Brown = UPS shipping, for those not in the US. That was one of their more recent advertising slogans. We are an authorized UPS shipping center, but we are NOT UPS. That means we can accept packages for shipment and you can pay for the shipping with us, but beyond that we don't have anything to do with it. Once a package leaves the building, it's totally out of our hands, and if there's a problem at that point, you NEED to take it up with UPS directly, because there's NOTHING we can do about it.
I've had two SCs in UPS this week.
It's a Holiday, Jackass!
Tuesday, a guy calls in. Now when a call comes in at this particular store (which has an older phone system) it rings ALL of the phones in the store. Normally the cashiers answer them. I happened to be in the back room, and so ordinarily wouldn't have picked up the call, but when no one picked it up after 3 rings, I did.
Me: Thank you for calling Staples this is Dave1982, how can I help you?
SC: I have a problem with a package I shipped UPS through you guys.
Me: OK, what's the problem?
SC: I shipped it yesterday, and when I checked a few minutes ago, it still wasn't showing up in package tracking. I need to know where my package is!
Me: Well, I know for a fact that all the packages WERE picked up by UPS, so if there's an issue with tracking, unfortunately you need to call UPS directly.
SC: Can I speak to the manager?

Me: OK, fine.
I paged Captain Jellico to pick up the call.
Then, right after doing that, I realized what the problem was. The day before was Memorial Day. UPS doesn't do deliveries OR pickups on holidays. They had in fact only picked up his package about 15 minutes before he called, so the tracking number hadn't uploaded into their system yet.
Based on how frustrated Captain Jellico looked after that call, it seems this info didn't take with this guy. I guess his package was so important that UPS should have made an exception for him.
I Don't Set the Rates, Jackass!
It seems that one of the night Copy Center guys (who normally handle UPS customers) either isn't comfortable with or otherwise doesn't like doing UPS, because since he figured out that I know how to do Ship Center, he pages me to do it for him.
He paged me up to finish with a customer. He'd already gotten the sending and receiving addresses entered, and just needed to rate the package. Gee.....you're 2/3 of the way there already, why not just finish?
The guy was shipping documents. I should say that UPS's rates for document shipping are both outrageous and all over the map. They make NO sense to me. I should also point out that i have NO control over the rates, at least in a downward sense. I can make the rates go UP (by adding additional services and packaging fees) but the base rate is based on package type, size, weight, and the destination. That I can NOT control.
SC: I'd like the cheapest rate available.
Me: OK.......*clicks "rate package"*..........ah....the cheapest rate is $15.10.
SC: That's the CHEAPEST?!?!
Me: Well, let me see here.....*goes back and sees if the CPC Guy had put in any additional services; he hadn't*.....unfortunately yes, sir.
SC: Well I'm not paying that! I've shipped from your Londonderry branch for $6 or $7!!!
So........what? Your package may have weighed less, or been shipped a shorter distance. Plus, your point of origin was different so that too will affect the rate. What a different package cost to ship from a different place has NOTHING to do with this one.
Me: I'm sorry sir, but that's the cheapest rate I can give you.
SC: Well then I'm not doing it! That's WAY too much. I'm not paying you $15 to ship this. That's ridiculous!!
He pulled his papers back out of the envelope (which was one he took from the store shelf. Thankfully it hadn't been sealed yet or he'd have had to pay for that. Glad I didn't have to face THAT explosion) and stormed out.
Seriously dude. You want a cheaper rate? Go to the post office. You want guaranteed delivery by a certain date? Then you pay for that. You don't like it?
Then GET BENT!!!
Have a nice day, sir.
I've had two SCs in UPS this week.
It's a Holiday, Jackass!
Tuesday, a guy calls in. Now when a call comes in at this particular store (which has an older phone system) it rings ALL of the phones in the store. Normally the cashiers answer them. I happened to be in the back room, and so ordinarily wouldn't have picked up the call, but when no one picked it up after 3 rings, I did.
Me: Thank you for calling Staples this is Dave1982, how can I help you?
SC: I have a problem with a package I shipped UPS through you guys.
Me: OK, what's the problem?
SC: I shipped it yesterday, and when I checked a few minutes ago, it still wasn't showing up in package tracking. I need to know where my package is!
Me: Well, I know for a fact that all the packages WERE picked up by UPS, so if there's an issue with tracking, unfortunately you need to call UPS directly.
SC: Can I speak to the manager?

Me: OK, fine.
I paged Captain Jellico to pick up the call.
Then, right after doing that, I realized what the problem was. The day before was Memorial Day. UPS doesn't do deliveries OR pickups on holidays. They had in fact only picked up his package about 15 minutes before he called, so the tracking number hadn't uploaded into their system yet.

Based on how frustrated Captain Jellico looked after that call, it seems this info didn't take with this guy. I guess his package was so important that UPS should have made an exception for him.

I Don't Set the Rates, Jackass!
It seems that one of the night Copy Center guys (who normally handle UPS customers) either isn't comfortable with or otherwise doesn't like doing UPS, because since he figured out that I know how to do Ship Center, he pages me to do it for him.
He paged me up to finish with a customer. He'd already gotten the sending and receiving addresses entered, and just needed to rate the package. Gee.....you're 2/3 of the way there already, why not just finish?
The guy was shipping documents. I should say that UPS's rates for document shipping are both outrageous and all over the map. They make NO sense to me. I should also point out that i have NO control over the rates, at least in a downward sense. I can make the rates go UP (by adding additional services and packaging fees) but the base rate is based on package type, size, weight, and the destination. That I can NOT control.
SC: I'd like the cheapest rate available.
Me: OK.......*clicks "rate package"*..........ah....the cheapest rate is $15.10.
SC: That's the CHEAPEST?!?!
Me: Well, let me see here.....*goes back and sees if the CPC Guy had put in any additional services; he hadn't*.....unfortunately yes, sir.
SC: Well I'm not paying that! I've shipped from your Londonderry branch for $6 or $7!!!
So........what? Your package may have weighed less, or been shipped a shorter distance. Plus, your point of origin was different so that too will affect the rate. What a different package cost to ship from a different place has NOTHING to do with this one.
Me: I'm sorry sir, but that's the cheapest rate I can give you.
SC: Well then I'm not doing it! That's WAY too much. I'm not paying you $15 to ship this. That's ridiculous!!
He pulled his papers back out of the envelope (which was one he took from the store shelf. Thankfully it hadn't been sealed yet or he'd have had to pay for that. Glad I didn't have to face THAT explosion) and stormed out.
Seriously dude. You want a cheaper rate? Go to the post office. You want guaranteed delivery by a certain date? Then you pay for that. You don't like it?
Then GET BENT!!!
Have a nice day, sir.
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