My first generation Motorola G is showing it's age and in particular lack of (non expandable) data storage. On getting back from festivities I ordered a new G5 from Amazon for next day delivery (Thursday 4-01-18). Carrier was Hermes.
No sign of it when I got home last night. Tracking said they'd attempted delivery at 4pm and I should consult calling card for instructions to re-arrange delivery. No calling card was left. Website doesn't seem to offer telephone option and I end up having a 'web chat' with an agent who's name suggests he's on Indian subcontinent.
After interminably slow exchange of messages he tells me that there was in fact no attempt at delivery on 04/01 due to sickness. They will instead deliver today. Needless to say the telephone call to discuss situation he 'arranged' before ducking out of exchange never happened.
Item was delivered today. I knew I was likely to be out so left prominent notice by front door asking them to deliver to either of two trusted neighbours over road. Instead it was left, barely concealed, outside my front door where it was vulnerable to theft and the elements.
I'm waiting for a response to my complaint!!
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Don't waste your time. You're probably dealing with an E2L (English as a second language) person who couldn't read/understand/find your note. I often miss deliveries when they can't be bothered to use my bell-push. The bell's particularly loud. I check it after every failed delivery.
Our indigenous population can't be bothered with the low pay and outlandish conditions these delivery drivers have to undergo - you should know in your current occupation.
I'm constantly asking delivery drivers to move their vans from across my drive entrance when they block me from getting in or out. They're not the highest intelligence, there's usually plenty of kerb space.
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>> Our indigenous population can't be bothered with the low pay and outlandish conditions these delivery
>> drivers have to undergo - you should know in your current occupation.
No need for should, I get the driver's position entirely. Actually a lot round here are indigenes using their own cars .
I complain in hope not expectation. The race to the bottom will continue until it hits serious customer opposition.
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And we are all prepared to pay a reasonable price for delivery. Margins are so low that nobody can really provide a decent service and pay their employees properly.
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To be fair, DPD have, for me, been excelent over several years with repeated deliveries. I fact I use one supplier because they use DPD
Just had a UPS delivery, they arrived on the day they said they would, tho the tracking system refused to give me an estimated time. Hermes are crap, as is UK mail, and I doubt they will improve under DHL.
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DPD are brilliant. I've had a message today about a delivery due Monday. I will be advised of a one hour slot and can track delivery in real time on a map.
Most others just say 'out for delivery before 20:00 today'?
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Haven't really had any problems with any particular courier firm, but I would come to Hermes defense here. We have used them hundreds of times to deliver items sold on eBay. Never had reports of anything arriving damaged or not arriving at all. We use their drop off service via an aggregator site which costs £2.39 for up to 1kg (up to 45cm x 35cm x 16cm) and is nearly always delivered on the 3rd day i.e. drop off Monday, delivered Wednesday, and you have a record of delivery via website.
Can we reasonably expect fantastic customer service from a service centre for such low prices? Something has to go to be able to deliver a package for £2.39 where Royal Mail want £2.90 with no proof of delivery. I've only used Hermes web chat once, it wasn't a good experience but I never find web chat good. I've used the aggregator's call centre a few times and they are good.
Any courier driver is up against it and they all park stupidly from time to time, but our local Hermes drivers have been excellent over many years. We try to build a good relationship with all the delivery guys (and postie) as it pays dividends when there's no answer. The regulars know where to leave parcels safely.
Agree DPD's ability to message you with a one hour time slot is good, but they want £7.14 to deliver the package described above. You pays your money...
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I agree. Round here at least, DPD have got it cracked. I imagine that they’re paying a similar amount to and recruiting from a similar pool of people. So the Germans must be doing a better job of organising things than the Americans or Brits... ;)
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Another vote (as a deliveree) for DPD, with a strong second for UPS
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I dread to see delivery by hermes. expect them to just throw parcels over the gate., or through the window. or just left on doorstep
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I have a little gadget en-route from Glasgow with TNT. I had to arrange collection (given the bargain I got)...so far, so good.
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From what I've seen, Hermes have small local distribution points and maybe the standard of service depends very much on the quality of the local staff. I've never had any problem with them.
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The same DHL van came down my close 3 times on Tuesday within an hour of each other. Can't think it was deliberate, unless they were for timed deliveries?
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A couple of week's ago I had an Amazon delivery (not Hermes). I was in. When I went to leave the house I spotted a card saying they'd tried to deliver but failed so left with a neighbour.
As it happens I was leaving soon after the note was left and spotted the driver around the corner. They said they'd knocked but didn't try to hard because it might annoy customers.... I asked why they had not used to doorbell... They had no answer.
It took nearly two days to find the neighbour in to get the parcel. It so happens they got a delivery that day too.... I suspect he left it with them and gave me a note to be on his way.
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Beats me how some stuff I order can come all the way from China and arrive totally undamaged......
Yet some stuff ordered from only a few miles away gets trashed in the post.
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I order quite a few small items via eBay from Europe and I'm amazed how quick I can receive stuff compared to the UK.
I 'won' an item very late on New Years day from Portugal, received it on Thursday morning!
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I do a lot with parcels both in and out. I will not send via Hermes as my experience is their service depends entirely on the effort and mindset of the delivery person in your area which can vary from excellent (as our girl is who delivers here) to dreadful (more often in large towns and cities). Also the Hermes online tracking lacks detail. Having said that most of the items I send are individual and collectible so not quite a case of sending out a replacement if something goes missing or is damaged.
My sending carrier of choice over the past 10yrs has been UPS due to the price I pay vs reliability over an extended period. When being sent stuff I'm also happy knowing a company uses Hermes as our girl's so good... and of course DPD are excellent with their informative emails. The rest are all a bit pot luck.
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>> From what I've seen, Hermes have small local distribution points and maybe the standard of
>> service depends very much on the quality of the local staff.
In run up to Xmas both this year and last there were dozens of mostly white vans on car park at Sixfields Stadium (Northampton FC's ground) when I drove past at 08:45 on way to work. Assume it was a temporary dissaggregation point for one or another courier outfit where contents of larger trucks were divvied up for local delivery.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 8 Jan 18 at 21:20
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Many of our Christmas pressies were delivered by couriers in battered up white vans with no livery and a "Me no speaky English" driver who simply grunted and nodded at the hand held device I needed to sign on.
One courier delivered a package to my neighbour.
"I'll take it in for her" I declared.
The bloke looked at me and mumbled something about leaving the cardboard box on the grass in the pouring rain.
After he went I took the package in and delivered it to her myself 5 hours later. It was an I-Phone!
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DPD delivery today due 14:19 - 15:19. Arrived at 14:30. Liveried van and driver first language English. Wearing shorts Brrrrr!!
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>>and a "Me no speaky English" driver who simply grunted and nodded at the hand held device<<
>>and driver first language English.<<
Try talking to both of them the same and you just may get the same pleasant response back.
It can be a very lonely life if English isn't your first language and no-one bothers to even pass the time of day with you.
...and why on earth would English being the drivers first language be noteworthy for a parcel delivery driver you have at best, 2 minutes contact with?
Pat
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Because Pat, for some on here, Eastern European = 2nd class citizen.
Don't get many deliveries from DPD, but got two today. Both were the regular drivers for our area. First is Eastern European, always smart appearance, always very polite even though English is obviously not his first language and always waves or says hello if we meet when I'm out walking the dogs. Second driver, English, surly and looks like he lives on a park bench.
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>>>It can be a very lonely life if English isn't your first language and no-one bothers to even pass the time of day with you.
Agreed... I always ask the guys how the day's going as I'm taking the parcel. As I take in so many deliveries I know all the regular "no speaky English" guys and we chat to a degree that's possible for them and I've let a few use the toilet which is next to the front door. Decency costs nothing.
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Perhaps if people (myself included) were prepared to pay for delivery, there might be some professional companies bidding for the contracts with trained staff motivated by decent pay and conditions. Our demand to have our stuff delivered for nothing is why we have lowest bidder, gig economy rule exploiting outfits like Yodel and Hermes screwing up constantly.
I've had £200 Amazon order left on the doorstep in the pouring rain, and a brand new tablet presumably go to landfill when the muppets left it in our black bin on collection day. You get what you pay for.
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I do everything online so have a fair few deliveries and collections but I really can't fault any of them.
Some are English, some are not but I chat just the same, they laugh just the same and the outcome is they give me a really good service.
Our local Hermes guys are excellent and most people in the village love the 'over and above' bits we get from them.
They keep an eye on the old folks who live alone, collect the odd prescription for them and just generally care about their customers.
Incidentally they are a gay couple but that doesn't worry any of us either!
We may have six fingers and be interbred in the Fen, but I often think we're a lot more savvy than most.
Pat
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Always get the same DPD driver here, Mathew. Been doing this round for at least the last 5 years.
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I buy a lot online and have very few problems these days. The carriers have improved immeasurably IMO.
I make a point of being pleasant to the drivers. It's a really hard job. I know somebody who did it for a while, he wasn't the fittest bloke and he just couldn't hack it.
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Our Hermes delivery lady was in her 70s- 10.40 +/- 10 mins every day. Hubbie drove the van & never venture out of the cab.
One day hours late - her scanner was acting nup & she was working with paper & pen. She had tried Hermes support to no avail.
I said switch it off, wait a few seconds - it booted & ran - "best pals" after that. However, she stopped just before Xmas & we have not seen her
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>> Our Hermes delivery lady ... Hubbie drove the van
I wonder then if it was Hubbie who was the delivery man and they had her to do the delivering out of the van. These are usually one person operations aren't they. So way is it cost effective to pay two people.
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>> These are usually one person operations
>> aren't they. So way is it cost effective to pay two people.
Gig economy stuff, payment is per delivery. Husband is self-employed and hires the (liveried?) van. Otherwise economically inactive wife comes along and increases productivity by 15% as she's doing the real/virtual paperwork while he drives.
It's a win/win. More so if she's employed/subcontracting and claim a second personal allowance.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 8 Jan 18 at 20:54
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And keeping active and perhaps that little bit of extra efficiency (£££) makes their situation more financially tolerable.
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First class service by TNT. Parcel collected 2.00pm in Glasgow on Friday and delivered at Denbigh at 0903 this morning on their "Next Working Day" service..It was in the local Depot (Deeside) at 703 on Saturday, I assume I could have picked it up from there if I was inclined.
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Seen vans around here apparently absolutely stacked to the gunwhales with parcels including all over the passenger seat. Wouldn't be any room for a passenger.
Though thinking about it, the driver may have loaded as much as possible into the cabin to save keep opening up the back
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>> Seen vans around here apparently absolutely stacked to the gunwhales with parcels
I've seen small cars used for this. And they are often looking through all the parcels to find they one they need - no organisation.
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Odd thread.
Brompton, who is as right-on as they come, thinks the inability of his delivery driver to speak English is a problem - when all they need to do is to read road names and house numbers. As the satnav does the names, and the barcode reader does the hard work, they pretty much only have to be able to read numbers.
Meanwhile Pat, who votes UKIP and calls her newsagent unspeakable things to his face is here in defence of the immigrants and suggests we have a nice chat to them.
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Worst company I've ever experienced for delivering things was Yodel.
Ordered something through Tesco Direct, to be collected at a local store. Went to collect package only to find contents broken by their courier company, Yodel. Tesco re-ordered for me and 2nd delivery was also broken. And the 3rd, and the 4th delivery too. I gave up after that and ordered it via Amazon for a few quid more.
TNT are hit and miss too. They are our "preferred" courier at work and we have no choice but to use them. A lot of it boils down to the individual driver and whether he actually is a TNT employee or one of their subcontractors.
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>> Brompton, who is as right-on as they come, thinks the inability of his delivery driver
>> to speak English is a problem - when all they need to do is to
>> read road names and house numbers.
Did I say that?
I agreed with bathtub tom that couriers working conditions are unacceptable. Other than failure to see/heed notice in window about delivering to neighbour I said nothing that might suggest lack of English was issue.
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You mentioned the fact that English wasn't his first language Bromp, just as I mentioned that I think we should be polite and pleasant with everyone despite their nationality.
In some people's eyes that makes us both raving racists ......then don't forget, I vote UKIP so it must be right.
>>Tesco Direct,by their courier company, Yodel<<
I'm waiting for a parcel today from Tesco Direct and have a text to say it will be delivered by Hermes between 12 and 3pm, so they must have changed.
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Tue 9 Jan 18 at 12:58
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>> You mentioned the fact that English wasn't his first language Bromp,
Where?
I gave a factual description of DPD delivery including driver as first language English. I still don't think I said anywhere that lack of English was a factor in the Hermes delivery.
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Well, that's how it was perceived by some. This really is becoming a not very nice place to be just lately.
Pat
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Pat,
Either I said it or I didn't. Please don't try and derail the subject from fact to perception.
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I totally give up on you all.
I was actually sticking up for you but as usual, I get slated now just not by Mappy but you as well.
There is no longer any pleasure in posting here and I find I do it less and less because of exactly this situation.
>> Please don't try and derail the subject from fact to perception<<
That remark was totally 100% out of order and well you know it.
Pat
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Just lift that chip off your shoulder for one second and read these words again.
>>You mentioned the fact that English wasn't his first language Bromp, just as I mentioned that I think we should be polite and pleasant with everyone despite their nationality.
In some people's eyes that makes us both raving racists ......then don't forget, I vote UKIP so it must be right.
<<
How in God's name can you try and make an argument over that?
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Tue 9 Jan 18 at 13:29
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Pat,
I'm not making it into an argument.
MM said (11:39) Brompton, who is as right-on as they come, thinks the inability of his delivery driver to speak English is a problem
You (12:58) repeated the assertion.
I never mentioned the Hermes driver's English. How could I as I never saw him (or her)? My complaint is about way parcel was left while I was out.
Thus the simple question 'where did I say that?
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Can you not see that I was trying to point out the Mappy had managed to misconstrue both my comment and yours to suit his own agenda?..........Not for the first time either.
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Tue 9 Jan 18 at 13:55
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I had a text message from Argos, this morning, that the item I ordered online was on its way. (I ordered it on the 7th. January, when we were away in Northern Ireland
Less than an hour later DPD were ringing our doorbell, parcel in hand!
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"DPD delivery today due 14:19 - 15:19. Arrived at 14:30. Liveried van and driver first language English. Wearing shorts Brrrrr!!"
There, Brompton. Maybe it's because I live in London which is truly multicultural, but I wouldn't regard the first language of a delivery driver as noteworthy.
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Meanwhile Pat, whom I praised for her willingness to pass the time of day with people for whom English wasn't their first language is throwing her toys at me. Odd!
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It was the fact that you had to bring up the relationship I have with my newsagent in the village once again Mappy.
If you restrict being PC with your close friends and stop worrying about a mutually happy friendship of others, I wouldn't be asking you to look at yourself first.
It would also help you to realise that I, and many others who voted UKIP, didn't do it because we are racist.
We told you that at the time, you clearly can't accept it though.
Pat
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I couldn't care less anymore what people think about race.The first thing my neighbour said to me that he voted Brexit because of immigrants.I have seen in this village I live maybe five non white people.
So it must have been me.Maybe because I smacked him once when he kicked our little dog many years ago.>:)
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>>Maybe because I smacked him once when he kicked our little dog many years ago.>:)<<
Yes, that would be it.
In England we usually ask for an apology first and then smack them if one isn't forthcoming.
Pat
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>> In England we usually ask for an apology first and then smack them if one
>> isn't forthcoming.
>>
>> Pat
If your dog gets kicked for no reason, there is no waiting for an apology.
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>> wouldn't regard the first language of a delivery driver as noteworthy.
You didn't say that he found it noteworthy, you said that he found it a problem.
I can give you a list of things that I disagree with Bromp on, but inferring or implying that he's racist? Ridiculous.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 9 Jan 18 at 14:22
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>> "DPD delivery today due 14:19 - 15:19. Arrived at 14:30. Liveried van and driver first
>> language English. Wearing shorts Brrrrr!!"
Factual account of yesterday's delivery by DPD. Language mentioned because others had raised subject.
I never said I had a problem with a driver's inability to speak English.
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Let it go Bromp.
I know you and I clash about a lot of things but one thing we have in common is we are both 'labelled' by some on here and whatever we post will be read in that context.
Do what I do and feel sorry for people who feel the need to compartmentalise people and assume they are just OCD!
I've just had my Hermes delivery by my lovely little gay delivery man who can make Yorkies from scratch....which is more than I can do:)
Does that make me homophobic:)
Pat
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>> Let it go Bromp.
I'm not letting MM get away with misquoting me and then trying to stand up his misquote with words that mean something completely different.
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Errr....neither would I in all honesty:)
Pat
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Bromp, you didn't say it, though you mentioned the Indian sub-continent in your post which was enough for Mappy - remember the taxi for my daughter farce.
Though I do think you are doing Pat a disservice, she was at leaat empathising with you. I think you should re-read what she said in that light.
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>> Though I do think you are doing Pat a disservice, she was at leaat empathising
>> with you. I think you should re-read what she said in that light.
Now I've re-read it in that light I agree. Focussed on her repeating MM's misreport of my words rather than underlying message.
Sorry Pat.
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No problem Bromp, I normally understand where you are coming from but do at times have trouble making myself clear in print!
Pat
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I can't say I notice a great deal who drops the parcels off and whether there is any difference between them. From what I remember they seem many to be in unmarked vans. I don't remember any particular driver so I don't know if we have a 'set' one for each company. I think they change a lot as a few end up asking for directions.
I know most seem to keep give you about 4 seconds to get to the front door, if not they're off looking for a neighbour.
I do know the Royal mail are pretty rubbish around here, too much stuff goes missing, letters and the such like and small parcels. Or quite often it takes days and days to turn up.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Tue 9 Jan 18 at 15:37
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Spoke to a loader of the delivery company [not hermes] saying to him ,what an awful job the drivers had. he said they come back every day in a foul mood. the other day he said one of the drivers got locked into the back of his own van when the doors shut on him. was two hours shouting to be freed
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Top tip....take a phone.
Not a job I'd fancy. I always attempt to pass the time of day with the various drivers that come here - most are good natured - one was silly enough to try to stare out the working cocker. His card is maked if he ever comes back.
We were talking about the NHS job tonight with Mrs RP who did her first solo run today.Dunno if it's really for me yet. The schedules on the run I'm being trained on are pretty tight, not much of respect from various "clients". My niece, who is doing a stint as Registrar in one of the hospitals had no idea how bloods, pathologies, controlled drugs and mail travel across the region, only dawned on her that "someone" must do it when we became involved - so I have the utmost respect for delivery drivers, whose conditions must be a lot worse than ours who do this full time. We only do it for pocket money effectively (as well as keeping grey matter going).
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Bah! - just got back from hound walk, and UPS are pulling out of end of our street, flagged him down and asked if delivery was for me, (it was - kitchen floor tiles ) - said he had marked them down as "not in for delivery" and said I would have to wait till tomorrow when they would be delivered again! - he could have backed up 20 yds!!! - but no! ... tomoz it is!
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UPS = Useless Pathetic Service
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>> delivered again! - he could have backed up 20 yds!!! - but no! ... tomoz
>> it is!
Computer says NFC, get to the back of the van.
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There is someone who lives in the adjoining street to me who seems to be a volunteer driver for emergency blood transport.
Every so often can be sitting watching TV and see car passing with blue lights on. Assume it must be for a charity or it would be an employed position?
At my place we get samples collected by the NHS - guy in a transit van , never seems too stressed!
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>> Every so often can be sitting watching TV and see car passing with blue lights
>> on. Assume it must be for a charity or it would be an employed position?
In London it was, for a while, contracted to a private hire/courier outfit - Lewis Day. I would have thought blood etc was too time critical to rely on Volunteers, but perhaps they're more rigorously vetted for reliability than CA Advisers*.
*The oldies like me are pretty good, it's the (Law) students doing it for experience who drop out.
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Hahaha..we're paid but have opted to be on Bank hours. I think the stress levels depend on the "run" the one I'm being trained on is very busy - the one Mrs RP was over Xmas isn't that bad (so she says)
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At least they bagged it and binned it, more than the local cats do!
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Not having any real insight into how these things are organised, I imagine a national network of collection and distribution centres, with a parcel being re-allocated to different vehicles during the course of its journey, to ever-more specific destinations? It's surely rarely the same vehicle from start to finish?
Living out in the sticks but buying a lot of stuff on-line, I notice a pool of perhaps half a dozen regular drivers we get to know. Some are friendly and like a chat, the odd one is grumpy and can't wait to be off. Some are not the same organisation as started the delivery. One regular deliverer is an oldish man in a private car who seems to live fairly locally, and appears to be the final link in the chain for several delivery companies. He sometimes does his round on Sundays.
Parcelforce and Royal Mail (I've lost track of who they are - were they once the BRS and the PO?) seem normally to be outside this system, but occasionally they too sub-contract. Occasionally we get normal post delivered by someone in an unmarked small white van, and in winter conditions it has been by free-lance Land-Rover with enormous snow tyres.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Fri 21 Dec 18 at 09:04
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A proportion of orders arrive with damaged packaging, mostly dents and tears. Before opening, I photograph them, including the address labels. These pics add weight to any claim for a refund if the contents turn out to be damaged.
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I have found DPD to be brilliant. They have a phone app, too, which shows the real time route of the van with one's parcel and says how many stops the vehicle has before your location.
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I work with an ex-DPD driver. Self employed. Had to pay to hire his van, pay his own diesel before he started earning, likewise Hermes, Hermes deliver a pallet of parcels to his house in the early morning, he has to unpack it and load his own van. His van broke down, so he uses his own car, no doubt not covered by various insurances he needs.
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Hermes are Great, here. Used to be a little old lady in a beaten up Focus. Couple of geezers do it now, probably father and son, who take it in turns, one does the driving and the other one takes on my Beauceron.
DPD are my faves, he delivers here a lot, I even bunged 'im a fiver for xmas.
Yodel is good too. Only one I don't like so much is Parcelforce 'cos she always turns up when I'm out with the dogs and then I have to pick the parcel up next day at the local PO.
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ParcelForce is pretty efficient around here. They were delivering a new printer here a few weeks ago. We missed him first time around, so requested a drop at the PO, lo and behold half an hour later he comes back. The one at our old place used to leave jolly little "missed you" cards. Made things a bit easier to bare.
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Hermes are Useless - bathtub tom
