You're quite right - I've worked at one of the customer centers and I've been trying to get management to get it straight for years. We should have deliveries from 8 PM to about 5 AM, that way we can almost always catch people at home and won't have to worry about them missing their deliveries. I'm sure we won't get any complaints about that...because UPS drivers shouldn't get normal work schedules. Only everybody else.
Okay, now that I've got that out of my system...I'll just put down a nice list of precautions people can take to make sure their UPS package is delivered or at a minimum to save themselves (and us who have to put up with their crap later) a nice long headache and an escort to your vehicle by security;
1. TELL THE IDIOTS SHIPPING IT TO YOU TO ALLOW DRIVER RELEASE. Driver release means the driver just leaves it on your porch if you're not home. If the people sending it to you want a signature, it's for a reason - either they don't trust you or the item being delivered is too valuable. If the package says 'signature required' on it, blame the shithead who shipped it to you, not your driver or UPS.
2. IF YOU LIVE IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD, WE DON'T LEAVE STUFF ON YOUR PORCH. Think of it this way, if you wouldn't park your cute little VW bug in this area, we won't leave pilferables there. It's a lot more annoying to listen to somebody bitch and moan about a yellow slip left on their door than to have them accuse a driver of stealing their shit. Drivers usually learn this one the first time somebody 'claims' their stuff disappeared. Or they keep providing 'good customer service' and eventually get fired for their troubles.
3. WE USED TO LET CUSTOMERS TALK TO DRIVERS. Then an increasing number of individuals such as yourselves began stalking delivery drivers they suspected of theft or laziness or whatever else they could dream up. Sorry, but somebody beat you to the punch as far as harassing our employees. Too bad so sad, salute the flag and move on.
4. EVERYBODY SAYS THEIR DRIVER DIDN'T COME BY. Yes, it's true. I've had customers come in and say they were 'home all day' and the driver never showed. Then they hand me the little yellow slip he/she got off their door. I typically get a blank stare when I ask how exactly a driver that never showed up managed to get that piece of paper stuck to their door. Eventually the story becomes 'well he must not have ever knocked but just put that on the door'. Yes, that's it. He went to all the trouble to drive to your house, stop, get out, spent at least a minute writing out your infonotice, and stuck it to your door, but he was just too damn lazy to push the doorbell and pound on the door. That's certainly much more believable than the idea that you just fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV watching 'Friends' and eating a bowl of KFC.
5. ALMOST EVERYBODY THINKS THEIR PACKAGE IS IMPORTANT. Some of you who can read are probably saying to no-one in particular 'hey...what does she mean, ALMOST everybody thinks their package is important???' Well, it's something that's always baffled me about this job. The people who are expecting actual important stuff (i.e. lifesaving drugs, a promissory note for their home down payment due TOMORROW, a letter of acceptance to an Ivy League school) - these people whose packages are ACTUALLY important...they usually kind of understand if we can't get it until tomorrow...or it was held up by customs...or it was destroyed in a conveyor belt engine. The ones who never seem to understand are the people expecting crap. I've been literally attacked (physically, mind you) over things like a pair of Air Jordans the recipient claimed he 'was never even going to wear, just put into a display case in his room', a bottle of Viagra (okay, I kind of understand that one...he probably needed it), and even a box of rotten fish (the customer decided it wouldn't be cost-effective to use dry-ice since it was an overnight shipment and the fish was frozen. Unfortunately, it was mailed Friday and didn't go out for delivery until Monday) 'Working days'
6. HERE'S A NOVEL CONCEPT - IF YOU KNOW YOU WORK EVERY DAY, HAVE IT DELIVERED THERE. Thaaaaaaaat's right!!! We deliver to businesses too - even FedEx and USPS, believe it or not. The only places we don't deliver to is PO boxes. That's what we call 'out of the parcel' thinking. Solutions are more helpful than excuses oftentimes. Here's how it works - when you order your stuff online or your friend asks for your address, give them your name, but use your work's address! Almost like you live there!!!
I know it's tough, because it means admitting you aren't perfect, but if you can follow these simple steps, you too can get your stuff delivered AND make sure you don't have to go to the customer center because, in all honesty, we want you there as much as you want to be there, and we like hearing your excuses as much as you like hearing ours! :) read more