Stand back! He’s gonna blow!
You know I will always go out of my way to applaud excellent customer service. However, on that same note, I will always point out bad customer service. I’m a firm believer that it is good etiquette to point out bad etiquette.
If you know anything about the United States Postal Service there is ALWAYS a line to wait on. It’s usually 10 people deep at the minimum, and inevitably you’re always the last one in line. AND, after 20 minutes waiting, when you finally get up to the counter, you look back and see there is no one standing in line behind you. What the hell?
Today, I went to the Post Office to mail a package, and when I walked in the door what to my wondering eyes should appear…NO LINE! Woo-hoo! Jackpot! How Queer. Bright lights, Angels and the glorious sound of trumpets descending from the heavens. Ahhh-aaaa!
But I knew it was way too good to be true. There is always some ‘issue’ to be dealt with at the Post Office. I went up to the window and asked for a box to ship my package in. The clerk selected a box, and I paid the $3.49 for the box. Shipping was covered by the company that I was returning the item to so I didn’t have to worry about that.
But then there came the little issue of tape to seal up the box. Instead of just giving me two strips of tape to seal the box, the clerk wanted me to either take the box home and tape it up, then bring it back to the post office (& stand in a line of people that I’m sure would be there when I got back), OR I could buy an entire roll of packing tape for ‘just another $3.49’.
“Wait. Hold up. You mean to tell me that after I purchased a box from you that you now want me to buy an entire roll of packing tape from you to seal the box when I only need two strips of tape?” (Mind you the box was only 12” x 10” – small!)
“I’m sorry Sir, but I can’t let you use the ‘Express Tape’ because your package is not express.”
“No thanks. I don’t appreciate being nickel-and-dimed. I’m sure you have tape back there that I can use without having to purchase an entire role, especially since I just purchased a service from you.”
“I’m sorry, we don’t have any other tape back here.”
“You want to charge me for an entire roll of tape when I only need two pieces? Well, here’s what I want – you can take your box back, give me my money back and I’ll go to the UPS Store.”
She had to find a manager to help her do a refund. I guess postal clerks aren’t familiar with how to do a refund, since they depend so much on people just accepting their bleak customer service, because to an extent their customers are a captive audience.
Are you still reading this?
At the UPS Store the clerk packed up my items in a box, and didn’t charge me for the tape (although I know the tape cost is figured into overhead). Because I had a prepaid US Postal Service shipping label, he said that the mailman would pick it up tomorrow and that I would only have to pay $9 for the box (and the convenience of having the Postal Service swing by the UPS Store to pick up the box and mail it – oh, I forgot to tell you…the Post Office is only two blocks away from the UPS Store. It’s like they know, right?)
“Wait. Stop. I just came from the Post Office and I don’t trust them to get this package delivered. Not after the bad customer service I just received from them.”
I said I wanted to ship it via UPS and have it tracked. All total this transaction cost me $20.40. A cost that was 3x what it would have cost me to buy that dang box at the Post Office, and buy that entire roll of tape, and use my free shipping label.
But the moral of the story kids is that paying more for great customer service and given the assurance that your package can be tracked and arrive as scheduled, is worth a lot more than taking a $6.98 risk.
(And don’t tell me the Post Office provides a tracking service. Please, yeah they offer it, but you get the tracking delivery notice 3 days after the package is delivered – assuming it’s delivered on time.)
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Addendum: You're not gonna believe this, but a few minutes after I posted this story, I looked at my UPS Store receipt and realized they double-charged me for packing materials - $10. So, I just walked 10 blocks back to the store get my money back. They were very apologetic, but good grief gargamel, I can't win for trying!
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Addendum: You're not gonna believe this, but a few minutes after I posted this story, I looked at my UPS Store receipt and realized they double-charged me for packing materials - $10. So, I just walked 10 blocks back to the store get my money back. They were very apologetic, but good grief gargamel, I can't win for trying!
Job well done, UPS. (Now, don’t lose my package or there’ll be hell to pay.)
