A Letter to UPS
UPS World Headquarters 2.10.2019
55 Glenlake Parkway NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
United States
People…
I am a disabled 72 year old woman. I am typing this with the sides of my thumbnails because that’s all I have to work with.
Back in the day, I was, first, a CSR, I was later promoted over the people who’d been there before me to manage the Customer Service department of a national Medical Equipment company. So I’m a little spoiled. I KNOW what good customer service is… and what you offer online does not even come close.
I currently work as an artist. Often, galleries require that work be shipped by UPS. I opened an account to facilitate that as the nearest UPS office to me is 60 minutes away and does not have the capability of creating return shipping labels.
About a week ago I attempted to create a shipment and return. It did not go well. Because I do not — apparently — ship frequently enough, my account required validation. I went through that process, re-activated the account and then set out to create a shipping label.
The gallery I had been dealing with had not informed me that I would also have to include a return label. When that message arrived, a day or two later, I set about attempting — with more difficulty than should have been necessary — to create such a label. Upon attempting to log in I was again informed that my account had been put on hold for infrequent use. Furthermore, each attempt I made to re-institute it was thwarted.
I attempted to utilize your online “customer service.” You should be embarrassed to call it that. Customer harassment would better description of what I went through. You give a person a few options and, if one’s issue is none of those, well, too bad for you!
After much frustration, I called in only to discover that your telephone system operates much the same way though, thankfully, if you just keep saying the same thing over and over, the automated system finally catches on and asks if you’d like to speak with someone… well, YES I want to speak with someone… why else would I be calling “customer service”????
I was, frankly, dreading the upcoming conversation as the previous time I had called in — some months ago — I had what can only be called a barely tolerable response from the CSR to whom I spoke and — promise — I was being nice. I was frustrated, but I know what that job’s like, I always speak nicely to CSRs. However the young-sounding gentleman I spoke with more recently was an absolute delight. He was patient and clear and walked me step by step around the barriers I’d been encountering. (Your site is not exactly intuitive.) With his help, I thought I was out of the woods.
Now, however, I am staring at an invoice for $4.50 which has no indication what-so-ever what it is for. I made a shipment, paid by PayPal; I created a return label, paid by PayPal. That was about a week ago.
With some trepidation I decide to try your so-called online customer service again because this seems like an easy issue. I type in: “I just received an invoice; I do not know what it is for.”
But, no. That’s not one of the phrases that fits into your highly specific list of issues. I try a few other less specific things like, “Invoice problem,” but nothing gets me anything more than the suggestion to try wording my problem differently. Really? Because it’s a darn simple issue…. If you’re a person!!!!
This situation has left me with no choice but to badger your automated phone system tomorrow when I hope to be in a significantly better frame of mind because UPS has bent this frame all out of shape.
Honestly, your site is the absolute worst site I have ever navigated. I cringe just thinking about having to use it.
Please empower your store in Winchester, VA to be able to print out return labels because then I can make the two-hour trip to send my packages in the comfort of my car instead of spending the same amount of time here, at home, trying not to smash the screen of my laptop while I get almost nothing accomplished.
Sincerely (you have no idea how sincerely),
Rev. Victoria Pendragon
