Old news man. Use the search feature.
When someone first posted here that the UPS clerk had opened their sealed package, rummaged through it, and taped it back up right in front of their face at the counter while explaining that it is UPS policy to inspect ALL packages from individual shippers (they trust their big business accounts), I couldn't believe it. As much as I'm no fan of UPS (Unrepentant Package Smashers), I don't like to see any company get slimed for something so obviously untrue. So, I e-mailed UPS customer service and asked. I expected them to reply that there was no such policy. I could then report that back to the forum. But, they promptly replied that while they're not quite to 100% yet, their policy and their goal is to inspect 100% of all packages from individual shippers.
I mailed back and asked why. They responded that they were concerned about contents of packages endangering their workers.
I mailed back asking if they could first give some examples of how contents hand endangered workers, and, second, why they thought that they were getting all the dangerous shipments since neither the post office nor any other private shipper seems to be enforcing such a policy? They responded saying that they could not, because of confidentiality, give any examples and that they could not comment on the policies or practices of other carriers.
About this same time, I heard that UPS was no longer accepting firearms. "Well, there's the answer," I said, "Some dummy shipped a loaded gun and the thing went off in the box." So, I e-mailed UPS again to clarify. UPS clarified all right. They DO still accept firearms, but only in their "blue label" overnight service, not in their less-expensive "brown label" service. That makes no sense from a safety perspective. If guns are dangerous in the brown label service, why aren't they dangerous in the blue label service? In fact, since the blue label goes mostly by air, you'd think that it'd be even more dangerous.
So, I e-mailed again. They kindly responded (I gotta hand one thing to 'em, they do respond to e-mail quickly and with real answers) that the change in policy on firearms was not caused by safety concerns but by employee theft. The Blue Label stuff is handled mostly by automated systems, it's kept in more secure facilities, and the employees who do handle it are generally folks who've been with the company longer and have good records just because they need their best people on those overnight packages.
Putting two and two together and quickly coming up with four, I e-mailed again asking if they'd considered any possible link between employees opening packages and inspecting their contents and employees stealing those contents. The response was that they'd "pass my suggestion on for further consideration."
Since then, another forum member, a UPS employee, has posted saying that that is exactly what happens. The clerks who open and inspect the packages don't steal anything. They're watched closely by the customer and also by management and there are cameras too. But, they do make a small mark on the box, perhaps just how they apply the tape at an off angle or something, on the boxes that they think are worth stealing from. The actual theft is then done by a handler down the line and suitable payments are made behind the scene.
Now, I don't want to say that every UPS employee is a thief and that this goes on at every UPS location. I'm sure that the vast majority of UPS employees are honest and reliable and that the vast majority of UPS locations are equally trustworthy.
But, the fact that even though it was pointed out to them and even though it's patently obvious, the fact that UPS has not seen the connection between inspecting and stealing is really surprising to me.
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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
