For not blogging earlier. The problem is, yesterday turned out to be a most annoying day, and we were just in no mood.
It started out at the UPS store. The man behind the counter was an idiot, not to mention the store policies ridiculous. The basic story is that when I was in New Orleans I bought some stuff from a shop and had it shipped. Well, two boxes came. I was sort of surprised but, just... whatever. Turned out the second box was not, actually, for me, but for someone in Chicago who'd been attending the same conference I was there for. So when the store called me to inform of this mix-up, I offered to simply ship it on to Chicago.
Well, I had to know which box it was, right? So I opened the box in question which only meant that at UPS it had to be resealed, right? (What, you think I can find any packing tape in this mess I call a home?) Well, the obnoxious store ass said that would cost $1.50 to tape the box back up.
"$1.50? For one piece of tape?" I was flabbergasted.
"No, we have to tape the center and the sides," he informed me, although somewhat mumbly.
Then he started helping someone who was behind me in line.
He also offered that if I didn't want to pay them $1.50 to have them tape the box up, I could buy one of their rolls of tape. For $5.59.
Then he helped the other guy who came in after me, even though I was done with the little form and ready to pay and be done with the bullshit.
So finally he takes my form and starts typing all the data into the computer, and asks me to kindly respell words which I have already typed most clearly. And the worst part? He offers me a rate of $100-something to send this box to Chicago. The contents of the box are probably not even worth $100. (Well, they probably are, but it's not anything that needs overnight shipping.) And during the entire conversation, he never speaks clearly and I have to ask him to repeat just about everything he says. Mind you, I work in customer service and deal with tons of thick accents and usually understand almost everything. Finally, I get him to inform me that the cheapest rate is $19 and change. So I say, that's fine. He tells me a total, and when he hands me the receipt, I see that he's charged me the shipping fee plus something for $2.00. Of course, I enquire what that might be. Lo and behold, it's the tape.
"You said the tape was $1.50"
"The store rate is $2.00."
"Well then why did you tell me it was $1.50?"
It went on like that for a moment or two, before I simply decide to leave and toss a couple of expletives around.
Wonder if the box will ever get there.
There was something else that happened later in the night which was actually more irritating than UPS-Gate, but it's too work related to blog about. Sorry!
Suffice it to say that I was in such a bad mood when I got home last night that I didn't knit a stitch. I only ate Reeses Cups and then went to bed. Even when I woke up this morning, I was still upset, so I just went back to bed.
Now I'm up, though. And tonight should be better, as I'm going to the "South Pacific" concert at Carnegie Hall, starring Reba McEntire, Brian Stokes Mitchell & Alec Baldwin.
Posted by Jon at June 9, 2005 12:53 PMI thought I was the only one who had problems with UPS - their staff is the worst! They should not have charged you for shipping or tape, but that would be like good customer service.
Posted by: Mary at June 9, 2005 02:25 PMOh the drama I had to go through to get my printer via UPS. I called and asked them to deliver it in the afternoon, after 5. The next day, some woman calls me back and says that's not possible. I asked why and she said that the driver was on an early shift and could only deliver in the early day. I told her that I saw 2 trucks the previous night in my neighborhood and on my street after 5 and to put it on one of those. She said they couldn't do that. HUH?
Anywhoodle, long story short, I had to drive out to their compound in the hood to pick up my damn printer. What's the point in having a delivery company?
Posted by: Jon (in Denver) at June 10, 2005 10:24 AMHoly moly-- it reminds me of an experience I had with FedEx. I was sitting on the couch in my family room-- 15 feet from the front door. Someone knocked on the door, and in the 12-15 seconds it took me to get to the door, one of their little notes had somehow been filled out, and the chick with the clipboard was climbing into her truck. I yelled to her and she looked at me, started up the truck and took off. I was scheduled solid for the next 3 days, so I went to the FedEx place, not registering that the chick with the clipboard still had the package in the truck. What a hassle. Just makes you want to throw something, doesn't it? Where do they find these people?
Posted by: LauraRN at June 11, 2005 10:55 PM