Delivery nightmares

[Bayrisch_Dude]

I truly hope this sparks a good debate.

Not long after Germany created minimum wage and just prior to me opening my own shop, I worked for one of the small local postal delivery companies. The pay and conditions were utterly horrid. I lasted three months. Just before I left (December) I took a nasty fall on the company bicycle full of mail. Snow, ice and a bicycle packed to the gills without any sort of safety equipment.... a lovely mix.

For those three odd months, I did my best to handle the mail efficiently and timely. So I do have a wee idea on postal delivery matters.

To the actual matter: WTF is up with all delivery companies short of UPS? To me, at least, it is growing worse by the month. Regardless, DHL, GLS, TNT, Hermes (the absolute worst!) or DPD.

I believe Hermes once left a package to the back side of the house (unsure where that idea came from) that contained metal parts. Found after a few days of continued rain to have a package of mush and the metal parts were showing signs of rust.

They will ring the bell at midday while I am upstairs and not even wait 15 seconds for me to get to the door before they bugger off.

This happened just now. I was expecting a package yesterday. I had an appointment at 3pm, so was not in the shop at 3:18 when DHL came round. Was a time when they arrived daily between 11 and 12. Now it's anytime between 9 and 5pm. When I returned there was an email from DHL with options as to how to collect it. I chose to simply collect it from the new filiale location. This morning at 9am, just after opening my shop, the DHL lad enters with the package. I thought it a convenience that he did this. No! He looks at his hand held scanner and sees that I chose to collect it at their shop. He actually would not leave the package here!

This has grown worse since Corona. Prior to, I had the same delivery people, we knew each other. There were always polite greetings and a wee chat. Now it's new people near on each day. They're utterly clueless and rude.

I speak to other shop owners and they merely shrug their shoulders.

What has happened to the orderly, concise Germany I fell in love with 37 year ago? I feel this will spread into other industries.

What say you lot?

[Fraufruit]

I guess competition is good. Personally, I never order anything that would be delivered by Hermes. Ever. Sure do miss Land's End. I even tell sellers as much who use them.

[Krieg]

People want free delivery so I guess it drives everything down, even for paying customers.

[LeonG]

I haven't had too many problems lately. Just one where an amazon driver did not bother to ring the bell and tossed my package over the fence. I got an email saying it had been delivered. Following the link in the email, it said the package was left in my garden. Had a photo as well which was helpful in order to find it.

[Fraufruit]

People want free delivery so I guess it drives everything down, even for paying customers.

There is no free delivery. It is all in the price.

[Krieg]

People want free delivery so I guess it drives everything down, even for paying customers.

There is no free delivery. It is all in the price.

That's not the point, "free delivery", while included in the price, means the seller buys delivery slots in bulk and pay pennies for that, the delivery companies then hire whoever wants for work for pennies and everyone loses.

[Fraufruit]

If you say so. We order a lot and don't have any problems. It might help that I tip when they bring things to my door and also that I live in Munich and not in the countryside somewhere.

[LeonG]

That's not the point, "free delivery", while included in the price, means the seller buys delivery slots in bulk and pay pennies for that, the delivery companies then hire whoever wants for work for pennies and everyone loses.

You don't think they'd still pay pennies to maximize on profits even if x.xx€ were designated as a delivery fee?

[Bayrisch_Dude]

People want free delivery so I guess it drives everything down, even for paying customers.

Not sure what you're on about. For inner Germany purchases, I do not charge a postal fee. So what does that have to do with the competence or lack thereof with the delivery firms?

I guess competition is good. Personally, I never order anything that would be delivered by Hermes. Ever. Sure do miss Land's End. I even tell sellers as much who use them.

Competition is good if those involved are striving to improve to gain more customers. All delivery firms here are striving to pay as little as possible to their employees and offer absolute rubbish service.

With Amazon, they are contracted to use GLS, DHL, Hermes and DPD. How they decide to which and to which customer, I cannot say. Why UPS and the others are not used, I also don't know.

[Bayrisch_Dude]

To add fuel to the fire. A neighbour came round the shop late yesterday with a package for me. It was left in front of their door.

This is the drama I deal with near on weekly.

[Eric7]

I'm generally happy enough with the delivery services out here in the sticks, the only exception being that since Covid, most of them don't bother even ringing the doorbell any more.
Our normal DHL woman always does though and most of our deliveries come through her so that's good.
Like FF I avoid Hermes wherever possible.

[Krieg]

That's not the point, "free delivery", while included in the price, means the seller buys delivery slots in bulk and pay pennies for that, the delivery companies then hire whoever wants for work for pennies and everyone loses.

You don't think they'd still pay pennies to maximize on profits even if x.xx€ were designated as a delivery fee?

Pennies = figurative language, you do not have to take everything literally. Too germanized?

[Krieg]

People want free delivery so I guess it drives everything down, even for paying customers.

Not sure what you're on about. For inner Germany purchases, I do not charge a postal fee. So what does that have to do with the competence or lack thereof with the delivery firms?

I guess competition is good. Personally, I never order anything that would be delivered by Hermes. Ever. Sure do miss Land's End. I even tell sellers as much who use them.

Competition is good if those involved are striving to improve to gain more customers. All delivery firms here are striving to pay as little as possible to their employees and offer absolute rubbish service.

With Amazon, they are contracted to use GLS, DHL, Hermes and DPD. How they decide to which and to which customer, I cannot say. Why UPS and the others are not used, I also don't know.

As a small business you are not the issue, you most probably pay decent rates for the shipping. The problem is the big companies, Amazon, eBay, Zalando, Temu, Shein, etc. They get to pay very little for postage and they are the ones driving everything to the bottom. And they are so big that the postal companies can't have the luxury to reject working with them.

[Bayrisch_Dude]

As a small business you are not the issue, you most probably pay decent rates for the shipping. The problem is the big companies, Amazon, eBay, Zalando, Temu, Shein, etc. They get to pay very little for postage and they are the ones driving everything to the bottom. And they are so big that the postal companies can't have the luxury to reject working with them.

That makes sense.

[snowingagain]

Also, as I think FF has mentioned, tip. It all depends on the drivers of course. DHL are great here and now even better as it is so easy to track stuff and redirect to neighbours, a dry place in garden (a box?) or pick up at shops, etc. UPS recently really crap here, diverting packages is harder. Last week son ordered something. Due Friday, a window of 10 to 14 . Nothing, he went to work. Then message saying window had changed, delivery failed. Message saying if delivery failed again Paket would be returned, like it was his fault. New slot was Mon 1145 to 1545. Nothing. Then a message until a bit later. Then another, until end of day. Then another saying, sorry tomorrow. Dito Tuesday. Arrived Wednesday morning. He did manage to claw back the extra 11 euros he had paid for express delivery.

[bethannbitt]

This does sound awful. We don’t seem to have these problems here, and Hermes, as well as DHL, is reliable. Since we are on the Swiss border I think competition enters into play. Paket pickup stations are all over for Swiss customers who wanna purchase stuff in the EU and avoid VAT tax.

[LeonG]

That's not the point, "free delivery", while included in the price, means the seller buys delivery slots in bulk and pay pennies for that, the delivery companies then hire whoever wants for work for pennies and everyone loses.

You don't think they'd still pay pennies to maximize on profits even if x.xx€ were designated as a delivery fee?

Pennies = figurative language, you do not have to take everything literally. Too germanized?

I don't think you understood my post. Let me rephrase. Do you think if you bought something that has a designated delivery fee of say 4.99 that the seller would actually spend 4.99 rather than try to get it as cheap as possible?

[Franklan]

Amazon delivery by the Amazon drivers works champion.

And I have very good experience with DHL.

Their possibility to reroute for a Saturday (when I am at home) and their prediction for the delivery time works great for me. And if I cannot make it, I can reroute to the next pickup station, which is 120m away.

I usually avoid the "others", as they do not keep their promises concerning delivery time, claim that I wasn't at home (even though I was), and their pick up stations are located in the north of Sweden.

Hint for the companies only offering delivery by the "others": You do not get my money.

[Krieg]

You don't think they'd still pay pennies to maximize on profits even if x.xx€ were designated as a delivery fee?

Pennies = figurative language, you do not have to take everything literally. Too germanized?

I don't think you understood my post. Let me rephrase. Do you think if you bought something that has a designated delivery fee of say 4.99 that the seller would actually spend 4.99 rather than try to get it as cheap as possible?

Of course the company will try to send it at the cheapest possible cost. That's why the full name of the service is "Shipping and handling". Even in German is called Versandkosten. But this does not mean that it is ok for the big companies to push for those extremely low prices they want to pay to the delivery companies.