17 July 2020

Published July 15, 2020 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays

Genre: Rant

Word Count: 100

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

A week ago, my “keep refrigerated” medication arrived—three days late and warm—via UPS.

I called their support number to discover “customer” and “service” is a UPS oxymoron. After pressing one for this and two for that, I complained to one agent after another. Each guaranteed pick-up and a call back from their center.

Four days later, I tossed the deceased meds and resorted to messaging UPS on social media.

The standard excuse: “Additional volume due to global health crisis. We’re working on a resolution.”

My promised UPS call came today and so did the replacement package—via FedEx.

99 comments on “17 July 2020”

    • Dear Trish,

      Fortunately my life wasn’t threatened. But my mental health was threatened by the lack of communication from United Parcel Service. 😉 I just found irony that while I was duking it out with UPS, the pharmacy sent the replacement via Federal Express.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply ↓

  • I feel your pain – an appropriate take on our times, when even the simplest thing has become just that little bit more difficult, it’s too easy for suppliers to hide behind the COVID excuse when it patently doesn’t apply. I wonder if they would offer the same understanding that they expect from the customer if the customer didn’t get round to paying… because of COVID. My local GP’s surgery boasts a medication home delivery service by volunteers, which is great and I’m truly thankful for their time. I try to be patient when the pharmacist forgets to give the medication to the volunteer, or when the ‘daily’ delivery service is cut back to once a week without telling the patients… I’m not always successful. Good one.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Dear Sandra,

      It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my aggravation. COVID is the ‘fall guy’ every time, isn’t it? I think you’re right about payment. I doubt the payee would buy that excuse. And isn’t it interesting that FedEx made the delivery in record time. Do they not have the same issues as UPS? It got to be so much like something out of MAD magazine I just had to share it. 😉 Thank you for your commiseration and comment.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

      Reply ↓

  • The mail sent to me from the U.S. is being returned to senders. As far as this country is concerned, American mail is not wanted. Thank goodness for email and overseas calls. I don’t know how mail from other countries is faring. I’m sorry you had delivery problems. Like many others, my son and his wife are having trouble getting test results. —- Suzanne

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Dear Suzanne,

      I’m sorry to hear about American mail being blocked there. At least we have the technology to get around that. USPS and other delivery services have had their challenges. As Pa Ingalls used to say, “All’s well that ends well.” 😉 Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • Dear Moumita,

      I’ll admit I felt for the agents I spoke with who were merely the messengers…probably not even UPS employees. :/ It just became such a comedy of errors, I was compelled to write about it. 😉 Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  • This tale of our times reminded me, m’lady, of the days when it was always ‘the computer’ that caused the problem.
    Customer service has long been abandoned as not cost effective, I think.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  • If it’s anything like Australia Post “customer service” is poor at the best of times. Very stressful with meds, glad it worked out. On the bright side, to my knowledge, in Oz, we can’t have prescription meds delivered. Simple services are the hardest it seems…

    Yay, it gave you this week’s story.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Dear Tanille,

      I generally haven’t had problems with medications being delivered. And it wasn’t the deliver snafu that upset me as much as the frustration of reaching someone in the company. And, yes, it did give me a story. 😉 Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  • Genre: Rant – I don’t see much fiction in this Friday Fictioneer 😉 I’m sorry, shipping does seem messed up during this time. Glad fedEx could do what UPS couldn’t… (I think I know who you will use from now on 😉 )

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

      • I know, I was just teasing a little. I didn’t want to tease too much since I’m sure it was frustrating enough (I hate shipping and shippers these days. I try to use the USPO for everything, but time sensitive is not their thing)

        Like

        Reply ↓

  • The sad part of this story is that the pandemic should not have any effect on multiple promises of “someone will call you within the hour.” Once maybe. Three or 4 times……nope. Customer Service issue. We both were a bit shocked when an immediate delivery happened……via FedX.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  • I worked as a temp for UPS in 1995 and lasted only a few weeks — thank goodness! They were pretty lousy. They had ME get the paper manifest for orders and I HAD to find them. The manifests were in paper bundles tied up and in a storage area. There was no way on earth I could find what they were looking for! That particular station was closing anyway, so good riddance. I also, in using the paper cutter, sliced a piece of my tie off. It was OK — it was a military tie. Clip-on.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Dear Cuzzin Kent,

      Clip-on. Clip -off. Nice to know that lack of service and efficiency have remained a constant at UPS. Glad you found your manifest destiny and got the hell outta Dodge.

      Peace out. Beam me up, Scotty.

      Cuzzin Shelley

      Like

      Reply ↓

  • Good rant Rochelle, the best way to channel some frustration. All online shopping and deliveries – like a lot of things – are great until something goes awry, then the system is just not designed to cope.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  • I was once given the “Additional volume due to …” but the ‘due to’ was Katrina. I was in Ohio and the sender was in Arizona.
    Another time I found my package on the ground INSIDE my neighbor’s wall. Looked like when UPS couldn’t get in the (wrong) gate, they simply hove it over the wall. It was a cup and saucer from Dublin (Ireland, not Ohio, “Book of Kells” pattern) and busted. So I didn’t call UPS. I wrote the company, telling them they needed to get a bombardier with better sights. Got an immediate reply saying they were sending a replacement via other means and would be “contacting” UPS. My new setting arrived within the week — via USPS.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  • Oy for the frustration! The curious thing is that for me, any of the issues have been with FedEx while my expeirnce with UPS has been fantastic, perhaps because of my amazing UPS driver whose name is … (if you read my piece … indeed is Henry).
    A friend of mine used to work for FedEx for many years and she had even tried to intervene for lost, misplaced, damaged, and non-arrived packages – with little result … Things which seem to happen to me all the time with FedEx and almost never with UPS. So much so that if there’s a choice of delivery mode, I’d go for UPS and USPS before I go with FedEx.
    Fascinating, isn’t it?
    It makes me wonder how much of that is local distribution centers and possibly regional call centers or who knows.
    In any event, this did give me a chuckle – it would TOTALLY fit my experience with some important deliveries, if only we shifted the company names around … 🙂
    Na’ama

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Na’ama Y’karah,

      I imagine there are many stories out there re different companies. I’ve never had these issues with UPS in the past. At any rate, the story was too good not to share. As I said before, when life hands you lemons, write about it. 😉

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

      • ‘Tis a good story! Isn’t it interesting how the same companies can have such different manifestations in service, even though their call centers, for different people at different times? I’m often reminded that at the end of the day, it is not only policies and regulations we deal with when we get a certain customer service rep, but also what kind of a day they had, what kind of a supervisor they have, and what kind of reaction we evoke in them. Oy, people are complicated! Fodder for stories, though! Xx

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓

  • I feel your pain, Rochelle. Customer service has been an unfortunate casualty of technology. I’ve been dealing with substandard internet since at least the beginning of the COVID crisis. I don’t know how much time we’ve spent on the phone with AT&T. Press this for this press that for that. Forwarded here and there. I bought a bed and frame from RC Willey. It came without one of the drawers. I got the drawer, but it won’t go in. I’ve called and emailed. I got a check with no explanation. The drawer’s been sitting on my floor for six months. I’ve had problems with Grammarly. They emailed me links to articles to read, which had nothing to do with my issue. There was no personalized communication just, ‘Read this.’ There’s a mobile game I play. I got locked out of a section. I get referred here and there but no help. This is all in the last six months. COVID’s just the latest lame excuse. My comments turned into my own rant.

    Great last line! That’s how it should be. If one’s incompetent… Next! My Grammarly story ended with me finding ProWritingAid, which is far more in-depth and tremendously less expensive. I got lifetime access to ProWritingAid for Grammarly’s annual price, and their customer service is communicative and helpful.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Dear Nobbin,

      I’m glad your Grammarly story has a happy ending. I’m sure ProWritingAid will assist you in future communications without pushing too many buttons, Rant with eloquence, my friend. Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  • Hey Rochelle,
    I read this today before going to the UPS. I handed the young man my Amazon return package and he asked me if there was anything else. I said yes, Rochelle is pissed at you people. I turned and walked from the store.
    Bill

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply ↓

  • Dear Rochelle,

    Don’t you know customer service is a thing of the past? Or rather, it is now such a rarity that when you get some good customer service, you are almost taken aback and look at them slanty-eyed wondering where they are gonna hit you…

    Silver linings is you didn’t have to work “too hard” for a FF story 😉

    Shalom and lotsa special delivery love!

    Dale

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Dear Liz,

      I don’t know if my nasty-grams on social media helped or not. At any rate, I’m fine. Fortunately I wasn’t completely out of my prescription. And this proved it’s all the more reason not to be. Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • Dear Subroto,

      That is the most aggravating part of those calls–having them say “your call is important to us.” Funny, your actions certainly tell a different story. Thank you. 😀

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

      Reply ↓

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