UPS Deliveries
You know, sometimes I’m amazed at just how quickly UPS and other carriers can deliver packages. I can give a package to a driver tonight, and have it in New York by 3 pm tomorrow. That’s pretty impressive. However, there are times when their performance is considerably less impressive. Take, for example, my recent shipment. I’m expecting a package to come in that was sent to me on Wednesday.
I had been tracking it online and noticed that as of 6:58 PM on Thursday, March 22nd, that package had arrived in Portland. I was quite happy that I would then be receiving the package today. Unfortunately, I won’t be receiving the package today. It’s going to sit at a loading dock until Monday morning.
You see, the shipper paid for 3-day select shipping. And even though the package is already here, today is only the 2nd day. Well, we can’t very well deliver a 3-day select package on the 2nd day, now can we? So, instead, I have to wait an extra day, so that it’ll be the 3rd day. But tomorrow is Saturday, and UPS won’t deliver on Saturday unless the shipper specifically pays for Saturday delivery. Since they didn’t pay for it, it’s going to sit in Portland until Monday, at which point it will finally be delivered to me… in Portland!
So UPS had the choice of delivering a 3-day select package on the 2nd day, or on the 5th day after shipping. They’ve chosen the 5th (3rd business day). I must say I’m not impressed. One thing that I do rather like about the US Postal Service is that they deliver mail as quickly as possible, no matter what. If someone sends a package via regular mail today, and it happens to be in Portland before my mail carrier leaves the post office tomorrow morning, I will have that package tomorrow. Sure, they didn’t pay to have it here tomorrow, but that’s the earliest it was available so that’s when I get it.
That, in my opinion, is the way deliveries should be handled.
