TO WHOM IT MIGHT CONCERN SEEKING A REPUTABLE COURIER COMPANY - NOT INITIAL CITY LINK AT PRESENT (Initial City Link)

Member Name: stevejardine

Product:	Initial City Link
Date:	20/01/06 (2279 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: CHEAP

Disadvantages: DISASTER WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

On the 16/Jan/2006, I purchased online from the “The Navigation Company”, an In Car Navaigation device costing £516.74. inc next day delivery. Quite a reasonable saving compared to High Street Prices, but paid extra for Next Day as I was working from home, the next day.

I ordered this item as a gift for my spouse, to give to her on her day off (19/01/06), as she is travelling from East London, over to West London to visit our newly born niece. I could not drive her, as I scheduled to be working.

Unfortunetly, the Item was not delivered as tasked by Initial City Link ( Consignment: TOJ57682 ).

At 6.30pm on the evening (18/01/06), I checked at www.city-link.co.uk to track the consignment and to my surprise, as I had ensured that I was here all day, eagerly never losing sight or sound of the front door to receive this item, to see on-line that they had “carded” this delivery at 17.20.

I immediately called City Link, whom not so politely informed me that they tried to deliver the item at 17.20 but there was no answer from the intercom!

I have no intercom! I live in a house, with a single door bell. A doorbell you press once, and chimes for 30 seconds. Clearly they could not find my location to deliver this item, so then they “carded” the item, elsewhere, maybe.

I requested when they could guarentee delivery, but was told they could not, but it maybe be better for me to collect the item from them, in Beckenham.

So why did I pay for "next day delivery"?

I further asked what method they used to find my location, and to my amazement their drivers just use an London A-Z!

Should a company that sells naviagation devices be using a delivery company that has it's drivers use a London A-Z? Why does the words "isn't it ironic" immediately comes to mind.

They then proceeded to have the item re-scheduled for a second attempted delivery today, 19/01/06 sometime between 9am - 6pm, but this isn't guarenteed as they had proven, that they cannot find the correct house and no way is this acceptable! Every other courier company can find this address.

Now, I can't present this gift to my wife, she can't drive over to see our new-born niece and now has resort to using public transport. I have to work from home and cancel two client appointments, as to then I if receive the item, if the City Link can read a map, correctly, if they have been trained!

So this morning, 19/01/06, I check again Initial City Link’s website to ensure that the item had been loaded onto a van. No it had not!
My wife then proceeded to call the local depot, to be updated with the situation. They had no record of my call yesterday evening, nor where attempting to deliver today. After a few minutes on hold, she was told it will be given to a member of staff to drop off on their way home!

At 19.30 the parcel finally arrived, "yes" by an employee on his way home, who lived miles away. I thanked him personally, people like manage to help these companies survive and I hope his senior management reconise good employee's like him, but it should not have happened!

I am now finacially worse off, as not receiving a service that was paid for, including to re-schedule at my expense (There goes the savings buying online)!

Intial City Link has many problems, that can be easily addressed, if they intend to remain in this competive business.

They use technology to book items through a so called real time tracking system but fail still to deliver.

Why, can’t a large PLC Company invest in End-to-End Technology to provide it’s drivers with a pre-scheduled pickup and delivery route, loaded into a Naviagtion device with real time tracking, in direct commincation with the control centre.

These vehicles, I’m sure are costly, so why not invest a few pounds more in it’s cost. This would clearly help the driver to find the correct location, prove that they where at the location, create a ecomical route for the driver, use computer inteligence to add ad-hoc pickups and second attempt delivery, if the scheduled time allows. Clearly the list of benifets is positively endless.

This of course would be seen by middle management, as costly (bonuses are more important), but really the savings would be seen in the amount of profits being lost, by repaying back to the consignor lost and failed next day deliveries.

Also, South London Branch has a major management problem especially with their clients “customers” relations. Maybe this problem should be highlighted at a national level using all media methods as possible. Methods like “Watchdog” and the “5 O’Clock Show” (Many other please suggest), as I would be very happy to speak with them to hightlight this problem to Businesses and the Public, alike.

Enlightening Rentokil Initial PLC shareholders and the Stock Market aware of the dire situation Initial’s City Link management and services are in. This is only where we can start to see City Links service improve, or also watch the share price drop! A company that takes money tasked to deliver and doesn’t, is called theft and they are getting away with it!

Finally, I would suggest that any Business looking for a courier company, that they check that it uses a END_TO_END REAL TIME DELIVERY system that manages and runs from pickup to drop off, effectively, efficiently and managed in a professional manner which INITIAL CITY LINK IS NOT!


From a very sincerely dissatisfied clients “customer”.

Summary: Business to Business, I'm sure they are good, but Business to Customers...who's knows...