SO.....over the years we've had a GREAT relationship with our local UPS man. Almost like one of the family, and just like when the Wells Fargo wagon pulls up the street in the MUSIC MAN, I'm all excited to see what surprises he has in store for me as well!
Ah friends, but there is also a darker side to this gray logo'd brand.
I'm currently in the middle of an 11-week run of my one-man show here in Minnesota, and I happened to have a corporate date smack dab in the center of my tour, needing me to fly back for a day and half to California to perform, and then turn right around and fly back to Minnesota to continue my run.
Being pro-active, I thought I'd send some additional comedy and magic routines by mail to ol' Kaleeeforneea (As said by our Governor and movie star: Arnold Schwarzenegger .) So I drove over to a local "UPS STORE" and shipped two boxes of props which were to arrive on the west coast by "next Thursday". Only problem was that they DIDN'T arrive at all.
When contacting UPS by phone and emails, I was told that one would be delivered the following Monday or Tuesday and that the OTHER package couldn't be found. That's right, "Could not be found!" Arrrghhh!!! They had NO KNOWLEDGE of the tracking number I was given on my sales receipt and I was stuck. Possibly losing a few Thousand Dollars worth of props and sound equipment.
When I complained to them, the representative simply stated that they are not connected with the UPS STORES!!! What the ???? I sarcastically told them that they better check these stores out because they happen to be using their UPS logos on the windows, doors, counters and walls. The lady did not get the joke and then started to explain to me that they have "licensed" the use of the UPS logo... I quickly told her I was being sarcastic, and that it seemed strange for someone to "sell" their brand but then not 'back it up' or be responsible when a package got lost.
I then asked if they couldn't work backwards in finding the lost package by checking to see if any other packages were going to the same address, but with a different tracking number. They explained they couldn't do that. She then mis-pronounced my name, and when I tried to correct her and explain it wasn't good manners to get the customer's name wrong, especially when they had also lost their package, she replied I was being rude and then HUNG UP ON ME!
Unbelievable!
I had to madly dash around town to make other arrangements for props and sound equipment for that particular corporate show, being the true professional that I am. Duplicates were gathered and/or bought, and I changed up the routines to make sure everything was covered. Knowing I was going to be short on time due to the lost items, I even brought in a friend of mine who sometimes opens for me on my stage tours to do some additional time. In the end, the client was overjoyed and wound up getting a bigger show and everyone was happy.
Except for me, having lost quite a few dollars in the process.
Adding insult to injury, my packages (BOTH OF THEM!) arrived THAT NIGHT of the gig! Too late for me to go pick them up, as I was performing onstage at the time, so it was more of a cosmic joke that they had arrived at all. Past the 11th hour and NOT "just in time". A partial happy ending because at least I got all my stuff back, but still.
Why am I writing this particular post? Because there is a growing trend for larger companies to FRANCHISE their names to others and then sit back and claim no responsibility should anything bad happen. I recall a similar experience with Lowe's Hardware store. We asked them to come by and give a quote on updating our heating and air conditioning at the home, but instead we got a third-party company who lied to us about various things (incorrectly assuming we knew nothing about furnaces, or the ducts in our house - but we did! Ha!) and then trying to hard-sell us into making a decision to buy their installation right then and there, berating us when we asked for a day or two to think it over. When I called Lowe's to complain, they said the very same thing that UPS said: "They're not really part of Lowe's, so we're not responsible for what they do and say." -- And yet they're connected ENOUGH for Lowe's to advertise them as if they are part of their company!
I plan to email the board of directors at UPS and ask for an explanation. Hopefully they understand how this REALLY makes their business look incredibly dysfunctional, and I'll definitely think twice before using UPS again. And that goes for EVERY SINGLE PERSON I mentioned the story to. Maybe they actually WANT the bad word-of-mouth, which as we all know, spreads like wild fire. It's my sincere hope they're smarter than that.
On the positive side: I once had a horrible experience with AT&T, having been with them for about 10 years. I was ready to quit using them, when I emailed the CEO directly and within 24 HOURS received a phone call from a lady who takes care of things when people actually email the CEO. And she was WONDERFUL. Understood completely how they had messed up, was sincerely sorry and sent a new phone to me the NEXT day, along with an additional $775.00 dollars credit on my phone bill. If that wasn't enough, I received two follow-up calls within the next few weeks just to make sure I was really okay with everything. Well, they won me back. It was good business, and since then I guess I've given them an additional $5,000+ dollars of business and more every month.
UPS, you ready to take the hint?
For all of you out there, I hope you don't have the same experience as I did with UPS, but if you do, I hope they treat you the right way, right from the very first phone call.
Take care!
Chipper : )
email: chipper@chipper.tv
