Where oh where has the service gone I ask yet again.
I went to UPS yesterday morning to have a package sent to my neice prior to her leaving for her first year of college on Saturday morning. I thought she was leaving the following week and when I found out she was leaving this Saturday I headed off to the UPS counter. Not a UPS store, the actual UPS shipping site and went into their counter.
I sent this package yesterday to Erie Pennsylvania from here in the DC metro area.
I paid $46.48 to have it be delivered by 10:30a.m. August 15th - today!
The woman behind the counter was a sight to behold with a quick attitude. Flaming sparkly deep pink nails...some of which were grossly long and some of which were gnawed to the quick. She had fried yellow orange hair with black roots and she looked as my husband likes to say, "ridden hard and put away wet" When I got to her counter I asked about all the choices that were listed behind her on the wall that I could choose for overnight service. She was a woman in her 50's and not as helpful as I would have liked and a bit surprised that she had such a slacker attitude but she did answer all my questions, even if she was snippy. When I asked her the 2nd time, "Are you sure this will be there by 10:30am tomorrow?" she responded with, "Honey, that's what guaranteed by 10:30am means." (said like I was a dumb ass & truth be told I understood her sarcasm, but I was a bit nervous) I laughed and said, "duh! I'm sorry I just really want it to be there by 10:30a.m." and she promised it would be.
She stated that the "saver" could be there anytime during the 15th but that me choosing "guaranteed" meant it was going to be there by 10:30a.m. and it was indeed guaranteed.
I told her that was my choice and I coughed up the money. I received a shipment receipt and she pointed out on the receipt my tracking number and information. I looked it over and all information was correct. I thanked her and was on my way. That was 10am. yesterday morning.
As I write this it is 5:30p.m. on August 15th and my niece has not received it. Surprise!
I went online to the UPS website to track my package this morning at 9:30a.m. I figured I might be able to see it's route and how far away it was from my nieces's little hands. The website said that it could not be found? HUH? The following occured in this order.
1. I called the 800# and told them the problem and she told me there was nothing she could do about it because it looked like it never got sent from here. She hung up. No, "I'm sorry Ms. Customer." Nothing but hung up on me.
2. I called back and got a nice young man and repeated my story. To which he calmly told me there really wasn't anything he could do until it was missing for 24 hrs. Sort of like a missing person. No one will help you unless their body is cold. I asked him if there was a phone number to my local UPS office from where I dropped it off and he said NO. (yeah right) I asked if he could contact them. (Once again why the hell am I making suggestions why isn't he suggesting some form of assistance to me the put upon customer?) He said he could send the shipping office an email and have them call me. I thanked him and respeated the phone number to call me at work.
3. UPS calls me and unfortunately I was on the phone with a customer so it went into voicemail. The UPS representative said the package left their office last night and it's not their problem. (see steam coming out of my ears at this point!) NOT HER PROBLEM? SHE IS UPS THIS.IS.HER.PROBLEM! She told me to call the 800# and tell them to contact the hub in Erie PA.
4. I called the 800# yet again and the snippy little twerp that answered told me she had no way of contacting Erie. I was so angry at this point I could have exploded but I know that I'll get further with honey than piss and vinegar so I calmly ask her why she can't when they did this for me earlier? She laughs and then all I hear is click along with my head exploding of course.
5. I walk away from the phone to cool down.
6. I am calmer within 30 minutes so I again call the 800# and get a nice young man who I have to tell the whole fucking story to yet again from the beginning. He says he will contact Erie by sending them a message to see what he can find out but it's highly unlikely that they will respond. (Oh lovely.) He then tells me that you know just because it's says guaranteed doesn't mean it's really guaranteed. I suggested he not tell his customers this because it will make them angry since they have to pay almost $50.00 for pretend guaranteed delivery. And he tells me and I quote, "it is what it is" unquote. I suggest they may want to put that on their signs.
7. At 3pm I call the 800# again. I tell a the young girl the situation and if she could give me an update. Her response was there is nothing we can do so just sit tight it will show up eventually and if I want I can call back on Monday and see if they found it. I said that I would like to suggest that instead of being so cavaliar about her customers concern for not only the loss of a $500 package & the fact the the promise was not kept, she could at least try to fein concern and empathy for the customers situation. Her response to that you ask? "huh?" Yes that is correct that was the only thing this dim wit said to me. I guess that was more than here little brain could digest. I was so exhausted at this point I just said good bye.
8. I called at 5:00p.m. I started by saying that I was not angry at him but if I sounded a bit angry it was because of this situation. (remember I am trying to be kind because it is not his fault but every bone in my body wants to hurt someone) I then went through this yet again from the beginning with a very nice young man who explained to me that he could not put in a tracer until the package was missing for 1 day. At 12:01a.m. on August 16th I could call the 800# and put in a tracer and at that point I could also ask for a refund for my overnight shipping. Now mind you this is the first time I have been told any of this shit. I was about to kiss the guy. I am so happy for this nipple of information and his "service" that I am thrilled that he is giving me information and pretending that he gives a shit that I am not even thinking about the actual loss of it all. He also told me that the loss of the package and it's contents were a whole other matter which I would have to take up with the agent at that time I call in for the tracer. He was so nice he talked me off the ledge. Now that is what I wanted all along, pretending you give a shit, give me facts and a plan. God Damn it how hard is that? Apparently for UPS employee's this is difficult.
Now here I sit at 5:50p.m. and my niece tells me there is no package. She will be leaving in the morning and her gifts will not have arrived. My husband and I put a lot of thought into this gift. My husband wrote her a poem that was heartfelt and so lovely it made me cry. He has always done these silly poems for her since she was a kid and it always made her giggle. When she got old enough to read he would write them to her. We did not make copies of the two of them. We were stupid. Each poem was attached to each gift he sent her - they were a matched set so to speak. My gift was gift cards and a check along with a book. She said she really needed money and I got that. So the gift cards can get some fun things while away and the money can be for books etc. I know an 18 yr old off to school is always in need of money! So now she will have none of this.
Is there a sign over my head that says, "give me poor customer service"? Am I so jaded to think that there is no damn such thing as service anymore?
My husband called into the office and asked how my day was going and when Itold him his only response was, " Margaret I love that you are so surprised that this happened and maybe try Fed Ex next time" Like that is going to help. I am sure they are no different than the boys in Brown.
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