The Incompetence of the United Parcel Service (And How it Ruined My Day)

I don’t often use my blog as a platform to air my personal (or business, as the case may be) grievances, but as I sit down to write today’s blog, I find myself distracted due to the gross incompetence of the United Parcel Service (UPS).  And, if you, my good readers, can relate to this experience, it is my hope that you can understand why I’m exercising my right to free speech here and, well, venting for all to see, about how UPS just ruined my day!!  Here’s the story:

We have a computer training course occurring in Ottawa this coming Monday.  So, to be diligent, I called UPS this past Tuesday (well in advance) to schedule a shipment (of our course material to our facilitator in Ottawa) to be picked up at our location on Wednesday and be delivered before close of business on Thursday.  UPS assured me that the driver would arrive here between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm to pick up the package.  They never showed up!!

On Thursday morning, I called UPS to find out what the hell had happened.  They were apologetic and assured me that the driver would definitely show up today (Thursday).  I explained, however, that due to the fact that the shipment was now going out a day later, we would have to ship using their ‘Express’ service as opposed to their ‘Standard’ service.  As ‘Express’ service is more expensive, I asked that they compensate by not charging me the extra fee.  I was impressed when they offered the service completely free of charge, with a guarantee that the package would arrive the following day (today – Friday) by no later than 10:30 am.

I take it you know where I’m going with this…

At about 10:15 this morning, the recipient had not yet received the package, so I called UPS to track it.  They assured me that, yes, it was indeed on the truck for delivery and would be arriving in the next 15 minutes.  I was guardedly satisfied with that.  I hung up the phone and waited for the recipient to call to let me know that the package had arrived safely.  I waited until 10:45.  The phone rang.  It was Greg, but the news was not good!  UPS had in fact shown up at his apartment building, but for some reason that only the forces beyond will ever know, the driver, in his infinite wisdom, neglected to actually buzz Greg’s apartment, instead opting to simply leave a sticker on his mailbox, indicating that UPS had been to the building with the package.  

My question for UPS (when I called to find out what the hell!!) was, “How does this help us?”  They took all of my information yet again, including the tracking number, only to tell me that there had been an attempt at delivery.  I explained how that attempt had fallen short and that the bottom line still remained that the recipient did not have the package in hand.  The person I spoke with mumbled something about an entry code to the building and how it had not been included on the waybill.  I patiently explained that an entry code was not necessary – that the driver needed only to buzz the apartment number.  I also explained that we had shipped to this address about a gazillion times in the past, without incident.  

I requested that the driver go immediately back to the building – no harm done.  I was told that would be impossible.  I requested that the package be re-delivered sometime later in the day.  I was told that would be impossible.  I asked if the UPS depot in Ottawa was open on Saturday so that Greg at least could pick up the package himself.  I was told that, no, it was not open on Saturday.  After much kerfuffle (and quite some time on hold), I was informed that they could send the package to the UPS store, located on the other side of town, and that it could be picked up there, but only between the hours of 12:00 and 3:00.  When I explained to this person, with a sense of urgency, that the contents of this package were crucial for a meeting this afternoon (a little bit of shameless lying never hurt anybody) to see if I could light a fire under their collective asses, I was told still, that this was the best they could do.  When I then asked how UPS compensated their clients for these types of blunders (money lost, embarrassment at not having the required documents for a meeting, time lost, etc.), I was informed in no uncertain terms, that “UPS doesn’t do that.”  Now that’s customer service for ya’!

I could have really lost it, used my well-stocked four letter word vocabulary and been insufferable, but that would have only served to upset me more than them.  I simply thanked her for her time and let her know that my next call would be to Federal Express to set up my new account.  Without waiting for her reply, I hung up.

 

Anyone want to place bets on whether or not the package will be at the UPS store tomorrow as promised?  Well, we’re not taking any chances – we have put together another set of course material, packaged it up and will be making a trip to Ottawa this weekend!  Thank you so very much, UPS!!!