Should I switch to UPS? Voting time.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
Messages
34,096
I have stuck with the US Postal Service for 14 years and used UPS only at specific customer request but now I'm having second thoughts. Help me out and let me know what you think.

Our mailing service is trying to get us to use UPS -- faster, more sure delivery than USPS -- and a little cheaper. I know the USPS is having its share of problems right now. Some priority mail is taking two weeks or in some cases even longer rather than the touted two days. I have a couple of khukuris that seem to have disappeared. Are they in some warehouse awaiting anthrax inspection? Stolen? In Afghanistan?

My primary obligation is to get the khukuris to the customer in good condition and in a timely fashion. Is it time to give UPS a try? Remember, they just charged me 10 times the normal duty on my last parcel of knives! But, they tell me they are getting that fixed.

What's your opinion?
 
Uncle, your guess is as good as mine:confused: ...I am sorry but I dont know much about this. All I can do is say what they teach at businiss school..."research all your options the best you can".

Sorry to be impartial.
 
Uncle:

I'm an old traffic manager. I've used both for over 30 years. My daily volume of UPS has always amounted several trailer-loads of single-recipient packages. Both have ups and downs, but UPS has ALWAYS had the ability to trace a package, and determine its' fate, and most of the time correct an error. USPS has not measured up, even with their recent improvements. If you have all of that, and lower freight costs, don't even hesitate. If your present service can accomodate you on tracing, etc., all for the better.
 
US Priority Mail works very well, I see no reason to change it.

The last 5 shipments sent to me by various people via UPS this have all been misplaced and have required my active intervention to recover. UPS is a disaster where I am. I stopped ordering from the 1stopknife shop because they exclusively use UPS.

n2s
 
A previous thread that mentioned kami success stories helped me decide.

Less postage+quicker, more reliable deliveries=cheaper costs to consumer=more purchases=more benefit to kamis and extended family. Drop USPS.

I'm usually pretty indecisive, but I just fought with a lady in the billing dept of my internet service provider for close to an hour and am not my usual self.

Hope this helps.:)
 
Cast my vote as a big "No". I despise UPS. Worst customer service, on multiple levels, of any company I've ever dealt with. (And repeatedly, not just on one occasion) I avoid them whenever possible.
 
I have yet to recieve a banged up package from the post office. I have recieved a bunch of packages from UPS that were dang near crushed, even got one with a foot print in it, I am not joking!

Ryan
 
Uncle Bill--We've had good luck here with DHL. You might check to see if they are in your area.:) :)
 
I like USPS more, but that is probably because they deliver on Saturday. When you are hoping for a Friday delivery but come home and find nothing waiting for you, Saturday and Sunday can be killers ;)
Matthew
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino

--1 - I have stuck with the US Postal Service for 14 years and used UPS only at specific customer request but now I'm having second thoughts. Help me out and let me know what you think.

--2 - Our mailing service is trying to get us to use UPS -- faster, more sure delivery than USPS -- and a little cheaper.

--3 - My primary obligation is to get the khukuris to the customer in good condition and in a timely fashion. Is it time to give UPS a try? -a- Remember, they just charged me 10 times the normal duty on my last parcel of knives! But, they tell me they are getting that fixed.

What's your opinion?
Click to expand...

--1 - Why are you having 2nd thoughts Bro?

--2 - I'm always leary when a business I'm using wants me to change something even if they do cite good reasons. I generally smell convienience for them in these kinds of deals.... And not neccasarily convienience for me....

--3 - USPS has always done this in the past just because they are having some problems right now doesn't mean one needs to abandon ship.
-a- I wouldn't soon forget that either.

Okay my comments on it. I was gonna be a smart ass and say, You first." but I won't.:)

Bro I dislike UPS as well.

They do some really stupid stuff.
They leave good sized packages on my doorstep with no one at home.
Although some drivers have enough sense to put small packages behind the screen door.
They really bang up some packages!!!!!!!
They have lost a couple of ordered goods for me in the past. One was some $750.00 and I was very glad it was from a repuitable company which quickly sent me a replacement.
Their truck driver/delievery personell drive rude and have caused me several close calls and holes eaten in my car seat.(Not relative I know.;))

All in all I prefer the USPS, but that *wouldn't stop me ordering khukuris from you.
I really don't like it when a company doesn't give one a choice when it comes to shipping if they use UPS for all their shipping needs.
And that ties in with my agreeing with N2S about 1stopknife shop.(*see above)

How about a compromise trial for a while if possible. Instead of voting on one or another choice why not see who prefers which service and let each individual vote on who they want shipping their packages.
It would mean extra work on you as you would need a computer list.
And something a lot of people here on the forum may not of thought of if just how many customers you do have the world over.
I can see you wanting to deal with only one mail service.
Another interesting part of such a deal is your shipping company's reaction to such a proposal.:)
 
I'd vote for USPS. UPS has done strange things in the past with deliveries addressed to me. But as Yvsa said, it won't stop me ordering khukuris from you.

BTW, was it UPS 2nd day air?

Further BTW, did you consider using USPS "delivery confirmation" service? It's only 40c per package for priority mail, you can confirm delivery on the USPS web site (it works about 95 percent of the time, in my experience). Though there IS the hassle of filling in an extra piece of paper, and if you drop it off at a mailing service instead of a post office, you probably won't get the postmark on the receipt or the acceptance scan. I believe you insure your packages, has it been a major hassle claiming for losses?
[Added: I think somebody has to sign for the package, might be extra trouble for people who prefer to have pacakges left if nobody's home.]
 
My 12" AK seems to have arrived this evening. I get to pick it up tomorrow :) That has been the longest time I have ever had to wait for a package from HI. Usually it took about a week, the shortest being 6 days. With the Anthrax thing it was probably delayed for about 3 weeks.

I prefer USPS/Canada Post because if no one is home to receive the package it goes to the local post office where it is relatively safe. I'm not sure what happens if UPS delivers and no one is home. It scares me to think that they would leave it on the doorstep. Even if they don't I'd have to travel to the UPS warehouse to pick it up.

For convienence my vote goes to USPS/Canada Post. I know that Canada Post gives a tracking number on the packages and there seems to be a USPS tracking number on the boxes I've got.
 
i was going to say that's its a tossup, but then I started listing the screwups I've had with UPS in the past, and now I guess I'll have to vote for USPS. I do like UPS's tracking system, though.

Patrick
 
Bill,

UPS will come to your business or residence to pick up the shipment at no extra charge. This beats driving to the Post office and standing in line.

UPS includes $100.00 worth of insurance at no extra charge.

UPS has detailed tracking info at no extra charge.

Settling a damage claim with UPS is fast and efficient, usually taking no more than a week. USPS can take months to settle a claim.

All UPS transactions including scheduling, payment, and tracking can be done on-line.

UPS rates are cheaper than USPS, especially for heavier items.

Pack well, and do not send fragile items by UPS. Handling is very rough.
 
I vote USPS. I always try to get packages shipped to me USPS. For some reason whenever I get stuff UPS it ends up lying on my doorstep. That really gets my goat, especially when its something of worth. Also, after seeing how UPS handles packages in their hubs, Im very surprised that more people dont get broken goods.
 
UPS is a great business to business small package system, and they are very good at helping muti-venue shops balance inventories. Generally, if you are operating within an industrial zone, they work very well and are far easier to use than the USPS. Where they fall down is when it comes time to do residential delivery.

It should be no surprise that the USPS has the best residential routes. With UPS you don't know when the packages are going to arrive (sometime during a given day is the best you will get out of their tracking system), with the postal service you usually know within +/- 10 minutes and you can almost set your watch by them.

If you are not home the best that UPS can do is to leave a note at your door. These notes are notorious for blowing away (assuming they actually bother leaving a note - they often don't), or worst, signalling your neighbors that a package was left behind somewhere on the property. Only the parcel service can leave a note securely in your mailbox.

When you actually miss a delivery the postal service usually has the package waiting for you at your local post office which opens at 7:30am. UPS has to be instructed to hold the package for pickup with 24 hours notice, and it is 50/50 that they will fail to do so. Their facilities are less conviniently located and if you can find them (UPS is reluctant to devulge the locations)they open at 9:00am.

The real problem I have with them is that their process appears to be entirely random. They have a nice looking tracking system, but it doesn't work, and inquiries with customer service can be frustrating.

Certainly a strong business service, but their residential service is hit and miss (mostly misses for me this year).

n2s
 
How about you use a few Storks!

I don't think I have ever lost a letter or a package with the USPS. I give them a 100% score! All my khuks have arrived on time an in good shape! When I bought a Super Salyan from Jaeger It was shipped from the east coast and I had it in my hand the next morning!!!
 
Sorry I'm late in getting in on this discussion...

Well, I feel for the USPS... not only do they have to deal with the anthrax, they are targeted by most of the dogs in the nation :) .

My experiences with them absolutely SUCK:barf:! I don't hold any mail carriers personally responsible though... I like several of my local ones. BUT, when it takes 30 DAYS to get a NEXT DAY PRIORITY letter... not during this wartime footing mind you, but way back a year ago... then who needs them.

This hasn't only been one instance either... a bride NEXT DAY PRIORITY shipped a deposit check for her wedding from Wyoming (just next door). It took three weeks to arrive!!! In fact, I have NEVER received a NEXT DAY PRIORITY shipment the next day (I also always collect my postage guarentee too).... Even my shipping/mailbox place says that it is ridculous... no wonder they are losing money.

I won't go into the time that they took away a mail box to put in storage (and didn't bother to check the box for mail) which cost me a whole lot of grief... sorry, I'm getting off track (jumping off soapbox), it was a bad day at work.

UPS at least gets your stuff to you. It might be crushed, left unattended, or take until Monday to get it... but it'll get there :) . I'm all for the big brown trucks...

But, heck... it doesn't matter to me really. Whatever is cheaper/easier for you Uncle.

Alan
 
6 of one, Half dozen of the other. Having worked in shipping/recieving for most of my jobs, a part time stint at UPS and my current job as postal worker (at a contract station on the local college campus), I can say you are going to have problems either way. UPS does have better tracking for finding errant packages though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top