Catch 22, Pick Up 0

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Got a notice on our office door last night that a package was attempted to be delivered, no one answered, pick up available at local depot, address included.

I drove to said depot today to pick up package. Was asked for ID matching the name and address on the package. I told the clerk he could see my ID, but that the name and address wouldn't match. Was told someone with an ID with name and address matching the package information would have to come pick it up. I explained to the clerk that it was shipped to a business, nobody lives in the business and nobody is named the same as the business, therefore there is nobody whose name and address would match that on the package. I asked him what other alternatives there were available for packages shipped to businesses. None.

I asked him if there was someone else available to ask about alternatives. Nope.

I asked him if there was a head office or someone else we could call for clarification, since it didn't seem likely that the shipping company policy really was that no packages shipped to business could ever be picked up from the depot. Nope.

Left in frustration. Including the drive that's an hour and a half of my life I'm not getting back. Will have to call the company that shipped the package to us tomorrow morning and find out if they have a way to get the package back.

[eltf177]

Some policies need to die in a fire...

[An Haddock]

I've had to do that once or twice but I was told to just bring a business card with my name on it from the business.

How do they expect people to pick up packages for businesses?

[NecessaryCatharsis]

The supplier called the shippers to explain the problem and confirm their pick up requirements. When I get to the depot tonight (driving a marked company truck I might add, same as the night before) they are going to call the office phone - which for this week is forwarded to my cell, so I don't know that is going to play out - to confirm that I have authority to pick up the package. Cross your fingers for me!

[Slave to the Phone]

I wonder how long that shipping company is going to stay in business. Businesses won't want to use them because of their insane ID/address requirements which will also inconvenience their private customers.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

I ended up not going to pick up the package, my coworker did. It was still my night with phone (our office phone gets forwarded to employees for a week at a time, everyone on the list gets it every 5 weeks) so I got the call to confirm he had authority to pick it up. My coworker told me after that when he went to get the package the clerk just asked him what phone number to call. Rather than look the company number up online, or call the number on truck.
So they went from having a security policy so strict it can't be met to having one that anyone with a phone could meet.

[eltf177]

That is brilliant...not. They go from Stalag 17-level security to "take a package, any package!"

I would definitely have your superiors register an official complaint, and seriously reconsider if your company still wants to use these cretins...

[notalwaysright]

This reminds me of when the terrible SM quit. The new SM was trying to go to the post office to check the store mail. However, the terrible SM had lost the post office box key. (actually she lied claimed she never had the key, which means the store mail didn't get checked for 11 months) The people at the post office wanted ID that matched the address on their forms which was our store address. She finally went down with a bunch of official documents that showed that she was the SM of that address, and she got a new key. But it took a few trips, and you know how hard it is for the SM to leave while the store is open.