Friday, December 23, 2005

Complaint Compliant I : FedEx

This could also be called, "Stupidity in Database Creation." And here goes...

My wife got a new computer a little while back (the thing is awsome). But it was making this "whistling" noise. It kinda sounded like a fan, but not. Turns out it was the (250Gig) hard drive. So she called HP and they said they would take care of it.

HP said they would send FedEx with an empty box. We were to put the computer in the box, and send it back with the FedEx driver. We would get the computer back in a week or so. But...

A neighbor called, and said there was a box at our front door. Uh... OK. I opened the door, and sure enough, there was a box... with a FedEx label on it. No driver to be seen - he didn't even knock on the door. I took the box inside, put the computer in the box, Taped it shut, and placed the shipping label within a matter of seconds. But we had to call FedEx, and get them to make a second trip to our apartment to get the package.

Mrs. Tuck checked her e-mail a few days later and found that the computer was on its way (via FedEx). The package was in Knoxville (hooray!). Unfortunately, it was hanging out in the FedEx place - they didn't take it out on their rounds. My wife called and spoke to a woman that told her it was there. Since the Mrs. wanted her computer back NOW!, I said, "Let's go get it." And that's what we set off to do.

Upon arriving at the FedEx building, we realized we had left the tracking number at home. "That's OK," I said, "they've got a good database, I'm sure. It's FedEx." So we walked in and told the woman my wife's name - letting her know that we left the tracking number at home. The woman said, "I can't find your package without your tracking number. Who told you it was here?" Uh. Well. It was a woman - and since there was only one woman working in there...

After all kinds of rudeness from the people in the FedEx office, we convinced them to just take a quick look. About two minutes later, a man walked around the corner with the box containing my wife's repaired computer. "Thank you. Have a good day."

Does a company as large as FedEx have such a horrible database that they can't use a customer's name to search for packages? Surely not. That would be rediculous.