FedEx, you suck
Today, I am supposed to be getting a new phone. However, Verizon has decided that they only want to ship things via FedEx. FedEx likes to pretend that packages they deliver are more secure because they require signatures for everything, but here is why they are wrong (and also why, as a result, they are not the fastest or most convenient shipping option):
The most lax option they have is the “indirect signature” option. What does this mean? It means that they won’t leave the package at your door until someone signs for it, but that someone can be just about anyone. In fact, they even accept a signature on the slip of paper they leave at your door. This option is really no better than just leaving the package, because someone could simply take the slip, sign it, and put it back the next morning so they can steal the package. It’s a bit more complicated than just taking a package, but it’s not really any more difficult.
So now that we’ve established that signatures aren’t really any more secure, how does that make them a slower shipper? Well, think about it. Most people work during the day. FedEx delivers packages while people are at work, which means that, at best, you can either a) pick up the package later by driving to the depot, which basically defeats the purpose of having something shipped (not to mention that you are now paying them to let you pick it up yourself), or b) sign the slip and wait another day for them to deliver again because they won’t just ask your neighbor, despite the fact that they are allowed to do so with the indirect option. So you are stuck choosing between inconvenience or waiting longer. I really think companies just need to hire common sense consultants who can point out all these stupidities to them. Some of these problems are so obvious I can’t believe they haven’t figure them out by now.
FedEx, you are the suck of the day.