02.28.07

UPS for the loss…. again

Posted in Personal News, UPS at 4:10 pm by divinity

Why is UPS so terrible in shipping? It’s unbelievable at times. My camera was ordered with 2day shipping. I was expecting it to be delivered today, but I pulled up the tracking number to find:

SAN FRANCISCO,CA, US 02/28/2007 11:39 A.M. THE APARTMENT NUMBER IS MISSING OR IS INCORRECT. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION.

First off, yes, the apartment number was missing. But it does say my full name on the package, and the buzzer for the front door has my name on it. So the delivery should have gone like this:

(my phone rings)
“Hello?”
“Hello, UPS with a delivery for Ed Hunsinger”
“Thanks, I’ll buzz you in”
“Thanks, what apartment number are you?”
“Apt blah blah blah”
*BUZZZZ*
Package delivered successfully

Instead I get (or at least what I assume):
Driver pulls up to apartment and hops out with package.
Notices there’s no apartment number.
Takes package back to truck, gets UPS brand delivery notice sticky note out and sticks it to the box where it lists everyone’s buzzer number.
Notifies central HQ that there was no apartment number and that UPS should obtain this information. How? Preferably by magic.
Ed sits and wonders why he hasn’t been called to buzz in the 2-day delivery package that cost $20+ to ship.
Ed checks tracking number and sees that the apartment number is missing and that UPS is trying to find out this info.
Ed knows that customer service is last on UPS’s list so he pre-emptively calls the 800 number after searching through their website for it.
“Tracking” “164788754876587 (my tracking number)”
“hello, our records indicate a delivery attempt to (full address here). The driver reports that the apartment number was missing and will attempt to obtain this information.”
“can I give you the apartment number?”
“no, we cannot modify the delivery location for this package.”
*stunned silence*
“sir, could you please hold while I confirm some information?”
“sure”
“thank you” *hold music* “hello sir, do you mind still holding?” *hold music* “thank you for holding, would you like me to forward a message to the local center with the apartment number?”
“sure.”
“ok please hold while I send that message……….. just one more minute….. almost done…..what’s the apartment number?”
“###”
“thank you…. hold on another minute… one more minute..”
“wait, will the package get delivered today with that information?”
“no sir, the package will attempt to be delivered tomorrow.”
“this was supposed ot be a 2nd day air shipment though.”
“yes sir, but there was no apartment number.”
(what I wanted to say:) so you’re telling me that UPS is capable of shipping a package across the country in 2 days, but they’re not able to take the 2 seconds to look for a last name on the list of residents posted on the front door? What kind of lazy incompetent drivers do you hire? Are you sure they’re even capable of handling a motor vehicle?
(what I actually said:) “well crap, I don’t know why the driver didn’t just look at the list on the door. Can I at least pick up the package from the local center?”
“sure, I can put in a request for picking up it in person.”
“will it be there around 6pm?”
“the driver finishes his route at 7pm.”
“ok, then when will the package be available to pick up?”
“the driver is done with his route at 7pm.”
“can you put in a request to have the local center call me to figure out whether I can pick up the package or have a second delivery attempt?”
“no sir, I can put in a request for a second attempt at delivery or a request to pick it up, and they will contact you with more information.”
“do you know what time they close?”
“no sir, I don’t have access to that information.”
“ok, fine, put me down to pick it up and I’ll figure it out with them.”
“ok, someone from the local center will contact you in the next hour with information on when the package will be available for pickup.

So now I’m waiting for a phone call from the local guys. Then I’ll have to bus home, grab my car, drive down to the UPS warehouse, flash a photo id, and hopefully pick up my package that should have been waiting at my door when I got home. Who knows if the package will actually be there. And if the camera is still inside the package, I’ll be very happy. Meanwhile my package is traveling all over San Francisco as the driver does his route, hopefully not getting damaged or stolen (both have happened to me with UPS), taking up space, and then he gets to drop it back off at the facility, report again that it was not deliverable, check with HQ to see if the magic wand has come up with an apartment number. If I hadn’t called, they would have said no, and they would have made a second delivery attempt, left the same exact note indicating that the apartment number had not yet appeard on the package label, then they would have tried a third time, then dropped the package off at the warehouse, let it sit and hope that I got the sticky note that may have stayed attached to the front gate so that I know to pick it up. Only because I know the poor poor service of UPS, I went ahead and pre-emptively called them.

Just got a call from the local people, my package will be available between 8-9pm tonight. What a hassle that could have been saved with the driver taking 3 seconds.

My Worst UPS experiences (that I can remember right now):
Oct 2005: Stolen DVD/VCR
Xmas 2006: ThinkGeek gift returned to sender with no notice of delivery attempts
Feb 2007: Left my laptop in the main lobby, clearly visible from the street. (I guess they don’t pay attention to the apartment numbers) They did get a few points for a speedy delivery on this one though.

Permalink