We order a lot of stuff that comes via courier, so over the years we're talking probably at least 100 deliveries, if not more, so I'm basing it on fairly extensive personal experience.
I think that it might be that they hire fuckwits at UPS? We have the same FedEx guy, and he comes so regularly that he remembers our name and to come around to our door. And maybe FedEx pays better so that their staff are nicer/better, because I swear the UPS guys never give a shit.
I know PreZ also attributes it to the fact they often overload the UPS truck, and drivers apparantly aren't allowed to come back until their trucks are empty, no matter how late that is... which would lead to very short "waits" at people's doors, so that they can hurry on to the next delivery.
It's happened so many times that I've been home (even at our previous apartment), and that they've never even bothered to knock or ring at all, even though they say they have (and I know this has happened to vgnwtch too). And I know they lie on their tracking devices/site when they put down what time they deliver, because I've had it on several occasions where I go up to check whether a (non-signature) delivery has been left, and it hasn't, yet when I check the site later it will tell me it was delivered quite some time before I went up to check.
And then there's the fact that UPS Ground takes forever. If they quote you 6 business days for delivery, then they'll only deliver on that 6th day, even if the item arrived at the local distro center a day or two earlier and was ready for delivery. They won't let you pick it up before that quoted day either. FedEx will put it on the delivery truck as soon as it arrives.
Given the choice, we'll pick FedEx every time. The few times I've had deliveries from Airborne Express/DHL I've never had problems either, and they're supposed to be more "budget" than UPS.
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Date: 2006-04-06 12:43 pm (UTC)I think that it might be that they hire fuckwits at UPS? We have the same FedEx guy, and he comes so regularly that he remembers our name and to come around to our door. And maybe FedEx pays better so that their staff are nicer/better, because I swear the UPS guys never give a shit.
I know PreZ also attributes it to the fact they often overload the UPS truck, and drivers apparantly aren't allowed to come back until their trucks are empty, no matter how late that is... which would lead to very short "waits" at people's doors, so that they can hurry on to the next delivery.
It's happened so many times that I've been home (even at our previous apartment), and that they've never even bothered to knock or ring at all, even though they say they have (and I know this has happened to
And then there's the fact that UPS Ground takes forever. If they quote you 6 business days for delivery, then they'll only deliver on that 6th day, even if the item arrived at the local distro center a day or two earlier and was ready for delivery. They won't let you pick it up before that quoted day either. FedEx will put it on the delivery truck as soon as it arrives.
Given the choice, we'll pick FedEx every time. The few times I've had deliveries from Airborne Express/DHL I've never had problems either, and they're supposed to be more "budget" than UPS.