Adventures in Customer Service - FedEx

Monday, December 29, 2014
The Smart Man and I tend to be the kind of people who try to get things done ahead of time. We don't like the stress of running around naked with our hair on fire, and have discovered that pre-planning goes a long way toward making our lives easier.

And then a crappy customer service experience ensures that our blood pressure will rise, regardless of how organized and together we are. 
We shopped early and often for our niece's Christmas. We found awesome stuff. We were done shopping well before Thanksgiving, and we thought we were the shizzle. And then we made a poor choice: The UPS Store was closed on the Sunday we went to drop off her gifts, so we decided to go to our local FedEx Store, instead. 
God, what a mistake. Here is what ensued: 
Sunday, November 30th, 2014: We dropped the gifts off at the FedEx store in Parker, CO. We requested that FedEx pack the box with their own materials, and ship it to Maryland via ground, since there was plenty of time for it to get there.

Thursday, December 4th, 2014: Package was supposed to be delivered at my BIL and SIL's home. My BIL was there all day, working from home. He did not hear the doorbell ring, and (more tellingly) the dogs did not bark anytime throughout the day. The dogs ALWAYS bark when someone approaches the house. Because it's their job, and they're good at it. 
Friday, December 5th, 2014: FedEx's on-line tracking tool claims the package was delivered the day before at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 6th, 2014: Package still has not appeared at the Maryland house, so I called FedEx to open an investigation. I receive an investigation number.
Sunday, December 7th, 2014: No communication from FedEx.
Monday, December 8th,  2014: FedEx calls to report no progress has been made.
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014: FedEx calls requesting additional information. The call went to voicemail because I was a call with a client. I returned the call within 30 minutes of receiving the voicemail. The woman who left the message is not at her desk, and left no notes in the investigation file so another associate could help me. The assure me they will tell the original caller I called back so that she may reach out again. No further communication is received.
Wednesday, December 10th, 2014: No communication from FedEx.
Thursday, December 11th, 2014: I call for a status and FedEx indicates their "investigation" is complete. Please note their "investigation" consisted of sending the driver back out to my BIL's house to "look around" and see if he can "see" the package. I am directed to assume the package is "lost" and open a claim. I attempt to open a claim. I am unable to do so on-line or on the phone because FedEx's tracking software does not recognize that the "investigation" has been closed. The FedEx agent takes my e:mail address, which is on file with shipment. I spell the address phonetically, in case there's a mistake, and she e:Mails the forms for the claim. Several hours later, I still have not received the forms, so I call back. FedEx emailed the forms to the wrong eMail address, and sends them again to the correct address.
Friday, December 12th,2014: I complete the claim, and eMail it to the FedEx claims department. I receive a confirmation eMail.
Saturday, December 13th, 2014: No communication from FedEx. The Smart Man and I go back out shopping...at the mall...less than 2 weeks before Christmas. We repurchase our niece's gifts, take them home, wrap them, and go to the UPS Store for packaging and shipment.
Sunday, December 14th, 2014: No communication from FedEx.
Monday, December 15th, 2014: No communication from FedEx.
Tuesday, December 16th, 2014: No communication from FedEx
Wednesday, December 17th, 2014: No communication from FedEx
Thursday, December 18th, 2014: No communication from FedEx. The new package is delivered by UPS, on time, with no trouble. Amazingly enough, when the UPS guy rings the bell, not only does my BIL hear it, but the dogs ALSO sound the alert. Funny how that happens.
Friday, December 19th, 2014: No communication from FedEx.
Saturday, December 20th, 2014: I look for a way to check on the status of our claim on the FedEx website and find no tracking system is available. I call FedEx, and the agent informs me that the last recorded status on the claim was "under review" since December 13th. The agent is unable to find additional details because the claim department only works Monday through Friday, but assures me that it is "very unusual" for a claim to have such a status for such a long period of time. Given our experience thus far, I am not convinced.

Sunday, December 21st, 2014: No communication from FedEx.  

Monday, December 22nd, 2014: No communication from FedEx

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014: No communication from FedEx

Wednesday, December 24th, 2014: No communication from FedEx

Thursday, December 25th, 2014: No communication from FedEx. Since it's Christmas Day, the Smart Man and I feel very fortunate that we had the wherewithal to purchase all new gifts for our niece and send them in time for the holiday.

Friday, December 26th, 2014: No communication from FedEx.

Saturday, December 27th, 2014: Received a notice via the U.S. Mail that our claim has been rejected because...wait for it...their records indicate the package was delivered.

Based on my records and my research, this little experience cost us $310.00 in cash, and approximately $439.00 in the time* we wasted fucking around with these incompetents.We have no idea what happened to the original package. It could have been stolen from the FedEx truck. It could have been lost in transit. What it WASN'T was delivered to my BIL's house. 

So here are my questions to FedEx, who did a poorer job of delivering this package than any other shipping company in this country, including the U.S Postal Service, the Pony Express, and the stagecoach. 

1. Why do your employees take such a lackadaisical attitude toward the loss of a consumer package? With the exception of the agent who initially started the investigation, not a single agent I had contact with showed even the slightest bit of interest in this claim. In fact, I don't think they could have given less of a fuck if they'd made an effort. 

2. How come the person who presumably made the initial mistake (the driver) is responsible for the investigation? Talk about the fox guarding the hen-house - what possible outcome did you expect from such a plan? A full confession that the driver delivered it to the wrong house, or (even more unlikely) that the driver stole it and is now terribly sorry for his dishonesty? Perhaps your company should do a little research on what "impartial investigation" means.

3. And while we're on the subject, what kind of a half-assed investigative effort is sending the driver out to "look around" so he can report back on whether or not the package is still where he supposedly left it a week ago? In my business we're required to provide Root Cause Analysis for such events, not tell our customer that we have no idea why all their incoming calls have been misrouted to the wrong agents, sorry for all that lost revenue, suck it up, buttercup! 

4. Why is your company so piss-poor at communicating? You're a multinational, for fuck's sake. You can't have some sort of automated system that keeps people apprised of the status of their investigation/claim? You're not running this shit out of your garage, FedEx, why do you act like it?

5. What happened to you, FedEx? Your used to be the gold standard for package delivery -  you were well known for both your efficiency and accuracy. Now, at least among the people I associate with, you are considered the low-rent option, so much so that people couldn't believe we'd even consider using FedEx instead of UPS. 

While I recognize that there is a fairly large segment of the population who might make an effort to "get over" on their shipping company, it seems to me that FedEx' processes and attitude automatically assume the person making the claim is a criminal, attempting to defraud the company for their own gain. I don't mind providing receipts for our purchases when we make a claim, it's a reasonable precaution that protects the company. I do mind the automatic assumption that the driver couldn't POSSIBLY have made a mistake, so we bear no responsibility whatsoever, tell your niece we're sorry for the lost Christmas, too bad so sad! 

It should be obvious by now that I am LESS THAN IMPRESSED with our customer service experience. It should also be obvious that we shall never use FedEx again, and would instead resort to the aforementioned Pony Express rather than give them a single penny more of our money. And you may also rest assured that I will endeavor to make sure no one else I know, anywhere in the world, will use FedEx or buy their stock.

Fuck you, FedEx. Your complete inability to execute on any aspect of this transaction tells me you don't give a rat's ass about the impact of your incompetence, or the reputation of your company. And if you don't give a shit, why should I? 
____________
*Calculation based on our currently hourly wages, assuming 2,080 hours worked per year. 

2 comments:

mom in northern said...

That about covers it. I am assuming you have sent copies to the CEO of said company. With maybe copy to the Feds? What about he poor guy who does not have your resources?

Janiece said...

I'll do that when I have a moment to clean up the language.

And the wherewithal issue occurred to us, as well. Sucky, that's what they are.