Today I got a call at 8:11am, which as far as I know is NOT during business hours. Needless to say I did not make it to the phone on time. There was no message left.

At 7:30pm I got a call from Purolator Couriers letting me know that that was them, and can they try again tomorrow. Now I don’t mind that they will try again tomorrow, but the question I have is – why didn’t the delivery person leave a message, or leave a phone number for me to call back? Who knows, we could have arranged to get the package delivered 15 minutes later, or on the way back past my location.

Why will so few companies commit to a small window of time, like morning 9-12 or afternoon 2-6? Why is it that the majority of North American companies (any company, not just those in the business of package delivery) say “9-5” or “sometime tomorrow” as their delivery time? Many people waste a day waiting for the delivery, or even take time off work. Many delivery personnel deal with angry customers or have to back-track the next day, which costs the company more money.

The reason I am told is that the majority of delivery personnel are contract workers, and are given a number of things to deliver in a day, and it is up to them to work out a route. So if they ring you once and you do not answer – they keep on truckin’. What do they really care? They get more money by making another trip the next day.

Like you I have had different things delivered, like furniture, telephone or cable upgrades, large appliances etc. and as I recall the most hassle-free deliveries have been the ones where the delivery people carry a phone and call ahead to say they are on their way, or even better, call to arrange a delivery time. If their companies have such a policy in place then I say KUDOS to them for understanding efficiency and customer satisfaction. If it is actually the delivery personnel who have had enough of the industry’s lack of time management and have decided to carry a phone for their own stress-relief, than I say to them “Well done, and thank you!”