More Comments about UPS

Hi-

I just wanted to know if this was everybodys experience with UPS? Besides the billing problems, which I have worked out, but came from inexperience and got no help from UPS whatsoever even when I called and specifically asked for help, I'm having other problems this last week. I shipped a gecko from Bethlehem, PA to Sunnydale, NY (Queens). I would have delivered it personally but our car isn't running right, right now. The customer needed it on Saturday. Again, because of inexperience I only marked the Saturday delievery box on the Next Day air lable and dropped it off at the UPS store. I explained it was for Saturday delivery and pointed out the checked box. NO ONE told me I had to have the orange band on there. I tracked the package on Saturday and it showed having arrived in Maspeth, NY but not out for delivery. I called and they told me it was scheduled for Monday. My customer isn't home on Monday. They told me to call back late Sunday or early Monday to have the package returned to me, they couldn't handle it on Saturday. I called the 1-800#, they said they weren't open until 7:00 am Monday morning. I didn't find out until later in the week that if I called the tracking # (why would I do this as I can track on-line, I wasn't tracking a package?) that I could have talked to a live person. Again, inexperince, the message never said this, how was I suppose to know. I do now!! I called Monday morning and was told the package would be returned by the end of the day. Late in the day, no package. I called, oh, they are so sorry it will be there Tuesday by 10:30am. No package by 10:30. I called again, was told it would be there before the end of the day. I waited, no package, I called and yelled this time. I was told that I would surely have it the next day. I yelled some more. I then got a phone call back saying they found the package, opened it up and gave the (still alive) gecko some water. What they did actually was wet the paper towel down in his container and make him sit in it the rest of the way home. The package did arrive finally on Wednesday. Surprisingly enough the gecko was in really good shape, ate and everything. I called about the shipping charges and was told that the UPS store is not responsible to point out any errors on any packages and that the UPS stores are franchises(although the store employees claim they are owned and operated by UPS???) and UPS isn't responsible either. After yelling for over an hour I finally got my charges reimbursed. The customer still wanted a gecko. Now, armed with new knowledge I set out to try this again(Yes, I thought about waiting a week for the gecko's sake, but he was fine, fiesty, eating, so I didn't see a danger-I would have told the customer to wait or pick another but he was fine). I drop the package off at the UPS store (much closer than our local HUB) with the orange strip this time. I get up this morning to track this package and they are saying because of bad weather they routed the package through KY!!! Because of rain last night I didn't include a cold pack, not knowing it was going to go through KY. Again, inexperience.

That was my complaint....here's my question? How does everyone know when to include cold packs or not? I know if the temps go above 80 your suppose to. But, now I understand that we NEVER KNOW where the package is going, so how do you plan for something you have no control over? If anyone is interested, here is the tracking #-

J 170 897 1890

If I did something wrong, please be kind. I am learning and really, really trying to do the best I can here. I just can't believe the run around I'm getting with UPS. I'm going to set up an account with Fed Ex starting next week, but that takes time so I'm stuck with UPS in the meantime. I really thought these problems were isolated events, but I don't think anyone who works there know what they are doing. And the rep's on the phone can't do anything to help you, all they know how to do is say "I'm sorry". I also wanted to post this for anyone else out there who is as naive as I am so you don't make the same mistakes I've made. I'm almost afraid to ship anything at this point. Thanks for listening.

Frustrated in PA this Saturday morning!!!

P.S.

My customer just e-mailed me.

THE GECKO ARRIVED SAFE AND WELL!! Well, now I can relax a little bit, but I'm still very upset with UPS.

That's a long, unfortunate story.

To eliminate the chance of future prorblems like this, I'd highly recommend NOT shipping on the weekend. Your incident is exactly why I ship NO LATER than Wednesday. That's right - I only ship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I don't want my packages lost over the weekend.

Also - I would NEVER have UPS open up a package. The consequences would have been worse if the gecko jumped out of the deli cup and ran off...

It's probably not fair to complain about the water in the cup - the did what you wanted.

The only thing I can't figure out is why you would ever try to ship on a weekend AGAIN, after the problems you had the first time.

The key here is your customers NEED to be available to recieve the package during the week.

Hi-

I didn't request they open the package. During one of my many phone calls I mentioned I was concerned about the gecko going so long without water. I never authorized them to open the box. They took it upon themselves to do this. I was completely surprised when they called and said they had done this.

I shipped again on the weekend for good customer service. I've trained in customer service. What the customer wants, they get. Period. And as long as the package can be delivered (I assume most do?) I didn't see a problem with it. As for the package being routed through KY, I assume this could happen on any day. Plus, a LOT of people work during the week and don't jobs that they can take off from. Does anyone else not ship on weekends? I mean, I wouldn't ship on Friday to arrive on Monday, obviously, but Saturday didn't seem like a problem??

I wouldn't ship on a Friday for Saturday delivery. What if UPS messes up (like they did in your case)? I certainly don't want one of my geckos stranded in a box in the heat of the summer for days. In fact, I normally will not ship on Thursday either, although I reluctantly have a couple of times.

Yes, you are right about good customer service, the customer should get what they want etc etc. But we are dealing in live animals here, not electronics or jewelry or clothing! If your customer cannot understand why you will not ship on a weekend, and cannot make arrangements to be home during the week, or have the animal shipped to their work then perhaps they don't really need the animal quite so much as they think they must.

As far as cool packs go, check weather.com for your forecast and your customers forecast. I use cool packs if it is going to be above 90 in either place (this is when shipping leos mind you). In my case, my packages do not get picked up by UPS until around 7 in the PM, so I normally don't have to worry about temps here, only the destination temps.

Shipping is always stressful to some degree. Even though I have shipped out literally hundreds of geckos I still get a little nervous and stay that way until I hear from my customer that the animal(s) arrived safe and sound.

Oh, I forgot..

We have an account with UPS and them, along with Delta, is who we ship with. They have been great and I have no real complaints. I have also used Fed Ex and Airborne. I used Fed Ex for quite some time and I liked their service a lot however their rates increased to the point where it was sometimes over $50 to ship a package. SO I switched back to UPS.

As for checking temps in my area and the destination.......I live in Allentown, PA (very eastern PA), I was shipping to NYC. The package was routed through KY!!! How do you plan for this? I didn't check the temps in KY to see what they would be. I just didn't knowI had to. Live and learn, I suppose.

What the customer wants, they get. Period.

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From a business standpoint this is not always the case. For example look at everyone's terms pages. It's your reputation and guarantee on the line, ship as you feel comfortable. Making a $20 gecko sale (as an example) is a non-profit operation if you have to replace due to a doa.

We ship a fair number of animals on a daily basis. I've seen many screw ups by all the major carriers, just the law of percentages. Your job as the shipper is to tip the scale in favor of the survival of the animal. There is no way to make it 100% bullet proof. With things like only shipping Mon - Thurs (or Mon - Wed like Mark) you add a buffer of safety for carrier delays. Proper packaging also improves the odds in your favor.

We count on our packages going through the major hubs (KY for UPS and TN for Fedex). Just another buffer we put in place.

Thank you for all your comments. Of course I want the animals best interests in mind. I'm torn because I also want to please the customers. But, I guess your right and late week shipping can be dangerous. I'm learning.

I'm learning

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Aren't we all? Don't be too hard on yourself.

The package was routed through KY!!! How do you plan for this? I didn't check the temps in KY to see what they would be.

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I guess I only worry about my temps and the destination temps because I am shipping Next Day Air, with delivery by 10:30AM. If the package is routed through any place it is in the middle of the night, which in MOST cases means temps are not going to be a problem.

I actually just went through this with a customer. I did not feel I should ship on thursday, even though she started working different hours on monday (Morning shift instead of her usual late afternoon-night). She had me ship the leo to her work, and brought a heat pack with her so she could keep it warm. I know MANY businesses would not like to have stuff like this shipped to them, but it did work out better than a weekend delivery (I think I even saved a dollar by not shipping to a residentail address... lol).

My only complaint is that I can't find good rate information easily because the more you ship the cheaper each one is... so I really have no idea how much it costs until I get my bill). I know I can look it up in the rate book but it's kind of a pain in the...

I worry about temps here, how it will travel (if it's by truck for short distances the sun will warm that up quite a bit, the airplane ride [35000 feet is mighty cold]. I also take into effect my temps, arrival temps, and if it's sunny out there or here (just in case if might sit in the sun). Then again... I may jsut worry too much (All of my leos have been received in good condition... only a few so far but hopefully more =).

And I too plan on KY being used as a major hub (except when I shipped to IL from WI)

im kinda nervous i have a 100% het for albino columbian boa female being shipped out tonight (wed.) for overnight delivery guarenteed to be at my door by 10:30am.The snake is being shipped from Florida to Michigan man i hope my baby gets here safe all the horror stories about shipping kinda shook me up a bit.The seller is using UPS so i guess well see what happens...

Josh,

It's ok to relax. Most (99%) of the shipments go off without a hitch, you just don't hear about it. Out of the 1%, 99% of those turn out ok because the person shipping knew what they were doing.

Not making light of the anxiety you feel, but didn't want you to feel overwhelmed by all the bad press that you see.

I worked for UPS for 5 years.

I started as a part-time employee working in the main Indianapolis hub. After a year I was offered a supervisor position. Held that position for 4 years.

Man could I tell some horror stories, but I won't. I can tell you that the Indy hub had a 99% goal on getting Next Day Air packages out of the buiding. There was hell to pay if that goal was not met. And that facility has over a half million packages go through there in a 6 hour period. That is unloaded/scanned, sorted to proper destination and then reloaded and scanned for departure. Pretty impressive actually.

UPS truly makes every effort to get Next Day Air shipments through their system on time. But the actual process in the major hubs is chaos at best. You folks would have to see it for yourself to even begin to believe it.