Signature releases

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Oh, and get this. The customer tried to pin the blame on me saying I used a box that was TOO BIG. First time I ever heard something like that. I've heard of people having problems from using a box too small, but TOO BIG? That's a new one for me. .

the ONLY way that would be a problem IMO, is if there was empty space in the box that wasn't filled with "cushioning material", allowing the snakes to be flung around inside. But I've seen your packaging and I seriously doubt that would be the case in this situation. From your side of the story I don't think the guy deserves anything!

He missed the delivery attempt. He's out of luck. You do what you know is best for you business (you know, I don't) but do make sure your Terms specifically state maust accept package on FIRST delivery attempt now.

As far as what to do about the ring and run drivers~ I finally figured that one out. When I know I am expecting a package of live animals I put a note on my front gate that says:

FED-EX
PLEASE RING BELL SEVERAL TIMES
I don't hear well,
Thanks

You'd be amazed how many guys just stand out there playing Jingle Bells on my doorbell! I've only got a slight hearing loss~ but I've discovered that when you put a note out explaining that you don't hear well and requesting extra rings~ they do it.

But then I'm pretty serious about getting my packages~ Rich knows that. Remember the box you sent me on 9-11-01? I got that box, and got it on that military base too! It's a good thing the gate gaurds knew me!

A number of interesting points have been brought up. In my experience receiving animals via these carriers, I can only recall one or two times that I MIGHT have been asked for a signature. I can recall more times, in fact that I came home to a box that I wasn't expecting. As far as I know, there is not a signature release on file. (I certainly didn't fill one out). Like many others, I make a point to be home waiting, and have 3 dogs that usually alert me to the arrival of the truck. Despite this, I have been surprised - walking outside to find the box just sitting there (usually inside, thankfully). I now habitually request that the sender designate the box to be held for me to pick up. When this is done, I get the animals earlier & they are not subjected to sitting on the truck for several hours awaiting delivery. Fedex has been GREAT about this, and has always held a box so designated. UPS usually attempts delivery despite the designation, much to my frustration...still trying to sort out what works and what doesn't here (any suggestions??). DHL ignores the designation, and ships to the wrong house, on the wrong street, in the wrong town; and still tries to bill me when I get dead animals. (I'm sure you can deduce my feelings about DHL).

I specifically require someone to be present at the destination address in order to receive the package. I do everything in my power to insure that the animals get there safe and sound. But the recipient also has some responsibility in this process as well.

I agree, Rich. My TERMS are specific that the receiver must be available to accept the package or the 'live guarantee' could be voided. When I send the tracking information email notice I even tell people "to insure the health and safety of your gecko(s), please check outside the door periodically since some carriers don't bother to knock or ring the doorbell".

I don't worry at all about anything live being delivered to me, but I am more afraid of the box being put back on the 100+ degree truck for the rest of the day than to have it left at my customer's door. I always check my shipment status first thing when I get up in the morning, and if the details state that the package was left at the door I simply give my customer a call. If there is no answer, and something happens to the animal(s), then they bear the responsibility... not me or the carrier.

I really make a big point of telling my customers that the drivers are in a big hurry and will not stick around long. And that I will only guarantee live arrival if somebody accepts the shipment on the first delivery attempt. Since a lot of my customers are beginners and are really excited to get their new pet, I actually probably have them scared to go to the bathroom until 10:30 or whenever it arrives, lol! I too have suggested that they make a BIG sign to put on the door saying that they really are home and to knock loudly.

Sometimes they are sitting out on the porch waiting, and unfortunately, there have been a few times they waited outside, only to have a "delivery attempted" notice show up on the website. Any of the company drivers will sometimes lie so they won't get in trouble for being late, or so they hope. I also had one or two delivered to the wrong address, but that has been very rare.

I always look up customer delivery time guarantees online before shipping, and ask the customer to call me if it hasn't arrived by then, so I can call the 800 #. I always track online, but sometimes the info is not updated for hours after the delivery, so that only works sometimes.

But what I really try hard to do is to get them to go down to the shipping office and pick them up. Then most problems are avoided and everyone is happy. I even give them a small discount on their shipping (since I don't have to pay extra for signature required, or rural delivery, etc, and probably won't have to replace anything) when they agree to pick up at the office.

If my customer left a child in charge, who stated she spent part of the day in the basement, especially after all of the big deal I make about accepting shipments, then I would not feel very obligated to be responsible for their irresponsibility. But in reality, if I valued them as a future customer, I would probably give a steep discount on replacements, if not replacing them for free. Just depends on the customer and whether it was somebody who I thought was worth having as a future customer.

In follow up to Kathy's point about drivers not wanting to get in trouble for not being late I can share an anecdote. A number of years back I was awaiting some animals shipped to me from Don Hamper. He was using Airborne prior to its acquisition by DHL. I was home all morning, and when the specified time for delivery came it was noted in the computer as "delivered". I have several dogs and no one gets near my house without them barking, not to mention that I had been downstairs the entire time awaiting the package. I called Don and he started trying to track where the driver may have left the box. Meanwhile I start running around my house and all of my neighbors' houses looking for a box, ringing doorbells, etc. Finally about 45 minutes later that yellow van arrived with the box and a driver as nonchalant as could be. Funny, I never saw him again...

I had a similar incident about a month ago. My customer and his kids were sitting on the front porch waiting. Soon after 10:30, the website said "delivery attempted", so I called my customer. We called DHL numerous times and made the driver come "back" out. When he arrived and was quizzed by the customer, he said he received the package only 45 minutes before the due time, and was told "just make sure it is there on time, no matter what you have to do". He read between the lines to understand that it meant to note it was on time, whether it was or not.

This has happened several times with DHL, but not very often. And they have always sent the driver back out again, after I spent a lot of time on the phone convincing them that their driver made a "mistake". Although I haven't had the problem with FedEx yet, I have only used them a few dozen times, and my customers usually go to FedEx to pick up. I have used DHL at least 1,000 times since 1996, so can't really compare. But I have heard stories of all 3 of the big companies doing the same sort of thing. It usually works out OK if you stay on top of the situation, but it means more time, work, and frustration / stress for both me and my customer.

Earlier this week when my FedEx driver was making a pickup, I asked him about this conflict with the "signature release on file" and the impending extra charges for getting a signature at deliver. He said that it is his understanding that once the extra charges go into effect this Fall, that ALL of the signature releases on file will be removed from the system. According to him, there are three levels to the signature options that will be offered, but was hazy on the exact details. Or maybe I'm just hazy on remembering what he said...... I suspect that much of this is going to depend heavily on the individual drivers making the deliveries anyway.

Fact of the matter is that nothing about this shipping process is ever going to be perfect. As the originators of the packages, we can only try to do the best we can and try to cover everything we have any control over. Anything outside of that control probably needs to be spelled out in detail in our Terms and Conditions concerning what our responsibilities are as well as those of the recipients of the packages. Then maybe after 100 years of doing this, we will have experienced every possible eventuality, and know how best to handle each of them. After that, the only challenge we will have to do is to figure out how to actually get each of our customers to READ those Terms and Conditions.....

My problem is with lazy drivers....I took the morning off a few weeks ago waiting for a live delivery...They usually come at 10 am (when I get them).....new driver decides not event to stop at my house (as I am off the path and he would have to walk more then 5 steps to my door). Then post on the shipping web site an unsuccessful deliver attempt....NOT!! I have 3 dogs who hear everything and bark to let me know, not to mention I was sitting in my living room waiting for the package. I gave the shipping company a piece of my mind.....don't like liars......

I can see it now....

"To complete your animal purchase with us and begin setting up shipment, please fill out this contract, sign it, date, it, fill in your SSN, birthday, and Mother's maiden name, have it notarized, and send us the pink copy...."