How many more times
There was a stretch where things were great with the UPS. You’ll recall that I used to have a ridiculous number of issues with UPS deliveries at my old apartment. In fact, it’s been over a year since I’ve had a story to tell. The UPS delivery guys have been good about leaving packages at the new place. Sometimes they haven’t, but, in those cases, I didn’t mind waiting the extra day after signing the infonotice. Other times, when I didn’t want to wait, I’ve left a little note with the tracking number of the package and my signature, folded, taped to the door, and clearly labeled “UPS” with black marker. This has been sufficient, especially since most of my packages come from Amazon with no signature release required.
Halo 4 came out a couple of weeks ago, and I was really looking forward to playing it, so I left a note not unlike what I explained above as my insurance policy that the man would leave the package. I checked the tracking number from work late in the day, and the package wasn’t left as I expected it would be; the driver tagged it as “1st Delivery attempted.” I expected to find one of those pesky infonotices on the door when I got home.
Nope.
Well, there were three infonotices on the door, two for other neighbors and one for Cassie, but none for my package.
You know what I did find on the door? My note. Taped in exactly the same spot where I left it in the morning (and I could tell the tape hadn’t been breached). Cassie left a note that morning asking the driver to fill in the expected delivery time on the next day for her package which required an in person signature, and the driver definitely removed and read that.
This whole thing smelled like the driver carrying my package never came to my building but marked the package with a delivery attempt anyway. Furthermore, with no infonotice, what was I supposed to do? Leave a note for the driver to ignore the next day?
So I called the national call center and explained the issue. The two people I spoke with agreed that there should have at least been an infonotice for my package on the door. They took my number and told me to wait for about an hour for someone from the local facility to investigate.
About 45 minutes later, someone from the local facility called me. She was speaking very fast and loudly and tried to give me the runaround telling me, “it’s too late for him to come back out.” Number 1: It’s not my fault it took you 45 minutes to return my call. Number 2: it’s not my fault your driver decided to ignore my note and then failed to do his job and leave an infonotice.
So I took to social media.
I tweeted at UPS, and they quickly responded and asked me to email the pertinent information.I promptly received a call back from someone on their social media team. I explained the situation to the young man, and stressed that, if the guy was really there, he not only ignored my note, but he also didn’t leave an infonotice, so it was a crap shoot whether I’d even receive it the next day. Without the infonotice in my hand that I could sign, there was no guarantee that he’d even leave the package the next day. He told me he was going to make a few calls and get back to me.
About an hour later, my doorbell rang, and it was a driver and a UPS manager with my package (and Cassie’s package). He handed me mine, and I offered to sign for it, and he said, “signature isn’t required.” Then, he said, “I was here today, you know” in an argumentative tone.
I wasn’t going to push it with this goon, but he made me.
So I said, “did you see my note?”
Him – “No.”
“If signature wasn’t required, why didn’t you just leave the package?”
Him – “Well, I was here. How would I have left all of these infonotices?” (Notice, he didn’t answer my question.)
“That’s a great question! Where’s the one for my package? Isn’t it possible that other drivers could have been here to drop off different packages and leave infonotices for those?”
Him – “I didn’t think I had to leave one for you since signature wasn’t required. There were already a few others for your neighbors’ packages.”
(Signature not required means you just leave the package, dumbass.)
At that point, the other dude with him told him to stop. I walked up the stairs and didn’t even bother thanking the guy.
Look. I totally realize that he could have been there earlier. If he was, he made a number of mistakes, and, after I called and complained, his management decided to have him remedy the situation; they very easily could have given me a “tough shit” and had me be at the mercy of this guy’s antics the next day. They’re the ones who sent him back out to take care of customer service.
I don’t think it was appropriate for him to engage me in an argument at that point. That’s a new one!
I do have to say though, it’s cool that the social media people at UPS were able to get something done about this. It seems like they’re the only people at UPS who are willing to do their jobs right the first time.
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