Veep Drinking Game

UPS Can't Deliver


UPS
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I love how I always get stuck dealing with poor customer service as it gives me something to write about on this blog. My latest issue is with UPS who have posted about before.

 I ordered some books through Amazon; specifically from KDP publishing. The books arrived, but some of them were water damaged. It had been raining quite a bit so I didn’t think much of it that UPS couldn’t keep the box dry. I called Amazon and told them the issue, and they promptly reshipped the order. A few weeks go past, and I received an email from KDP saying, “We have been contacted about a package pending delivery. We were contacted today by UPS regarding order #, they contacted via email and tried to call, however, there was no phone number in the account. Please call UPS and provide them with the tracking number so you can arrange a delivery today. Otherwise, the package will be abandon as today is the last day they can keep it.”

 Notice they said that UPS tried to contact me via email. I can unequivocally state, they did not contact me via email. So this was the first I heard of the reason for the delay. I had been wondering why it was taking them so long to re-send me the books. But, it was around the Christmas holidays, so I had assumed that was the reason for the delay.

Anyway, I called UPS that same day to find out why they weren’t able to deliver my package and it turns out that they had my name on the package but not the business that I was receiving it at. I was having it sent to my work because I knew someone would sign for it. After speaking to the person on the phone, he said he had it corrected, and it would be getting shipped to the correct address.

 A few days go by, and I checked the UPS website to see what the status was, and it said, “The company or receiver name is incorrect. This will delay delivery. We’re attempting to update this information. / This package was abandoned by both the sender and receiver.”

 So I called again and spoke with someone who we will name Hellen who told me that the package was considered abandoned and would be destroyed. Yes, destroyed. Luckily it was just some books but what if it was some kind of family heirloom? I explained to Hellen that I spoke with someone the previous week who told me he updated the name correctly. She looked and said they had a record of it, but there was nothing she could do now. So after some back and forth she told me I could have the shipper contact them. I respond with, “let’s contact the shipper right now. I will do a three-way call and get this sorted.” but Hellen wasn’t allowed to do three-way calls. So I respond, “so what you are telling me is, your company messed up the shipment and you are not going to try to correct that?” She responded with a yes. That the policy is that they can’t do anything. So like most people would do in this situation I asked for a supervisor. After some back and forth about this, she puts me on hold and eventually comes back to me that her supervisor is on a call with another customer. Apparently, I’m not the only one with UPS shipping issues.

After getting off the call with the unhelpful “can’t do anything” girl Hellen, I contacted Amazon KDP who told me they will reach out to UPS. I don’t know for sure if they did, but I can say I never heard back from Amazon even though the person I talked to said she would email me after contacting UPS.

 Later that evening someone we will call Ernesta from UPS the manager of Hellen calls me back. She says the same thing, which even though UPS is at fault, she can’t do anything for me. What I get out of this conversation is, UPS is a shipping company who employees delivery drivers who can’t deliver packages to an address, can’t update a shipping name correctly, and have customer service centers employed with people who can’t provide service to customers. FYI, technically I’m not a customer. According to Ernesta, Amazon is the customer, not me. But she is not allowed to contact her customer Amazon to resolve the issue.

 After going back and forth, she says something about being able to contact the delivery people, the ones who work in the warehouse and drive the trucks. So I say, let’s contact them. Of course, she can’t do it herself but says she will reach out to someone and have them contact me. I’m doubtful that this will happen but relent and eventually get off the phone.

 Approximately two hours after that call, as I was walking home, my phone rings, and it was someone else asking about my issue. I started telling her the story and about halfway through she puts some guy on the phone who she introduced as her supervisor. I started telling him about the hassle, being told my stuff is going to be destroyed, etc. He quickly said to me that’s not what happens that they put it up for auction after it sits for a year. But what he does that was helpful was he makes a note of the correct name on the address and says he will get it right out to me. Two days later my package arrived. I was on the phone for about 3 minutes to this guy, and he somehow was able to solve the problem that multiple calls to the customer service people should have been able to solve.

They should change the name from UPS to Oops