Courier Preference?
 

Been having some discussion within the "Where's my package???" thread on which service is better.

I can't really post my opinion since it'll be biased ;) But I'm gonna go with Fedex since I get a huge discount with them :D.

Plus, there's a unwritten code within Fedex that all employee package are to be delivered on time and safety ;)

Before I actually started at Fedex and UPS, I used to work at a company as a shipper and I found that UPS's couriers are actually more friendly compared to Fedex. For starters, UPS guys stick around for some chitchat and give you tips on shipping with them. With Fedex, they simply just jump in, grab the package and get the hell outta here.

Oddly enough, when I joined UPS for a brief few months, they wouldn't actually that friendly as I've thought. Instead, some coworkers were pretty bitter, some didn't really respect me. I left because I didn't like the idea of being in a union and the prospect of not having to work for few days because a large number of my coworker isn't happy with management and decide to go on strike. Plus, Fedex was offering more :D Even more oddly, Fedex employee was actually friendlier than I thought and I found out that the reason that Fedex courier don't simply spend as much time with the customers is that they have a strict schedule, especially with Calgary being one of the bigger center in Western Canada.

If I was a customer, I'd go with Fedex simply because the idea of UPS having a "Re-packaging lab" convenes that they simply don't have any respect for packages and whenever it gets destroyed, they can simply rebox it, sorry, that doesn't really cut it out for me. Plus, Fedex management hangs its couriers if they find them mistreating packages.

I can't say much about DHL or Purolator, although Purolator's couriers are actually pretty cool from my shipping experience.

I've never had any problems with Fedex, and I trust them more than UPS. Though DHL seems to have pretty good service too. My vote still goes with the Tom Hanks endorsing shipping company that is Fedex.

If I'm the one doing the shipping, USPS. Because, well, I'm cheap. And their prices for shipping are usually better than FedEx or UPS.

I haven't really noticed a difference between any of the carriers, honestly, except price. Every one I've used has been reliable and polite.

well, as I work for them, I suppose I ought to vote DHL.

I've never shipped anything via UPS or Fedex personally; I always use the post office. I've never had any problems with it, either sending or receiving. However, I did have an heirloom ring come up "lost in transit" after being shipped through a courier service, although I'm not sure which one. Also, my hubby indirectly works for the post office...so I'll have to go with USPS.

We use a combination of FedEx and TNT.

We send a lot of packages to many corners of the globe. Even with our discount, FedEx is really expensive. TNT simply has better pricing. TNT also offers the same services and reliability.

USPS for the most part, UPS if my package is really large.

I won't do business with companies that insist on using Fedex. There is no one home at my house during the day. Fedex insists on a signature for every delivery (to me, at least). UPS will leave a package on my doorstep, USPS will leave it in a locker at the post office, but Fedex makes me chase it down to an industrial park 25 miles away, where my package will only be available from 5:30pm to 6 (it's riding around on the truck any other time).

living in an apartment makes almost all of them suck. i understand why they hate apartments, they are harder to deliver to. but i've had both DHL and local couriers simply not ring the doorbell, and claim that they made a delivery attempt.

in the cities, the USPS is better...they always have a key to your building, so there's no bullshit about them not being able to deliver.

It is simply amazing to me how many packages DHL has "delivered" to my door, yet there's no package, no sticker on the door saying they were here, and I never heard a doorbell; even though I was home. We use them at work too. I'm used to shipping things "next day-noon" and they get where I need them two solid days later. Far as I'm concerned, DHL sucks, bad.

UPS managed to deliver a package, addressed to my businessplace, to a business on the other side of town, that we're not remotely affiliated with. When we finally retrieved it from the other company, our information was plain as day on the package shipping papers. Why the driver just handed it to a completely different address, we'll never know. We do know UPS was completely useless at helping us get the package back.

FedEx, never had a problem.
Don't expect to.

USPS, beleive it or not, is pretty solid. Also, I have the best post office ever, right up the street. They broke all my preconceptions about the PO sucking, in my first trip. They're fast, efficient, friendly, know answers to everything I've asked, and priced right.

I voted for Fedex, but would give s econd vote for the USPS with absolute endorsement. I love their tracking. And hey, I mailed out 5 8X11 resume packages complete with folders and CDs. Total cost for all via USPS: $1.35

They are all the same to me, so I didn't vote.

I've never had a problem with any of them; sending or recieving.

Same, but because of that I voted Other. There's a UPS office across the street from work, so I often use them for packages, but only because it is convenient.

fexex home (their ground shipping) is generally pretty inexpensive, and gets there pretty quickly - though you can't beat the USPS flat rate boxes these days..

UPS is the only shipping company i will not use, and will not deal with online retailers who do use them. I will happily pay extra to get stuff sent fedex. Since i'm rarely home, UPS will not leave packages in the front door, nor will they leave a package with a neighbor. they leave a delivery tag. If I am gone Mon - fri - I get three delivery tags, no package. Fedex Ihave a signature on file that delivers anytime. Airborn I have the same deal with. It's convenient and I don't mind paying for convenience.

DHL doesn't seem to have many offices around to attempt to use them for shipping - and other than Overstock.com, I don't think may online retailers use them.

The UPS guys around here are pretty lazy, so, I usually end up out at the depot picking up my own package days after it was supposed to be delivered.

I actually saw a driver (after I had made specific arrangements with his boss about the delivery) lean out to slap one of those "sorry, we missed you" stickers on my mailbox. He pulled right up to the mailbox...didn't even bother to leave the truck. I had to go outside and chase him down to get my package. His excuse? He didn't see any lights on, which is no surprise considering it was noon and despite my car being in the driveway.

I have no such problems with the FedEx guys.

I've yet to ship anything with DHL, but I hear good things.

I have never had any issues with FedEx, and they offer a faster service then UPS does in general for my area.

I'm sure this can change for other areas though.

I don't ship stuff too often, but I used to work for UPS so I use their shipping. Never had any problems.

While I've never had any problems with UPS, in my experience FedEx is faster and cheaper. When I was shippping a defective hard drive to the manufacturer for replacement I shipped it UPS, it took 4 days and cost $9.00. Three months later the replacement drive crappped out and I had to ship it back to the same place. I sent that one FedEx and it only cost $5.00 and took 3 days.

Both UPS & FedEx are good.

FedEx supplies more detailed and updated online tracking info imo. Although on 2 occasions, FedEx simply didn't deliver my package to my house...they just left it at thier distribution center. I had to drive 25 miles to their building to pickup.

when i used to work for ups we were taught how to unload your packages, that was grab the middle of the stack in the truck and pull it down!!!!

now offically we were taught a different way, but told (strongly hinted0 to do it this way for speed

DHL and Securicor Omega have always had a very clear policy - and that is to be absolutely the poorest quality and lowest cost in the market. Every month they lose a few big clients because they just get too fed up with the terrible service. And every month the same number of people tend to come back, because of the cost being lower than anywhere else.

Never had a problem with DHL, efficient and friendly.

I voted FedEx, but UPS has excellent service, reliability too. I get a weekly shipment from work to my house on Thursdays via DHL. For the last 3 weeks, it has been a day late, and missing at least one of the boxes, that end up delivered a day later (business day). Before they switched to DHL, FedEx was our carrier, and the shipments were always, always there on time, and not missing any packages.

I previously worked for another carrier, it has 3 letters for the first name, and global as the second. They seemed to do really well, but they were mainly for heavy freight, so not too much got lost, bumped. Cust sat was really high. I don't think it's the same now though.

FedEx screwed up a big package for my company this summer. We left it at the drop box at one of our contractors, and then called to track it in the morning. They had no record of it. We called to contractor, who said that all of their stuff from the dropbox had been picked up. I spent about 4 hours on the phone with FedEx and our contractor. Fed Ex kept saying they hadn't picked the packages up, the contractor kept saying that they weren't there. We ended up spending a couple hundred dollars to get the contents there by other means.

Two days later, the packages show up at our doorstep. Seems we'd had a $20 bill overdue (my boss lost and got reissued the card that was listed on the account, so the number they had was no longer good), so the packages never got entered into their system. Nor did they tell me, during the 4 hours I spent of the phone with them, that there was a problem with our account that might have interfered with delivery (obviously we'd have paid the damn bill).

Not only did they not tell me about the problems with our account, tell me they did not have the package when, if fact, they did, and did not deliver packages essential to the biggest contract our firm had ever gotten, they tried to charge us for sending the packages from the drop-box at the contractor to our office.

So yeah, I don't use FedEx anymore.

Anyone but DHL.

They left a package containing my 2 new video cards under the car in my neighbors carport. Morons. I paid extra for them to require a signature too.

After fedex on two seperate occasions lost a package with a certified check (of aprox 50k) and contract of sale, I will not recommend them. I know these are probably something that rarely happens, but at the same time, UPS costs the same so I go with them.

I've never lost any packages through USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL. However, in my experience FedEx is consistently faster and easier to work with (speaking as a renter). I like how I can just go to their office after 4:30 to pick up a package.. no need to call like with UPS. FedEx usually beats their shipping time estimates by 1 day in my experience.

Also, FedEx Ground is cheap, fast, and reliable. I always ship packages via FedEx Ground unless it absolutely needs to be there overnight or 2nd day. Then Express. I think I've paid maybe $12 to ship an 8 pound box via FedEx Ground. Doubt you can do better with anyone else.

StanT: When I still lived with my parents, all couriers simply left their packages on the door. Why? Because they live in the middle of nowhere. As I recall, that goes for you too. Perhaps you should ask FedEx to let you sign a paper authorizing them to leave packages on the doorstep if you aren't home.