Dear UPS,
I don’t mind when you try to deliver a package after 8pm instead of… you know… typical delivery hours. I get it: Your driver had a busy day and he is working extra long hours to make sure I get my package today instead of tomorrow. I can’t fault you for going the extra mile. Kudos to you. I appreciate it.
But here’s the thing: When the note you leave on my door says that you will come back AFTER 5pm the next day to try again, at least TRY to stick to that little scheduling contract between us that you took the time to draft. See, I rearranged my schedule to make sure I would be here when you said you would be back. The least you can do is keep up your side of the bargain, right? … Right?
But this is what you just did: On 4/14, you tried to deliver a package after 8pm, taking a chance that I would be there. The note you left on my door said you would come back on 5/15 after 5pm. Check out the circled “FRI” (Friday) and “After 5:00” boxes in the image below:
Today is 5/15, so I made sure to be here by 4:30 pm, just in case you were a little early. Here is what my watch said ten minutes after getting home:
But guess what: You had already come by. When did you knock on my door, UPS? 2:00pm? 3:00pm? 4:00pm? Weren’t you supposed to come by AFTER 5pm? What’s the deal?
Your new note (see below) says you will try for the third and final time on 4/18 (MON) between 2pm and 5pm. See the checked boxes in the image below:
My question to you is… when exactly should I be here waiting for you on Monday: 8am? 10pm? Should I wait for you at all? Does Monday really mean Tuesday? Or tomorrow – Saturday?
This wouldn’t be a big deal if it didn’t happen regularly, and not just to me.
So… UPS, while I enjoy your cool “logistics” ad campaign, I want to bring to your attention the reality of your… “logistics” out here on the receiving end of your business, courtesy of CollegeHumor.com:
(If the video doesn’t play for you, go watch it here.)
Do you think that video would have been made if it weren’t a widespread problem? Maybe something you should look into?
And yes, just in case you were wondering, I have nothing better to do than play “wait for the delivery man” with you all day. All week, even. Know what I mean? Me and tens of thousands of increasingly annoyed customers looking at FedEx instead of Brown.
Why are we all looking for an alternative? Because every time you waste our time AND don’t deliver on your most basic promises, you give us a reason not to trust you… and to stop doing business with you. I really want to like you. I do. But you’re making it pretty hard. Think about how many people and businesses you turn away like this every day. Every week. Every month. Every year. How much is this inability to keep your word, this chronic “let’s annoy our customers as much as possible by not delivering when we say we will” really costing you? Think about it.
So here’s an idea: Either make sure you deliver parcels when you say you will, or, if you can’t work that into your “logistics,” just leave the date and time blank on your delivery notices. The operational lesson here: If you can’t figure out how to deliver on schedule yet, at least do us the courtesy of not wasting our time.
Kthxbye.
Brand Building and Online Marketing Blog 
This seems to be a South Carolina thing. Or a “Southern” thing. UPS delivers with the randomness of how my pugs choose to poop. Early, late, sometimes not at all. Sometimes twice in one day.
Sometimes they’ll leave a $3,000 computer with no signature, sometimes a book from Amazon requires three tries to make sure I’m home. (Yes, the laptop REQUIRED a signature and the book DID NOT.)
When I lived on the Left Coast, you could set your watch by the guy in the sexy brown shorts. Every day, 10:15. More regular than death OR taxes. Put expensive stuff ’round back in the garage, no extra charge. Always a smile. Did pickups.
I think it’s the grits.
I know what you mean. I hate that how companies don’t let customers choose te shipping company…they just choose it themselves. I usually avoid shopping stores that use UPS.
Frustrating to say the least. Interesting…I tried to view the utube video, but I get a message that it is not available!
You can click on the link that says “view it on youtube.”
Thanks…will check it out
Phoenix checking in!
UPS was kind enough to leave my new netbook with a neighbor last summer. Unfortunately, they didn’t tell me WHICH neighbor. My wife ended up knocking on a couple doors before a (fortunately) friendly chap opened the door with a smile and said, “You must be looking for your new computer!”
That was the only time we’ve interacted beyond a wave.
Another time, my package was handed off to the US Postal Service, adding an extra three days to delivery. Nothing like a dead end tracking number to inspire confidence.
Preach it, Blanchard.
I have had bad experiences with the UPS Store and Staples (UPS partner) as well. FedEx Office has been amazing. The UPS Store engaged me in conversation for at least a half hour when I Was trying to get back to the office and then executed my order incorrectly. Staples has the worst time allocations for jobs ever. FedEx Office has printed and cut business cards in roughly 10 minutes and was open at 4 am when my friend and I had to go back to pick up his USB drive. FedEx has been winning the competition for me because of these experiences.
I’ve lived all over the southeast. My businesses depend on these services. And I am an internet shop-a-holic! (Pity me!!) In some areas FedEx rocked, in others, AWFUL! In some cities, UPS beat the socks off FedEx. Good drivers help!
This part of SC does seem to have some of the worst service from both carriers. We’ve lived here less than 5 months and I’ve already called FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery to complain. (different divisions of FedEx Express) Our UPS driver seems the best of the bunch…luck of the draw!
You can give the UPS driver a blanket form that it’s ok to leave packages at your door. Or you can have packages held at the UPS station and go pick them up. You just need ID. Sometimes that’s easier than waiting for a driver with his own timetable!
One of my other “tricks”, rent a box at the UPS store and have all packages sent there. Yes, they have to accept FedEx,too! Always someone there to sign for them. Yes, it costs for the box rental, but it’s a biz expense!
It’s too bad that you didn’t reach out to your friends to incorporate their experiences into this post, it would have been potentially viral.
Ultimately, the TOS that companies sign with UPS must change to put buyers in charge of their packages as they are the true owners.
I had this exact same experience a few months ago waiting on 2 laptops to arrive. My wife and I ordered the same laptops from the same large online store at the same time. They were shipped separately via UPS. I missed them all 3 times because they showed up at random times.
And here’s the kicker: they took the laptops to separate facilities making me drive to two different places to pick up the packages!
Good on you.
We have the same issues here in the UK, it’s all ‘par for the course’ as we say, and it just sucks.
I can’t treat my customers like that, (not that I’d even want to), as they’d show their feelings by walking…
And you know what, that’s what we should all do isn’t it? Vote with our feet.
Have they even bothered to reply to you yet?
Fed-Ex is fantastic. It amazes me how they operate as if they were a startup. I’ll choose Fed-Ex over Brown any day.
Nice. Looks a little like the idiocy I’m dealing with right now: http://dlambert.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/sears-ups-megafail-update/