Done In By DHL
VH’s birthday was last Wednesday. Unfortunately, one of his presents still isn’t here, thanks to DHL. I ordered a book he’d mentioned on December 6 via Amazon using my Prime membership, which means I get free 2-day shipping. And Amazon, as usual, got the order out that very same day.
Only problem: they shipped it via DHL instead of UPS, their normal method. So, instead of a two-day delivery, here’s what the tracking info shows:
Dec. 8: Wilmington, OH – In transit
Dec. 8: Wilmington, OH – Departure scan
Dec. 8: Kansas City, MO – Arrival scan
Dec. 8: Kansas City, MO – Departure scan
Dec. 8: St. Joseph, MO – Arrival scan
Dec. 10: Kansas City, MO – In transit
Dec. 12: St. Joseph, MO – In transit
Dec. 13: St. Joseph, MO – In transit
Dec. 14: St. Joseph, MO – In transit
Now, St. Joseph is about an hour north of here, whereas Kansas City is 40 minutes east. Why it went north the first time is beyond me, but why returned to Kansas City then went again to St. Joe and still hasn’t left there?
That’s just plain ol’ incompetence.
So I called DHL in a not-so-very-happy mood. The not-so-very helpful customer service person said she’d have their research department find out why my package hadn’t left St. Joseph (no word on its various trips in the meantime). That was Friday. I still haven’t heard back from them, so I can only assume they’re now researching whether they even have a research department.
Thanks to Amazon’s customer service — which actually seems to understand that moniker — my account has been credited for the entire purchase amount. Which is doubly nice IF the package ever gets here.
The moral of the story: had I gotten off my lazy butt in the first place to go to the local bookstore (which, I’ve since confirmed, does have a copy of the book), VH’s present would have been here on time. So would the air filters that are also in the same shipment, since I could’ve just trucked on down to Wal-Mart to pick those up, too.
So much for trying to save time with one-click shopping, eh?
UPDATE: It’s now Day 10 of waiting for my 2-day delivery via DHL. I have spoken to their customer service department not once, not twice, but THREE times about this delivery. Each time I’ve been assured that they researched it and that the package is with the courier and will be delivered that day. But has it? Oh, no it has not. So all I can assume is that either the customer service department (and their website) has a standard pat lie to give customers whose packages have been delayed, or the route driver has decided that coming by my house is simply TOO far to drive and so s/he can’t be bothered.
UPDATE TWO: This isn’t the end of the story, folks. My package did finally arrive, and then DHL did something that amazed me!
UPS isn’t much better. I ordered 3 items from Kohl’s online last Wednesday b/c I don’t have time to drive everywhere to shop this year. It finally shipped on Friday. It has since been to THREE destinations in Ohio (one of them 30 minutes from here) and is now in Lexington, KY en route to Hamilton, where I live. WTF?!
Let’s face it… the only delivery that has any importance is the one that is yours. If that one is screwed up, the whole company is a failure, no? I use UPS for my businesses. I spend 6 figures to the left of the decimal point with them every year. My error rate is WAY below a portion of 1 percent. In a macro sense, they are very good and much better than others we have tried. That said, when just 1 packaged gets farched, all the stats in the world don’t mean a thing to the customer.
happy birthday. congratulates for your better participant.
Jae, it’s tempting to stop their trucks on the street and ask if they’ve got your package, isn’t it?
Jeff, I hear ya. I order lots of stuff via Amazon and have never, ever had a shipping problem with them… except when they use DHL. For some reason that company screws it up EVERY single time. This is the fifth, if I remember correctly. Last time they had to call and ask me for directions to my house. WTF?!
Wookah, thanks. Except I’m not fond of people dropping commercial links in my comment section. (See those big bold warnings above.)
This is actually the first time UPS has done this which is why I’m rather perplexed about it. It’s been all over the tri-state area and closer to my house than not — without showing up. It’s their money wasted, not mine. Which is why I would think they’d be a little more careful.
DHL SUCKS. I have ordered five items through different retailers online who used DHL and out of the five, only ONE time did DHL manage to get the package to the right location on the first try. THE FOUR OTHER times, they shipped the damned package on the other side of the Cascades and then used the USPS to deliver it to me on the EAST side of the state. I hate DHL and I make it a practice never patronize businesses who use them.
I did ask Amazon if they can somehow tag my account so I never have anything shipped via DHL ever again.
Interestingly, their customer support left me a voice message today saying they’ve located the package and it’ll be here today.
It’s 2:15. Still not here. UPS, FedEx and the USPS have all been by, though.
Like I said, I do a LOT of my shopping online.
I used to run the service before DHL came in and took us over, like a hostle takeover, We were called Airborne Express and we had a much better service, because we were still kinda small. But ever since DHL took over, fired us mgmt, it has never been the same. Mybe it is because we had a better mgmt team then them. Maybe they shouldn’t have fired us.
Shon
I’d wondered what happened to Airborne Express. We used to get deliveries from them here, then they disappeared. Shame too. I liked their service.
This happened to me last christmas when I ordered a gift online for a friend. I had gotten all of Little Lady’s gifts, but not the one I ordered for my friend. I got it two months later after contacting them and asking them to pick it up off the floor and throw it into the outgoing bin. I’m still not sure why it took two months after contacting them though. I think that was a UPS shipment.
Frustrating, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, it’s 5:14 and it’s STILL not here.
Although I have to say that Dell has used DHL and the package comes right away for me. My new drive to replace my crashed drive came immediately (although it was a little after 5 and was supposed to be by 3, but it is the Christmas season and usually they come to me in the morning…) When we called for pickup to return the failed drive, they were here in half an hour.
See, now, you have better luck with both DHL and DirectTV so I’m guessing you’re a bit closer to a major city than I am. Because it’s now 6:59 p.m. and IT’S STILL NOT HERE!!!
Long, long time lurker being forced out of lurking due to my dislike of DHL.
I have been around and around with them for the past two days. My UPS packages all came with no problem. My FedEx packages came with no drama. DHL was the problem. They screwed up on every one of them. This is the second year in a row that not one of my DHL packages was delivered as promised.
My “favorite” screw up… I was out shoveling until 6:00. Came in, tracked one of my “wandering” shipments and found that not only did they claim it was delivered, (while I was outside shoveling, with no DHL truck in sight) but also that it was signed for by me! This is the second time that one of their drivers has signed my name to a package claiming it was delivered.
I know this time of year is hell for the carriers, and I know the potential for screw ups is greater. I work for FedEx so I DO understand the problems. But what are the chances that for the past two years, every package I’ve received that was shipped by DHL would go astray?
DHL has undercut the other carriers with their pricing. That old saying “You get what you pay for” comes to mind.
Well, if DHL problems flush out long time lurkers and entice them to comment, then I can only think that something good came out of this!
It’s now Day 10 since my 2-day delivery was supposed to be here. I’ve spoken with customer service 3 times and all 3 times have been assured that the package IS on the van and it WILL be delivered.
Uh-huh. And tomorrow I’ll wake up with thin, sleek thighs and my virginity restored.
WOW!!I have had the very same problem with DHL.I also live in a small town in Missouri and had an order shipped from Dell with 3 to 5 day delivery. This is day 13 and no package..Have also called customer service with all the same answers. They want to use bad weather as the main reason. I will have 2 granddaughters who may not have a gift from Dell this year, back to Wal Mart thanks to DHL
Bill, I’m on hold with their customer service dept right now. The package has been with the same courier each of these delivery attempts, and s/he keeps reporting “weather problems” and a backlog due to the same.
Problem is, the roads were only closed 1 day here after that ice storm of 9 days ago. So, in other words, it’s a BS excuse.
I asked the woman (Kelly today) at their national customer service department to put me through to the KC office because I want to talk to that driver’s supervisor.
So NOW I’m on hold with Kerry at the KC office who apparently doesn’t know the answer to WHERE IS MY DAMN PACKAGE, either.
DHL must stand for Delivery/Handling Losses.
Any luck with Kerry in KC. I was told even though tracking shows in KC the package is really at St Joe. Don’t see anything that says in St Joe to me.
12/17/2007 7:00 pm Scheduled for delivery Kansas City, MO
6:22 am With delivery courier. Kansas City, MO
12/16/2007 8:20 am Arrived at DHL facility. Kansas City, MO
12/15/2007 9:27 am Arrived at DHL facility. Kansas City, MO
12/14/2007 7:17 am Arrived at DHL facility. Kansas City, MO
12/13/2007 6:36 am Arrived at DHL facility. Saint Joseph, MO
3:41 am Depart Facility Kansas City Regional Hub Sort, KS
1:14 am Transit through DHL facility Kansas City Regional Hub Sort, KS
12/12/2007 7:46 pm Processed at DHL Location. Kansas City Regional Hub Sort, KS
7:39 pm In transit. Kansas City Regional Hub Sort, KS
7:03 am Depart Facility Atlanta Hub, GA
1:01 am Processed at DHL Location. Atlanta Hub, GA
12:57 am In transit. Atlanta Hub, GA
12/11/2007 7:49 pm Shipment picked up Norcross, GA
I did talk to Dell and asked for overnight delivery on a new order…no luck well here goes another phone call to DHL to see if I can pick up the package where ever it is.
Sounds like we have the same delivery truck. My daughters’ Christmas Presents have been in limbo in St Joe since the 16th. Just a minute ago I gt an email alert that they would attempt delivery today – otherwise their package will make a third trip down here without ever getting as much as a notice to attempt delivery. (Or a DHL employee has decided they like our stuff better than we would – it wouldn’t be the first case in this area – if you keep cycling the bar code through the inventory tracker you never know when or where the actual theft occurs)
Bill, Kerry hung up on me so I never did get to find out why my package isn’t here. Today’s tracking report shows that it’s not even scheduled for delivery, so I assume they’ve decided to stop pretending like it was ever going to arrive.
Dale, I imagine we do have the same courier. When I spoke with their national office yesterday, the service rep (Kelley) said that my package has been with the same courier the entire time, and that s/he has been claiming weather problems were preventing my delivery… since December 12? I don’t think so.
My guess is that because we’re an hour drive from St. Joe the courier figures coming to our town would interfere with his/her ability to get all of the deliveries done north of here. Perhaps s/he is waiting until the pile of packages to go to Leavenworth gets big enough to bother with?
- SORRY I CLICKED ON SUBMIT BY MISTAKE –
Dear Kate
I work for DHL and I am apologetic of the experience you have had dealing with my company. It is, I believe, irrelevant to go into why and how we managed to screw up the delivery of your package but let me just say that for all the times when it seems that the sky is falling, we do a damn good job of delivering on time too. It is coincidental that you have a popular blog and your shipment came through DHL and we managed to botch it up time and again. Shit happens!
I can confidentally say that we at DHL (well, a fine majority of us at least) are committed to doing a good job and we have a myriad of internal programs which try and ensure we adhere to all the process cycles and customer calls in a manner that aims to be perceived as
efficient and business enabling.
This post is not to justify the actions of any of the 3 customer service agents or the mysterious driver and his stagnant van. As an employee and someone who believes very strongly in DHL’s ability to deliver shipments on time, I would appreciate if you try and put this behind you and give us another opportunity to serve you – I wish I was in the US so I could take care of this personally – Unfortunately I am in India and the most I can do is take this case up with my office in the US if you give me the details of the shipment. I promise I will be prompt.
TO everyone else in this blogathon on DHL’s inadequate abilities – Keep the faith…
happy holidays
Maverick, thank you for your comment. I can only assume from reading not only the comments here at my blog but also those at Amazon.com’s discussion thread pertaining to DHL that service in India is radically different than here in the U.S.
No doubt this has something to do with DHL attempting to break into a market where UPS and FedEx are giants, and where our U.S. Postal Service is attempting to become more customer-friendly and service-oriented to compete with them.
DHL competitively bid on numerous contracts, including Amazon’s, but had not yet established the internal structure and experience to truly become interchangeable with its competitors. The result has been slow delivery and awful customer service, which is even more frustrating from the customers’ perspective since contact with CSRs usually means a problem has already arisen.
I can only hope that DHL Express here in the States intends to work on both of those before next year’s holiday season.
At any rate, my package is here and for that I’m glad. I can only hope that if any future deliveries to my house come via DHL the problem won’t occur again.