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what brown can do (1 Viewer)

Micah Cohen

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"Hi, can I speak with Jerry The Supervisor, please?"
"He's in a meeting. You'll have to call back after 9am."
"I really need to speak with him before the drivers leave the building, please."
"I'll try to page him." [I am put on silent hold...]

This company has the worst customer service of any company I have ever dealt with in recent memory. I am the customer, you have something of mine that I have paid for and for which I have paid you to deliver, and you are, in effect, holding it hostage by not helping me get this package in a timely and coordinated way. You are mocking me, doing this.

This is how I would solve this issue, if UPS were interested in good customer service: I'd say, the package you need is on truck number 22, which will be in your area between three and six PM today. If you are not there, sir, I will make certain that the driver leaves the package with your neighbor, as you requested three "info notices" ago. Don't worry, I'd say, you will get the package today. Sorry for the hassle, I'd say, we appreciate your business.

I can't believe that I am still on "hold" (or, more likely, "ignore") ten minutes later...

:angry:

On my planet, service like this would cause this company to FAIL.

MC
 

Ken Chui

Supporting Actor
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I can empathize with Micah, though, to be fair, I've had to pick up the occasional package from both couriers (UPS & FedEx) at their facilities.

What I've learned from my years of dealing with both:

a) if UPS is being used by an online retailer, I have the package, regardless of size, sent to my workplace. Someone else signs for the delivery, and I get it dropped off at my desk. :D
b) FedEx will leave packages with my leasing office, which I can then pick up the next day. For the most part, I just have all packages sent to work whenever possible.
c) I try to avoid retailers that use UPS exclusively, even if it means paying slightly higher delivery costs


Multiple instances from multiple drivers will change your perspective. ;)
 

Charles J P

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That's what I was told. I've also picked up plenty of FedEx packages in the past but... There's FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx home. ONLY FedEx Express is REALLY FedEx, the other two are both 3rd party "franchise" carriers. So maybe it is regional, but I called the number on the tag (800 go fedex) and they told me I can't pick up a FedEx Home delivery at a FedEx facility. When FedEx tells me that, I assume its correct.
 

Micah Cohen

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What's the point of paying for shipping if I have to go pick up the package at their convenience at their far-flung location?

AH, whatever.

25+ minutes on hold. Hang up, call back, that number is busy of course.

No help from the central 800 #, no one knows anything or can accomplish anything. No guarantees, no assistance, the same old no info over and over. Everyone at UPS is just sitting around eating donuts and drinking coffee, no way to HELP A CUSTOMER.

I have HAD IT.

No more UPS for me. I'll GET that package TODAY, I will, but no more UPS for me. I have HAD IT.

Admin, better shut this thread down before I go on a rampage about bad service.

:angry:

MC
 

Charles J P

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Well, to be fair, EVERYONE wants what you want, to have the package delivered after 5:30pm if its a weekday. Greater than HALF the population is not home at the same time you are not home. And if they just leave it and it gets stolen, then you are going to throw a shit fit about that too. Yeah it sucks but delivering to a HOME is a PITA for delivery companies and they are in a no-win situation.
 

DonRoeber

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I gave up on home delivery for everything awhile ago. I get everything that won't fit in my mailbox delivered to work nowadays.
 

MarkHastings

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Been there/Done that. I don't blame the company, I blame the drivers.


The problem I see is, nobody recognizes the "good" ones. For every 100 good experiences, we blow up the few bad ones and make a judgment that the entire company is crap. Emotions tend to do that to one.
 

Micah Cohen

Screenwriter
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OK... Stay calm.

I was on hold for 25 minutes on a number ending in 0179, then I hung up and called back and it was busy. So, I dialed around (since UPS doesn't supply or list their phone numbers, smart) and finally got thru on 0176. Direct to the supervisor, no less.

He assured me that the driver WOULD leave the package with my neighbors if he showed up today and I happened not to be here. (I have about an hour of errands to run, which means he will show up in that hour.) I thanked him like he was the pope or something.

Here's the juice: I know that I am damning a whole company for the poor service of a few idiots, but those idiots are caught in a bad-service-company. If what happened to me in these last few days happened to the CEO of UPS, the system would be changed. Phone contacts would be more helpful, supervisors would be more empowered, drivers would be more thoughtful and proactive. (I bet the CEO of UPS ships via FedEx.) This kind of stupid run-around non-information bad customer service -- just get the package to me, idiots -- would never happen to the CEO of the company.

I have worked retail. I know customers are unreasonable assholes. But that knowledge has made me strive to be a better customer in all my dealings. I am always nice, always helpful to the person I need help from, always appreciative. All you have to do is DO WHAT YOU DO and do it correctly, and I will LOVE you. I ask that you leave the package with my neighbors, please just do that. I ask that you leave the correct "next attempt" time on the info card, please just do that. I ask that you do what you are supposed to do just as a normal matter of course, JUST FUCKING DO IT. I will always say "please" and "thank you," and I'll even kiss your baby. But just do your job. Don't give me the run-around. Don't make it difficult for me. I am PAYING YOU.

Forget it, UPS. You just lost a customer. Get that package to me today, fuck you very much for the ulcer-causing run-around non-customer service, but you can bet I'll never ship UPS again. :thumbsdown:

PS - This residential address is my home office. I no longer have a remote office location to ship to. Just FYI.

What can brown do for me? They can deliver the package and then take a flying leap.

MC
 

Charles J P

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Micah, you are ignoring several facts here. IMO they've really only done ONE thing wrong and that is not leaving the package after the first note. And that may be against policy. Like I said, if it would have gotten stolen, they're up shit creek to pay out insurance. And when the Driver Bob has to go in front of his supervisor and explain why he has the highest rate of lost/stolen packages, his explanation that he knows people just want it to be left so they can get it ASAP will earn him a pink slip. Everything else I'm reading here is based on an unrealistic expectation that each individual be treated as a high priority by a company that delivers MILLIONS of packages a day. And a "mid-size" company down the street does more business with UPS in a day than you'll do with them in a lifetime.
 

Micah Cohen

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Yep, one simple thing wrong, and a week later all the rare cheese and imported chocolate in my package has melted and gone bad in a UPS warehouse... Actually, it's just CD-Roms and stuff, so it's not melting, but you see my point. I needed this last week. One simple thing, and the whole system gets effed up.

It is NOT against policy to leave packages with the neighbors. It isn't. The guy CHOSE not to. This sender does not require signatures, but this guy CHOSE to say that this package requires a signature.

After the first missed delivery, I did what I was supposed to do: I signed the card, left a note asking that the package be left with the neighbors. That was a week and four "attempts" ago, four "attempts" featuring various idiotic bonuses, like the driver not giving me the "next attempt" time, or giving the time and then showing up at a completely DIFFERENT time.

One small, simple thing gone wrong, and the whole system keeps the end result from happening. It's a lousy, unempowering system.

I won't encourage it with my business in the future.

MC
 

MarkHastings

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I think that's where these places (i.e. UPS & Fed-Ex) get their 'tudes' from. When you have tons of people demanding that you service them first, what can you do? If it's UPS's fault, they should definitely make you a priority (within reason), but they've already done that. You now expect them to go out of their way.

Your experience with UPS sounds like the very same experience everyone goes through with every other company when something doesn't go 100% the way they expected.

You have every right to stop using them, but sometimes it's easier to bend over then to get an ulcer over things.

I have every right to stop my SNET phone service and my Comcast cable service, but what am I going to do? Live without them? And besides, any other company I go with, they'll just do the same.

"Wherever you go...there you are."
 

MarkHastings

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Again, it sucks that one employee can ruin the reputation of the entire company, but it is just one employee.

Write the company a letter. Don't make it angry (that won't get you anywhere). Explain the situation and how disappointed you are.

Perhaps nothing will come of it, but on the other hand, maybe something will?
 

Charles J P

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If I refused to do business with every company that did something wrong to me at some point, I'd be living in a lean-to, growing my own crops and making my own clothing.
 

Micah Cohen

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I'm actually very close to living in a lean-to, growing my own crops and making my own clothing. I do this: I par down the places I do businesses with to a small few that give good customer service. UPS is not one of them.

I get great service from Verizon, DirecTV, the USPS, Coffeewiz.com Netflix, a million other places, even the place that is sending me these CD-Rs (CDR2GO.com); they rock and I'd recommend them to anyone. I worked for years at Polk Audio - where Ken is The King of Kustomer Service, and that made me proud.

Mark, Mark, Mark... I know and agree with everything you're saying. BUT... This is just nuts. I'm not asking for "special service," I'm merely asking for service. Just leave the package with the neighbor like I asked so many days ago. NO REASON NOT TO. No hidden reasons, no liability reasons. Just do your job so I can do mine.

Alas... I'm so exhausted over this simple thing having been turned into a week-long hassle that I just can't express my hatred of all things brown.

:frowning:

MC
 

brentl

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I WIN I WIN!!

"My FedEx guy was always a hassle to deal with as he would leave a "not at home" sticker even though I was home -- he just never bothered to ring or knock."

My FED-ex guy decided that since my projector didn't have "signature required" section checked off(the repair facility didn't pay for the extra), he couldjust leave my projector sitting on my front porch at noon.

Don't most people work days still?? So the packagewould have sat there for 5-6 hours before anybody got home. They say it's upto his descretion whether he feels it's safe enough.

Which means he can claim a package was delivered and take it home!!!

Funny thing, I was home at the time the package was said to have been dropped off, I was playing on my computer LOOKING OUT THE FRONT WINDOW. there was no knock at the front door, NO door bell was rung.

I never got my projector, Fed-ex claims that they did their job, but I never got my package.

It's now the repair facilities fault, and they have to replace my projector!!

Fed-ex sucks

Brent

OH, this is Benq's main carrier in Canada, and the Benq rep says this has happened before, everytime they forget to pay for the "signature required" option a Fed-ex delivery guy get's a new projector!
 

MarkHastings

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Michac, not that I'm doubting the UPS guy was just lazy, but did you just write "Leave with Neighbor" on the slip? Did you know that this is not acceptable? If you want the package delivered elsewhere, you need to write an address. You should have written your neighbors address down.

If you did that, then you've comlpied with UPS's rules and would have a solid argument. "Leave with Neighbor" might not cut it. Again, either the guy was being anal or just lazy, but you definitely need to have your bases covered when dealing with these places because they'll find a way to make it your fault.
 

Kirk Gunn

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I thought that the driver's were personally liable for lost/stolen packages once they got on their truck ?
 

Charles J P

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That could hardly be true. So if you leave a box PER the customer's instruction and someone walks off with it it's YOUR fault. No way Jose.
 

Micah Cohen

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I don't mean to laugh, but this made me shoot ice tea out my nose. This is a righteous scam these companies have going. I'd just take my delivery truck home and play with all my new toys. Astonishing.

Once this joker gets here with this package, this is the last time I am being powerless about this. Next time a sender sends UPS, I'm going to require that the sender specify that I don't have to sign, and that the driver can leave the package with the neighbor.

What if... What if I added a fake line to my (home/office) address, like "Suite 200" to denote that my office was UPSTAIRS, and I became a BUSINESS instead of a residential delivery...? Would that help me?

Hmmmmm.

NOW WHERE THE HELL IS THE GUY ALREADY?!

MC
 

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