This week a City-Link attempted to deliver a parcel while no-one was in, so we were “carded” (their fantastic terminology). Fine. This sort of thing happens all the time, except City-Links depot is in Ipswich, and arranging a suitable delivery time was not possible with me away in Manchester and Alison working. Still, if we can’t be bothered sitting in all day for a parcel, then we should have the inconvenience of going to the depot, I suppose.

So, in order to avoid unnecessary journeys, I agreed to collect it from Ipswich on my way back from Manchester, this evening.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I found myself to be in a queue of people, none of whom would they give parcels to….

1. One guy they had attempted “delivery” to 4 times. Except he was in on at least two occasions and the driver never even rang the doorbell, just popped the card through the door. The guy even ran out to the van, and the driver just drove off! He couldn’t have his parcel as it was being sent back to the sender.
2. A woman that turned up at 5:30, the time the customer service line told her to be there, to be told the driver wouldn’t be back until 6pm.
3. Myself, I didn’t have the card they’d put through the door, even though I had ID and the consignment number, no card=no parcel. Company policy, except it isn’t listed on their web site.
4. Another woman who had left a note on the door asking for the parcel to be left with her neighbour which had been ignored. Delivering to neighbours is also against company policy. Her parcel wasn’t back yet either.
5. Another bloke, on the way home from work with the same problem as me. He works in Ipswich, lives in Colchester and has to drive to-and-fro three times. Very ecologically friendly.

During all this time, only one person got his parcel and 5 were refused. The bloke behind the counter was “more than my jobs worth, guv”.

I think City-Link should be up for a largest carbon footprint per delivery award. Their approach leads to multiple failed attempts at delivery, hence unnecessary journeys, customers having to return multiple times, hence unnecessary journeys and parcels being returned to sender, hence unnecessary journeys.

Crap.

PS. Mr Jobs-Worth wanted me to point-out that they were following company policy to the letter, ensuring secure delivery of items which is what their customers want (customers being the senders).