August 4: Pitney Bowes Hate Day

I was going to shoot off fireworks to celebrate, but PB has not delivered them yet!

Just the one day?

PB is a 100 year-old company with ~$3+ billion in revenue and with over 14,000+ employees in more than 100 countries, but whose stock generally is at or below $5/share. They are best known to the general public for postage meters, but are into shipping, logistic, and digital services. I generally thought well of them until they became shipper of choice for Meh, etc.

I have no idea what their problems are, but I would sure like to know more. Is it incompetent management in warehousing and trucking enterprises? Are they trying to do too much on the cheap? Do they use their own trucks and drivers or do they use contract or independent truckers and trucks? Do they own and operate their own warehouses or are they contracting this out as well to a third party? Is the root of our poor service problem in Grapevine,TX or is it endemic throughout this rest of the company?

The real issue is the fact that we can all see our tracking information. Tracking information has become the norm for much of direct to consumer shipping (Thanks, Amazon!) and as such its very availability sets expectations. Wording of some of the tracking statements is likely contributing as well.

Here is an example for an item ordered on July 23rd, which I have yet to receive as of today, Aug 5th.

August 4, 2020 5:03pm ET Arrived at Pitney Bowes Facility College Park, GA
July 28, 2020 7:17pm ET Departed Pitney Bowes Facility Grapevine, TX
July 28, 2020 2:00am ET Jul 28 2020 Picked up and Processed by Agent Loganville, GA
July 27, 2020 7:21pm ET Jul 27 2020 Inducted into Pitney Bowes Network Grapevine, TX
July 24, 2020 4:49pm ET Electronic Shipping Info Received Carrollton, TX
July 24, 2020 7:30am ET Label Created
July 24, 2020 2:30am ET Label Created

On July 24th two labels were created some 5 hours apart. Why two labels? Was there no glue on the first one?

Meanwhile…hours and hours later that same day, a computer was plugged in or maybe rebooted and a message was sent/received in Meh headquarters in Carrollton at 4:49PM. But apparently that computer was steam fired or operated hydraulically by falling dominoes for it took just over three days for the message/package (??) to be “inducted” into the PB Network in Grapevine, TX. Now, I cannot find the shipping warehouse for PB in Grapevine using either Google or Google Maps, but Grapevine is about 18 miles +/- from Carrollton and Mediocrity center.

Then on July 28, something was “picked up” at my local town destination of Loganville, GA. Maybe this was just an electronic “get ready” message, for surely no product actually moved. Oh no. That comes later that same day when we see that the package left Grapevine and was “in transit” for a total of seven days to get from Texas to Georgia. Not only that but it is across town from me some 50 miles away +/-, and has not yet been handed over to either the USPS or some other agency for actual delivery.

Being able to see ill-worded and poorly phrased tracking information with words like “inducted” (did my item have to swear an oath?), “picked up and processed” (did that mean that someone lifted it, but then put it down again as being either too heavy, too light, or just right?) sets expectations and leads to exasperations and poor understandings of what is actually happening.

To be fair, it has been 13 days since I placed my order. I wasn’t expecting second day service, and was in no particular hurry. It is likely going to be a few more days before I see the item, however, for it isn’t out of the clutches of PB. If it comes to me via the USPS, likely I would have it in a day or so.

Much of the ire against PB, me thinks, is brought on by their incomprehensible tracking information and old-fashioned shipping and delivery speeds. Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and the USPS operate at orders of magnitude faster transit rates, which we have come to expect. If so, shame on PB, for they are ruining their reputation with each and every package.

What say you?

I am late to the hate celebration, much like Pitney Bowes is always late. I think Mediocritee should sell a couple of shirts with slogans against PB and ship them via PB.

It ain’t just Pitney Blows. I spend time in Mexico and anything that is coming to me via DHL always gets stuck in the local warehouse.

Example: I ordered something from Amazon.com.mx. It shipped DHL from Kentucky the next morning, arriving in Guadalajara and clearing customs in < 24 hours.

From there it went on a truck to my local DHL distribution center, arriving 5 hours later. Where it sat. For SEVEN days. Like clockwork, every day I got a text message “Shipment on Hold.” (No explanation why, obvs…)

Finally, on the 8th day it went on another truck and was “Out for delivery.”

This isn’t unusual. In fact, pretty typical for DHL, at least it is here. It makes absolutely no sense why a package would sit on a shelf in a warehouse for a week where it can get misplaced, “lost” (cough-cough), or damaged. My instinct would be to “get that damned thing outta my warehouse so I’m not on the hook for it!”

My suspicion is there is a lot about the shipping / logistics bidness that we mere mortals cannot fathom.

I saw a pitney Bowes box truck today! SOMEONES PACKAGES ARE MOVING!!! I made sure to let the driver know how y’all feel about them. @sammydog01 it was going toward your city. Did you order that much?!?