MONDAY MADNESS: Delivery services in Slovenia RANT!

As a beauty blogger, I’m a regular customer in most drugstores around my home town, but other than that, I also shop online and get sent the occasional package once in a while. When I was ordering the packages to work, I had no trouble at all about 99 % of the time. The DPD delivery driver even knew that even if my home address was on the box, he would most likely find me at the office and simply delivered it there. But since on maternity leave, I’ve had my share of trouble with delivery services and so have my fellow bloggers. If you are reading this, you most likely shop online as well, so if you are curious as to what has been happening and how we are dealing with it, read below!

1. POOR COMMUNICATION

Every time your order a package online, you will be asked for your number so that the delivery company can contact you regarding the delivery of your particular package. For instance, GLS says they will send an e-mail the day before, and on the day of delivery you will be notified about the hour of delivery by text message. I often don’t get the e-mail or the text message at all – the delivery guy just appears at my door or I get the “delivery failed” text as the first message from them! The alternative is that they keep spamming you with up to 5 texts per single delivery.

Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be avoided either way, but you should definitely complain about it to the service provider! If they promise something, it should be done properly!

Solution: you are entitled to a repeat delivery on the day you choose! Just call the number of the delivery service or go to their tracking page and request the package to be delivered again.

2. LEAVING YOUR PACKAGE WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR/ON YOUR DOORSTEP/AT A RANDOM LOCATION/IN A PACKAGE MACHINE

This is something that both DPD and GLS excel at. I get shivers just thinking about the horror stories I’ve heard from my fellow bloggers. Let’s see some best examples:

-      leaving the package in the package machine all the way across town (not in the nearest one to your home)

-      leaving the package with a random neighbor and not notifying you – in this case, it’s entirely up to the neighbor if you’ll ever see your package at all!

-      leaving the package on a random location that doesn’t even match your address (a fellow blogger got her package from a friendly train conductor because the DPD delivery driver just left it at the train station)

-      leaving in on your doorstep for anyone to take!

Solution N.1: paying for the package contents with the delivery. This way, the delivery man will have to track you down in order to get the money. Also, if you don’t want to travel across town for your package, request a repeat delivery as described above!

Solution N.2: if you get the text message that your package was delivered and you have no idea where it is, just notify the company that you have not signed for the package (which you need to every time) and that as far as you are concerned, the delivery was not made. It’s their problem, not yours!

Solution N.3: even if you find your package on your doorstep, do the same thing as in N.2. Remember, if you don’t sign the tablet/paper, the delivery was not made/confirmed. Since the delivery services are becoming sloppier even as their prices grow higher and higher, they obviously need a lesson in good manners. You are paying for a fast and secure delivery and you should get what you pay for!

3. LYING TO THE MANAGEMENT

As far as I can tell, the delivery guys will do anything to get out of trouble and some of them probably have Pinocchio worth noses! Let’s see some more examples:

-       telling the manager that the delivery was requested on a later day (when the customer never even spoke with the delivery man),

-      telling the manager that the customer allowed him to leave a package at another location (again, never spoke to them),

-       telling me that the package was supposed to be delivered on this day and not the day before (while I have a text message clearly stating that I will get the package the day before) etc.

Of course, if you make arrangements with the delivery guy in advance (for example you ask him to leave it somewhere for you), then be fair and respect that they’re basically breaking the rules to accommodate you. But if they are lying to you or their managers, they should not get away with it – see solution N.3 above.

Solution:  you should always ask the management to check the calls made from the phone of the delivery guy. If they called you, the call would be recorded and wouldn’t last for more than at least 30 seconds. If no such call can be found, it’s obvious who is telling the truth...

So, to recap: you are paying good money for the package to be delivered to you promptly and safely. You should get what you pay for and if you don’t, you should definitely make a complaint. If we keep quiet about our dissatisfaction with the services, nothing will change – if anything, the delivery man will become even more cheeky. When I do my job, I am not allowed to half-ass it, so why should they get away with it?

But if you are the lucky one and get your packages delivered as they should be, count your blessings and be nice to the delivery man – their jobs are definitely not easy and those who do it well should be treated with a lot of respect!

Until next time, stay beautiful!