FEDEX destroyed my plants

[GreggC]

Our society gets a shipment of Christmas plants every year for our Christmas party. Each participant in the society gets two plants if their dues are paid up. The man who does our ordering goes and gets the plants from FedEx himself because we had an occasion in the past where they froze in the terminal before they were delivered. I am not saying that FedEx is better or worse than anyone else, but once you have a bad experience, you have to do something about it. I would bet that most companies use FedEx more than any other, but there are wys around problems, thank God!

[camille1585]

Geez, that's insane! What a crazy crazy story. I hope the next ones make it to you just fine.

And it's not just the US that has those problems, I've had my fair share of such stuff over here. One of the most memorable was when I was going home to France at the end of the college year, and mailed some orchids home because I was short of space in my luggage. I waited and waited for that box, until I finally decided to call TNT. They told me that they had tried to deliver it twice but I was not home (a lie), and the third time I was there but I refused the package (What??!?!?). So my poor plants were on their way back to the Netherlands. Good thing I managed to force TNT to intervene before the box was delivered back to my college address, or else I don't know how I would have gotten them back!
Mail companies have stupid lazy delivery people, that's what.

[shadytrake]

Isn't it terrible that one bad apple can destroy the whole image of the company? Since FedEx is in my hometown and they are responsible for so much community/university investment, I hate to hear stories like this because it paints a black eye on Memphis too.

Even though the ground drivers are independent contractors, the FedEx logo is on the truck and the package which means that FedEx is responsible for their actions and attitude toward the customer.

While I have had no issue with FedEx personally, Fred Smith recently did an interview in which he personally took responsibility for the recent driver delivery "failures" especially the one that went viral on the internet. That driver no longer works for FedEx.

If you have continued problems, I suggest the hidden camera / YouTube route. Sometimes going viral on the internet is the only way for problems to be elevated past the "middle managers."

I hope that you get the orchids. I am proud that FedEx is in my hometown and I hope they improve their service in your area.

[Bud]

My FEDEX lady is nice, amiable and friendly...I am a walk up building and she carries my packages to my door...if I am not at home: she leaves the boxes at the first floor apt. of the "super"...and when I get home...I see them all lined up ready for me to bring it upstairs...
I am surprised that your driver lies and lazy to ring your door...telephones whether landline or cell have caller ID's...if FEDEX calls it will show ...even if you deleted calls for months...records of the call can always be retrieved

[Tsuchibuta]

First, I have to admit the my comments are biased as a former employee of Fedex Ground. However I have to say there are independent contractors that seemingly don't care, but Ground contracts are very strict and it only takes a couple of complaints for them to loose their contracts. Also any lost packages are taken out of their pay as well as a percentage of the damage cost if the package is delivered in a damaged condition.

That being said my express driver always delivered my packages to my neighbors consistently, and actually got into an argument with me, (like I didn't know my own address) when I caught him doing it one day. My ground guy never did this. In my experience UPS is almost impossible to track down if you aren't there to receive your package, not to mention they are prohibitively more expensive due the outrageous wages that the teamsters have negotiated for their drivers. Basically it's having the same effect on UPS that the Auto Unions have had on Detroit.

I have to agree with Ray, with all shippers you will get some bad apples, and If you live on the route of a bad apple of course your treatment isn't going to get any better (unless your driver changes). Overall though Fedex prices are more competitive and reliable.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I currently work at a FedEx hub as security and know for a fact that the issue is not just that the drivers are independent contractors...

Each hub operates slightly differently from one another. Different sets of managers have a slightly different way of running their hub from another one.

However...

Not a single FedEx employee has the authority to destroy a package without proper consent from either management, security, customs, or any other enforcement agency. In order for management to be able to give out such an order, they really shouldn't be taking the word of a driver nor a package handler that anything should be "destroyed".

If there is any reason to believe the package should be destroyed for any reason whatsoever, 2 things can happen...

1.Management can hand the package to security for inspection or have security contact and hand it over to authorities such as customs to handle inspection.

2. Management can send it directly to customs for inspection.

Not a single package handler, driver, or sorter has any authority or right to open a package for inspection whatsoever unless they would like to be or invite the opportunity to be terminated from all FedEx hubs.

I think the more likely cause of this fiasco was that the package got severely crushed or destroyed while it was getting sorted, loaded, or unloaded. I can count on almost having at least 1 package being crushed or destroyed on the warehouse floor everyday.

[camille1585]

Glad you found a solution!!! And she sounds like a very helpful lady Hopefully that will limit the problems.

On my side I also have to find a solution. In the past the delivery man would leave packages on the washing machine in the corridor (I'm still in student housing). But now they prefer to leave package with people, and the delivery person does not leave you a note saying who has it. It's now a weekly occurrence for someone to leave a note in the elevator asking "who has my package?" and some never turn up.

[Arenalbotanicalgarden]

Another reason I like it here. I can call early( like now) do a quick bank transfer, and have anything I want before eleven to five PM today for a cost of about $3-4. $10-$15 for stuff from Panama city.... a loooooong way away(overnight). I can see Nicaragua from a mountain range nearly across the street.
It comes in the cargo hold of the public bus systems.

[Leafmite]

Let us know when your plants come, RJ. We hope to see Picts!
Camille, maybe the post will hold the packages for pick up? Do you know any professors or U offices that would recieve your packages? Sounds like it definitely isn't a good idea to have them delivered to the student housing.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Camille, maybe the post will hold the packages for pick up? Do you know any professors or U offices that would recieve your packages? Sounds like it definitely isn't a good idea to have them delivered to the student housing.

We're not allowed to recieve personal mail at work, it's against university policy. As for picking up from the post desk, I'd rather not, the people who run the one I depend off of are total jerks. After getting my wallet stolen I had to go pick up my new credit card there, but since I no longer had my french ID I used my US passport. They gave me hell because I didn't have a residence permit with it, then they accused me of having a fake passport, and then threatened to report me to the immigration authorities. And initially they didn't want to return my 'fake' passport. So no, I'm never getting a package there ever again!