UPS – Utterly Pathetic Santa?

The past month and a half the country has been at odds over the failure of the Obamacare website and government. It has been a joke amongst many especially late night talk show hosts. Quite frankly a whole new site with first time users will have its hiccups. I haven’t used the site, so I can’t comment, but I suspect that people expect a little more out of technology than it really can provide.

Now UPS, er…Santa, has not been able to get gifts to all the good boys and girls out there. UPS made an announcement yesterday and today about the issues. Quite frankly I have been on part of the receiving end of this problem and exchanged many emails and tweets with UPS. The people running social media and the customer service center had nothing but excuses to provide when people just wanted solutions. Earlier this month I was notified that some chairs I ordered were going to arrive the next day and they didn’t come until 6 days later. Two weeks later it was a desk that came 3 days later than I was notified. It only got to me faster because I hailed down my UPS driver in the street.

How does this happen? Well when a package gets delivered to your local distribution hub, it gets scanned and an estimated delivery time is made based upon their belief it will shortly put on a local delivery truck. the problem is that at Christmas, the trucks are full and your package, especially a big one, might not get on a truck for quite some time. Worst, if you sign up for their premium status you will get notified of these changes which appear to be real-time, but are often many hours delayed. Lets follow the strong of emails I have received regarding a package from Amazon. I assume someone is sending a gift to my kids as we have yet to receive the package:

Monday Dec. 23rd at 6:09am
Email received saying a package from Amazon and a package from LLBean will arrive Tuesday the 24th between 9am and 1pm

Monday Dec. 23rd at 6:09am
Email received saying a package from Amazon and a package from LLBean will arrive Thursday the 26th between 9am and 12:45pm

Later that evening around 8pm a knock is heard at the door and it is a package from LL Bean

Tuesday Dec. 24rd at 6:02am
Email received saying a package from Amazon will arrive Tuesday the 24th between 9am and 1pm

Tuesday Dec. 24th at 12:39pm
Email received saying a package from Amazon will arrive Thurssday the 26th between 9am and 12:45pm

Tuesday Dec. 24rd at 1:20pm
Email received saying a package from Amazon will arrive Tuesday the 24th between 9am and 1pm

WAIT….the package is already 20 minutes late! Where is it?

So Christmas Day is here.  Somebody paid for standard business next day air delivery back on the 21st from what I can tell.  I assume I’ll get a package tomorrow.  I have not seen any additional messages from UPS.  I went on to the website and laugh.  Okay, the status says the package will arrive sometime tomorrow by 3pm.

So I scroll down a little further.  This poor package.  I think it went on a wilder ride than an Auburn football player trying to score on a 109 yard run between Alabama defenders.

Southern California to Northern California by way of Kentucky?  That sure is some modern logistics for you!  At least the Cable Guy comes on the same day he says he’ll be there.