Tell Me, Mr Devon Buckingham, General Manager of New Zealand Couriers . . . Does This Make You Proud? If So, Freightways' Board of Directors Might Want to Think About Asking You to Find A New Position . . . In Another Industry.

(READERS:  PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THROUGH TO THE VERY END OF THIS STORY, AS I'VE SAVED 'THE BEST' FOR LAST.)

So, Mr Buckingham, here are some of the key messages on New Zealand Couriers' public-facing website:

"As our business grows we look for those who can deliver on our promise as they deliver our customers’ packages."

'Owner drivers

"NZC contractors (our couriers) provide the everyday strength, co-ordination and stability with which we drive forward – they’re the backbone of our operation and the face of our brand."

'Is this right for me?

We are looking for people with the following:

• A positive attitude
• Reliability
• Honesty and commitment
• Customer-focus
• Attention to detail
• Good communication skills"

Mr Buckingham, let me ask you if - in your view - the above messaging on your website, is in alignment with my own, continuing, experiences of your company here in Masterton . . . including the loud and very public verbal abuse I received from your courier this morning, which entertained the entire street:

Here's the way in which the woman you have delivering to my part of town believes is totally acceptable to deliver a featherweight box of specialty teas:  Left on the gatepost, at the road, where the next gust of wind can blow it down the street, or anyone could effortlessly whisk it away under their arm while passing:

It should be noted, that my fully-accessible front porch is approximately 10 paces from the letterbox, through an easy-opening gate, and has an easily-opened, large box for receiving courier deliveries . . . as every other courier that delivers here knows, and kindly uses (for both our sakes' convenience).

Since this event, I ask suppliers to avoid using New Zealand Couriers wherever possible (most times they can; some can't). And I also double-ask them to make extremely clear, the Delivery Instructions (which I write or dictate to them) instructing that the delivery be put in the box on the porch.

When A Courier Company Treats Customers with Complete Contempt At Both Ends . . . Sender and Receiver

Sometimes, the nature of the delivery is both time-sensitive and heat-sensitive. Such was an urgent delivery despatched by a vet in Tauranga last week, for my sick little dog.

The veterinary practice staff were endeavoring to see to it that I received these urgent medications for my dog before the weekend, given the urgency of his condition. So, they plastered four giant "URGENT SAME DAY DELIVERY" stickers all over it, and got it away inside the hour, contacting me to tell me it would arrive the next day i.e. Friday.

It didn't. Well, actually, it did. But I didn't find it until Sunday night, when - going down my driveway - I notIced the letterbox (obscured from this side, by a large lavender bush) jutting open and something jutting out. 

You guessed it. It was the "URGENT SAME DAY" package . . . jammed into a letterbox that was clearly too small for it, with the package split open and its contents, including capsules, spilling out. Worse still, these highly heat-sensitive veterinary medications had been baking in a hot, unshaded metal letterbox all weekend.

To be noted, I hadn't moved from the house at any time on Friday or at all during the weekend (up until the Sunday night when I found the package). Two vehicles in the driveway would have clearly indicated to the courier that someone was at home to take receipt of this clearly urgent (as marked by four 'URGENT SAME DAY DELIVERY" stickers) package from a veterinary hospital.

So, on Monday morning, I rang New Zealand Couriers' complaints line. Attempting to explain the background to the complaint, i.e. that it followed earlier unacceptable delivery "standards", the customer "service" operator continually shut me down. She spoke over top of me constantly, and her occasional snigger indicated that she was thoroughly enjoying my frustration.

'We'll Look Into It.' Yeah, Right.

I received the standard email template after that phone call. Paraphrased. "We'll look into it."

Well, it looks like she never bothered. Certainly, she never bothered to even acknowledge my subsequent email, seeking her assistance to ensure the safer, and hopefully undamaged and unspoiled, delivery I was expecting from a medicinal herbalist later in the week:

Hello Mina

I have a parcel being despatched (probably tomorrow) from a medicinal herbalist (as copied in on this email) up in the Far North.

Would you please ensure that the courier doesn't just leave this in my hot metal letterbox at the gate, but leaves it properly in the wooden box on the front porch (where all other couriers leave my packages, or come to the door).

If she just leaves it in the metal letterbox, given the direct sun on it and thus the heat in it, these herbal medicinals will be rendered non-viable.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this important matter.

Regards

Jordan Kelly

This Experience Should Be Enough to Get Any Courier Company's Senior Management 'Re-Assigned' (to Another Industry)

Now let me report to you exactly how effective this plea was (NOT), by way of the following commentary on what took place this morning:

I was eating my breakfast on the patio outside my conservatory, when the NZ Couriers woman stopped, and yet again just leaned over the letterbox, and thrust the below package in there. (Yes, despite the above - ignored - email to the "customer complaints" sheila, whose position, in my view, should be re-advertised.)

I called out to her that that was heat-sensitive material and the delivery instructions to "put it in the box on the porch" need to be followed.

She shrugged and yelled back smart-assedly that she "didn't know what was in" (the package).

I protested:  She didn't need to, she just needed to follow the delivery instructions.

She called back antagonistically and smugly over her shoulder, while continuing to walk back to her van, "ARE there any delivery instructions on the package? Where are they?"  (indicating that she was denying that there were any delivery instructions on the package)

I could readily see that there were indeed clearly written, clearly-sized, and *asterisked* delivery instructions on the package, and I endeavored to hold the package up above the driveway gate to show her . . . which triggered her into a loud and very public volley of insults (remembering, she was out on the street) and a string of what sounded like names and expletives in a language I didn't understand.

I called back from my driveway (since her both yelling at, and over top of me, out on the street, was her clear and contemptuous conveyance of her nil intention of listening to me, and her nil intention of acknowledging that there WERE clear delivery instructions on the package, which I was holding up and trying to show her)  that she needed to follow the delivery instructions . . . all as she continued to drown me out with obscenities and insults.

I finally broke: "Can't you read?!" And she yelled, "Right, you're getting carded!!"  (Whatever that may mean, and who cares.)

So Mr Devon Buckingham, General Manager of New Zealand Couriers (whose only contact point, even after much research, appears to be an email address for a PR agency), at this stage I am left to wonder if this is a much broader corporate culture issue within your organisation. 

Please explain.

PS:   And may I make the point that your PR agency really has their work cut out for them, when you hire contractors like this one to be the "face of your brand".

PPS:  I'll also point out that I did endeavour to communicate with you before publishing this article, but the phone number I managed to find for said PR agency (given that you, yourself, are completely obscured from customer access) just kept going to a non-descript generic voicemail, stating something to the effect of:  "The person you are calling is on the phone."