‘I pack your online Christmas orders from Tesco – some of them are hilarious’
While we conveniently shop online, we rarely give a thought the individual who navigates a bustling supermarket to gather our selected items. One of the 28,500 temporary ‘Dotcom pickers’ employed during the hectic festive season has shared their experience working at Tesco.
“Some supermarkets, including Tesco, have large ‘fulfilment centres’ where online orders are compiled without any customers around,” they informed The Times. “But me, I’m in the trenches, in a shop that’s open for business.”
These pickers operate under a stringent schedule, tasked with collecting approximately 185 products per hour, roughly three items per minute. Despite the demanding nature of the job, the anonymous Tesco employee disclosed that it can also offer some genuine amusement.
“I like to entertain myself by imagining the personalities of the customers I’m picking for,” they revealed.
As just one example, the store picker recalled: “One Saturday not long ago someone had ordered two bottles of vodka, a bottle of whisky, four beers, a loaf of bread and, very wisely, two packets of paracetamol.”
“That to me is simply good planning. The award for most hilarious order must go to whoever ordered four bottles of pinot grigio, a cucumber and a bottle of lube.”
The job doesn’t pay particularly well, with twelve 6am to 2pm shifts earning the worker around £1,000 a month. However, they describe it as “a happy, humorous and intense experience.”
The pressure stems from the rigorous pick rate, with an electronic gadget known as a “pick stick” continuously tracking workers’ performance.
In a shop accessible to customers, that performance can frequently be hindered by a bewildered shopper enquiring about a specific product’s location. As far as regular members of the public are concerned, anyone wearing a Tesco uniform ought to be available to address their queries.
The anonymous shop worker said: “The only signs that I’m on the clock are the pick stick in my hand and the sweat on my brow. I’m obliged to help customers, but it’s agonising watching the bar on my pick stick slide from blue to red as I show someone to the jars of Chicken Tonight.”
Tesco typically opens applications for seasonal staff at the end of September, providing flexible shift arrangements at a rate of £12.64 per hour. Following completion of an online application form, suitable candidates are invited for a brief 30-minute interview.
Not all seasonal staff are expected to wear a uniform, though Tesco emphasises that it’s physical labour and recommends practical attire and robust walking shoes.
Despite the challenging rota, the work is largely pleasant and fulfilling, the unnamed employee notes: “It’s an active job and the time flies like no other job I’ve had.”
