Delivery place question - home deliveries

[Questioning Customer]

Up until recently our UPS delivery person always left things on our porch, which is not in full view of the street or in a theft-prone area. For the past few months now our packages are being left inside the garage by the screen door coming into the house.

Is this standard practice? I rarely ever see the guy, so I haven't asked his reasons for doing so. I'd think it would open the company up to liability if anything went missing from someone's garage, but maybe there's more to it than I know.

Comments?


Thanks!
Sandi

 

[helenofcalifornia]

Might be a different driver for the past few months. Every driver puts his own spin on deliveries. If it's a problem, call the 1-800-PICKUPS number and tell them your concerns. It will get to the driver immediately. They can even put it in the DIAD board as to what place you want your package released to. Hope that answers your question. I am sure other drivers might have different ideas.

 

[mittam]

I always use an attached garage for delivery if the door is up usually if door is up someone should be home. It is safer place to leave package, tome it's the same as handing it to the customer

 

[Ms Spoken]

Think of it this way... Your package is out of sight and weather if UPS uses the garage. That is my #1 spot to leave pkgs. I have never had any problems using this DR spot and I have been on my route for over 3 years.

If you dont like UPS using your garage just leave him a note.. Dont call the 800 number unless you have a problem. Most drivers will work with their customers.

 

[over9five]

Drivers want to leave your package where you want it left!
Let us know!

 

[scratch]

I was taught "out of sight and out of weather", this means that a carport or open garage is considered a safer place than the front door. If there is no covered front porch and the garage is closed, I will usually put the package in a DR bag and leave it next to the garage door, where hopefully the homeowner will find it as soon as they get home. If someone leaves me a note with a perfered place, I will use it if I think it is safe. A lot of our theft claims are because a package is left out in plain sight at the front door.

 

[happyboy]

whatever you do don't call the 1-800 number just try to talk with your driver and tell him where you'd like him to leave the package, also offer him a bottle of water if you can spare one. it's hot out there

 

[dannyboy]

Sandi

Lot of good information for you. All except for the call 1-800 part. It seems that when you call that number with a request, it turns into a customer complaint or concern, neither of which look good on the driver.

The best thing is if it bothers you for him to leave it in the garage, leave him a note on the garage door telling him where you want the packages delivered. Communication is key, and the less people between you and the driver, the better and less likely to get out of hand.

Most drivers go out of their way to please every customer they can. But they have to know your needs. IF you can, do it personally, if not leave a message.

I hope this helps.

d

 

[wornoutupser]

Questioning Customer,

I also agree with leaving a note for the driver.

I also use the garage if it is open. I am in Florida, and the rain here can come from different directions at any given time. I like for my deliveries to stay dry!

I had a customer go absolutely ballistic on me one day as I left a package in the garage. I happily told them that I would leave them anywhere that they desired, simply tell me where.

Before the day was up, I was accused of theft from the customer. They then admitted to UPS that they were mad about me being in the garage and that they had made a false claim against me. They got into a lot of trouble.

A note can go a long way towards keeping everyone happy!

 

[helenofcalifornia]

So all of you are saying that a call to 1-800 would be considered a complaint? If she never sees him, leaving a note on the door would be telling people that noone is home. Can't you call 1-800 telling them ithis is not a complaint, just a request? I know if a customer wants to know anything about shipping that I can't answer, I give them the number of my center (don't yell) because 1-800 is incompetant if you are looking for answers.

 

[dannyboy]

Helen

I have covered many routes where the previous driver left a package at a different location than before. Usually, but not always, it is called in as either a complaint or a concern, both of which go on the drivers record. Neither make the driver look good. And all the customer wanted to do was communicate.

I would only use the 1800 number as a last resort.

Helen, remember the game you used to play? Someone at one end of the line would whisper something into the next persons ear. Then that person whispers to the next and on and on. Until it comes to you, and then you repeat out loud what was passed on. Never ever was it the same thing that was originally intended to be whispered. Same holds true with getting the phone centers involved. No one there even knows much about what goes on in the real world of UPS.

d

 

[over9five]

1-800 does have a history of turning a simple request into a complaint. Better not to use them for something like this.

 

[dannyboy]

9fiver, you gone into hiding? Makes me think back on the time the LP guy was on my case. Every time I turned around, he was there. If he coulda fit his fat carcass into a mail box, I am sure he would have.

d

 

[InTheRed]

For me it depends on the neighborhood. There are certain neighborhoods I have been in that are about 40-50ish years old where all the houses have carports. Just from being observant it appears that MOST people in said neighborhood use their "side door" from their carport as their main entrance to their house, so that's where I leave the stuff, and sheet it on the DIAD as "side door."

From what you are saying, it sounds like your driver is leaving the packages inside the concealed garage next to the door which accesses your house. This would be a perfect spot considering you actually park your car in your garage and go through that door everyday. If you have an issue with the packages being left there, I am curious, why is your garage unlocked to begin with?

 

[dave_socal]

In our hub some routes have very high stop counts (190 to 220) little or no pick ups residential deliveries so tight together that drivers call'em paper routes they say if package lands anywhere on the property its considered delivered. lol

 

[dannyboy]

Sandi

AS you can tell, that is a bit of inside UPS humor. UPS policy states out of the weather and out of sight. Thrown on your front lawn is not per UPS standards, nor do I know of any driver that does that type of behavior.

Dave, I know you think I am a killjoy, but come on. This is a customer asking about the correct delivery methods. You really think that is what she was interested in finding out? A bit of tongue and cheek joking?

While on the subject, there are a lot of UPS customers that lurk this site, and some have posted in the past. If I sound like a kill joy sometimes, this is one of the reasons.

d

 

[oakland]

My wife ordered a doormat from Pottery Barn and the FedEx driver left it at the end of my walkway right next to the sidewalk with the label up, doh! Please don't get into the "why did you use FedEx", thing.

 

[over9five]

Why did you use Fedex?

 

[BROWN OBSERVER]

My wife ordered a doormat from Pottery Barn and the FedEx driver left it at the end of my walkway right next to the sidewalk with the label up, doh! Please don't get into the "why did you use FedEx", thing.

Fedex del Pottery Barn? Thought we lost that acct long ago...don't miss delivering that crap....the kind of del you can't wait to get rid of so you can stop working around it...

 

[tieguy]

Up until recently our UPS delivery person always left things on our porch, which is not in full view of the street or in a theft-prone area. For the past few months now our packages are being left inside the garage by the screen door coming into the house.

Is this standard practice? I rarely ever see the guy, so I haven't asked his reasons for doing so. I'd think it would open the company up to liability if anything went missing from someone's garage, but maybe there's more to it than I know.

Comments?


Thanks!
Sandi

the garage is a safer delivery all around. Its not unusual to have public traffic come up to your front porch it would be somewhat unusual to see someone walk into your garage. While anyone could steal your merchandise from either location they would draw more attention walking into your garage.

The other possible reason is we ofen get complaints from people with your type of layout. People tend to drive into the garage and enter the house from the garage. Some people with your layout are less likely to go out onto the front porch. Thus the garage delivery is likely to be discovered sooner by the homeowner then the porch delivery.

jmho