The topic of the quality of services provided and the level of service in Russia is inexhaustible. One can talk about this for a long time and a lot, and it is far from always that these arguments will have a positive emotional coloring. This issue is especially acute in the field of sales and postal services. If we talk about the quality of postal services, then it so happened historically that in our country it is customary to scold the Russian Post. Among the claims of the population are the long delivery times, the loss of postal items, and the incompetence of employees, and even theft (proven facts). You can try to find justifications and explanations for the current situation, bring a lot of arguments in defense of this organization and the same number of arguments against. But today, oddly enough, I would like to talk not about the Russian Post, but about another segment of postal services, the quality of which, as it seems to many, should be higher by definition – about the work of courier services.
Or, rather, not even about the work itself as such, but about the notorious human factor, which can become like a lifesaver, which will create a company an excellent reputation and pull the business to the top of profitability, and by the fact that even the most ingenious calculations and a great business plan.
It often happens that life itself throws the plots for articles. It happened this time too. I was expecting the delivery of the goods I had ordered a long time ago, which should have arrived to me either by Russian Post or by courier delivery by the Courier Service Express company, unknown to me until today. But it's not just about them, but about this whole area of activity.
If you imagine the ideal version of the work of such services, then the scheme will turn out to be outrageously simple – the time and place of transfer or receipt of the goods are agreed in advance, in an hour or two the courier contacts you to confirm the order, then arrives at the agreed time and place and brings / picks up the goods. All. Elementary.
However, this is in theory. As the practice of interaction with domestic courier services shows, factors such as carelessness and disregard often interfere with this scheme. And this applies to both the giants of the freight market and very small, pocket courier services.
In order not to be unfounded, I will give examples that prompted me to write this material.
First example.
I needed to return the device that I was given for the test. For this, the company that provided the device for the test ordered a courier delivery from my city to St. Petersburg. I was provided with information that 'tomorrow a courier will arrive and pick up the device.' Especially for this, he changed plans and moved things to another day. Tomorrow has come. No calls or any other communications followed. After waiting the entire first half of the day for the call or the arrival of the courier and never waiting, I went about my business, being in a spoiled mood because of the mediocre lost time.
The next day, in the lunch area, a call from the Flip Post courier service rings, and I am confronted with the fact that the courier has arrived and I need to give him the package. To my objection that I was expecting them yesterday, but today I cannot, since I am busy and not at home, the question follows in a clearly dissatisfied tone: 'Where are you and when will you be at home now?'. We postpone the courier's visit to another day without specifying the time of the visit (I found it difficult to say when the courier will be able to arrive). In response to this, I ask you to call me back in advance, at least an hour before the arrival of the courier, so that I am ready and that I will definitely be at home. All this time, the employee communicated in an unhappy tone, letting me know what an uncomfortable client I am.
What do you think happened the other day? They called me closer to three in the afternoon and again presented with the fact – 'I am a courier, I arrived.' The result of this twistiness was my visit to the company's office and the transfer of the cargo personally to the hands of the receiver.
Okay, I formed my attitude towards this company, it was not me who paid for the delivery, so I just threw this unpleasant episode out of my head and forgot.
The second case.
Ten days later, I wait for the goods from the online store, the delivery of which I paid for myself (alas, there was no choice of courier service there). The CourierService Express company was offered as a courier service. Since I had never dealt with them, there were no specific expectations.
After a certain amount of time in the morning, a call rings, and I am notified that a courier will come to me today and bring me my order. Fine! Alas, they found it difficult to answer the question at what half of the day I should expect him – today. Asking me, what time is it convenient for me? What for? Just today. Wait.
In response to this, I ask you to call me an hour before the courier arrives and warn me so that you can come, as I may not be at home. They say that they will call in half an hour. Okay, so be it.
What do you think happened next? That's right – a call from a courier who confronted me with the fact that he arrived, and which floor should he go to?
Not at all. Wait half an hour until I get home. As a result, I received my order, but this is not how I imagined the service, not so.
These are my situations that I got into for two weeks. I dare to assume that I am not unique and because of the carelessness and lack of understanding of the service, a lot of people get into such situations every day. And in this regard, I had a question: why such an attitude to your work? What is the reason for such sloppiness and the lack of concepts about elementary rules that make it possible to make the work of the company comfortable, both for the client and for its employees?
Maybe it's our innate Russian trait to do everything at random and how will it turn out? Maybe in the low wages of these same workers who allow such an attitude and communication in an unhappy tone?
The first option is treated with control and competent work with the existing staff, and I do not believe in the second option, since I sincerely believe that either you do your job well, or, if something does not suit you, you are looking for the place where the ratio of remuneration and responsibilities will be acceptable.
One could argue that this is treated with the ruble and such companies will filter out the market, in which competition is quite high. But this applies to small businesses, for which every lost customer means a loss of profit. If we are talking about large enterprises that have a margin of safety, then, alas, despite the low level of service, they continue to work and feel quite well.
Instead of a conclusion
In fact, it is not only and not so much about courier services. This is common in all areas of service delivery. Total non-binding and carelessness have already become synonyms for most Russian companies providing a wide variety of services. The question is how to deal with this and what to do to correct the situation. Maybe it's about ourselves, our mentality? In the absence of exactingness among the majority of the population of our country and forgiveness as a character trait? In an unwillingness to mess with and waste time? I have no answer. Share your experience, both positive and negative, and your thoughts on what to do with the level of service in the country, how to fix the situation, or does it not need to be corrected?