Spoiled Customers and Sob Stories

[RuralRoute]

Thursday morning, as I was finishing up fine-sorting my deliveries for the route, one of the CSA's came to me with pkg trace paperwork saying that a particular customer was leaving for vacation at 2pm and wanted me to make sure their phone was delivered in time before they left. This was a 2-Day shipment, residential, giving it a before 8pm delivery deadline. It was down a state highway a pretty good way off the route, and I had planned to hit the stop around 4pm before doing the bulk of my pickups. We're talking about a Thursday here, the day when MANY businesses are anxiously awaiting pay checks, and I try to get all of those delivered well before the 3pm Standard Overnight deadline. Asking a driver to go out of his way for a residential stop when he already has several business and in-town stops to make really puts a hitch in his giddy-up. The customer wanted a specified ETA and even left a phone number to call letting them know where I was and when I was coming. I had to change my route up a good bit to accommodate this one spoiled customer and at first had thought to call and have them meet me in town to save some time. Long story short, I delivered the package just before my break around 12, potentially jeopardizing my 3pm deliveries and going well out of my way to do so.

How many of you get these spoiled "me me me" customers, and how do you respond? I understand everyone wants their package NOW, and I do all I can to satisfy customers, but where do you draw the line? What if other customers catch wind of people doing this and decide they want to start asking for pkgs early too? You could have several customers calling in with every sob story imaginable just so they can be catered to when they want.

The way I see it, (and I should have voiced this), you pay for 2-Day Resi shipping, you get your stuff by 8pm, or at least AFTER the others who paid for the priority shipping, especially if it's at a stop that's out of the way.

 

[overflowed]

When they ask my eta on this stuff I just say it will be there by 8pm. Have you worked here long? You sound like old school. When employees actually cared. But, they were treated fairly back then.

 

[jagoff]

Your station / SR gives a about SOS service? That's been out the window for quite some time at mine.

As for the customer --- if they needed it so badly they should have upgraded their service or asked for it to be held at the station and they could have picked it up at their leisure.

 

[It will be fine]

I make no promises or guarantees. Tell them if someone else will promise to get it there early they are free to take it. I always say, "there's a FedEx for that." If the customer wants special service they can pay for it.

 

[Dex01]

What if other customers catch wind of people doing this and decide they want to start asking for pkgs early too? You could have several customers calling in with every sob story imaginable just so they can be catered to when they want

That's just the price you will have to pay for playing this crazy package-delivery-game.

 

[dezguy]

Whenever I get a request like that I say "I'll see what I can do". Both the CSR and me know that means, if I get there before the time the customer wants, I get there. I don't go out of my way anymore to satisfy customers who want their package before a certain time, especially when we're getting on the road late 4 days out of 5.

 

[upschuck]

We get the same thing at UPS, what I would have done is call them before you left building on FedEx phone, not yours, and told them the two options, you can pick it up, or it would be delivered around 4, let them make the decision.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

While I do try to accommodate customers with "special requests", I do not meet customers on road as they invariably either arrive late to the meet point or change their mind and don't show up at all.

A few years ago our OMS gave my personal cell phone (without my permission) to a customer who then called me to see if they could meet me on road. I did not break off or change my schedule---I told them where I would be at an approximate time and told them to meet me there---I did let the OMS clerk know in no uncertain terms that she was to never do that again.

As was stated above, they pay for delivery by a certain time----if they wanted it earlier they should have paid for the upgraded service.

 

[bbsam]

I make no promises or guarantees. Tell them if someone else will promise to get it there early they are free to take it. I always say, "there's a FedEx for that." If the customer wants special service they can pay for it.

Exactly. There's a FedEx for that and it's not us. Occasionally I'll make some accommodations but that's becoming less and less. Sometimes I just say, "no" and leave it at that. CPC hates that.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

CPC?

 

[bbsam]

CPC?

Customer Pickup Coordinator. Their kind of a fast lane for customer service. They used to be only for pickups but I've had all kinds of queries from them.

 

[59 Dano]

How many of you get these spoiled "me me me" customers, and how do you respond? I understand everyone wants their package NOW, and I do all I can to satisfy customers, but where do you draw the line? What if other customers catch wind of people doing this and decide they want to start asking for pkgs early too? You could have several customers calling in with every sob story imaginable just so they can be catered to when they want.

If I can accommodate the request, I do so. If not, I don't. If someone needs something before they leave town, I'd make more of an attempt to fulfill the request.

 

[gman042]

Some one is going to be first and some one is going to be last. I do not accommodate selfish people. They can wait their turn. The more they wail and gnash their teeth the later the delivery.

 

[Nolimitz]

I don't go out of my way anymore. If csa knew this info before you left bldg. it should have been left behind for cust to pick up. Do it once and everyone comes to expect it. they get what they pay for.... I may meet someone on road for del but it's at my convience not the recpt.

 

[whenIgetthere]

Some one is going to be first and some one is going to be last. I do not accommodate selfish people. They can wait their turn. The more they wail and gnash their teeth the later the delivery.

I got a message from CSA last week stating customer called and wanted her package on hold. I was already half way into my P1 route, so replied ETA 1600. Got to stop around that time, and the woman started calling me a maroon because I didn't leave the package. Didn't get a trace for it, so first I heard about it was on road. I told her she could pick the package up at the station. Called my manager and she backed me up on it, for once.

 

[Cactus]

This whole matter of delivering cellphones (mostly Verzion) is one of the biggest disasters in the delivery business. It has created way too many spoiled customers along with far too many reattempts.

 

[59 Dano]

Got to stop around that time, and the woman started calling me a maroon because I didn't leave the package. Didn't get a trace for it, so first I heard about it was on road. I told her she could pick the package up at the station. Called my manager and she backed me up on it, for once.

As she should have. In this area, we don't deliver to abusive customers.

 

[59 Dano]

I don't go out of my way anymore. If csa knew this info before you left bldg. it should have been left behind for cust to pick up. Do it once and everyone comes to expect it. they get what they pay for....

If you're smart and a little bit lucky, they'll pay you for it. I'm not admitting to anything but it's not unheard of for a courier to be tipped fairly well by a recipient.

 

[Purplepackage]

Exactly what everyone else said, Im not going to break route for 1 phone, that's like a CSA trying to tell to you to deliver that package during your P1 cycle.

Also you never use your personal phone for customer contact, realistically your manager and the CSAs shouldn't even be calling you. I don't mind when they call me since it's really not a bother but I know guys who will only respond to power pad messages

 

[Purplepackage]

If you're smart and a little bit lucky, they'll pay you for it. I'm not admitting to anything but it's not unheard of for a courier to be tipped fairly well by a recipient.

I've never heard or have had that happened. Of course I get tipped by regular pup customers at Christmas but I mean as long as your pleasant all year I would assume every does