FedEx? UNRELIABLE!
Over the past few years, I've spent quite a bit of money on the internet. In 99% of those cases, the items I've ordered have been delivered either by FedEx or UPS. Today, I encountered, yet again, the typical delivery experience with FedEx: unreliable.
In this case, the shipper decided to use FedEx ground, but no signature was required. In addition, it was shipped to my home address. As is normally the case when I get FedEx ground shipments, the package never arrived when FedEx claimed it would. In this case, however, the package was specifically marked as not requiring a signature. Why is this significant? Because the so-called delivery exception this time was "Customer not available or business closed." In truth, I happen to know that FedEx actually didn't attempt delivery.
At the time that the delivery was supposedly attempted, I was sitting about 3 feet from my front door - which was wide open (thanks to the 70 degree weather we are having this evening.) As well, my door bell works great. I checked, and the numbers above my front door showing my street address are clearly visible. Finally, I have two small dogs that bark like mad if anyone (or anything) makes any noise whatsoever within 20 feet of my front door. In other words, there is no possible way that ANYONE attempted delivery at ANY time between 5pm and 6pm - though the FedEx exception report shows a time of 5:47pm.
Calls to FedEx's customer service line resulted in a waste of time. The first person I talked to at about 6:20pm claimed that I'd get the package by 7pm same day. That didn't happen. The next person I spoke with (at around 7:30pm) started trying to make excuses for the driver, such as the driver didn't see that no signature was required, that they ran out of door stickers, they walked really quietly, and they were so short that I wasn't able to see them standing in my doorway attempting to deliver. Then I was transferred to a manager at the actual warehouse... this person took my address and tracking number and promised to "look into it", but really didn't commit to anything beyond that. Maybe, if I'm lucky (and Bush is held accountable for the deaths in Iraq) I'll get my package by tomorrow evening.
In the future, I will not be dealing with any company that only ships via FedEx. Either they'll give me a choice of couriers, or I'll take my money elsewhere. Given a same-cost choice between FedEx overnight and UPS ground, I will choose UPS. I'd likely get my package sooner.
Some questions that FedEx needs to answer:
How can a delivery to a residential address that requires no signature be given the exception of "customer not available or business closed?" Other than the obvious idea that the driver is lying?
Why are warehouse managers not holding their drivers responsible for delivering packages?
Why are the customer advocates for FedEx making excuses for drivers instead of holding the drivers and their warehouse managers accountable?
Why does FedEx's system not automatically raise red flags when a delivery to a residential address with no sig. required is marked as 'customer not available?'
Why can UPS deliver to my front door with 100% reliability before 1pm, while FedEx drivers have only delivered to me with about a 20% reliability (and then only for overnight delivery.)