DHL Parcel - Next Game Level

I have previously written here about my experiences with DHL deliveries, both parcels and letters, and just yesterday it so happened that I got material for another posting in this series.

Imagine me ordering some bottles of wine from an online shop last Sunday. The online shop swiftly sends the package off and DHL notifies me promptly that I should expect it on Tuesday. Now, Tuesday was inconvenient as I was on business trips for four days, returning Friday. So, instead of simply letting the DHL guy deposit my package at the post office for later collection and drop me a note, I decided (yes, you can hear the drums in the background) to use a new feature I have not tried before.

I ventured to try the "preferred day" option of DHL Parcel.

So, after a few clicks, I was able to move the delivery date to Friday. Quite easy. And indeed, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I could see the status "the shipment is being stored at the delivery depot because a specific delivery date has been requested (order by the recipient)". Great.

Now, imagine I am back home on Friday, waiting for the package. No status update on Friday morning - normally, I would have expected something like "has been loaded onto the delivery vehicle" or such. Nothing. Normally, DHL drops by my home between 13:00 and 14:00... no status update. However, the DHL truck did pass by just before 14:00. Putting the question where my parcel is to the delivery guy (some subcontractor of DHL who hardly understood or spoke any German), I got the response that I had not been at home when he tried to deliver (which was certainly not the case), and therefore I got a note (which I didn't) and the parcel is now in the post office for pick up.

Believing not even 10% of what he told me, I nevertheless visited the post office where I learned that on that day, no DHL delivery guys had dropped anything there yet (usually they do it after their rounds in the afternoon or evening), and specifically, there was no parcel for me. Great. No status update, no delivery attempt, no parcel anywhere.

Fortunately, I know the location of the delivery depot in this town, so I dropped by there shortly after 17:00. After some discussion that I am not supposed to get my parcels there and that DHL (yes, there are actually DHL employees in this place) is not responsible for anything their subcontractors do (that's those folks who actually deliver parcels and 95% of which definitely need a German language course for starters), he started checking the piles for a parcel with my name on it.

Lo and behold, he found it (I was not surprised). It was sitting there next to some more parcels the delivery guy had put aside... with a nice little tag saying it was intended for delivery on Friday.

After identifying myself as myself and the DHL guy scanning the parcel for delivery, I actually received it and happily returned home - with tracking information now showing "17:25 - The shipment has been loaded onto the delivery vehicle" and "17:26 - The shipment has been successfully delivered.".

I should not speculate about what would have happened with the parcel had I not picked it up myself. It could have been declared lost, somebody could have decided my address does not exist and it would be returned to the sender, or in the best case, it may have seen a delivery attempt on Saturday (without finding me home, of course, so I would have to pick it up in the post office on Monday). Well, I said I won't speculate, did I?

DHL service quality at its best. Quite ironically, if I had not set a preferred delivery date for this parcel, there should have been a delivery attempt on Tuesday, I would have received a note, and I could have easily picked up the parcel in the post office on Friday. Yes, should, would, could. Precisely.

With every fourth or fifth package I am ordering via DHL, there is something wrong. Does this just happen to me? It never occurs with Hermes, UPS, TNT, FedEx and a few other delivery couriers. It just happens with DHL. Well, if there is an option to choose the carrier, I know which one I won't pick.

Ah, that reminds me of the upcoming Christmas season. Sounds like there is more fun ahead.