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... or how City Link managed to maintain my poor view of their services.

I was expecting a package of engineering models from British Airways at work today, delivered by City Link.

Nothing had turned up by mid afternoon and checking their web-site saw that an attempt had been made to deliver but the premises were unoccupied.

I phoned their customer service desk only to be confronted by a somewhat snotty lady who informed me that their drivers had better things to do than wait around until somebody turned up.

"I'll re-arrange for tomorrow she said... IF you can make sure that somebody will be in" The emphasis on the word 'IF' was the trigger

I explained that there would have been 'somebody in' today, at which point she made a comment "Well the driver said there was nobody there"

I then asked her to read the address which she did, saying "that means nothing to me"

I explained that DCAE stands for Defence College of Aeronautical engineering.

I further explained that it was the biggest military base in the Midlands and one of the biggest in the UK, having some 5000 plus personnel, both military and civilian and that we were open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that being a military establishment there is a squad of armed guards manning all entrances, again, 24/7 and that they tend to be fairly high profile... (Well, you would tend to notice a couple of chaps pointing guns at you, now wouldn't you )

After a moment I said "... guess your driver must have arrived at the time when all 5000 of us were away at tea-break then".

Sarcastic I know but, had the driver done what he was supposed to be doing he would have seen this huge great conglomerate of buildings and realised that 'premises unoccupied' was probably not a good excuse.

Am I the only one that meets with such crass stupidity on an almost daily basis or is it so common now that most can't be bothered to remark upon it?

raistlin wrote:Am I the only one that meets with such crass stupidity on an almost daily basis or is it so common now that most can't be bothered to remark upon it?

No, you're not on your own, Paul. I've experienced similar "delivery attempts", too.

I wonder how many there allowed to have of these "no one home" before they get picked up on it by the office.

All there vans should be tracked and then the office could see where they are/where.

Your not on your own with this one.
Probably not tracked on "how many not at home" but I bet they do have a minimum number of parcels they have to try to deliver.

Funny, isn’t it, about life’s little coincidences. May I respectfully refer to my post of 23rd Aug (which received some notable scorn by others) in Paul’s thread “My continuing love affair…” This current thread is precisely what I had in mind when raising my objection. I know the courier is different, but the responsibilities are identical, and Royal Mail are being geared for sale - possibly to couriers concerned here. Wedges and thin ends?
How long before any delivery address which happens to be inconvenient is classed 'nobody there'.

Dreadful people. When I had the temerity to ask why I had not received my delivery I was told I was out, which was untrue.

Shittylink then sent me a photograph of someone else's house.

Upon correction of their fault, there was no aplology etc. - morons.

The worse I have found are 'Parcelforce', who after one attempt only - transfer your parcel to a local 'Crown Post Office'. This, in my case is miles away and involves a parking charge to collect and long queues in the process.

Their 'customer relations' attitude is appalling. Most couriers see the delivery point as a nuisance and view the collection point as the customer? Whilst selectively correct, this ignores the fact that the consumer inevitably normally ends up paying their costs!

I now decline to buy from eBay sellers who utilise the above two. However as we live generally in a world of declining standards this kind of treatment has to seen realistically as the future benchmark. Apathy and inertia, what a cocktail.

I had my business in Leigh on Sea for 15 years. I rarely used couriers but had regular deliveries from my suppliers, two or three times a week, consisting of large boxes (1 metre square) containing high-end lighting and very heavy packages of scarily expensive artisan sheet glass, usually crated. Never once did the courier fail, even left a cell number if I had ‘gone to the bank’ etc so they would call back before leaving the area.

Sold up 4 years ago and recently by chance bumped into the same driver I’d had most of that time. He told me the firm had been taken over recently by Stobart and over half the staff , all those with less than 2 years service, had been sacked with the work being shared out amongst those left who were now engaged only as self-employed.

Not a good time to be a courier driver. It’s always the staff or the customer that are forced to take up the slack and make their enforced contribution to the success story that is the ‘free market’.

It varies by area for sure. Round our way parcelforce are no problem, neither are citylink. Hermes on the other hand......

For me, having parcelforce deliver to our local post office is really handy, but they only do it when asked, not by assumption. Hermes on the other hand refuse to give contact details, never reply to emails, and lie about attempted deliveries round here. Apalling.

I am lucky to have the same parcel force drivers who know my house one of them is a tall slim blonde who also happens to be a Rover 75 owner - is not a club member and always has time to chat about our cars. The red tape automatons who get on my wick are the local DVLA people. I had better keep to the OP thread.

Duncan wrote:Hermes on the other hand......

Why are you mentioning hermes (herpes) in any conversation about courier services Duncan?

BTW, I received the package in question today with an additional stick on label stating "Failed timed delivery. Premises unoccupied".

Several of my colleagues thought it quite funny

I find that HDN just leave a card as standard, knocking the door or ringing the bell is beyond their capabilities. Last time CityLink was used I turned up at the office the same time as the (someone else was in to sign) but they were 4/5 doors down claiming they couldn't find the house. Asked the chap to read the name, to which he read the company name and then I pointed the fwocking great big sign on the building. I was handed the parcel in strop and he left. Not used them since!

Actually on a good note I've found UPS to be great! Never had any issues with them so far!

Monk wrote:Actually on a good note I've found UPS to be great! Never had any issues with them so far!

That's been my experience with UPS as well David.

UPS are excellent for me too. Received an item from LA in four days, and not just once. Polite, courteous and friendly.

Knocking on doors and running off was called red apple when i were a lad, now its a business and called Parcelforce !

[quote="raistlin"]... I further explained that it was the biggest military base in the Midlands and one of the biggest in the UK, having some 5000 plus personnel, both military and civilian and that we were open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that being a military establishment there is a squad of armed guards manning all entrances, again, 24/7 and that they tend to be fairly high profile... (Well, you would tend to notice a couple of chaps pointing guns at you, now wouldn't you )

After a moment I said "... guess your driver must have arrived at the time when all 5000 of us were away at tea-break then".

Just think Herman Goering should have just made out he was delivering a parcel back in 1940...

Perhaps a series of tests should be conducted 'Panorama' style, involving GPS-tracked units sent via each courier to see if they are telling porkies

Seriously, take some piccys of the base with the armed guards and lodge a complaint about the driver. Otherwise he'll probably carry on being devious.

This time I'm convinced "they" are out to get me

DPD delivered a parcel to me at work... except nobody signed for it here.

Long story short, after several days of phone calls and e-mails, they tell me they delivered it to "another" Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering in Wolverhampton.

Hmm... the college is a military unit, the only one in Wolverhampton, and is so big it has its own series of post codes.

So I wonder where the OTHER college is in Wolverhampton

Hahaha!!

I've been waiting almost two weeks for something to be delivered by Royal Mail. Since then I've ordered some items from the US and Hong Kong and both arrived before Royal Mail. Hong Kong was advertised as 21 days and came in 4! Impressed was not the word! Royal mail was advertised as two days and err well!!

Royal mail has become shocking recently. First class can often be three days now.