UPS = Unreliable Parcel Service
Ordinarily, UPS is rock solid reliable but this is the Christmas season when package loads increase and the parcel service brings in extra drivers to handle the volume.
One of them, assigned to deliver in Floyd County, got lost Tuesday and went back to Roanoke is many packages undelivered.
One of those packages should have come to Chateau Thompson, where UPS delivers 15-20 packages a month. On Monday, I ordered some urgently needed photo and video supplies from B & H Photo in New York and paid the premium to have them shipped overnight.
By 6 p.m. the package had not arrived so I checked the tracking number on the UPS web site and found this message:
A CORRECT STREET NUMBER IS NEEDED FOR DELIVERY. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION
Obviously, they were trying to contact me via pony express because no phone call came into either home or office or via email. The message was posted at 6:09 p.m. I called at 6:30 and, after several frustrating attempts to get through their voice prompt system, finally reached a live person.
Or so it seemed.
"The driver couldn’t find a street number where you live," he said. "You need to have an identifying number out in front of your house."
Identifying number? We have three of them: The number on the mailbox in front of the house, a sign that points to our number and the number of the only other house on our lane and a lighted number sign at the entrance to the driveway.
Perhaps, I suggested in a lower tone of voice that indicates seething anger, the driver got lost?
"Oh I doubt that sir but I will contact the regional center (in Roanoke) and have them call you within the hour."
Ninety minutes later and still no call back. So I called back. A bored sounding woman said the regional center was now closed and she would have someone call me in the morning.
"Unacceptable," I said. "Let me speak to your supervisor."
She tried four times to say her supervisor was not available and would call me back before she finally understood that I would not accept that brush off and would not hang up until a supervisor came on the line. When the supervisor finally got on the line I explained in an escalating volume that I was sick of being jerked around by UPS and wanted an answer tonight on where the package was and just when they expected to deliver it. She promised to check into it and call me back in thirty minues. In five minutes she was back on the line, having reached someone in Roanoke who admitted that, yes, they had a temporary driver on the Floyd route Tuesday and, yes, he got lost and that, yes, there were a lot of angry customers like me who didn’t get the delivery they expected.
After multiple apologies and a promise of a full refund of my shipping charges, UPS promised to deliver the package first thing Wednesday morning to our studio in Floyd.
Let’s see if they can deliver on their promise this time around.
UPDATE: 3:17 p.m. Package arrived. Not exactly "first thing Wednesday morning" but at least it is finally here.
Hi; thanks for the opportunity to record this information. Hopefully it will help others to make rational decisions on shipping arrangements.
I had a package scheduled for delivery yesterday by UPS. I waited in all day and kept looking out the window in case the driver hadn’t been supplied with the flat number – an occasional problem, though it never before led to a failure to deliver – but when it hadn’t arrived at 5pm I checked the tracking on the net and there it was: “A CORRECT STREET NUMBER IS NEEDED FOR DELIVERY. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION”. There was also a note to say that the driver had sent a postcard to me to find out the street number. But strangely, he did of course have the street number – all that he lacked was the dreaded flat number. If he didn’t have the street number how did he expect the postcard to get to me? The postman was going to have to deliver the postcard somehow! Anyhow, all he had to do was come to the block – 4 floors of 2 flats per floor – and ring one or more of the buzzers. I would certainly have answered – and I would have seen the van if he’d parked outside. But rather than try to deliver – to save coming back and to try to keep the customer satisfied – he appears instead to have drafted a postcard to me . . . . . .! I’ve done courier work myself and my approach was always to deliver if at all possible, to save a return journey, and to prevent the customer from having to wait in again.
Having contacted the UPS call centre this morning before 9am I was informed that the delivery will be rescheduled for tomorrow – time unspecified. A short time ago I checked the tracking and at just after 1pm there was an update to say that UPS are still attempting to get a correct street number . . . . more than four hours after I provided the detail that will hopefully make the job easy. I appreciate that the original shipper should have ensured that the flat number was included along with the street number, but UPS haven’t covered themselves in glory here. . . again. This was my second UPS experience. My first was two weeks ago when I was shipping something to someone else. The driver failed to appear on the due date to collect and turned up just before midday a day later without an apology. 2 experiences and both bad. I won’t be using UPS again, and I won’t allow anyone shipping to me to use them at my expense. It’s not going to hurt them of course since I’m only one customer lost but I don’t think that poor service should be rewarded with more business.
Again, my thanks for being allowed to post this information. Appreciated. jim
I had the same problem with UPS multiple times. They’ve always been late or they cant locate my house. I called UPS and they said that it might be a new driver and that they would have to deliver tomorrow. Kept giving them a chance but i’ve decided never to use UPS again.
Rant? That’s all this website has become, is a place to rant. What happened to the beuatiful way of life that serves us in this great mountain home? Why do we always have to complain? Life goes on, like it or not. We can’t change that just because we post a blog saying UPS sucks. I mean is that really what we need to be teaching our kids? Rant until you get your way. Complain enough, you’ll get your way. I totally understand trying to deal with things that happen in life. But I mean, come on?? Over a package? That’s just irrational and immature. It happens. You’re not the only one. Get over it. Over politics?? Hell yea rant all you want, I agree with that 100%. But over silly, petty things, is just totally immature and irrational. Learn to make do with what ya got.
I understand your feelings Doug. Sometimes we all need to have a good rant. And when it comes to politics, we don’t rant enough. Being positive is all well and good, but if we stick our heads in the sand and ignore what’s happening around us, we are not living in reality. We would be in effect, an enabler. So just keep on saying it like it is.
I was kind of holding my breath hoping you would check out this young fellow’s blog and go easy on him upon discovering his age. Once again you proved you really are a nice guy and a class act. When I was his age I knew everything too. I only became stupid about ten years ago when my daughter was his age. Fortunately, we’ve grown together since then and between the two of us, we’re pretty smart (I think she’s doing most of the heavy lifting now).
Young Mr. T-Rex seems to have a refreshing outlook and lots of hope for the future. With any luck, our society and educational system won’t crush all of that out of him and we curmudgeons won’t rain on his parade too often. With a little polishing he could become a good writer. Hopefully, he’ll move beyond the daily weather report and write about things that are important and meaningful to him (although he may make pretty fair meteorologist as well).
I have only one question for you, Doug: Once you’ve thoroughly afflicted us, will you comfort us?
Have a peaceful and love-filled Holy-Day Season!
Zach, I appreciate your concern but I believe you are missing the point. What you call just "a package" was, in fact, supplies needed for me to complete a project for folks who were depending on me to deliver prints to them in time for Christmas. My large format printer uses specialized inks which were back ordered. When they arrived, overnight delivery was necessary for me to complete the prints in time for my customers to get them to a framer so they could be ready for Christmas.
When a company like UPS fails to deliver on its promises of overnight service to a business it causes a ripple effect.
Blue Ridge Muse was never intended to be a "lets all join hands and sing koom ba yah" site. We’re a news and information site that trys to be a mirror of the community — good, bad, warts and all. It’s never been my nature to accept things as they are or to be complacent about incompetence or poor customer service.
I’m not a blogger. I’m just an ink-stained newspaperman and, as Finley Peter Dunne once said, it is the role of a newspaperman to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."
Thanks alot for taking the time to comment back. I care alot about the things in this world, and I guess I failed to understand the magnitude of your situation. Thanks for being a polite fellow, and please forgive me for my jumping to conlusion. Although I am firm on what I believe. I do realize, now, that this website is more than just a blog. It is also a resource for local news, information, and a great representation of the great local heritage. Thanks again, and best regards.
99% of the time! Every time, they never make it. I can’t order any thing and have ups, because it will never get here. DHL Will. Fedex always. UPS never. How us that for highlights. Bernie
Temp drivers are problematic. I’ve got regular DHL, UPS and Fedex drivers and they’re all fantastic. The UPS driver has treats for my dogs, knows them all by name, and enters our mudroom to leave packages that might otherwise get left out in the rain if we’re not home to receive them.
I don’t think Doug is highlighting how bad UPS is. About 99% of the time they do just fine. I think he’s highlighting the failure of UPS to properly support it’s customers when their business process fails.
Sean
Hey man, I love your blog. It’s great. As of late though, it’s kinda gotten old. It just seems like every time you post something, it’s a complaint. Wheter it be about UPS, or AEP, or a political complaint, it’s just getting old. I live in Fancy Gap( Carroll County) and am faced w/ many of the same problems you are. Yes, we got ice Saturday night, and lost power. This past summer, we were out of power for a whole week because of thunderstorms. I have a blog, and I did not once post about it. I hate to be a pain in the ass, but I’m just trying to give you an honest opinion. This blog used to be my favorite. I’d love it if you kept it that way. If ya want to, you can check out my blog, lifeintheblueridge.blogspot.com . I’m actually fairly new to it, so I’m still learning, best regards, no hard feelings.
After 35 years in sales and service the most important thing I have learned is that meeting expectations is not enough. If you don’t exceed expectations, you have failed to capitalize on a business opportunity. Even if your package arrives first thing today, UPS threw away a great opportunity to strengthen their brand by their shabby treatment of a customer with a problem.
I ordered a package 2 weeks ago.
When i tracked my order 2 weeks ago, it was at my local ups store about 2 miles away.
When i realized it didnt show up that day, i checked tracking data.
IT ENDED UP IN ILLINOIS
Thats pretty sad seeing that i live in California.
I’m a first–and last time customer…
They are not what they used to be. They will not come to my house.They are poor at best. If you want service don’t use UPS. Bernie
Don’t they have GPS units in UPS trucks? A GPS unit would make it awfully hard for a newbie to get lost.
Then again UPS does advise people at this time of year to allow 1 extra day for shipping.