« Updates on Seymour Papert | Main | Tag, I'm It »
December 29, 2006
UPS Has Lost Me as a Customer
 |
A row of fresh UPS package slips adorn our apartment entrance. |
For the last month, Susanne and I have been fighting with UPS over the behavior of our local driver, who refuses to drop packages at our apartment. Normally, when a package is brought to our building, whether it's UPS, FedEx or the Post Office, they'll try to contact us using the downstairs intercom. If they can't reach us, they'll try again or leave it in front of our door. But for some reason, our local UPS driver doesn't try to contact us. Five times in a row now, when packages have been sent to us via UPS, the driver simply posts a sticker downstairs saying he tried to contact us, couldn't reach us, and delivered the package down the street at our complex's main office. The only problem with this is the sticker always seems to denote a time when we're at home - and the phone never rings.
At first I thought there was a problem with the call box downstairs, since it took a while for them to add our phone to the system. But I tested it and it worked fine. Then I talked to other people in the building who experienced similar problems. It didn't seem to matter that we were home; the driver would just put stickers on the door and dump the packages down the street. This may not seem like a big deal, but it's difficult for Susanne to pick up packages during the day because she's with the baby, and there are also people with disabilities in our building who lack the mobility to walk half a mile to the office and back.
The first few times it happened I called UPS and complained, and they said it would be resolved, but I should check to be sure our call box worked. It worked fine. By the time it happened the fourth time, Susanne called UPS and said she'd like to make a complaint. The woman she talked to said she was more than welcome to file a complaint, but she should know that the UPS driver might decide to retaliate and refuse to deliver packages altogether, forcing us to drive across town to pick it up at the local UPS center. We couldn't believe what we were hearing. While the woman wasn't intentionally trying to make a threat, that's basically what it was - if we complain, the UPS driver would just make life more difficult for us, without being held accountable for it.
At this point, my mom hears about this and gets in on the act - she was one of the people who sent us a package via UPS. She called them and gave them an earful, and the manager she spoke with said they couldn't believe a UPS employee would do this. They also promised we'd receive a personal apology via a phone call. So far, nothing. And meanwhile, we continue to get package slips claiming the driver tried to call us, even though we're home at the time.
From now on, it's either FedEx or the Postal Service - UPS has lost me as a customer. -andy
Posted by acarvin at December 29, 2006 1:29 PM
Listen to a computer-generated podcast of this article
