Let Down by FedEx
Most of the facilities we run are concessions on government lands. To get these concessions usually requires a bidding process, where the government authority evaluates qualifications to run a quality operation as well as the amount of rent (usually as a percentage of sales) "bid" by the concessionaire. Like most government contracting processes, proposals are usually due by a hard deadline (say, 2:00 Tuesday on X date). No proposals are accepted at 2:01 (unlike some arbitrary government regulations, this is actually for a good reason - there is plenty of history of late proposals coming in based on some insider knowledge of the contents of other proposals that have already been opened).
Anyway, we had such a deadline in Florida on Tuesday of this week. Normally, to make a Tuesday deadline, we will ship overnight on Friday, which gives us a buffer day in case of problems. This time, because we only got the RFP last week, we had to work through the weekend and ship Monday.
So we shipped FedEx for 10:AM delivery on Tuesday (paying $155 for 38 pounds, ugghh). And, of course, since this is the one time we had no margin for error, the box ends up sitting in Memphis for a full day, due apparently to excess demand for Florida that day, and arrived a day late and after the deadline. So all the work we did, all went to waste. Bummer (I have cooled down, I was using much worse words than bummer with FedEx this morning).
I learned this lesson once before about 8 years ago. FedEx is NOT for things that absolutely positively have to be there overnight. They are for things that would be best if it were there tomorrow but the world won't end if it is not. In a case like this, where we miss out on a big contract and we could waste hundreds of man-hours of work, I should have gotten on an airplane myself, checked the box as baggage, and taken it to the door. Yes, it would have cost me a few hundred dollars more, but we already had thousands of dollars in time and effort invested in it.
News to Hughes:
FedUp With FedEx
This is a rant that I just want to get out on the internet to give people a place to vent about FedEx and how much FedEx sucks. Over the past four years I've shipped things with the US Postal...
June 7, 2005, 9:12 pmDave:
Fed Ex is quite possibly the most unreliable shipping company I have ever worked with. EVERY SINGLE packaged evershipped to me through Fed Ex has been late. The drivers are the laziest people on earth. The company makes many mistakes and does nothing to ameliorate issues with customers. They have no communication with drivers and once a package is out its on the driver to decide weather he wants to deliver it or not. I could go on forever with this. To be frank, I have never hated a company more then I hate Fed Ex. My business is constantly hurt by their stupidity and its sad that they are still around. This is a horrible company and I ask that all business that need reliablitly and speed go elsewhere. FED EX IS THE WORST!
September 7, 2005, 1:19 pmPaul:
FedEx in Canada is just as bad, they Don't Deliver this is the 3rd time this year 2005 that a driver has claimed to deliver a package to me and stated, no answer and they claim they left a card at the door and I have never found a card.
Their drivers are just stupid idiots who can barely speak English, let alone read it, today I was expecting to receive a package only to find out the address was written incorrectly to a non existant address that would be next door to me, but on my front door when I expect a delivery from FedEx I have a big 8" x 11" FedEx logo sign on my door and of course the driver is too stupid to see it.
Now I have to waste my time and fuel going to the depot to pickup my Fed Ex package.
FedEx should change their name to FedUp !
December 7, 2005, 3:10 pmCant Say:
OK, OK, OK. Let's get some things straight. I am the Office Admin for FedEx Home Delivery in a certain state....Am I going to praise FedEx? Hell No!! we are the biggest mis managed company around. You know what we did during peak(the 2 weeks leading up to Christmas) while customer service calls were relentlessy ringing my phone? I didn't answer!!! Wanna know why I didn't wanna talk to you guys? Because I knew as much as you did. Here is the scoop on hubs and terminals. When a box comes into our hub it gets a "inbound scan" Let's us know we have it and it is here in our incompetent hands. Everytime that box gets touch or moved it gets a scan or suppose to. Now, John Doe loads Sallys box on the truck for delivery... BUT JUST DOESN'T FEEL LIKE GOING UP HER ICY Driveway, He scans the box with the code "UTL (unable to locate recipient) or Not Home...whatever, Now remember, He did NOT attempt her package, but you wanna know why he scans it he did??? CAUSE HE GETS PAID FOR THE BOXES HE DOES ATTEMPT....Yup they are ALL liars!! If you guys only knew the inside workings of this hell hole, You actually have to EARN hours to pay your employees, (not contractors- their different, own their own trucks yada yada) Yes, we have to have so much volume in order to have employees...Stupid Stupid Stupid~~ Oh and near Christmas time for Dec 1st on--- We hire temporary drivers, so that is why your packages are late or lost. They simply have no clue how to be efficient! While they do attend a 3 day training course it is no where near as informative as it should be and they (FEDEX) needs to screen the temps a little better, some of them look like murderers! Trust me I interviewed a few losers! Customers want to see a pleasant looking face and a great personality. Not a man from deliverance!! We suck! and We know it at FedEx, they are GREEDY! STINGY! LIARS! They will never ever pay overtime, don't even let you get close to it! Your expected to work longer than you are paid for, FOR FREE! or your looked down upon, Trust me they notice! We skimp on EVERYTHING POSSIBLE! Not allowed to purchase anything without it going through 15 friggin higher ups, The budget sucks ass and is ridiculous, Example! Our Christmas Party which we were told NOT to have SUCKED in truest FedEx fashion starting with the budget, Now my husband works for a VERY WELL KNOWN homebuilder, Their parties are Out of this world!! They spare no expense!!! While going over the budget for our Party, I noticed we had a actual budget for "Awards and Recognitions" Great I thought all of the drivers will recieve some gifts....WRONG!!! Our budget was a pathetic 200 bucks... Just wrong! They want us to bust our ass so the Fat Lazy ones at the top can kick back and relax while all the little people make THEM money. It really is a terrible company to work for. Honestly, I thought I was going to love it and be proud but once I started there and witnessed how thing were done I was hating it by the end of the 2nd week. If you want great service and happy employees, then TREAT THEM WELL and recognize them, Otherwise you'll still have the outrageously high turn-over rate you do, FedEx doesn't wanna pay out a single damn dollar for anything! The cheapiest company I have ever witnessed. It is pretty bad when a self employed Doctor pays you more than a Multi Billion dollar business does and also gives you $1000 per year for every year your there at Christmas. Really burns me up. Oh the drivers, yes it is true. They DO NOT CARE!!! They set their own schedules, times, everything!!! They ARE self-employed. FedEx can not make them do anything at all and can only fire them after building quite a lengthy file of wrong-doings. Back to Peak...Our shitty ass Customer Service which is FedEx One Call was screwing our customers! For one DON'T EVER CALL THEM, they are in another state and have NO CLUE about your package. always call your terminal DIRECTLY!!! Anyways, Customer Service was telling you the customer to "go to the terminal to get your package if you want it before Christmas" FOR 1, Most likely you ain't gonna get it if you come to the terminal without setting up a pick-up time. We had over 800,000 boxes on our floors, Do you think I and maybe 1 other person are even gonna attempt to look through every box to find only 1, NO! You have to schedule a pick up so we can put a researcher on it and when they locate your package and send it to the window to be picked-up you are called to come a retrieve it.
Secondly, We don't even know if your package is here, it could be on a truck out for delivery, During Peak not every driver scans his boxes hence scans "Still on the Truck" since Yesterday" or it looks as if it "as on a truck for 3 days" It hasn't been, it just means no scans have been put on it. Or the label could have been ripped off on the conveyors, This happens to over 1000 boxes a day in the big hubs!!! It has to be re-labled, swak'd, and sent back up to be put into the computer...And during shitty weather we put codes in for Icy driveways, THEY WILL NOT ATTEMPT IT! So keep your driveway clear. Muddy ass driveways, NOPE won't do them either. Best advice is to MAKE SURE YOUR DRIVEWAY IS CLEARLY MARKED AND VISABLE WITH YOUR HOUSE NUMBER ON THE MAILBOX, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WHEN EVER YOU ORDER SOMETHING! ANYTHING, ALWAYS GIVE THE SHIPPER YOUR HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER TO BE PUT ON THE LABEL, that way if there is a problem with your box you will be notified Immediatly, Without the phone number how are we suppose to call you to say, The driver can't find your house, The address is wrong, Signature is req'd, Just a helpful hint.
And don't even think of calling the Terminal or Customer Service without a tracking number!! We cannot search by name and address, Tracking number ONLY!!!
Although I hope FedEx seriously considers knocking off the micro managed shit, and gets someone in there with some people skills and a team of people together to figure out a way to keep employees happy, I doubt it will happen. They will continue to sit on their thrones as we the little people bad mouth them and watch them slowly decline.
FedEx Future Motto
January 1, 2006, 11:01 pm"When it absolutely has to be late or lost, Ship FedEx"
Christian Vinaa:
I received a parcel in March 2004 a package from Florida, shipped by the seller by FedEx to me in Denmark. The goods were damaged during the transport, so I emailed FedEx in Denmark and filed a claim.
They acknowledged the claim and we had several emails about what exactly was wrong and the value. Then after 2 months suddenly FedEx stopped answering my emails.
I emailed them again and again during summer, fall 2004, all of 2005, tried to phone them ( yeah right ! ), and then in December 2005 sent a registred letter.
Then I got a reply where FedEx stated that since the seller and not I, hadn't filed a complaint within a 45 day time limit they would not compensate me for the damaged goods.
How about that for service ?
Well unfortunately for FedEx during the initial emails they were in contact with the seller, and that I have emails that prove.
But how very sad that FedEx try to treat customers this way.
Christian Vinaa, Copenhagen, Denmark.
January 17, 2006, 2:54 amMatt Sabotini:
You guys are crazy. I am a tm with FedEx and I can tell you first hand that we do everything possible to get you your pkg. I have during this most recent peak came in at 200am to work the preload been ready to go home just to get a call from a driver saying they are stuck in the snow. Do I just say, "oh well we will try to get it there tom." No, I go rent a truck and deliver until 1000pm to help driver get done. Do we make mistakes, yes. I can tell you we get unbelievable pressue from upstairs to provide 99.0 service and our jobs depend on it. To the admin clerk above, quit!! If this is your attitude and it probably creates many of the problems mentioned above then leave. We are not forcing you to stay and DHL will probably hire you. Go!
January 26, 2006, 5:53 pmBob:
FEDEX NIGHTMARE. I had a set of lenses for customer in Ohio, booked for pickup on wednesday, fededx did not turn up until friday, this is for a priority package overnight delivery from the U.K, for someone who really needs the kit. Obviously he was very upset, so am I . Fedex took no responsibility at all. They have not returned calls, driver said he received call to pick parcel up but told fedex office he wouldn't. They knew he wouldn't be coming yet still didn't call to tell me. Parcel went today, 17th Feb 2006, after lots of wasted time, money and stress streesssssss!!!! FEDEX is the WORST shipping courier i have EVER dealt with. I will NEVER deal with them again, and I will make it my duty to other business to warn them of what happened to me. IT's a small business (film & T.V) I wish everyone could boycott them.
February 17, 2006, 10:50 amKevin:
I believe the last time I checked, FedEx had been identified as one of the Top 10 Admired companies in the world, eight years running, as well as best ground AND overnight shipper. By the way, FedEx stock was sitting north of $115.00 a share. That is a direct reflection of how much customers and stock holders love FedEx. There will always be those however who feel the overwhelming need to identify the best of anything or anyone in the world and try their best to bring them down. Not gonna happen at FedEx. We work too hard!
April 25, 2006, 2:08 amBob:
FedEx suck! 50% of their packages are not delivered by the guaranteed date - some of my packages have arrived 5 days late.
May 6, 2006, 3:28 pmJuez:
I work for FedEx Ground. The one who posted the garbled, yet productive, synopsis about how FedEx is such a shitty company is exactly right on everything they said. It wasn't some petty attempt to "bring FedEx down." It was the truth.
And a top 10 admired company? Admired for what? Setting the world record for the quickest time that an employee quit working for the company? Yeah, it was probably that one.
The managers are assholes and expect a flow of packages on the belts at all times, no matter what methods are used to get the packages on. All of our rollers are broken, which means we have to use other people's boxes to support the rollers so we can use them in an efficient manner. Although, most of the time I can't be fucking hasseled with trying to rig up some make-shift conveyor system. In this particular case, I simply chuck the packages onto the belt from the truck. If they break, bend, or become deformed. oh fucking well. You can thank FedEx's unecessary hunger for apparently frugile spending on a simple pair of aluminum fucking rollers. As stated before, a multi-billion dollar company, but probably the cheapest. The reason employees quit and why FedEx sucks is because the equipment is horrible, the managers are jerks, and working conditions are brutal. All of this with absolutely no appreciation given.
What's there to admire now?
And what fucking group of morons came up with that false award anyway?
I actually break the contents of some packages on purpose out of frustration, so that the recepient will stop using FedEx once they've discovered a broken item... or 45 of them.
May 20, 2006, 1:21 amRon:
Maybe I'm expecting too much.
June 17, 2006, 7:51 amIsn't delivery to the door expected of a courier? Not with FedUp!
I ordered a product from the US to be delivered to Canada. Using their tracking I watched it come to a depot about 75 miles from my home. Then it said "delivered".
Several phone calls on the following day and I was told it was in the hands of "our agent" and will arrive that day. At 7pm on my last call of the day they finally admitted their so called agent was in fact Canada Post Express.
This arm of CanPost does not deliver to homes, they leave a note in your mailbox to say you have to go to the depot to pick up your shipment.
Luckily the local store which acts as a postal depot was still open.
The only thing that saved the day was the FedUp rep, admittedly under pressure from me, admitting exactly who "our agent" was.
Ron:
Update to the above post.
After several phone calls from both FedEx Canada and FedEx HQ in Tennessee it seems that my bitching was heard. As of 10am Monday the depot that was responsible for the final sign-off had had seven phone calls regarding this shipment from the head offices.
June 20, 2006, 2:39 pmToday (Tuesday) I received a Priority Overnight delivery (to my door, no less) of very nice imported chocolates and a note of apology.
Also they have agreed to refund my shipping charge.
jetjock:
Praise to Christian!!! I am a FedEx driver and have a few comments of my own. You other FDX employees that have chimed in, go work for DHL! They lose packages on a consistant basis. Never to be found again.
June 30, 2006, 8:54 pmFor everyone else, let me say this. If FedEx has lost, mis-delivered, damged, or even failed to meet the commit time on your packages they have a guarantee. Which means you get a refund of your shipping charges. If it was damaged, they will pay for that too! I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about. As a driver I can also tell you this. Each late delivery we make is a mark in our personal file. Come review time at the end of the year those lates are tallied up and it affects our raise. So I personaly do my best to get every single package on my truck delivered on time. Apparently most everyone here seems to have forgoten something, we are human and we do make mistakes.
I have customers call in on me saying that I never knocked or rang their bell. That opens what we call a trace on the driver and package. This really T's me off when I clearly heard the bell through the door and I am made to reattempt the delivery. When I go back...hmmm there's a car in the drive that wasn't there before. I do over 100 stops a day on my route and every package has a commit time (Priority 10:30, Standard 3:00, 2-Day/X-Saver 4:30) it. When people do things like this it causes other packages to be late. Clearly she just wanted her package (cellphone-like that was life or death)that day and didn't want to wait one more day or get in her car, drive 4 miles up the road and pick it up.
I left a door tag on this persons door also. That would have been a complete waste of my time to go up to her door just to put that tag on her door without ringing or knocking.
This is just one of many headaches we have to put up with each and every day.
Lastly, just make SURE the addresses are complete and accurate.
Make sure all contents are securly packed NOT using Duct Tape or Masking tape. Your packages travel through 6 miles of a conveyor system with electronic/hydrolic arms that "punch" your package to its destination slide. Poor packing= a damged pkg and FedEx won't pay for that if they see it has been packaged improperly.
follow those easy rules and your pkgs should be fine!
Anna:
I order all my office supplies from Fedex/Kinkos. During the past year I've only had one package lost and they reshipped it to me so it wasn't a problem. My Fedex guy is always nice & courteous - I've never had a problem with Fedex and will continue to use them as much as possible.
July 3, 2006, 12:38 pmJim:
I've waited for three days for a package. After it didn't arrive when scheduled, I traced it and found the driver couldn't find my office. The same the next day. I finally spoke to the station supervisor, gave pin-point-step-by-step directions to my office (for the third time). How is it FedEx can find some guy in the African grasslands to deliver a package, but not an office building on Lincoln Road in South Beach?
July 6, 2006, 8:45 pmRonnie:
I ordered computer parts on the 4th of July and up until yesterday, the delivery time was scheduled for today. It was changed to tomorrow. I called FedEx to ask why and was told they had just recieved the package even though it stated they scanned and had it last Wed. The FedEx rep claims the business I ordered from only scanned labels and never sent the packages. WTH? I asked if this was standard business practice and was told no.
July 11, 2006, 6:17 amIt sounds too much like a coverup and I don't know who to believe. After reading all the FedEx horror stories I'm inclined to think it's FedEx. In the meantime I've emailed the business and awaiting reply. The jury's still out on this one.
juliet:
i could tell you stories... i worked for fedex for nearly 25 years, not a day goes by that i dont wish i had not 'wasted' my life in such a hell hole.
July 26, 2006, 6:24 amWes:
To me the jury is no longer out, the verdict has been delivered (albeit late), FedEx provides terrible service.
On numerous occations they have mis-delivered packages to other businesses. Fortunately, most folks are honest and notify me that they have my package. I have learned it is much quicker for me to go retreive my own mis-directed package rather than wait for FedEx to correct their mistakes.
July 31, 2006, 10:05 amEric:
GOD DAMN FEDEX I SPEND EXTRA TO GET FAST SHIPPING AND NEW CRAP AND NOW YOU GUYS FRICKIN SCREW IT UP BY DELIVERING TO SOME HOUSE THAT ISNT MINE, THE ONE YOU'RE SUPPOSED. CAN YOUR FRICKIN DRIVERS READ? YOU SUCK SO MUCH. IF I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEKEND I'M GOING POSTAL (no pun intended).
August 8, 2006, 5:01 pmTanya:
I have read many of the comments and I am equally as disgusted by FedEx. Confusion between departments, broken items, missing items, damaged boxes, a hoorendous claims procedure, lots of back and forth between claims and customer service. A lot has happened, no results though.
I wrote a complaint letter, two in fact, and my first one was opened, and sent back to me inside a FedEx enevlope. They sent my letter back with a form for me to fill out. I ALREADY HAVE THOSE FORMS.
August 14, 2006, 1:41 pmJ.Cory:
I just ordered all the bits for my new computer, everything except the motherboard was shipped by Newegg, via UPS. It arrived on time, on the day that UPS said it would be delivered. The mother board was shipped from Newark, CA to Sacramento, CA (a 3 hour drive, with traffic) and was due to arrive on the same day, according to Fedex. 8pm rolls by, 8:30, 9, 10, 10:30 with the Fedex site still caliming it was out for delivery. 11pm: Delivery exception/ Delivery delayed, scheduled for next business day. Arghhh!!! Why even state delivery dates, when they can't meet them. The same thing happened when the 5th Harry Potter book was released, Amazon gaurunteed delivery on the day the book came out in the stores...Fedex had to make a special delivery on Saturday, because it didn't arrive on Friday, and Amazon had to refund us the cost of the book.
August 17, 2006, 11:31 pmdean:
I have to say that the RUDE Fedex drivers and counter help really SUCKS, i have never had the rude bullshit from any company that i have had happen to me today, i will never use them again, i spend approx. 6000.00 a year and it all goes somewhere else, there the worlds biggest liers on damage, DON'T SHIP WITH SHITEX
September 19, 2006, 9:37 amsofia1:
I'm currently in the middle of my own personal Fedex nightmare. Here's my story. I'm now on the 2nd day waiting for a package to be delivered. It was supposed to arrive sometime yesterday -- it didn't. So, I waited for it again today -- still nothing.
Meanwhile, I took off a day of work yesterday to get this package and came home early today hoping it would arrive and now they're telling me they'll "try" and get it to me Monday. Are they seriously expecting me to take another day off from work? Why should I believe them anyway? I'm so irritated I can just scream.
By the way, this is a 94 lb. package so there's no way I'm going to pick it up. Not only because it's too heavy but I did PAY for shipping and have this crazy I idea that Fedex should provide the service I paid for.
Ugh.. so sick of this company!
September 22, 2006, 8:22 pmKurt:
I too am fed up with F@#*K EX Kinky. My pharmacy sent my much needed medication through their Courier on Friday, October 13th and as of today, Tuesday Oct. 17, I still havent recieved them. When I tracked the order it said they were at my door on Saturday at 3:45. This is strange since I had no sticker on my door saying they were here AND at that time I was sitting on my couch right next to the door watching TV and no one knocked. The courier was lying and the company stood up for him! When trying to resolve the issue........the b&$ch on the other end of the phone didn't give a sH%@! They can rot in HELL and let DSL run them out of business.
October 17, 2006, 5:39 pmJacob:
I live in Anchorage Alaska. Honestly, I am FedUp with FedEx.
Once they sent a letter incorrectly to the WRONG address after I dropped it off because the guy at the counter was new and not sure how to handle the proper procedure. Guess who was charged 40.00 for an inconvenience fee? Me.
I had to order a new cell phone recently. It was delivered here while I was at work, so nobody could sign for it. I was greeted by a messsage telling me to come to the location and pick it up. Since I do not have a car, I called a taxi to take me out there. I paid 45.00 to ride out there just to be told "We don't know where your package is. Come back tomorrow and it will defintely be here." Absolutely unacceptable.
I demanded to be compensated for the cab fare but no, nothing, not even an apology.
October 22, 2006, 3:28 pm