UPS is terrible

[45ZoaGarden]

My initial post started with "please do not do that" address to readers, and I went on the explain why without any negative remarks to you or the advice (let the readers decide). I assume you had not thought through how your advice did not consider the pandemic.

In the second post. When you defended how good your advice was, I chose to be specific.

It is awful advice ranging from taking unnecessary risks to flat out violation of many state orders.

You didn't hit a nerve. You just posted a blanket statement that is bad for much of the country. It's OK. I'm sure I made my point and confident that you are now aware that for much of the country, letting the delivery guy drop of the packages is the wiser choice for the time being .

But wouldn’t having the ups driver work shorter hours lower the risk? If you scheduled a pick up at a ups location, the recipient would come into contact with nobody. Less packages on the truck and the ups driver wouldn’t have to work as late. It would actually have the drivers exposed for a shorter time frame. Safer for the workers. Remember. This is essentially a flu, not a death sentence.

 

[NS Mike D]

Both I and the sender let the company know. There's NOTHING they could do. Like I posted earlier, my package was due 10:30 am. Truck left the sorting facility at 1 pm, 2.5 hours after I was supposed to get it.

I am assuming that it's the medical supply manufactures, hospital groups, food industry etc that are getting the priority. They would have higher level relationships.

I don't think your shipment would qualify for that type of expedition. Sorry about your situation, and it sucks that they messed it up. But it's to be expected that non-essential packages might get mishandled and not high priority attention for the time being.

 

[NS Mike D]

But wouldn’t having the ups driver work shorter hours lower the risk? If you scheduled a pick up at a ups location, the recipient would come into contact with nobody. Less packages on the truck and the ups driver wouldn’t have to work as late. It would actually have the drivers exposed for a shorter time frame. Safer for the workers. Remember. This is essentially a flu, not a death sentence.

The UPS driver are dropping off at a door. They aren't walking into your home. You are also thinking that you might be special and would be the only one picking up a delivery. It doesn't work that way.

I won't discuss this is just a flu comments.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Hey everyone, just a friendly reminder that emotions run high during times like this and we may find ourselves on edge. Please be careful to be sure what you say to each other is measured with respect and courtesy. We all need friendliness to be both given and received now more than ever.

To the OP, I'm really hoping everything works out for your package. Regardless of pandemics or whatever other reasons, not receiving livestock when it is scheduled is definitely disappointing and (because these are live animals) nerve-wracking. Keep us posted on how things turn out.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

But the buyer paid for expedited overnight shipping. That is a service which the buyer paid a premium for. Why should snail mail packages be expedited over packages that were paid for overnight delivery. If you aren’t overnighting the package, Atleast refund the buyer for the service which he paid for but never received. It’s foolish to pay for expedited shipping to have ups say nah, we’re gonna deliver jello instead because jello is more important even though you have overnight and they have ground.

I am assuming that it's the medical supply manufactures, hospital groups, food industry etc that are getting the priority. They would have higher level relationships.

I don't think your shipment would qualify for that type of expedition. Sorry about your situation, and it sucks that they messed it up. But it's to be expected that non-essential packages might get mishandled and not high priority attention for the time being.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

The UPS driver are dropping off at a door. They aren't walking into your home. You are also thinking that you might be special and would be the only one picking up a delivery. It doesn't work that way.

I won't discuss this is just a flu comments.

Ups drivers are often greeted at the door. Once that door swings open, the driver was exposed.

 

[Reefer1978]

I am assuming that it's the medical supply manufactures, hospital groups, food industry etc that are getting the priority. They would have higher level relationships.

I don't think your shipment would qualify for that type of expedition. Sorry about your situation, and it sucks that they messed it up. But it's to be expected that non-essential packages might get mishandled and not high priority attention for the time being.

No complaints from me what so ever. I completely understand the world we live in currently.

 

[NS Mike D]

But the buyer paid for expedited overnight shipping. That is a service which the buyer paid a premium for. Why should snail mail packages be expedited over packages that were paid for overnight delivery. If you aren’t overnighting the package, Atleast refund the buyer for the service which he paid for but never received. It’s foolish to pay for expedited shipping to have ups say nah, we’re gonna deliver jello instead because jello is more important even though you have overnight and they have ground.

You may have been misunderstanding me. He did deserve proper service. Shippers have temporarily suspended their guarantees. That means the shipper (and recipient) have taken on the risk of a late delivery. If the guarantees were not suspended, then of course he would be entitled to a refund (as per the guarantee policy).

Right from their website

 

[NS Mike D]

Ups drivers are often greeted at the door. Once that door swings open, the driver was exposed.

I can only discuss my recent experience. They do not come to the door unless it requires a signature . The driver from the other side promptly instructed me not to open the storm door and showed me the screen and asked for my permission to sign it on my behalf for our mutual safety, showed me the signed screen and them place the package at the door so he could walk away beforeI opened the door.

I presume that he was following company policy and didn't come up with that on his own as if UPS never considered your scenario.

 

[NS Mike D]

No complaints from me what so ever. I completely understand the world we live in currently.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Appreciate the perspective. I guess I’m more bummed that it told me it was arriving soon all day long only to not; now I just hope they are still alive. (Btw- my furloughed wife is as upset as I am) To be clear- I’m not mad at the drivers but the situation. I respect all those out there risking their lives- had I realized guarantees are no longer offered, I would not have chosen to have it shipped. Maybe I should change the subject to UPS’s tracking program is terrible & don’t rely on it.

It’s ok man, you’re allowed to be disappointed! I’ve had a very similar thing happen when I ordered livestock on a black friday sale, their system did the same exact thing to me. It was frustrating and I totally get where you are coming from. It taught me the lesson that even if there’s and incredible sale during times like this that it’s too risky for me to order livestock. The vendor refunded my money because my shipment was a total loss, but it didn’t make me feel better about all the fish that perished in plastic bags on the way. It’s a sad situation all around, and it’s out of everyone’s control right now. Hopefully they’ll show up today and be happy and healthy and ready to get out of their bags.

 

[NS Mike D]

These issues existed well before the pandemic, but we don’t have many options for shipping so we have to use what’s available. If they were terrible employees at the best of times, why would they be any better now? Also, why would I thank someone for not doing their job properly, pandemic or not? Would you thank your butcher for an order you paid for in advance of 12 lbs of steak but instead he hands you 6 lbs of chicken?

Many live in areas where the general public is ordered to stay home and keep distance of at least 6ft. They are deemed essential workers and therefore taking on more risk than the general public who is at home and thus putting their families with whom they live at greater risk. Many are working in regions where the known virus cases are measured in the 10s of thousands.

You are correct about bad service. But your example of the butcher and steak v chicken has nothing to do with a UPS driver giving the virus to his 85 year old grandmother or 1 year old daughter because he was doing his job.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

Many live in areas where the general public is ordered to stay home and keep distance of at least 6ft. They are deemed essential workers and therefore taking on more risk than the general public who is at home and thus putting their families with whom they live at greater risk. Many are working in regions where the known virus cases are measured in the 10s of thousands.

You are correct about bad service. But your example of the butcher and steak v chicken has nothing to do with a UPS driver giving the virus to his 85 year old grandmother or 1 year old daughter because he was doing his job.

That’s true, but what I was really getting at is if you’re being paid to do a job, do the job. If he wasn’t doing it properly before the virus, he shouldn’t have had a job now anyway. Just because you’re operating in a new environment doesn’t mean you can throw your standards out. I’m out working myself, and so are a lot of other folks. If we catch it and bring it home, we catch it and bring it home. There’s no getting around that. It doesn’t provide an excuse to do shoddy work. I’m getting paid to do my job same as I was before this all went down, and if I want to keep getting my paid after this goes away, I’d better keep my end up.

 

[zoomonster]

Guess I have been lucky but especially now its about where you live. Some places just bad on a good day and even worse now. I got a couple packages just before all this started and I think 4 during the crisis all livestock. Each and every package was delivered between 9:30 and 10 and all were from CA to FL. Even stuff from Amazon with advertised ~4-5 day prime delivery times has been showing up in 2. All the livestock came via UPS and no vendor in there right mind should be using Fedex for livestock. Fedex has always sucked for that and won't take any responsibility. My worst case was when I was living in PA and selling ricordia and they must have left the box somewhere baking in the sun. It got to me on time but about $2500 wholesale of premium Haiti ricordia colonies and pieces were putrid stew. The guy that shipped it to me had to eat the whole shipment because Fedex would not cover livestock.

 

[NS Mike D]

That’s true, but what I was really getting at is if you’re being paid to do a job, do the job. If he wasn’t doing it properly before the virus, he shouldn’t have had a job now anyway. Just because you’re operating in a new environment doesn’t mean you can throw your standards out. I’m out working myself, and so are a lot of other folks. If we catch it and bring it home, we catch it and bring it home. There’s no getting around that. It doesn’t provide an excuse to do shoddy work. I’m getting paid to do my job same as I was before this all went down, and if I want to keep getting my paid after this goes away, I’d better keep my end up.

I agree with this. bad work is bad work

I cut UPS slack right now as the system is stressed and good people will make mistakes. I can't argue with UPS suspending their guarantee. If it were me, I'd suspend the guarantee as well. I don't know if how a company could have seamlessly prepared for the speed of which the business model changed. The combination of overnight huge increase in volume, unprecedented worker and client safety issues not to mention a fast changing environment of governmental orders.

 

[secret_reefer337]

Pandemic or not, FedEx sucks in my area. It is always 95% late, delivery is after the day it supposed to be delivered or they will mark it delivered then it will be in your front door the next day. I have a better luck with UPS!

 

[Sump Crab]

How does a ups driver determine what it essential and what isn’t?

;Facepalm

 

[NS Mike D]

Pandemic or not, FedEx sucks in my area. It is always 95% late, delivery is after the day it supposed to be delivered or they will mark it delivered then it will be in your front door the next day. I have a better luck with UPS!

What you have experienced is fairly widespread. FedEx did drastic cost cutting about a decade ago and their has been a noticeable drop in the service quality. Email made their overnight cash cow - document delivery - obsolete, so they have to rely on competing more in UPS space. Ironically, UPS used to need only compete with the lowest of low bars, USPS - so when FedEx came to town, UPS upped their game. Now it's UPS putting FedEx out of business.

And the irony continues. UPS recent success has come with online shopping which of course means Amazon. Now it's Amazon who will be putting UPS out of business (and keep an eye out for Uber who is sneaking into this space)

Whoever ends up with the biggest fleet of driverless vehicles will win the next round - and to the OP notes, I think FedEx doesn't stand a chance and will get sold for its planes and distribution facilities to someone like Amazon or Uber.

 

[DJF]

Update. The shipment arrived and it’s a mixed bag.... the clam I ordered seems to have survived! The ceriths I suspect are mostly dead but they’re acclimated & on the sandbed figuring things out... hopefully I won’t see any shells in a few hrs. The acro isn’t white. All in all I will accept dead snails as my cost for a lesson learned. I stand by my disappointment with the UPS tracking program and offer this cautionary tale to others that use their tracker to follow their delivery. Their definition of “Almost there” is subjective and downright misleading.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Well congrats on the clam surviving!! As an anecdotal story, I had a gem tang arriving (when they were super expensive) and I saw that it landed but was not able to be picked up and the airport office was closing soon.

I called them, and explained.. hey, there is a $1500 fish in the box with a delivery guarantee, they would be a pretty big damage claim. They called me about an hour later and said "hey if you can get here in 30 minutes I will stay and you can pick it up". So yeah, like anything it is a mixed bag, some people are just generally selfish a holes and some people will go out of their way to help people.

When people go out of their way I make it a point to send an e-mail telling management how pleased I was and how they represent exactly the type of people that make a company great. anyways, soap box starting to crack. LOL