I am having a horrible experience with Blue dart courier service

[Kannan]

@Analogous I don't think there is any need to stress out. Just go to the closest hub tomorrow and they will surely give you full information. Millions of parcels are delivered across India daily after the online boom, so rest assured your's is safe. It is more an anxiety of an audiophile expectation in this case I guess

 

[Nagaraj S]

@Analogous I don't think there is any need to stress out. Just go to the closest hub tomorrow and they will surely give you full information. Millions of parcels are delivered across India daily after the online boom, so rest assured your's is safe. It is more an anxiety of an audiophile expectation in this case I guess

@Analogous, since you are in Bangalore, try calling their office in Cunningham Road. I think it’s one of their key locations in their delivery chain in Bangalore. It’s a good idea to emphasise on the importance of the package and request that it be delivered on priority. It had worked for me once. Another instance, I had also went down to their nearest sort/dispatch center at Kalyan Nagar and collected the package (a Blaupunkt car amp) myself. This was a decade ago and sadly their service hasn’t improved even by a tiny fraction. And answers that you might firmly demand but rightly so from BluDart on the delay in delivery will be met with a lifeless “Consignee not available” answer.

 

[Nitin K]

No wonder they are called Blue Dart. They do give you a lot of Blues...

 

[Analogous]

After registering a complaint on email yesterday the status now shows “out for delivery “
So, hopefully…
Thanks for all the suggestions, commiserations and support.

 

[Analogous]

@Analogous, since you are in Bangalore, try calling their office in Cunningham Road. I think it’s one of their key locations in their delivery chain in Bangalore. It’s a good idea to emphasise on the importance of the package and request that it be delivered on priority. It had worked for me once. Another instance, I had also went down to their nearest sort/dispatch center at Kalyan Nagar and collected the package (a Blaupunkt car amp) myself. This was a decade ago and sadly their service hasn’t improved even by a tiny fraction. And answers that you might firmly demand but rightly so from BluDart on the delay in delivery will be met with a lifeless “Consignee not available” answer.

None of their offices or delivery hubs seen online has a phone number
Their helpline-18602331234 is not working. So no help.

Zen Kōan for this situation: When you let go of direction, where does the journey take you?

 

[firearm12]

None of their offices or delivery hubs seen online has a phone number

This is typical of all courier services. You need to visit nearest branch. But if it's out for delivery just keep your fingers crossed

 

[Analogous]

Update: The delivery happened (I feel like a new parent !)
Thanks again, all who responded here

 

[firearm12]

Update: The delivery happened (I feel like a new parent !)
Thanks again, all who responded here

or feeling like a kid waiting for his new toy.

 

[Analogous]

The uncertainty of getting the toy was unsettling. But now it’s suddenly a beautiful day progressing to a lovely evening

 

[powerslave]

I am feeling a bit frustrated.
I was supposed to receive a parcel with speakers (don’t ask which etc please) three days ago.
I have not received it yet.
Given the special days of Ugadi and Id I was prepared for delays.
On tracking I was amazed to find it marked “consignee not available “ again today. A lie, but this did not cause as much distress as trying to get a phone number for the company. I sent an email to the customer care but I am sure they have thousands of emails to respond. No reply so far.
I Tried several times to call 1860 023 31 23 which is supposed to be their helpline/ customer service contact; Number does not exist it says.
So, non delivery, false declaration that I was not available, no response to emails and a helpline number that does not work.
I am sitting here in Limbo waiting for my precious speakers to arrive safely and I have no idea what’s going on.
Now you know why I rant.

Non accountability for poor service is something that seems to be expected and even accepted, sadly in the public sector, (with a few exceptions).
We have been conditioned to believe the private sector is the answer to our prayers, albeit at extra cost.
But is this true?

Happened with me recently that too with a rather huge pair of speakers from AD. I had to escalate things to the AD and asked them to push some buttons to expedite the delivery, it took 2-3 days for me to get the delivery after the package landed in Bengaluru. If the parcel is not too big, offer them to pick it from their hub/delivery station.

 

[Hari Iyer]

IME with development of technology all courier services are now from previously good to now worst.

I remember in early 90s when I was working for a company at Nariman point, Mumbai, they used to regularly order consignments from their delivery head office in New Delhi. The order used to be typed in a manual type writer and faxed to Delhi office in the afternoon.

Obviously there was no computers, no mobiles and therefore no tracking at all. But before lunch next day the material used to arrive at our office. So delivery took less than 24 hrs from Delhi to Mumbai and hence no need for tracking.

Nowadays more time is spend on updating mile to mile status and less time on actual delivery. Because of this a package from Delhi to Mumbai which during analogue days used to arrive in less than 18 hrs and now in digital days are taking greater than 48hrs

 

[COOLDUDE7808]

I had ordered a few CD's from Bangalore to Mumbai around 10 yrs back and Blue Dart did exactly the same thing and then send the parcel back to Bangalore . Since then irrespective of the courier company , I keep track and sometimes have gone to their local office and picked up stuff myself to avoid this kind of thing . Recently I had ordered Sonodyne Malhar which was shipped from Kolkata and the same experience with XPRESSBEES .

Messages ranging from ..we did not receive some code ..to you wanted delivery later etc started appearing ...so reached out to Sonodyne Kolkata ....and then after calling courier customer care 3 to 4 times ..went to the local pickup centre and picked it up myself on the fourth day .

 

[rikhav]

I had ordered a few CD's from Bangalore to Mumbai around 10 yrs back and Blue Dart did exactly the same thing and then send the parcel back to Bangalore . Since then irrespective of the courier company , I keep track and sometimes have gone to their local office and picked up stuff myself to avoid this kind of thing . Recently I had ordered Sonodyne Malhar which was shipped from Kolkata and the same experience with XPRESSBEES .

Messages ranging from ..we did not receive some code ..to you wanted delivery later etc started appearing ...so reached out to Sonodyne Kolkata ....and then after calling courier customer care 3 to 4 times ..went to the local pickup centre and picked it up myself on the fourth day .

Xpressbees is worst of the lot. Xpeessbees and delhivery i avoid at any cost even if they give competitive pricing.
Delhivery has sent me a notice to pay more showing that my parcel weighs more then what i have given as weight and dimensions.
Your weighing scale can be wrong by a kg or 2 but how can it be double the weight?
No explanations were accepted

 

[Sean de Silva]

@Analogous Good to know that you finally received your speakers! Congratulations on the new acquisition. IME courier delivery companies are a law unto themselves in India. Immune to accountability. Absymal work ethics. No contact number or a non-functioning number to prevent a customer from chasing them for delivery updates. Even the so-called big name players are downright pathetic. Recently had to pick up the Isoacoustics Gaia III isolators from DTDC collection centre for fear of it being lost or returned to the Chennai seller due to the infamous "customer not reachable for delivery" scam which has become second nature nowadays.

 

[Analogous]

@Analogous Good to know that you finally received your speakers! Congratulations on the new acquisition. IME courier delivery companies are a law unto themselves in India. Immune to accountability. Absymal work ethics. No contact number or a non-functioning number to prevent a customer from chasing them for delivery updates. Even the so-called big name players are downright pathetic. Recently had to pick up the Isoacoustics Gaia III isolators from DTDC collection centre for fear of it being lost or returned to the Chennai seller due to the infamous "customer not reachable for delivery" scam which has become second nature nowadays.

Are there any minimum standards of service for courier companies?
Who monitors them?
I fully understand the two days delay because of holidays and festivals but not being able to reach any one in the company that has a huge turnover and get updates and reassurance over a phone call is shameful and unacceptable.
My outrage will diminish over time specially with the relief I felt as I received the packages after the frustrating delays.
But I suppose there are many others who have gone through the same before me and if nothing changes countless more here on.

 

[sidvee]

Dealing with couriers is always a hit & miss affair, like every other service provider. Regardless of who owns the company, ultimately it will be staffed by locals, and their training, professionalism or in most cases lack of it (chalta-hai attitude that I referred to in my initial posts), will be what we will experience. I don't think it is going to change much in the near future. I feel as long as the delivery happens safely, timely delivery is just a bonus, though we are paying for both.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Kannan]

We have all shared our few bitter experiences over the years amoungst the hundred of packages received by us, but overall we must also appreciate the fact that in this extremely fast pace economic scaling the transportation service including courier has been at the forefront of making it possible and covering the most difficult last mile of it. The courier guys are exposed to a tough workstyle and deprived of all critical benefits including life or medical insurance (due to their very high risk work), and like many, are also the victims of a system which sees employees as commodities.
Though we will continue to be angered by an occassional fractured supply chain, let us also appreciate them for making our life easier in this crazy fast paced world.

 

[Analogous]

Dealing with couriers is always a hit & miss affair, like every other service provider. Regardless of who owns the company, ultimately it will be staffed by locals, and their training, professionalism or in most cases lack of it (chalta-hai attitude that I referred to in my initial posts), will be what we will experience. I don't think it is going to change much in the near future. I feel as long as the delivery happens safely, timely delivery is just a bonus, though we are paying for both.
Cheers,
Sid

IIMO, The Blame on the poorly paid and monitored manual laborers should be shifted to the mid and senior managers. After all the collected revenue and big bucks go to them mostly.
Excellence in management of work processes is rarely discussed, even though glorification of business school degrees and brands get promoted.

When humans in other places can do it, why are we preoccupied with finding excuses and justification of status quo?

 

[sidvee]

IIMO, The Blame on the poorly paid and monitored manual laborers should be shifted to the mid and senior managers. After all the collected revenue and big bucks go to them mostly.
Excellence in management of work processes is rarely discussed, even though glorification of business school degrees and brands get promoted.

When humans in other places can do it, why are we preoccupied with finding excuses and justification of status quo?

I wouldn't solely blame the delivery person, it is the whole management, upto and including the country head (if it is a foreign brand) or owner/ceo who needs to be accountable, which they are not. Regardless at the end of the day, I as a consumer do not care, I paid for a service, and that needs to be delivered, which happens infrequently, and I have my own headaches to deal with without having to bother about this one.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Analogous]

I wouldn't solely blame the delivery person, it is the whole management, upto and including the country head (if it is a foreign brand) or owner/ceo who needs to be accountable, which they are not. Regardless at the end of the day, I as a consumer do not care, I paid for a service, and that needs to be delivered, which happens infrequently, and I have my own headaches to deal with without having to bother about this one.
Cheers,
Sid

That’s exactly how I feel too!