 30 in Malvern.The store was mobbed as it was a Saturday, so that was a little overwhelming. It was also at times amusing people watching as there were some folks who were just such serious food people.

There were also some of the Main Line flora and fauna who had ventured west and still shop while on their cell phones.

And of course, the cart zombies. They are the ones who wander and stop, oblivious of all around them. My husband said I was one, and to my fellow shoppers I apologize I was having so much fun checking everything out!We ran into a friend and her kids also checking the store out for the first time. Apparently, her husband was suffering from sticker shock elsewhere in the store.I will say that while things are not quite ACME or GIANT prices since Amazon purchased Whole Foods, the prices are vastly and definitely improved. It won’t necessarily be my every day grocery store all of the time, it is affordable enough to visit far more often than Wegman’s. Hopefully prices stay that way. If prices stay that way, Whole Foods will also eat into the business of Fresh Direct in this area.

Readers, I had a swell time. Can’t wait to go back! Next time I will check out their cafe/juice bar and Pike’s. It was totally worth the wait.

christmas is coming!

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I had an appointment in Wayne so I stopped at Valley Forge Flowers, more specifically The Barn at Valley Forge Flowers.

I love Christmas and I noticed they were literally decking the halls so I had to go in and check things out. They have some fabulous Christmas ornaments and holiday hostess gifts if you are in the market for them.

Especially take note of the fabulous German ornaments in the section known as The Cottage at Valley Forge Flowers. And like a complete dork, that’s the one photo I neglected to snap!

Please note that my opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way or given preferential treatment for writing my little review of a fabulous shopping experience. I am just a happy customer!

some views never get old 

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I just love ❤️ Pete’s Produce in Westtown! How can you not? Quintessential Chester County ❤️

when gardening, know your mail order grower

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The photo above (and the next photo below this paragraph) were both  taken on a garden tour last spring. I love hostas! I really generally speaking have a hosta disease! I am always looking for interesting cultivars and growers who might have hostas I want to try but never have been able to find locally.


But I learned a valuable lesson recently about knowing your grower. And knowing your grower especially when it comes to mail order plants.

I have been ordering plants from reputable growers up and down the eastern seaboard and as far away as Washington state for years.

I was searching out particular hosta cultivars and decided to check eBay.  Believe it or not I have had wonderful luck with some small plant growers on eBay in the past. For example, I received wonderful woodland ferns from a small nursery outfit in Tennessee.

So there is this grower who is a dually listed on eBay and Amazon. I figured since they were on two sites that generally try to police their sellers I was OK ordering plants. I didn’t stop to pay attention to the reviews. I should have. If I had paid attention to the reviews I would’ve saved myself a lot of trouble.

I ordered the plants and then I waited. And waited. When I received no tracking number to track my package from the seller after over a week I messaged the grower to ask if the plants had shipped and if I could have a tracking number.

I also at that time asked if I was getting bare root or if they were coming in pots. The seller said they always ship bare root.

I am not a novice gardener and I am fine with bare root plants. I figured all would be fine.

Boy was I mistaken.

The plants arrived Saturday. Poorly packaged in a small square box, they arrived mostly dead. I literally had thrown my money away.

For all of the plants I have ordered over the years mail order, never had I received any in such poor condition. And what was described as a “starter” plant (for example) looked like a piece of wilted micro lettuce.

The plants were shipped in dry newspaper in little sandwich baggies with the hosta cultivars scribbled illegibly on the outside of the baggies. There was no ventilation in the little square box and the plants were dried out, wilted, and mostly dead. And so small. I am used to mail order plants but these were puny, so not as described in my humble opinion.

I took a deep breath and contacted the “grower” to see what they would do. I gave them the opportunity to do the right thing. I wanted healthy plants, not a refund. And I was not seeking free plants. I would have been satisfied with an “I am so sorry.” Or even an intelligent conversation in the hopes of achieving an amicable resolution. After all, who likes wasting money?

The response from the “grower” was swift and nasty to be honest.  They accused me of “blackmail” and demanded (not requested) I mail back “their” plants (even though I had paid $70+ for “their” plants.

I will be honest, I was taken aback by the sheer nastiness of their attitude, and I said calmly that I was not going to put myself out MORE money to mail back sub par mostly dead plants.  

I have learned a valuable lesson. And if I had read the reviews posted online I probably would not have purchased a thing from them. If they need my hard earned money so badly, hey they can keep it.

Know your grower. And if you do not, check them out. (And yes, another case made for buying local.)


On a certain level I am disappointed, because people who are true nursery men and women are generally speaking some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

Do not be afraid of ordering plants via mail order, just check out the grower ahead of time. Again, lesson learned for me. I broke my rule of checking them out.

Good customer service matters.  

scrooged in wayne

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This location is Runnymede at South Wayne Avenue in Wayne PA (Radnor Twp)- friend courtesy photo

So last night a friend messages me:

Hey Happy holidays! I’m asking you this because you might know – the small white vans being used during Christmas for deliveries, do you know if they are usps or a FedEx or ups or Amazon delivery person? I ask because today I saw a delivery person driving one of these actually put an Amazon package in the storm SEWER. So I am trying to figure out what agency to contact this to report it. SMH.

So I messaged her back how crazy that was and that Amazon is introducing dedicated drivers in small white vans in the area. How crazy must it have been to see a delivery person chuck a package like that?

I suggested she go to the police and contact Amazon.com.  She showed me a picture of the package in the storm sewer which I am about to post:

She couldn’t figure out where the package was going because it was face down. Her  local police department went out to the location this morning and the package was gone. It’s pretty deep to fish out from this storm sewer, so we’re at a loss as to how the package moved – either someone came along with something to fish it out or there was inexplicable water that washed it out of view.

But somebody somewhere is missing a package a few days before Christmas. I hope it was not a present for a child.

I am a big Amazon fan but I will admit I have had problems with some of their delivery people since they started adding dedicated delivery. I have had things just not get delivered or delivered late. It’s a relatively new service in this area with dedicated drivers, so obviously they have some kinks to work out.

Here is hoping Amazon can figure this out.

dear santa can you help?

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Dear Santa,

Hi there! Are you getting your letters from Chester County, PA?  I am sorry to ask  during this time of year, but you see parts of Chester County has an on again, off again mail problem.

You see, part of Chester County PA’s Mail sorts through another city and state. Yes, it’s true, part of Chester County’s mail sorts through Wilmington, Delaware!

Imagine, you send your next door neighbor a card and it takes not days , but weeks to arrive. Why? Because the mail sorts through Wilmington, Delaware!

Imagine you have an awesome local post office and equally terrific mail carriers. Imagine how awful they feel when they have to knock on your door and hand you damaged mail and damaged packages that sometimes look like the football after Monday Night Football! Why? Because the mail came to Chester County via Wilmington, Delaware!

Imagine you are waiting for a registered or priority package and you are tracking it on USPS.com and you watch it travel from pillar to post and then it just stalls for a couple of days…in Wilmington, Delaware. (with no explanation, ever.)

Santa, it is sad but true. When you complain the United States Postal Service doesn’t honor their “we deliver for you” they terrorize your local mail carriers and post office or they blow you off entirely. Heck maybe YOU can get them to respond to emails – because unless you are contacting the Office of The Inspector General, you stand a pretty good chance of being totally blown off.

Last time I went on a tirade against Chester County PA mail partially sorting through Wilmington, Delaware I was told off the record that the reason mail from Chester County sorts through another state entirely was Joe Biden and is this true?  So should I be writing to Joe Biden instead of you Santa Claus?

I have a theory and that is the postal workers in the sorting facility in Wilmington,  Delaware resent having to also sort Chester County, Pennsylvania mail.  And that is why I hypothesize why mail goes missing, has inexplicable delays, and gets damaged. And who can blame them?  Wouldn’t you be upset if some politicians just doubled your workloads because they thought that was the solution to some stupid political agenda? 

December 1, 2016 update: spoke to consumer affairs personnel in Washington, DC in the Postmaster General’s Office after getting blown off by Philadelphia Consumer Affairs and the office of the USPS OIG. Santa would you like to receive a priority package marked fragile that looks like this?

So Santa, if you can talk to USPS about the mail and ask them to do something about the Chester County, Pennsylvania mail partially sorting in Wilmington, Delaware that would be an awesome stocking stuffer this Christmas!

respect small businesses 

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Things that happen to small businesses that I hate. Not in Chester County but my old stomping grounds of Ardmore, PA. 

So apparently someone hired this landscape company because someone put out big planters on Lancaster Avenue (see above.)

Now this is the Main Line so of course you have to hire someone to plant a couple of plants in a planter, right?


Well that is fine provided said service provider is NOT blocking public walkways, rear business entrances, and oh yes parking in someone’s posted private and non-municipal parking.


Well completely disregarding all of the above award of the week goes to Charles Friel Landscaping. They did this to one of my closest friends who is a small business owner. 


And when she went out to basically ask him to move he was like he would be done soon and he had these plants to get in. My friend kept trying to explain that the guy was blocking her rear door (fire and safety hazard), parking in her customer parking on private property, and blocking a public walkway. 

That is not right and for some reason he could not tell her who had paid for the planters (don’t people usually know for whom they are working?). None of the businesses (even the ones with them in front of their stores) seem to know where the big plastic planter boxes have come from.

I am all for community beautification in business districts as so many business districts just don’t bother. But what I am not for our people who do things like this landscape truck did today. Ardmore is horrible for parking. It gets as congested as the Borough of Malvern or downtown West Chester. But people need to be considerate of small businesses. These mom-and-pop shops make our communities unique and careless behavior like this literally takes business away from them because of people can’t get to the store they’re going to go someplace else.