I have been known to have a higher than normal interest in systems and processes.
For me, an awful lot of our day to day can be described as a system or process, maybe that is why I like engineering so much.
Now, think what you will about them, but nobody has systems and processes nailed down like Amazon. They have to, otherwise they'd go out of business. You don't maintain a service like Prime Next Day Delivery without thinking about every step in the process and continually working to improve the process.
The same can not be said of my latest experience with UPS.
I ordered some Lii Audio Full Range Drivers for a DIY speaker project. I ordered them from the European distributors, but they still ship from China.
UPS collected the package in Spain 8 days ago. They handled it through customs to the UK, and now it should get to me. Or so I thought.
I was delighted when the UPS van pulled up outside my house yesterday, but not for long. The driver got out of the van and told me I owed some import tax on the package. I was not surprised by this, so was happy when he said I can just ring the depot and make the payment. I was not so happy when he then said he was leaving and a re-delivery will be made once I've paid the tax.
What this means is that UPS sent a guy round to my house, from the depot about 30 mins drive away, in a massive long-wheel-base van, to tell me I needed to pay some tax on the package before I can have it.
How many such trips does he do a week?
Surely, UPS can issue each van with a wireless card machine (just as every taxi in the country has) so he can take payment when turning up for the delivery. Or better, and much cheaper still for UPS, just send me an email with a payment link, at any point in the last 7 days since they picked up the package. That way I can pay online, saving them the cost of the card machine and the driver's time / fuel to come and tell me I have to make the payment, and then drive to my house again for delivery.
Apologies if this is a bit of a rant, but here is the crucial bit that gets under my skin:
Somebody, possibly on a very big salary, made the decision that this is the way UPS will deal with this type of delivery. Someone decided that neither the delivery driver nor the recipient will know that tax is due on a parcel, until he scans the label when trying to deliver it.
It can be so much better!!
(I still don't have the package, and I don't know when it will show up.)
For me, an awful lot of our day to day can be described as a system or process, maybe that is why I like engineering so much.
Now, think what you will about them, but nobody has systems and processes nailed down like Amazon. They have to, otherwise they'd go out of business. You don't maintain a service like Prime Next Day Delivery without thinking about every step in the process and continually working to improve the process.
The same can not be said of my latest experience with UPS.
I ordered some Lii Audio Full Range Drivers for a DIY speaker project. I ordered them from the European distributors, but they still ship from China.
UPS collected the package in Spain 8 days ago. They handled it through customs to the UK, and now it should get to me. Or so I thought.
I was delighted when the UPS van pulled up outside my house yesterday, but not for long. The driver got out of the van and told me I owed some import tax on the package. I was not surprised by this, so was happy when he said I can just ring the depot and make the payment. I was not so happy when he then said he was leaving and a re-delivery will be made once I've paid the tax.
What this means is that UPS sent a guy round to my house, from the depot about 30 mins drive away, in a massive long-wheel-base van, to tell me I needed to pay some tax on the package before I can have it.
How many such trips does he do a week?
Surely, UPS can issue each van with a wireless card machine (just as every taxi in the country has) so he can take payment when turning up for the delivery. Or better, and much cheaper still for UPS, just send me an email with a payment link, at any point in the last 7 days since they picked up the package. That way I can pay online, saving them the cost of the card machine and the driver's time / fuel to come and tell me I have to make the payment, and then drive to my house again for delivery.
Apologies if this is a bit of a rant, but here is the crucial bit that gets under my skin:
Somebody, possibly on a very big salary, made the decision that this is the way UPS will deal with this type of delivery. Someone decided that neither the delivery driver nor the recipient will know that tax is due on a parcel, until he scans the label when trying to deliver it.
It can be so much better!!
(I still don't have the package, and I don't know when it will show up.)