Parcelforce - I avoid them when I can (Parcelforce)

Member Name: Parcel_fan

Product:	Parcelforce
Date:	05/09/06 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None whatsoever, apart from that some of their employees may have cushy jobs

Disadvantages: Parcel nondelivery reflects badly on sender; no customer service to speak of.

I have been at the receiving end of Parcelforce Worldwide several times now, and not one of these deliveries went without problems, unfortunately. For some reason, drivers hardly ever seem to be able to leave a card. The other problem is customer service. If I phone the local depot (Stoke), they just don't pick up the phone - daytime or after 17:00 makes no difference (it's allegedly reachable from 0800 to 2000!). After anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes you get transferred to headquarters (closed after 17:30). If you call three times in a row, it sometimes happens you get transferred immediately, so someone has flipped a switch to get rid of the pesky customer. Must be a cushy job, working for parcelforce, it's one big paid break it seems. Once you get through (oh joy), and attempt to arrange eg. redelivery to a post office, it takes an extra two days, and 3 out of five times, it's not there. The automated logbook (about the only thing that does work) says then 'returned to depot' which means for you, return to square one and try again.
It's appalling a company can get away with it.
Maybe they should consider renaming themselves to Parcelweakness.

I know it's possibly not the driver's fault, but still I can't help thinking that they just drive round a bit and take the lot back to the depot to get home early. Today, the postoffice told me that there were three people who didn't get the parcel they expected.

Well, it's difficult to avoid them if someone sends you something, innit? Though I do try to ask for a different option, Anybody know whether it's possible to make a complaint anywhere?

If you are a company, think twice: if I know they'll use parcelforce, I look elsewhere nowadays. Their non-performance reflects badly on the sender.

Summary: Don't use them if you have the choice