UPS Misses the Pinko Boat
I was expecting an important package to arrive yesterday or today from a shipper via UPS. I paid 2x the shipping price to have this happen.
The shipper made a mistake and put that our offices are at #209 instead of #210 (a difference of one door), so they sent my package back.
My phone number was printed on that package. The UPS delivery person was most likely standing outside of our office at some point. There was no phonecall.
Now, because I need that package TODAY, I have to borrow a vehicle to drive to another town to get that package.
I asked the customer service agent:
"Is my phone number on the package?"
"Yes ma'am, but the drivers don't have cell phones."
"Why not?"
"It's a huge expense and a big decision to do something like this company wide."
"But it would have saved me a hassle. In fact, I've dealt with this several times now. [this is not the first time UPS and/or FedEx has done this] Why not shift that big advertising budget just a wee bit to invest in some cell phones for your drivers?"
Silence...then excuses. I know that it isn't the customer service agent's fault. He just isn't empowered to help me. He probably isn't paid enough to care. They have what I need, so I have to suck it up. It certainly doesn't make me feel very good about UPS. In fact, everytime I am expecting a delivery, I now expect that 50% of the time it won't make it to me. That's sad. This means that a new company can come along who raises expectations just a little bit and I'd switch. It would be THAT easy.
Spend the money on the cell phones. If the address is wrong, try calling the recipient. Most people are sitting and waiting for the package.
My last message to the customer service agent, "Sir, please leave a note on this delivery record that I will be blogging this."
:: Update...I just received a call back from David (the customer service agent). He may be able to help me after all...let's see...Maybe the blogging thing got him piqued. ;)
:: Update #2...yay! The driver came back and showed me that it was the UPS clerk error (the shipper had put the proper addy on the package, then the clerk at the Menlo Park UPS changed it). But he came back. Still needs a cell phone...but I'm impressed.
The shipper made a mistake and put that our offices are at #209 instead of #210 (a difference of one door), so they sent my package back.
My phone number was printed on that package. The UPS delivery person was most likely standing outside of our office at some point. There was no phonecall.
Now, because I need that package TODAY, I have to borrow a vehicle to drive to another town to get that package.
I asked the customer service agent:
"Is my phone number on the package?"
"Yes ma'am, but the drivers don't have cell phones."
"Why not?"
"It's a huge expense and a big decision to do something like this company wide."
"But it would have saved me a hassle. In fact, I've dealt with this several times now. [this is not the first time UPS and/or FedEx has done this] Why not shift that big advertising budget just a wee bit to invest in some cell phones for your drivers?"
Silence...then excuses. I know that it isn't the customer service agent's fault. He just isn't empowered to help me. He probably isn't paid enough to care. They have what I need, so I have to suck it up. It certainly doesn't make me feel very good about UPS. In fact, everytime I am expecting a delivery, I now expect that 50% of the time it won't make it to me. That's sad. This means that a new company can come along who raises expectations just a little bit and I'd switch. It would be THAT easy.
Spend the money on the cell phones. If the address is wrong, try calling the recipient. Most people are sitting and waiting for the package.
My last message to the customer service agent, "Sir, please leave a note on this delivery record that I will be blogging this."
:: Update...I just received a call back from David (the customer service agent). He may be able to help me after all...let's see...Maybe the blogging thing got him piqued. ;)
:: Update #2...yay! The driver came back and showed me that it was the UPS clerk error (the shipper had put the proper addy on the package, then the clerk at the Menlo Park UPS changed it). But he came back. Still needs a cell phone...but I'm impressed.
[tags: pinkomarketing, cluetrain, marketing, UPS]
8 Comments:
I had the same type of problem.
Recently I purchased about a thousand dollars worth of PC parts and was having them devlivered via UPS. The box wasn't very large but the delivery guy doesn't even walk the package to the front door of my house. He just leaves it next to a gate on my driveway so I had no idea it was out there waiting for me. Anyone could have walked by and picked it up. It was really bad but thankfully I was checking for the package so I knew it was supposed to be arriving that day.
I do not like the fact that UPS will not call people, Not sure if FedEx ever does. This is why i picked up a UPS box and made sure they will take UPS and FedEx, well worth the money
You get your money back?
This post raises two points. First, everybody screws up one in a while. That's a given. What matters is HOW YOU HANDLE IT. If you handle it right, you can make a customer for life. If you handle it wrong, somone posts a blog entry about it, and a thousand people read about it.
Second, they're forgetting what you want as a customer. What you want is for your package to be delivered. Period. The executional details are their problem, not yours. In fact, you're paying specifically for the details not to be your issue.
This is similar to waiting forever at a restaurant, and having the waitress tell you the food is slow in arriving because they're shorthanded in the kitchen. You couldn't care less. It's not your issue. You just want the food. And in fact, again, you're paying to not have to think about the executional details. If you did, you would have stayed home and just executed it yourself.
The best in the world at this is the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain. One of their corporate rules is that customer-facing employees, when presented with a problem, are supposed to stop whatever they're doing -- as in STOP, immediately -- and take whatever action is necessary to satisfy the guest. Take a look at this: "Never lose a guest. Instant guest pacification is the responsibility of every employee. Whoever receives a complaint will own it." This is baked into their process. Take a look:
http://www.baldrigeineducation.org/stories/1999/Ritz-Carlton/RC-Appl1.PDF
Ugh - UPS woes. I've had 'em, too. We use UPS at the office and do labels via their computer system. Depending on where you are shipping the box they make you put in a telephone number. Interesting to note since they apparently don't make use of that number.
Want to hear another fun one? On each box you need to put in a short description of what's in the box. I'm ok with that. However when I write 'stickers' and get a call from UPS saying they need a better description of that before they will send the box any further, I'm not ok with that. Go on...think of a way to describe 'stickers' in 5 words or less (because that is all the room you are given in the box on the screen!). Oh yes, I love UPS...
I had a similar problem wi
I had the same problem with Canada Post. I let the delivery man into my block, looked down the hall and see a fellow with a package heading towards the opposite end of the hall. He knocks on the door -- "no answer". I yell down the hall (I'm in a wheelchair) -- "Is that for me?"
He pays no attention, gets on the elevator and leaves. I find a delivery card in my mailbox shortly thereafter.
I find it amazing that packages can come from thousands of miles away and then get misdirected on the last 0.000001% of their journey!
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