Google Shopping Express

[gtbarry]

Thrilled to make my first order with Google Shopping Express today and receive my item only hours after I placed the order. The driver was professional and courteous.

However, not exactly happy to note he asked me to sign my name for receiving the item into his apple phone.

(I could argue this either way. The Google brand is open and inclusive the phone used by the driver doesn't matter. On the other hand, I am a charter member of a Google program, went to a Google website, happened to have purchased a Google product this order and made a financial transaction with Google - so, my last point of contact for this experience shouldn't be with a competitor's product)

 

[codesplice]

I'm jealous, but thanks for sharing your experience!

...even if it only makes me jealouser.

 

[mikedt]

Thrilled to make my first order with Google Shopping Express today and receive my item only hours after I placed the order. The driver was professional and courteous.

However, not exactly happy to note he asked me to sign my name for receiving the item into his apple phone.

(I could argue this either way. The Google brand is open and inclusive the phone used by the driver doesn't matter. On the other hand, I am a charter member of a Google program, went to a Google website, happened to have purchased a Google product this order and made a financial transaction with Google - so, my last point of contact for this experience shouldn't be with a competitor's product)

Presumably there's a courier company contracted to Google to deliver their products to your home, e.g. DHL, UPS, Fedex, etc. They're not employing their own drivers are they? Google wouldn't have any control of what system or devices that company uses for its consignment control, tracking and signing system. For a long time couriers seemed to use Windows CE based devices that you signed. Windows CE is no longer available, so maybe the company that supplies these systems has gone over to using iOS based devices.

At Apple Stores the EPOS handheld credit card terminals were all Windows CE. Now they're using iOS.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Hours. Oh, thats nice.

 

[kate]

Any word if they will expand this beyond the San Fran/San Jose area?

 

[gtbarry]

Presumably there's a courier company contracted to Google to deliver their products to your home, e.g. DHL, UPS, Fedex, etc. They're not employing their own drivers are they?

It is a courier company. However, the driver's shirt, driver's cap and car were all branded clearly "Google Shopping Express". (Note: the car was not a vinyl wrap or magnetic decal. It was painted with the GSX logo.) I would think Google has choices and the power to say "if you want this contract, your drivers will drive the following, wear the following and use the following equipment..." Honestly, I would rather he pull up in a UHaul or Papa John's vehicle and use an Android device.

Any word if they will expand this beyond the San Fran/San Jose area?

No word on expansion yet. They first beta'd with Google employees. Then they expanded to people in the Bay Area. Only thing I can think of is they are still aligning couriers and fulfillment elsewhere. Since they are using couriers to pick up the items from retailers (e.g. Office Depot, Nob Hill Foods, Target, Costco, Toys r Us, etc.) and then deliver them to you. The advantage the Bay Area will always have over other areas is the item I ordered was a Google product and fulfilled at Google HQ and delivered to me.

 

[gtbarry]

Hours. Oh, thats nice.

It took three and a half hours from Google HQ to my home from the time I placed the order. I placed the order at 6:30am. So, factor in that the earliest delivery time is 9am and I am a thirty minute drive from Mtn. view.

 

[lunatic59]

We've looked into a few POD systems (proof of delivery) compatible with Android devices and even put one into testing phase with out drivers, but sadly the iOS options are better for the non-technical. And believe me when I say our drivers are non-technical. I am surprised they can even drive.

 

[mikedt]

See if they used drones, like Amazon, they wouldn't have to use contracted, dimwitted delivery drivers with iPhones.

I ordered my Nexus from Mountain View 8 hours ago. Still waiting for it to arrive.

 

[lunatic59]

See if they used drones, like Amazon, they wouldn't have to use contracted, dimwitted delivery drivers with iPhones.

I ordered my Nexus from Mountain View 8 hours ago. Still waiting for it to arrive.

I understand Google is looking into Mongolian yaks as delivery vehicles. You should get yours by next Spring.

 

[huh]

OMG!!! google schmoogle...It's creepy...your phone can listen to your conversations and you don't even know it!then..BAM! next day you have ads all tailored to what you were talking about...it creeps me out...its an invasion of privacy in my book...its too much too fast and....it's going to be really hard to seperate right to privacy and marketing...Hubby is in innovation and...look! a squirrel!~!~! no but some of the stuff I can pay attenion for more than 3 minutes kind of scares the helen keller out of me...oh was that bad to say that? I mean no disrespect to Helen Keller..in fact I think she is a hero..

whoops!!! sorry I'm Rambling yikes!!



carry on


ps I'm too lazy right now to check spelling or grammer .plus I had a beer

 

[Gmash]

I could care less what the driver is using as long as I get my stuffs lol.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Any word if they will expand this beyond the San Fran/San Jose area?

It's down here in the Los Angeles area now, although only for Google's employees at the moment:

Google Inc. is wading into the morass of same-day delivery pilots and programs rapidly collecting in the Southland, competing with e-commerce giants such as Amazon.com Inc.

In the first expansion of a test it launched in the Bay Area in the spring, Google is inviting its employees in the Santa Monica area to try out its Google Shopping Express service.

Several hundred people work for the company in the Los Angeles area. Google hopes to eventually extend the service to the general public.

The rollout may follow the pattern Google used with its Northern California launch. When the program began in March, only Google workers and a select group of applicants were allowed to participate. But since September, customers from San Francisco to San Jose have been able to use Google Shopping Express.
...

Source.

 

[gtbarry]

Any word if they will expand this beyond the San Fran/San Jose area?

Google (GOOG) employees who happen to live in Santa Monica, Calif., area can now get same-day deliveries for products purchased through the company

 

[luckywabbit]

I use Google Express all the time. I see people driving their own cars as well as Google Branded cars. I've signed on all sorts of phones. In the end it doesn't matter to me what phone they are using. Just get me my stuff!