Thanks Parcelforce - Hurray my new bass has arrrived and been tossed over the gate

[xgsjx]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1431587352' post='2772762']
And BTW I expect that somewhere in PFs T&Cs a driver signing for a package is NOT considered fraud.
[/quote]
If he signs with "His" own name, then it wouldn't be fraud. But to sign as the receiver is another matter as he's pretending to be someone he isn't.

If I know I have a delivery and not going to be in, I contact the company or leave a note to say where the item can be left.

[Bassman Steve]

Seems to me the complaint was entirely justified and the outcome was purely in the hands of Parcel Force.

I very much the manager would actually divulge the outcome of any disciplinary proceedings and, even if that was the outcome, it would have to have been more than a first offence.

[Jazzneck]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1431586296' post='2772747']
I think this is a harsh judgement for someone doing a fairly menial job. Surely fraud is where someone has gained financially. The person who has gained is the OP who has got his goods, albeit in an unconventional manner. No one on this forum likes the idea of basses of all things being left unattended and at the mercy of the elements, but I think things need to be put into perspective, the bass was not damaged, not stolen and delivered on-time. All the bad things we talk about did not happen.

Maybe the driver is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't and It's a pity this was not an opportunity for education and training.
[/quote]

+1M.

Why, oh why, did this have to be escalated instantly by e-mailing the MD?

Yes, the delivery man did not follow the rules and it may not be his first offence - I'll concede that.

What I have difficulty in understanding is why in the world did the OP slam this incident all over a forum in the public domain before complaining to PF and Thomman?

All the OP succeeded in doing was putting the MD in a position where he could only make one decision - fire the driver.
(Well done, son.)

I wonder if the drivers local ops. manager has been sanctioned as well?.

Please, ladies and gents, all I ask is that before you fly off the handle in public you consider the result of your actions, too.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Jazzneck

[Jazzneck]

Sorry people, my final stupid questions which I should have asked in the first place.

How did the OP expect his bass to be delivered as per laid down procedures if there was nobody at home to receive it and sign for it?

I take it that he was checking the tracking information and would have a rough idea when delivery was expected?

Why didn't he contact PF [b]in advance[/b] as I have done many times, to arrange delivery or collection accordingly?

[mcnach]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1431586296' post='2772747']
I think this is a harsh judgement for someone doing a fairly menial job. Surely fraud is where someone has gained financially. The person who has gained is the OP who has got his goods, albeit in an unconventional manner. No one on this forum likes the idea of basses of all things being left unattended and at the mercy of the elements, but I think things need to be put into perspective, the bass was not damaged, not stolen and delivered on-time. All the bad things we talk about did not happen.

[size=5][b]Maybe the driver is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't[/b][/size] and It's a pity this was not an opportunity for education and training.
[/quote]


Quite possibly, unfortunately.
There's a guy who delivers in my area for amazon and the other day asked me whether I'd collect something for our neighbours... he was pretty stressed running around. There seems to be a lot of pressure on delivery drivers, and invariably that will mean some corners will be cut. Which is not good for us as customers, but it's also an unfair way to treat workers. Yet, I suppose the companies operate with the knowledge that there will be another person to take up the job so if they fire someone from time to time just to look like they're serious about their obligations with their customers, the business will go on.

Not good.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1431591640' post='2772803']
Sorry people, my final stupid questions which I should have asked in the first place.

How did the OP expect his bass to be delivered as per laid down procedures if there was nobody at home to receive it and sign for it?

I take it that he was checking the tracking information and would have a rough idea when delivery was expected?

Why didn't he contact PF [b]in advance[/b] as I have done many times, to arrange delivery or collection accordingly?
[/quote]


I don't know about the OP, but when I am in that position what I generally aim for is for the green light for me to go collect at their depot in person. Unfortunately I have been unable to arrange that until I get the "sorry, you were not in" card. I have tried. This is with ParcelForce and with CityLink too, as far as I recall. When a company will only deliver to the address your card is registered to, it's got to be a home delivery. When a company only delivers between 9-5, it's going to mean I'm not in most of the times. I tried to arrange collection before they tried to deliver, as it'd save me at least one day. No joy.

Maybe where you live the local PF depot people are more inclined to help or something.

These days I mostly get deliveries at work, as most companies are finally accepting this, and fortunately my workplace allows us to do so. Not everybody has this option, however.

[Rich]

[quote name='stuckinthepod' timestamp='1431514445' post='2772032']
Hi all, This is the reply from ParcelForce. I emailed their MD directly.

Dear Mr ****** (Stuckinthepod)

<snip>

Yours sincerely
______________________________________
David Bowles
Managing Director’s Office
Parcelforce Worldwide
Lytham House, 25 Caldecotte Lake Drive,
Caldecotte, Milton Keynes, MK7 8LE
 01908 687 249 (Fax: 01908 687 101)
[/quote]
"[i]Please be assured however from the action we have taken there will be no future incidents of this nature with [b]deliveries to your premises[/b].[/i]"

"Business as usual for everyone else though."

[discreet]

Yes, you can expect a certain level of service and often this service is provided by people who do well under difficult circumstances. But I bet not many on here could hack being a courier without bending the 'rules' in one way or another - just to get the job done. It's one thing to talk about how things should be in an ideal world, and quite another to consider what people have to do to make it through the day in the messy, messy real world where there is no job satisfaction, no 'closure' and pretty much everything's a pain in the arse.



Having said that, I'm not sure what I would have done in the same situation. Probably have a good old swear, then be grateful my bass arrived in one piece. Every time you use a courier (and they're all crap in their own ways) you should understand there is always a risk attached. It's the price we pay for the convenience of being able to order goods online.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[b][quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1431589685' post='2772788']
+1M.[/b]

All the OP succeeded in doing was putting the MD in a position where he could only make one decision - fire the driver.
(Well done, son.)

[/quote]


How was that the OP's fault? He simply raised a complaint as he saw fit. No influence over the MD's decisions from there on.
And how exactly was firing the driver the only outcome? I'm as surprised as anyone that the complaint resulted in a termination of employment but that's the fault of the company, not the OP.
Your repeated guilt-tripping of the OP is becoming unpleasant. I suggest you have a look at your interests underneath your profile pic and re-think before you post again.

[CamdenRob]

There is of course the chance that the MD never even spoke to the driver and just told the OP he did to give the appearance that he gave a sh*t about all this.... not that I'm cynical or anything

[discreet]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1431593764' post='2772846']
There is of course the chance that the MD never even spoke to the driver and just told the OP he did to give the appearance that he gave a sh*t about all this.... not that I'm cynical or anything
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure this is spot-on - as said earlier, PF wouldn't officially divulge any information regarding employee outcomes. I've been employed by consumer-facing companies where customers are told an errant employee has been sacked (they had not), it's just a 'feelgood' thing. Though why you'd feel good knowing that you were responsible for someone's sacking is beyond me, but that's the British consumer for you (I'm not saying the OP was responsible for the driver losing his contract in this case, as said I don't think this happened - my opinion).

Edited May 14, 2015 by discreet

[Jazzneck]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1431593623' post='2772845']
[b]How was that the OP's fault? He simply raised a complaint as he saw fit. No influence over the MD's decisions from there on.
And how exactly was firing the driver the only outcome? I'm as surprised as anyone that the complaint resulted in a termination of employment but that's the fault of the company, not the OP.
Your repeated guilt-tripping of the OP is becoming unpleasant. I suggest you have a look at your interests underneath your profile pic and re-think before you post again.
[/quote][/b]

Is this "Mischief! Mischief! MISCHIEF!!!"[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Cosmo?[/font]
[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif].[/font]

[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Point taken, and I will now shut up as it was [/font][b][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]not [/font][/b]an attempt at trolling or guilt-tripping, just honest comments and opinion on the basis that IMHO some people do not think through the results of their actions before carrying them out.

[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Over and out. [/font]

Edited May 14, 2015 by Jazzneck

[discreet]

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1431594354' post='2772858']
I will now shut up as it was an attempt at trolling or guilt-tripping...
[/quote]

I thought so! You naughty old man!

Edited May 14, 2015 by discreet

[Jazzneck]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1431594438' post='2772859']
I thought so! You naughty old man!
[/quote]

B8gger - shot myself in the groin there, didn't I?

Now edited accordingly - thanks Discreet.

[TimR]

Seems to me ParcelForce are living in the past with the way they treat their employees.

This has nothing to do with bottom line, profit, middle management etc.

It has everything to do with the ethos coming down from the managing director.

If you have a good director who is interested in his customers and workforce this will result in a much better culture where people want to use your company and people want to work for your company.

Yet another company living in the dark ages.

As customers we don't chose our delivery company on price. We chose them on whether they deliver the goods politely and in good condition and in a timely manner, and if they can't, we need the alternative arrangements to be conveinient.

Edited May 14, 2015 by TimR

[discreet]

I'm not entirely sure about that. Every time I send something via PorcelFarce there is someone in there complaining bitterly about PO prices. And I think price [i]is[/i] the bottom line with companies like myHerpes... everyone [i]knows [/i]they are totally crap, but are prepared to take the risk because they are WAY cheaper than anyone else...

[Beedster]

Yep, if I were the OP I'd respond to the MD asking him to look at this thread and, given the 'evidence' (albeit verbal) that this is a widespread issue and often condoned at local level, ask him why he has not considered a more systemic response (this especially in consideration of the comment in his reply to the OP suggesting that it won;t happen to the OP again, suggesting perhaps that it will probably still continue to happen elsewhere)?

Re some of the comments in response to Jazzneck, I do think that in an age of increasing economic hardship (not in real terms for most of us but certainly in relative terms for many), of easy and fast communication often lacking substance and not giving much time to think, and of zero hours contracts and all sorts of quite unethical practices used by many employers, all of us do have the responsibility to consider the broader implications of complaints we make against large organisations that might identify one or few employees of that organisation. Perhaps the OP could have achieved the same impact by telling his story publicly but in doing so not identifying the driver, perhaps he could have phoned the depot and spoken to the manager, perhaps he could have waited until the condition of the bass was ascertained before complaining at all? The OP can't be held accountable here, the accountability is all with PF's senior and middle management, the problem is that PF are always going to behave like most large businesses and protect the bottom line in any way they can.

[TimR]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1431597458' post='2772903']
I'm not entirely sure about that. Every time I send something via PorcelFarce there is someone in there complaining bitterly about PO prices. And I think price [i]is[/i] the bottom line with companies like myHerpes... everyone [i]knows [/i]they are totally crap, but are prepared to take the risk because they are WAY cheaper than anyone else...
[/quote]

They're not complaining about price, they're complaining about the level of service they get for that price.

Never heard of myHerpes. Doesn't sound a great name but if they're advertising as a very cheap service then you know what you're buying. As opposed to paying for a good service and getting a poor service.

It's a mindset.

Edited May 14, 2015 by TimR

[neepheid]

This thread is awful. Just bloody awful. IMHO and all that, seeing as everyone's so touchy now.

[discreet]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1431597760' post='2772911']
Never heard of myHerpes. Doesn't sound a great name but if they're advertising as a very cheap service then you know what you're buying.
[/quote]

Ha! Sorry, they're called 'myHermes'... I call them myHerpes without even thinking about it.

[TimR]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1431597755' post='2772910']
...

the problem is that PF are always going to behave like most large businesses and protect the bottom line in any way they can.
[/quote]

'Most' successful big companies don't use the 'any way they can' method. The successful ones have a forward thinking approach to their customers and employees.

Look at the companies that are doing really well and look at customer satisfaction. There is a link. Anyone who looks at running a company as purely a financial exercise will spectacularly fail. Eventually.

[Beedster]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1431597819' post='2772913']
This thread is awful. Just bloody awful. IMHO and all that, seeing as everyone's so touchy now.
[/quote]

Agreed, check out post 128, specifically Steve's sig. This thread was worth it just to see that

[TimR]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1431598233' post='2772922']


Ha! Sorry, they're called 'myHermes'... I call them myHerpes without even thinking about it.
[/quote]

Ah. I suspected as much. Although I've not seen any of their vans about and never had any dealing with them. Maybe they're not huge in the affluent South East?

[discreet]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1431598416' post='2772927']
Ah. I suspected as much. Although I've not seen any of their vans about and never had any dealing with them. Maybe they're not huge in the affluent South East?
[/quote]

They're all over the place, but you won't see any vans - they employ people on a self-employed basis who then (eventually) deliver parcels in their own vehicles... it's a weird business model if you ask me, but they're expanding hugely, along with the number of complaints about them online.

[Bassman Steve]

I should say that Parcelforce have successfully delivered some of that! :-)