Good Ol’ Fed-Ex

Like many people these days, I do a lot of shopping online.  The selection of goods is unmatched and you can do a lot of comparison shopping without having to spend the day driving from store to store.  And if you’re buying something that is expensive, the savings in avoiding the sales tax covers the shipping charge.

Monday I ordered an electronic device from a business located 900 miles from me.  When filling out the order, I always check the cheapest shipping option which is usually the “5 to 10 business days” selection.  One of the “fun things” about online ordering is being able to follow the route of your package through the shipper’s computerized tracking feature.  I saw that my order was picked up by Fed-Ex that night and before the night was over it was well on its way.  To be brief, my parcel was delivered Wednesday afternoon, barely 48 hours after I punched in my order on my keyboard.  That’s terrific service and very typical of what I get from Fed-Ex anytime I use them.

The same does not apply to UPS anymore.  They used to be very reliable, but something happened.  It was 10 years ago this month that they had that prolonged strike.  When it was settled, their union loudly proclaimed that they had won most of their demands and everything was now great.  But after they came back to work and the dust settled, the drivers found out that while they did get a token wage increase, there weren’t as many of them and nothing else really changed much.  They lost a month’s wages for nothing.  I think that had an effect on their institutional mindset because since then they have never performed like they did previously.

Anytime I learn that something is being sent by UPS I tend to worry because a noticeably large percentage of my packages are left at the wrong address.  You can see on the computer tracking page that the package was left on the doorstep, but it’s not there.  But what compounds the problem is the fact that UPS refuses to retrieve the package and re-deliver it if you call them and report it.  They just write it off…tough luck, buddy.  And instruct you to contact your seller for redress.

While it might be cheaper for them to just pay the settlement to the shipper instead of sending the driver back to wherever he left your package and retrieve it, in the long run they are killing their business.  That’s why more and more online businesses are using good ol’ Fed-Ex.

Ok, guys…let’s get the equipment checked.  I’ll go start the coffee.

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