Monday, May 05, 2008

FedEx Quality - a new definition of the word

An email I just sent to FedEx:
This package was shipped to me and delivery attempts were made on Wednesday and Thursday before I could call about it. I called on Friday and was assured that the package would be delivered to me on Saturday. It was not. Instead it is being held for me to pick it up - for FIVE DAYS. The woman I spoke to just now says "no guarantee is made for home delivery" which is most assuredly NOT what the woman I spoke to on Friday said.

I work. I am not at home during the day weekdays. I would think a company of your reputation would be able to figure that out after failing on Wednesday and Thursday and try its third attempt on a Saturday. Even if that's beyond you, when the customer calls to reschedule a delivery for Saturday, I would think you could do that. And if not I would expect you to SAY SO. I do not drive, but I could have found a way to Beltsville on Saturday HAD I KNOWN I NEEDED TO.

Now, I am faced with finding a way there during the work week or losing my package, since the woman I just spoke to said that it could not be held until this Saturday but must be sent back on Friday.

This is appalling customer service. Rest assured that I am contacting LL Bean to tell them what I think, and that I will not shop with them again. Rest assured as well that I will not ship with you if I have anything to say about it.
"FedEx is committed to delivering quality service, especially when you need support." Hah.

added 12:17
And here is the response I got from them.
Thank you for contacting FedEx. We regret any inconvenience you experienced as a result of this situation.

Please be assured this is certainly neither typical nor reflective of the quality service we provide daily.

We appreciate your business and look forward to future opportunities to serve you more satisfactorily.
Truly amazing.

Update 7 May: I went to FedEx after work yesterday (begged a ride from an obliging friend). Tried to call them but they never answered their phone. Called the 800 number and all they did was try to call the Beltsville store. They didn't have a list of hours! Oh, and Beltsville didn't answer for them, either. So we got there at 4:45 to be told that they close the "Home Delivery" office at 4:30. Which means I have to leave work early tomorrow (fortunately, my incredible friend is willing to do the same (double fortunately we have flexible work schedules)) to get there at the last minute.

As I told LL Bean, their shirts aren't worth this.

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6 Comments:

At 6:03 PM, May 05, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous had this to say...

I get similar service from UPS where I live. My house is hard to find, so when a driver can't find it, I get a postcard in the mail (sent to the street address they couldn't find)that says, "YOUR ADDRESS DOES NOT EXIST". Why do they send postcards to addresses they believe do not exist?

 
At 6:46 PM, May 05, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous had this to say...

I hate canned responses that are totally inappropriate for the situation.

 
At 7:13 PM, May 05, 2008 Blogger The Ridger, FCD had this to say...

Yeah, this has all the earmarks of auto-generated response. But the truth is they don't give a damn about me. I'm not the shipper. No money is riding on this for them. Big whoop.

But I won't buy anything from anyone who uses FedEx to ship - and I'll tell them why.

 
At 10:56 PM, May 05, 2008 Blogger Barry Leiba had this to say...

Yes, FedEx is truly horrid. I have one that I bet is worse than yours (we can have a vote on it):

In February, I ordered an extra Macbook power adapter from Apple, and they used FedEx. Now, first, you have to realize that I bought the Macbook the same way last June, and they delivered it fine.

I got a note from Apple on Friday, telling me that they were informed that FedEx was holding my package because of three failed deliveries. I checked the status, and FedEx's web site said that delivery attempts were made on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. OK, two things:
1. There was someone home all day, all three days. No one came to deliver anything.
2. No notes were left on the door.

I called FedEx, and they said there wasn't anything they could do. As you say, they'd hold it for five days and if I didn't come pick it up they'd return it.

But I explained that no one had been there, and that I was sure the delivery guy had gone to the wrong place. Let me give directions, I said. No, can't do that. Have to come pick it up now. But the guy never actually got to my house! Sorry, nothing we can do, they said. And where I had to pick it up would have been the equivalent of sending you to, say, Vienna, not Beltsville.

It turns out that I did have one other option: I could contact the shipper, and if they gave FedEx a different address within the five-day hold period, they would make three new tries to the new address. I could not give FedEx a new address (I asked); the shipper has to. I gave Apple the address of my office — an option I'm guessing isn't available to you — and it was delivered there on Tuesday.

Anyway, your last comment has the nut: you are not their customer; the shipper is. So, yes, our only way to fight back is to refuse to accept FedEx shipping when we order.

 
At 6:24 PM, May 07, 2008 Blogger The Ridger, FCD had this to say...

Yeah, yours is worse. Way worse.

 
At 11:22 AM, July 16, 2010 Anonymous Anonymous had this to say...

next time ship it to your workplace.

 

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