Fed Ex may claim to deliver anywhere on time. It doesn't say how. Caught on video camera, one delivery guy's been relieved of duty after video showing he dumped a customer's expensive Samsung computer monitor over a fence. The shipping company finally responded over footage of the chucked package, claiming embarrassment. But, no matter how bad, nothing holds a torch to USPS and its employee caught relieving himself--in a very different way that required Haz-Mat clean-up--on a homeowner's lawn.
Fences may make for good neighbors but they don't seem to make for great delivery guys, especially if there's a piece of Samsung electronic equipment involved. It's probably the best piece of free advertising Samsung could've hoped for right before Christmas -- with everyone talking about the sadly-abused monitor.
For those prepared to argue that hustling Fed Ex delivery men don't have time to keep knocking right before Christmas, that's part of the argument against the delivery guy's package 'toss' of sorts: The recipient claims he wasn't just home -- but that his door was also standing wide open. And, yeah, there was a buzzer -- right outside of the fence. That would be the fence the guy carelessly tossed the monitor over.
Captured on surveillance video, the Fed Ex driver involved may not permanently be relieved of his job -- but it appears he's 'taking off' at least some time leading up to the Christmas holiday. Fed Ex claims embarrassment over the customer video that's seen over 3 million hits since its exposure late on Monday, December 19, when the short (but to the point, and not-so-sweet) footage going viral on YouTube after the customer made the delivery public.
As to relieving, Fed Ex isn't the first to be embarrassed by an employee's actions caught on camera or video while on the job. While the service industry seems to offer less and less or bad service in general, the shipping industry has specifically been in the spotlight: In the digital age, video and photo proof have recently proved the downfall of delivery carriers -- like the USPS postal worker caught on camera and defecating in a yard. Haz-Mat and USPS itself arrived on scene to remove that special 'delivery' of human fesces.
The customer was a lot more jovial about the scene that a lot of people may be: He posted the video showing how the damage occurred -- but was kind enough to withhold his location and state. The recipient of the damaged Samsung's referred to the "sad" nature of the Fed Ex scenario and ruined equipment. But the scene isn't totally random: Other customers continue to share experiences about Fed Ex delivery services. And they're not good.
Packages are routinely dropped during processing and transit, by all carriers -- they're just not typically thrown over a fence, exemplifying such employee stupidity caught on the most recent video of shipments gone awry. The Fed Ex man didn't have to wonder what was in the box or whether it was fragile, since the manufacturer's packaging actually showed contents. Granted customers can ship some strange things -- like dogs, that are more than 'fragile'. But, ironically, the chucked Samsung monitor actually validates a recent study that says packages marked 'Fragile' are more likely to be damaged.
The Samsung was 'marked' in its own way. It didn't need a sticker or Sharpie to denote contents. And it was around this time last year when Popular Mechanics made a little investment in researching how the shipping industry works -- or doesn't. The company decided to check out what parcels really endure on those trips through space, by placing instruments inside parcels destined for USPS, UPS and FedEx.
Popular Mechanics, aided by National Instruments and the company's technology, showed that packages clearly labeled as "Fragile" are treated differently by all the major carriers -- including UPS, USPS and (yes) Fed Ex: Those packages were more likely to become subjects of abuse or endure rougher handling while in care of the shipping carrier. What does it all mean?
For one, it's not surprising. There's a lot of volume with shipments especially during the holidays and Christmas season. And, of course, there's a lot goes on behind closed doors. The surprising part is that any employee would be so highly stupid, in the age of digital recordings and home security, to be so blatant about either lack of caring -- or intentional abuse.
For the record, Fed Ex may lay claim to its now-historic story of delivering through rain, sleet and even snow -- but the company wasn't shown to keep those packages so upright while doing it. UPS proved best at keeping parcels upright most of the time, at least compared to Fed Ex and USPS. And what was Fed Ex best at? Dropping packages from heights.
Surprise, surprise.
For those few fools who question authenticity of the Fed Ex video or insinuate the footage is fake, they've apparently never received -- or shipped -- a package. Here's a news alert for the world's naive that has the gall to cry 'false': Packages take abuse. You, as the customer, just normally don't see it. But the footage is real, people -- just ask Fed Ex. And while it may be appalling as a visual, don't think it's not a regular occurrence. As to this specific occurrence, Fed Ex rep Shea Leordeanu has spoken to the fact that both the package and delivery man were tracked or traced.
The delivery specialist is claiming a track or trace shows its employee didn't handle any one else's packages on his route in the same manner. No other customers were harmed in the making of that video. Believe it. It's a nice and easy claim. And, of course, Fed Ex isn't exactly pumping out video proof of that little nugget that the shipment company's throwing out for public consumption. Maybe its employee was fresh out of monitors.
Fed Ex rep Leordeanu claims the customer who got a trashed Samsung is happy. That's right: The customer's not simply satisfied, he's happy. That may sound a little hard to believe considering the man had his Christmas delivery deliberately dropped or chucked over a fence -- from about six feet high -- by the company tasked with the monitor's care. But Fed Ex swears it's true. And everything's relative: Maybe the guy is happy -- to be receiving a working replacement for the product he already paid for, before Christmas. Fed Ex really does deliver. Of course that exposure and millions of views helped. Otherwise he may have been hoping for Valentine's Day.