Fed-UP with Fed-"Ex"
- Thread starter JJJJ
- Start date
On Jan 9, I decided to NOT order three cables via Amazon, and instead purchase from my preferred supplier, who (sadly) ships via FedEx (at added cost to me). On Jan 13, I sent three cables back to this same supplier as a return, via the USPS. I literally told the clerk in our very tiny post office, that closes at 2 PM each day, "I'd like to send these the cheapest way possible, please." Well, my return arrived at the supplier today, while I keep tracking the items I ordered online, only to see FedEx send my cables through (so far) EIGHT different facilities all over the country, while they keep changing the date of scheduled arrival.
I emailed the supplier today with this info. I really like to give them business instead of others or Amazon, but man, I'm just fed up with these delayed shipments. It doesn't happen often with UPS, or even USPS, for me. And the local FedEx facility seems to get things to us the day after they get it. It's the incredibly poor system between suppliers and our local FedEx facility that has me thinking, "If you only ship via FedEx, you might be getting a lot less of my business." Enough is enough!
I emailed the supplier today with this info. I really like to give them business instead of others or Amazon, but man, I'm just fed up with these delayed shipments. It doesn't happen often with UPS, or even USPS, for me. And the local FedEx facility seems to get things to us the day after they get it. It's the incredibly poor system between suppliers and our local FedEx facility that has me thinking, "If you only ship via FedEx, you might be getting a lot less of my business." Enough is enough!
I had a talk with the ups guy yesterday and he told me that ups isn't using the post office for last part of the shipping deliveries now. Fed ex may have done the same thing.
Now your probably asking what this has to do with fed ex delivering directly. Well according to the ups guy by dropping the post office delivering the last part of the delivery this made their needed deliveries per day per route climb like mad.
He said that the day before they worked till 9pm delivering on all routes and that there 2100 deliveries that didn't get loaded onto trucks that day. He said it just keeps backing up.
They didn't hire more drivers and didn't buy more trucks. So double or triple the load but not spending anything to increase the workforce.
Now your probably asking what this has to do with fed ex delivering directly. Well according to the ups guy by dropping the post office delivering the last part of the delivery this made their needed deliveries per day per route climb like mad.
He said that the day before they worked till 9pm delivering on all routes and that there 2100 deliveries that didn't get loaded onto trucks that day. He said it just keeps backing up.
They didn't hire more drivers and didn't buy more trucks. So double or triple the load but not spending anything to increase the workforce.
Steadfastly
St. Catharines, ON
That doesn't surprise me. Large corporations very often do things like this. Rather than higher more people and get the needed equipment to meet the needs, they use the present workforce to see how much of the slack they can pick up and then as time goes by, they will spend the money on equipment and personnel. These corporations are concerned about dollars, not their people and customer service comes second to earnings.
A challenge when there are not many players in the field. Contrast that with a business with a lot of competitors where it is "all about the survey results".
In my case, Fedex sent my three cables through EIGHT different facilities before it even got to my state, so NINE in all. No local backlogs - just and insane number of "hops" to get it within 100 miles of me. To make exactly the same journey (in reverse) the USPS used only five "hops" - and made the delivery 4 days faster. The problem is that Fedex used to send everything through a central hub. Now, they just hop scotch across the country and it's a ridiculously long process..
Gotta love their tracking application. It will show a delivery date that can be misleading. In the past it needed to go to another location before it would be delivered. It has not been sent there yet. Yet their application says it will be delivered today. OK. Not holding my breath.
Quattrohead
Emperor Of Solar
Talking of shipping weirdness.
Yesterday I ordered a $18 part from Home Depot that was not available at my local store but was from the next nearest store. They promised me free same day shipping and sure enough later in the afternoon I got a notice that it had been shipped and gave me a tracking link.
The tracking link I had a walmart.com URL and when I clicked on it sure enough it showed me a little truck leaving the other Home Depot store and heading to my house. A woman in a large F-250 turned up with my $18 part 25 minutes later. She explained she worked for a company called spark that does home deliveries.
I mean that is great customer service but what a complete and utter waste of money for Home Depot.
Yesterday I ordered a $18 part from Home Depot that was not available at my local store but was from the next nearest store. They promised me free same day shipping and sure enough later in the afternoon I got a notice that it had been shipped and gave me a tracking link.
The tracking link I had a walmart.com URL and when I clicked on it sure enough it showed me a little truck leaving the other Home Depot store and heading to my house. A woman in a large F-250 turned up with my $18 part 25 minutes later. She explained she worked for a company called spark that does home deliveries.
I mean that is great customer service but what a complete and utter waste of money for Home Depot.
We live on a mountain in NC, our mailboxes are all down at the road at the bottom of the hill. After our last little bout of rain, ice, snow, sleet and extreme cold, one of our residents was able to get down to the mailboxes, and he found fedex there unloading his truck on the side of the road by the mailboxes. He had determined he wouldn't make it up the hill, so he was just dropping off the packages, without any notice at all. The neighbor picked up all the packages and went around delivering them since fedex wouldn't. Anybody driving by would have found a gold mine if they were a bit dishonest. I had ordered some solar gear and tools, and would have been out almos $400 dollars. Seven other people would have lost items also.
I guess common sense isn't a job requirement for their drivers.
I guess common sense isn't a job requirement for their drivers.
Steadfastly
St. Catharines, ON
It's true, it is but the sales and delivery expense are all worked out by the accountants. They will make money on most but lose on some like your small order. These companies also realize that they must compete with Amazon and Walmart and if they don't provide the same service, they will lose sales and market share.
I remember playing Monopoly. One of the cards stated "Bank error in your favor, collect $$xx.
Well fortune was on my side today. Tracking shows the package is STILL in another part of the state. Turns out it WAS delivered today as stated.
Will appreciate the good fortune.
Well fortune was on my side today. Tracking shows the package is STILL in another part of the state. Turns out it WAS delivered today as stated.
Will appreciate the good fortune.
So the local hub near us has a terrible reputation. A friend says he waited 17 days and when he spoke to the delivery person he said they were short staffed.
Recent package has been promised for three days. Not delivered due to “technical issues”. Also called the supplier and explained that FedEx is giving their company a bad name.
Recent package has been promised for three days. Not delivered due to “technical issues”. Also called the supplier and explained that FedEx is giving their company a bad name.
My lane is about 900 ft off the road back in a woods. I use to have a lady driver that would drop off my packages at the road. I confronted her on this one day when I caught her, she said her boss yells at her if she gets any scratches on her truck. Some thing happened to her and I have a new driver,(man). He has no problem coming down my lane to deliver. I'm glad she is gone. On the other hand Ive had issues with ground ship as they tend not to communicate well with tracking. and impossible to talk to live person.
The most frustrating thing? The store I ordered it from is about 80 minutes away. I decided to have it shipped due to the weather. It has taken a week to travel to a location that is 35 minutes away and has sat there for 3 days.
Supposedly the pony express could cover the country in 7 days. Perhaps they should enlist some horses and put the trucks in dry dock?
Supposedly the pony express could cover the country in 7 days. Perhaps they should enlist some horses and put the trucks in dry dock?
42OhmsPA
Who likes Electrical Gremlins?
Maybe they just wanted to get their route done early so they could enjoy a Friday afternoon.
MattMan119
Solar Geek
Maybe the boxes were ticking?
Ups has been pretty good, but today I expected my delivery of my xw pro and ups was to bring it between 3 and 6 pm. Well I was here they never came. Later I checked my email as they said "were sorry we missed you and we will try again on Monday". I checked my video cam , they did not come up my lane at all., This reminds me of FED EX. Lying all the time, it's starting to spread around. I;m Pissed!
Our Fed Ex issues seemed to improve once they changed the final hub to another location. Apparently the one was understaffed and they were infamous for missing deliveries. They even made the evening news for their antics.
The drivers can really make the difference however. When my generator was delivered, the driver backed up into the driveway (I had moved the cars out of the way beforehand just in case) and he hand carried it into the garage for me. Very much appreciated!
We are fortunate that our UPS driver is outstanding. When my wife fell in the garage last summer the driver stayed until medical attention arrived. When I thanked them later they said they were just doing their job (above and beyond in my book and very much appreciated).
The drivers can really make the difference however. When my generator was delivered, the driver backed up into the driveway (I had moved the cars out of the way beforehand just in case) and he hand carried it into the garage for me. Very much appreciated!
We are fortunate that our UPS driver is outstanding. When my wife fell in the garage last summer the driver stayed until medical attention arrived. When I thanked them later they said they were just doing their job (above and beyond in my book and very much appreciated).
So there is a mystery that tends to raise my blood pressure. How is it that a vendor in China can somehow determine the reason for a delay and come up with an updated delivery date, but most vendors wash their hands of ALL responsibility and blames the shipper once it leaves the shipping dock?
teal95
Solar Wizard
The delivery drivers for FedEx ground are contractors, not employees.
Daddy Tanuki
Emperor Of Solar
i would guess that that is a direct representation of that particular drives ethics... good on him.
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