Woosh - more dreadful service

[Kuorider]

Hatti. Here is your local depot, http://www.apc-overnight.com/apc/depots-home.php?depotid=219 They work this way- local driver collects box, tracked from your door to local depot,
box placed in secure cage with others for that area, then loaded on trunk transport to nearest depot to customer, local van delivers. It's this local link which makes the system work so well ,you deal with the same people all the time. I restore & repair antique clocks often valuable & heavy. These have been delivered for years now without a hitch by APC. They collect for me and from me reliably and just a call or email to book. Cost wise, an examples from this month ,a 15 kg item in a bike box , Glasgow to Sheffield £14.50 . (in fact Glasgow to anywhere same price) this would be less if I had a higher volume. Glasgow to remotest part of Sutherland 2KG £8 ,'all next day Your Courier is to a large extent the customer face of your business and despite comments here is your choice and responsibility. It is your duty to get the goods to the customer full stop. A poor service will do you no good at all . You really need to address this from the customer viewpoint as adverse internet comments are very damaging to your business and so easily found. You must be aware that PF has a bad reputation and this reflects on you too as it's your choice to impose them on your clients.

 

[trex]

agreed.
However, this case is simply sods' law.
ParcelForce had no problem delivering goods to dmsims' house, collecting from it failed because his house is in a street with no name.
With hindsight, Hatti should have sent dmsims the local depot's contact name and phone number.

 

[Woosh]

Hatti. Here is your local depot, http://www.apc-overnight.com/apc/depots-home.php?depotid=219 They work this way- local driver collects box, tracked from your door to local depot,
box placed in secure cage with others for that area, then loaded on trunk transport to nearest depot to customer, local van delivers. It's this local link which makes the system work so well ,you deal with the same people all the time. I restore & repair antique clocks often valuable & heavy. These have been delivered for years now without a hitch by APC. They collect for me and from me reliably and just a call or email to book. Cost wise, an examples from this month ,a 15 kg item in a bike box , Glasgow to Sheffield £14.50 . (in fact Glasgow to anywhere same price) this would be less if I had a higher volume. Glasgow to remotest part of Sutherland 2KG £8 ,'all next day Your Courier is to a large extent the customer face of your business and despite comments here is your choice and responsibility. It is your duty to get the goods to the customer full stop. A poor service will do you no good at all . You really need to address this from the customer viewpoint as adverse internet comments are very damaging to your business and so easily found. You must be aware that PF has a bad reputation and this reflects on you too as it's your choice to impose them on your clients.

Kuorider

Thanks for this. On the face of it they look very good. I like the fact that the goods go straight to the local depot and not to a central hub, which is where I think most of the problems occur. I will certainly have a look at their website and hopefully speak to them early next week.
More feedback like this is very welcome.

Hatti

 

[john h]

As a rule they tend to ask for a contact number, so if they cant find some place they phone and ask for directions,

 

[JohnCade]

I think the main problem seemed to be the summer holidays. Didn't Hatti write that the usual driver was off.

I live in a road with no name too, but since they've all had satnav I've never had to guide drivers to my door. That happened regularly at one time. Last week a pick up with one of the big companies was very late, and I thought he wasn't coming, because it turned out the usual driver was on holiday. He said he was running hours late and some packages would not get picked up that day.

In rural areas like mine they almost always keep the same drivers on the route, and when they are working there is usually no problem.

 

[Woosh]

agreed.
However, this case is simply sods' law.
ParcelForce had no problem delivering goods to dmsims' house, collecting from it failed because his house is in a street with no name.
With hindsight, Hatti should have sent dmsims the local depot's contact name and phone number.

Yes, Trex, you are right. I should have done this, it would have saved some hassle as yes, the house was in a street with no name and ii I believe a 'fairly' rural area. I'll make sure I do this if a case looks like being a problem in the future.

 

[mike killay]

Satnavs can be hopeless in rural areas. Mine wants me to go down non existing roads both in Powys and Berkshire.
Last week I went to rural Wiltshire to collect an outboard engine. The Satnav confidently delivered me to a place 3/4 mile away from the address. By the way, I had full post code and house number. I eventually found the road which was very narrow and I certainly would not like to have taken a large van down it.
If you live in a very rural area with narrow roads, you must expect inconvenience

 

[EddiePJ]

To think that simply putting the customers contact telephone details onto the information strip, could and probably would have prevented all of this from happening.

Sadly it seems that for a courier company to operate an efficient service, much is dependent upon whoever is actually making drop. I'm pretty lucky that all of ours are good, but TNT in a change of local management are moving our delivery driver of some 20 years, onto another route. 20 years of local knowledge wasted.
I also feel that the insurance offered to retailers sending expensive goods, often leaves much to be desired. Don't forget to check that Hatti, if you ever do decide to change.

 

[Woosh]

To think that simply putting the customers contact telephone details onto the information strip, could and probably would have prevented all of this from happening.

EddiePJ

I did put the customer's contact telephone number on the booking form for the collection, so Parcelforce would have had this. Trex's point was that I didn't give the customer the telephone number for the Parcelforce collecting depot which yes, I could have done. If he had had this he could perhaps have rung and hassled them himself plus given them precise details of exactly where he was..

Hatti

 

[electric.mike]

Does one cock up necessitate a change,two things spring to mind

You cant please all the people all the time
If it aint broke dont mend it

Sounds like you have a great service 99% of the time nothing will be 100%

 

[JohnCade]

EddiePJ

I did put the customer's contact telephone number on the booking form for the collection, so Parcelforce would have had this. Trex's point was that I didn't give the customer the telephone number for the Parcelforce collecting depot which yes, I could have done. If he had had this he could perhaps have rung and hassled them himself plus given them precise details of exactly where he was..

Hatti

I very much doubt he would have got far doing that. Parcelforce have a central computerised switchboard and it's very difficult to speak to anyone who knows anything in a depot. You can find the depot number but the chances that anyone who picked up the phone could help are slim.

Usually Slim ain't around either and you will have got through to accounts or something.

 

[Woosh]

Does one cock up necessitate a change,two things spring to mind

You cant please all the people all the time
If it aint broke dont mend it

Sounds like you have a great service 99% of the time nothing will be 100%

Thanks Mike, and to everyone for support, feedback and even criticism - it all helps..

Perhaps we should all lay this to rest, get out and have a good old ride?
I shall nip down to the pier in a while and maybe get a naughty but nice ice-cream while I'm there.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Hatti

 

[Cyclezee]

We use Royal Mail for small items, for parcels we use City Link booked through Parcel Monkey and for bikes it is TNT booked through Paisley Freight.

I hope that I am not tempting providence when I write this, but to date TNT has been 100% reliable. I know the regular driver and he understands how to handle and load the cartons, if it is a different driver I help him load and explain that the carton needs to transported upright and strapped in that position.
Bike cartons are clearly labelled with the appropriate handling instructions, both written and graphical along with 2 shipping labels.
TNT collections go to their distribution centre in Milton Keynes and onward from there.

City Link have been approximately 99% reliable, on the odd occasion deliveries to customers have been later than 6pm.
Again, their collection go to their Milton Keynes distribution centre.

Royal Mail are not quite as reliable, I would say from my experience 95%.
On Monday this week I sent a small parcel to a customer in Cornwall by First Class Signed For ( previously known as recorded delivery), as of today it has not arrived and the tracking shows that it is still in their network.
If it doesn't arrive on Monday I will send the item again by City Link.
I will have to wait 15 days to claim from Royal Mail for a lost parcel.

There is of course the problem of someone not being in to take for delivery and sign for it.

We always send the consignment number to the customer so that they can see for themselves where the parcel is.

Being a bit of a control freak, I will deliver bikes myself within a 50 miles radius of MK at a time that is mutually convenient and of course customers can collect themselves if they have suitable vehicle or want to ride away with it.

Suitable vehicle reminds me of the lady who wanted to collect herself and came all the way from Sheffield in a Skoda Fabia nothing wrong with a Skoda Fabia, but they weren't designed to accommodate an eZee Sprint on the inside, however we did manage to get it in without taking the car or bike apart. Had she been a fat lady it wouldn't have worked.

I have of course been on the receiving end where goods are delivered with no attention paid to handling instructions by a driver who doesn't give monkeys.

Apologies to Hatti for dragging this on, but I will shut up now and post again in this thread.

 

[flecc]

Being a bit of a control freak, I will deliver bikes myself within a 50 miles radius of MK at a time that is mutually convenient and of course customers can collect themselves if they have suitable vehicle or want to ride away with it.

Continuing an eZee tradition it seems! Eight years ago when 50cycles represented them, they delivered nationally with their own van and staff.

Suitable vehicle reminds me of the lady who wanted to collect herself and came all the way from Sheffield in a Skoda Fabia nothing wrong with a Skoda Fabia, but they weren't designed to accommodate an eZee Sprint on the inside, however we did manage to get it in without taking the car or bike apart. Had she been a fat lady it wouldn't have worked.

I took a Torq over 300 miles to Loughborough and back in my Skoda Fabia, but had to drop the front wheel out to get it in and transport it safely.
.

 

[dmsims]

David
The bike was purchased under the Cycle to Work scheme for another rider, not you. However, it appears that it is you who is riding the bike and not the other rider.
Hatti

There you go again: don't let the facts get in the way of some nasty insidious speculation

For the record - the facts are:

My wife rides the bike to work every day (where it stays) - weather permitting, doubtless this can be verified by the hospital CCTV

I am the amateur mechanic, tester etc.

You owe me an apology and retraction

 

[dmsims]

To clarify matters:

The retailer - and not the courier is responsible for collection

 

[Kuorider]

Problems arise in any business, the problem itself is not the issue ,it's what you do about it that is. There is an angry customer situation here that needs sorted out pronto. Small businesses live or die on personal service. I know what I'd be doing right now.

 

[trex]

current scores:

dmsims: 2
Hatti: 1
PF: 0

still, we should really like to hear from the customer (Mrs dmsims).

 

[RobF]

I reckon Hatti should pass this on to Kudos Dave to deal with.

He would sort it, although there might be blood on or two carpets.

 

[JohnCade]

current scores:

dmsims: 2
Hatti: 1
PF: 0

still, we should really like to hear from the customer (Mrs dmsims).

Well yes. dmsims has been complaining about the gear change on downshifts for a month or so on this bike, and that's really what this is about. But how does Mrs dmsims get on with it?

If she is the rider she's the important one.