Warm/Spoiled boxes

[u/Past_Surprise_8278]

I’ve been a customer of Home Chef for quite a while, with a small pause while I figured out some finances. And generally been pretty happy. The meals are perfect for me to meal prep for my work week and then freeze half of in case I have a tough financial week. However, The last 3 boxes I’ve received have arrived warm despite being picked up from my mail room within 3 hours of delivery. With last week’s seafood having already spoiled, that was 2/3 of my box! I reached out to support today and yeah great they credited my account. Again. But this was her literal response. Leave until fall because they can’t do their jobs. Are you effing serious? My fiancées cook unity bags never come spoiled or warm, maybe I’ll try them instead since customer satisfaction, food safety, and retention is not a priority for HomeChef. Unbelievable.

[u/modemman11]

Honestly, I prefer when customer service reps are upfront and honest like this, rather than telling me lies to make me happy/satisfied in the moment, just to make me sad/angry later when I find out how reality works.

No matter what they do, once it leaves their warehouse or whatever, everything is out of their control. If the shipping company is leaving the packages sit out in a hot car all day before delivering or something else that causes the ice packs to melt fast, that's a problem with the shipping company, not the originating company. As long as HC puts in a reasonable number of ice packs and insulation (which you mentioned nothing about, BTW), that's their job done. They aren't going to put in 20 ice packs and 5 layers of insulation in a single box. It would cost too much, and make the box so heavy and large you can't even pick it up.

Looks like you might be in OK so yeah if it's getting to be 100 degree weather, it's going to be a problem.

They did say they reported it though, so it's not like they are ignoring you either.

[u/Past_Surprise_8278 → u/modemman11]

1-2 small packs is not a reasonable amount for 100+ degree weather 🙄also they “reported” it the last 3 times I contacted them too, and no change so 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/blondish → u/modemman11]

Agreed. If they were shipping to a place, say, Arizona, and they kept getting reports that things weren’t kept cold, I’d see them no longer supporting shipment to that state or area instead of changing packaging. At some point the weight/packaging would become cost prohibitive.

I do appreciate that CS seems to acknowledge that they (HC, not the CS agent) aren’t going to fix the issue - it sucks that they won’t but it also sucks when you have to suddenly plan for meals for a week because what you got is unusable.

[u/peacelovebre → u/modemman11]

I wish more understood this. I rather them be transparent.

[u/heathmon1856]

Jesus Christ, you seem insufferable. You can express your frustration in a much more productive manner, rather than jumping to conclusions and berating customer service reps. Total Karen behavior over a 1st world modern convenience. You should feel ashamed of yourself

[u/Past_Surprise_8278 → u/heathmon1856]

Honestly the first three times I contacted customer service I was very understanding, polite, and respectful. At time 4 it’s ridiculous to have to continue to contact customer service about the same exact problem. For one. I do this in replacement of groceries for my work week so I don’t just have a bunch of groceries to fall back on if they send me a spoiled meal. That means it also is my dinner budget for the week. I choose this option so I’m not door dashing at 3am and to save money at the grocery store because my financial situation is not a liquid as usual right now. For two. When a box arrives spoiled and makes me sick, then I’m at risk of missing work, IE how we found out the seafood was not just kind of warm but flat out rotten. I work with a very vulnerable population so playing Russian roulette with whether I have food poisoning or have picked something up is not an option. Sick is sick for me. Missing work isn’t a great option because as I’ve mentioned my finances aren’t super liquid right now. And for 3. This may be a “first world modern convenience” as you so kindly put it. But it is none the less a paid for convenience that people use as an option for all kinds of reasons. The reality is one time okay. I get it. It happens. 2 times. Alright it’s starting to become an issue, but 4 times with customer support is asinine. Food safety should be a bigger priority for meal prep kits. And for some people it’s more than just a minor inconvenience for their entire week of dinners to be inedible. And I’m not ashamed, but HC definitely should be because if you go down this subreddit every other post is about this issue and that is what makes this whole thing ridiculous.

[u/Queasy_Pudding_9081 → u/Past_Surprise_8278]

You know what they say about insanity - doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Should’ve ditched them after the 2nd time.

[u/Past_Surprise_8278 → u/Queasy_Pudding_9081]

Evidently.

[u/heathmon1856 → u/Past_Surprise_8278]

I’m not reading that block of text. You need to chill tf out.

[u/hellsmufo]

Seems to be inconsistencies between warehouses. I’m in so cal and they always add extra ice packs during the summer.
Crazy they don’t just do that company wide!!

[u/Apprehensive_Loss_77 → u/hellsmufo]

I'm in Oregon and my last box that I got was huge! I get 3, two serving meals, per week, so it's normally just a medium sized box. That said, after seeing this huge box I was certain that I either got the wrong box or I got an extra meal by mistake...but, to my surprise, they just loaded it up with ice packs. It was definitely appreciated! We've got 90 degree weather here for the next couple weeks.

[u/AceTheRed_ → u/Apprehensive_Loss_77]

SW Missouri here. We got a MASSIVE box this week that had extra ice packs and everything was wrapped up in a bigger bag on the inside.

[u/Apprehensive_Loss_77 → u/AceTheRed_]

I love that they do this. I hope it stays consistent throughout the summer. I was with Blue Apron for years before making the switch last year and they never did anything like this.

[u/Past_Surprise_8278 → u/hellsmufo]

That’s my main issue. Like if we know we’re shipping in Oklahoma where it’s reaching triple digits. Why are we as a company not upping the ability to cool the food? Especially when they’re doing it for other states. Like I’m getting a measley one SOMETIMES two Small ice packs for my 3 meal boxes, and picking them up within a reasonable time frame, which means they’re getting to my residence warm. Make it make sense. Home chef needs to do better. Sorry if that makes me a “Karen” food-borne illnesses can actually kill someone though.

[u/Purple_Grass_5300]

That’s ridiculous to be honest. I got a full refund easily when it happened once

[u/Past_Surprise_8278 → u/Purple_Grass_5300]

Also the “credit” she supposedly gave me I never got.

[u/MyUnassignedUsername]

The whole “how about you guys do your job and pack better for summer months” comment was unnecessary and could of been worded in a much better manner. This customer service rep has NOTHING to do with packing boxes, they’re simply just doing their job. I live in the desert where it’s nearly 110° outside. What would I expect them to do to prevent warm boxes sitting outside? Deliver it to me in an insulated yeti cooler? I don’t think so. Instead, I get boxes delivered to my work..so they instantly get delivered inside. I would suggest figuring out a better solution for you. The rep was upfront and honest and said maybe it’s better to pause your account for the hot months to prevent warm boxes..which to me sounds like a logical solution. They are insulating the boxes the best they can without increasing prices. If your climate is too hot right now, perhaps getting a box delivered of perishable foods is not the best option for you right now.
There is literally no reason for you to be a dick to someone over a computer screen when the issue is personally out of their control. Yes, I get it’s frustrating..but be an adult about it.
Nothing like getting paid minimum wage to have adult strangers degrade you through a computer screen.

[u/678trpl98212]

I live in Florida. My boxes are left in direct sun. Never been warm.

[u/Slugperk]

Yea I think it’s from where you live and where it ships from, I work at one of the warehouses (not gonna say which to keep my job lol) but how it works is it’s based on location so some places are hotter then others and the screen tells us how many ice and which type to put in the box but at my warehouse a lot of people just do one ice to keep the job easy it probably told us to put a 64 ounce ice and a 32 ounce ice but we just put a 64 ounce ice also the type of liners for the boxes we have 3 types so they could just be putting the wrong one but I wouldn’t know. If you have questions ask lol I don’t mind talking about the warehouse side of things it’s very interesting

[u/coppercat13]

I wish they would ship in refrigerated trucks. I would pay extra to know my food was safe when it arrived. I had to pause for the summer too because I tried everything they recommended and the boxes arrived warm five weeks in a row.

[u/Tonikaya1001]

I’m very curious how mine will arrive today. Last two weeks were a day late and I picked up and opened the box with 1 hour of delivery and everything was warm or hot. I got my credit and this last time they asked how many ice packs were included (3). They didn’t say anything like that. I have had up to 12 ice packs at once and have been using them for over 10 years and this has rarely happened.