Former delivery drivers have jokingly suggested that a Tesco employee who gives an old friend a lift in the new Christmas TV advert would have been sacked if she had done the same in real life.
The fictional driver, played by comedian Roisin Conaty, agrees to meet a customer, actor Anna Maxwell Martin, halfway after she orders her Christmas food shop to the wrong address. The two turn out to be old friends, and after Maxwell's character experiences car trouble, the kind-spirited driver agrees to give her pal a lift home, earning an invite to Christmas dinner.
Ad labelled 'a training video on what not to do'
The Christmas ad, which was meant to inspire heartwarming festive cheer, has instead been labelled "a training video on what not to do" by many drivers on social media. The number of "sackable offences" shown in it has become a source of comedy for former delivery drivers.
Such offences include messaging with a customer from a personal phone, driving without a high-visibility vest, and allowing a customer to take a lift in the passenger seat.
Drivers poke fun at the ad
One delivery driver poked fun at the ad, saying they would never meet a customer halfway because they didn't check "their address when they ordered, that's an instant fail!!!"
Another explained how the ad risked giving customers unrealistic expectations for their drivers: "I feel they should do a part 2 after Christmas all the phones ringing at head office with customers complaining this didn't happen."
Tesco responds
In a statement made to the Daily Star, a Tesco spokesperson said, "Our Christmas ads aim to capture the magic of Christmas and employ a bit of creative licence to allow the storytelling to be as impactful as possible.
"This year's ad features a heartwarming interaction between two old friends which takes place when a Grocery Home Shopping order doesn't go to plan.
"In real life, our delivery drivers play an essential part in helping the UK to get their all-important Christmas shopping and the safety of our colleague and customers will always come first.
"We provide clear guidelines to all of our colleagues on how to fulfil their roles and if a customer does need any assistance with an online order, our customer services team will be happy to help."
