by DannyUK
I’ve mentioned before on the blog that there is no reason in this day and age that a company should keep you waiting in all day for a delivery. It’s something APC Overnight should take heed of.
It’s something I stand by now. Whether you’re a courier, a whites good delivery company or just a trader, you will have to set your day up so that you know what order you are doing your rounds. This allows you to offer a smaller delivery window.
Failing that, with everyone having mobile phones, there’s no reason why a driver can’t call ahead and say that he is on his way - whether that means he is five minutes away or that he’ll be there in two hours. It would at least give the customer a chance to plan their own day.
As you may have guessed, this post is borne of frustration at having missed a delivery last week. I happened to be five minutes from home when the delivery was attempted and had I known it was coming (or had a pre-warning phone call from the driver) I could have been there to sign for it.
Instead, I had to rearrange collection. I could have opted to pick the parcel up, but given that the depot was a thirty minute drive, I decided I’d wait in instead. I jumped online and chose redelivery for Monday 30th June, and was disappointed that the system merely confirmed that it would be delivered between 8am and 4pm. I didn’t have anything planned for the day, but that meant staying in. All I could do was hope that I would be early on the list.
I note that the “Service Level News” section of the their website is (appropriately) empty.
Well I waited and waited. The only time the door went was when a door-to-door chugger knocked, and the look of disappointment that shone on my face must have told him that I was expecting someone else.
Come 4.30pm I gave up and went out. No delivery attempted. No parcel received. All I had to show was a mild case of cabin fever.
I called the company today, APC Overnight, to find out what happened. The guy who answered the phone sounded grumpy, at best as I explained my problem.
“What’s your consignment number?” he asked. I read it out and could hear him rustling in the background. He confirmed my address with me before saying “it’s still here. I can’t get it out to you today.”
I hadn’t asked him to get it out to me today, merely that it hadn’t been delivered yesterday. I took him to task briefly and asked if he knew why it hadn’t been delivered, saying that I had stayed in all day specifically for it.
“I don’t know,” came the unhelpful reply, “did you call up and rebook it?”
“No, I did it online.”
“I don’t know then. I can’t get it out today though. I can do tomorrow.”
I could almost feel the steam coming from my ears. All I wanted was an apology and an explanation, or failing that, just an apology. It took every sinew not to say this to him, and instead through gritted teeth I merely mumbled for him to deliver it tomorrow.
I put the phone down and seethed. Now I have to take another day out to wait for the parcel, and what’s to say that won’t be forgotten again. More importantly, what kind of company doesn’t immediately apologise for such a cock up?
Had that been me, I’d have apologised profusely, explained that I would get it delivered as soon as I could on a day suited to the customer, and that I would get the driver to call ahead to give the customer a window.
But then what do I know? I’m just a pratt that’s going to sitting inside waiting for a delivery again.
Wondering how this finished? Check out the following post!
Got a mate who took a job with a courier company, so I know a bit about this from the other side. It’s a nightmare, they get their deliveries from the depot and told to get out there and deliver them toot sweet, but no guidance or instructions on what order, just get it done. But lots of customers who want stuff delivered insist on a signature, and forbid leaving in a safe place, or leaving with a neighbor, or even following instructions from a client who is happy to accept responsibility for a non signature. The drivers have no leeway and no discretion, they have 30 seconds to wait for a response to their knock or ring on the door, then they’re off. You get ‘carded’ to say they’ve been, and that’s one less to worry about. They get paid about 50p per parcel, and 9 times out of ten the amount of parcels due out that day is just not possible. It’s a shit job. You get lots of immigrants who cant speak or read English taking these shit jobs, so that’s another reason why deliveries go astray.
Omg i have same problem but thei forget twice :-O And i ask her if she know why i use this company? Becouse i want to get my parcel in 24 hours!!!!! Now is 150 hours!!!!!!! This is best shit delivery company on the world!!!!!!!!!!!Best royal mail second class is more quick then this rubbish!!!!!!!!!
Twitter: brentwebster1
on August 19, 2015 at 6:25 am
These guys have stolen one of my customers parcel for the second time now. The parcel reached the hub and then went missing so it’s definitely an inside job. The last one was a mobile phone sent to me for my customers granddaughters Christmas present. They only found the phone a month later crushed into bits very suspicious! and she never did get her Christmas present. This time they have lost/ stolen parcel with over £1000 worth of Apple, Samsung and Google products. These items belong to my customers other individual customers, so you can imagine how I feel now with the prospect of losing a big client due to the negligence of APC!!!!!. Their staff have written bad reviews about working there and state how they work like slaves. It’s probably the reason why they steal parcels. Beware I have to fork out £1000 of my own money to keep my customer. APC are having a laugh. At least they think so because I have sent the CEO and board of director a nice letter!.
APC are crap at least APC STOKE?NEWCASTLE are they’ve screwed up 2 deliveries in a week from 2 suppliers each time they don’t wait for an answer I was in both times!! Ring depot and you get a moron (English local) who doesn’t give a shi** first t ime he said oh we didn’t open the email from central depot to read about the delivery so didn’t do the repeat delivery as requested! No apology or regrets nothing. When it did arrve contents smashed completely!
Second time rang depot within 20 seconds of van driving off and asked for him to turn round and deliver – no chance no interest we”ll redeliver after the weekend..
Total utter useless Wan*****