OK, here is one to make the blood boil. Parcel delivery.
Before I start ranting I think I need to draw the line clearly here. Much like the railways stopped calling its commuters passengers and started calling them customers (which in itself does not necessary infer they have to move you from A-B) so I need to explain myself here.
If I am ordering something small on the net to be delivered the chances are I would be charged 'Postage and Packing'. The packing would be the lovely smooth brown hardback envelope labelled "Do not bend" yet amazingly fitted through a letterbox horse shaped. The postage - the cost of moving the item through the post offices distributing network through to its final destination - my letter box. If I am ordering something large on the net to be delivered the chances are I would be charged "Delivery". There is no mention of packing here - and from my experience the packing is often woefully inadequate - but - that is a digression. The paraphrased dictionary definition of 'delivery' is 'to convey and hand over', and this definition works nicely for me.
The example I will be using is ordering things online - simply because it is the one that affects me most; definitions aside - I want am seething enough to rant right now!
If I buy something online I pay for the delivery (as opposed to small things where you generally just pay the postage). I do not expect to have to go and pick it up from a depot miles and miles away. Usually 'it' goes through the letter box, but sometimes if it need signing for there may be a degree of travelling to a sorting office. My local Royal Mail sorting office is great they know me there, I am blessed to be five minutes away from my local City-link depot but I am not so fortunate these days with Parcel force and a number of the small carries that shops and individuals use.
Most of us need to pay to keep a roof over our heads - so generally - we would expect no one to be in the middle of the day, but this is the time that couriers and deliveries invariably arrive. Sure some of us work unsociable hours, and way too many people are not working but generally speaking the majority of people work office hours - give or take. So, why do delivery companies deliver at this time? Now, don't get me wrong - some people are NEVER in but I would expect a couple of calls company to try to deliver more than once before delegating the responsibility to the recipient.
I know that somewhere there is a small network of deliverers - one of my catalogues (Kanopy) uses them. When I get a package it arrives in the evening - and is delivered by someone in what looks to be a private car. This is perfect for people and I applaud the level of thought that the catalogue, and I applaud the delivery company who have sussed out what their clients customers need. How come other delivery companies do not do the same thing? I think it is because the sender pays the money and once it has left their hands they don't really care that much about the inconvenience to their customer.
I think that something needs to be done about this - talk to the delivery company next time they say come collect. If you don't get satisfaction highlight it with the seller that you are not happy with the delivery company and explain why.
In the interim I will be speaking to Kanopy to find out who they use as their couriers - they do a good job - and I want to know who they are - just in case I need to courier anything. Then I will be phoning Parcel force. Expect me to be hating them very soon - they truly are appalling at their job.
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