Problem with Hermes Delivery Services

spook

You come across as someone with a very fixed viewpoint about this company - I'm not sure quite why you're so keen to defend them.

You suggest that I restrict my purchases to companies that don't use Hermes - this is good advice, and this experience has certainly affected my opinion of Amazon. I am definitely a little less likely to use them in preference to other companies in future.

Your other comments seem to revolve around seeing it from the delivery driver's point of view. This is missing the point. I had a moderately bad experience with this company - perhaps the root cause of this is that they don't pay their drivers enough, perhaps it's because they don't give them adequate training, perhaps it was just one person having a bad day - I don't know, it's really not my business how they run their business. All I know is that my experience with them was not good, and that I personally would be reluctant to use them in future (and would warn others to avoid them) based on this experience.

From what you say about how they treat their drivers, it doesn't sound much like a company I want to support anyway, but perhaps this is standard practice in the delivery business. But this forum is about "consumer revenge", and part of that is calling out companies who don't do a good job, in the hope of bringing them to account.

Some of your other comments are a bit bizarre. You say he "had the courtesy to give me his personal telephone number" as if this excuses his rudeness. Again, what does that have to do with anything? It sounds like that's the way their delivery service works, so it's not about courtesy, it's just part of the way he does his job. I have no way of knowing if it was his personal mobile anyway, it might have been provided by the company for all I know.

You ask how I would have ended up out of pocket - well, if the company I was buying from hadn't been willing to send me a second product for free, then I would presumably have had to pay another delivery charge.

I was listening, but he wasn't. I wasn't rude to him, but he was rude to me.

Sounds like a bit of a clash of assumptions and views.

That's an interesting spin on it. Of course you weren't there, so how could you know... there was no "clash of assumptions and views", there was a clash of a calm, reasonable customer with a minor grievance, and a grumpy, awkward Hermes representative who managed to convert that minor grievance into an unnecessarily bad customer experience. If he had instead listened to what I was saying, then said something like "oh, how unfortunate that the tracking information misled you in that way, I'll ask someone to look into that for you" then I would have been a much happier customer.

Finally

He is an individual doing a job, that is very much the point of what he does. He is self-employed and provides services to Hermes. If you have an issue with the way Hermes carries out their business, you should have discussed it with them. But seeing as your contract is with Amazon, your first port of call is with them.

You're missing my point - His delivery card says Hermes. My Amazon confirmation states that my parcel is being delivered by Hermes. His phone number is the *only* way I have of contacting Hermes. From my point of view, as the customer, he IS Hermes, and his failings are therefore failings of the company.

Anyway, enough discussion over what was a relatively minor problem - I refuse to get worked up over it. Credit is definitely due to Amazon for allowing me to speak to a helpful human being very quickly (no queue time) and sorting out the problem quickly. In fact, this is the first time I have ever had the slightest problem with an Amazon delivery. I wonder which of these two companies will still be thriving in 10 years time...

Flyboy152

spook wrote: »

You come across as someone with a very fixed viewpoint about this company - I'm not sure quite why you're so keen to defend them.

You suggest that I restrict my purchases to companies that don't use Hermes - this is good advice, and this experience has certainly affected my opinion of Amazon. I am definitely a little less likely to use them in preference to other companies in future.

Your other comments seem to revolve around seeing it from the delivery driver's point of view. This is missing the point. I had a moderately bad experience with this company - perhaps the root cause of this is that they don't pay their drivers enough, perhaps it's because they don't give them adequate training, perhaps it was just one person having a bad day - I don't know, it's really not my business how they run their business. All I know is that my experience with them was not good, and that I personally would be reluctant to use them in future (and would warn others to avoid them) based on this experience.

From what you say about how they treat their drivers, it doesn't sound much like a company I want to support anyway, but perhaps this is standard practice in the delivery business. But this forum is about "consumer revenge", and part of that is calling out companies who don't do a good job, in the hope of bringing them to account.

I think you really do misunderstand the point of this website. It is not for "revenge," it is for advice, support and help, that this site provides. Your approach appears to be very negative, perhaps a re-think is in order.

Some of your other comments are a bit bizarre. You say he "had the courtesy to give me his personal telephone number" as if this excuses his rudeness. Again, what does that have to do with anything?


It sounds like that's the way their delivery service works, so it's not about courtesy, it's just part of the way he does his job. I have no way of knowing if it was his personal mobile anyway, it might have been provided by the company for all I know.

You were implying that he was intent on being rude and negative, but someone who gives their personal details out to someone is not doing it so they can be rude to them.

You ask how I would have ended up out of pocket - well, if the company I was buying from hadn't been willing to send me a second product for free, then I would presumably have had to pay another delivery charge.

Why would that have happened? You ordered through Amazon, you didn't receive the goods, so what would you have been charged for?

That's an interesting spin on it. Of course you weren't there, so how could you know... there was no "clash of assumptions and views", there was a clash of a calm, reasonable customer with a minor grievance, and a grumpy, awkward Hermes representative who managed to convert that minor grievance into an unnecessarily bad customer experience. If he had instead listened to what I was saying, then said something like "oh, how unfortunate that the tracking information misled you in that way, I'll ask someone to look into that for you" then I would have been a much happier customer.

And we only have your word that is what happened. Are you sure there was no element of you being short with him?

Finally

You're missing my point - His delivery card says Hermes. My Amazon confirmation states that my parcel is being delivered by Hermes. His phone number is the *only* way I have of contacting Hermes. From my point of view, as the customer, he IS Hermes, and his failings are therefore failings of the company.

So you should have taken it up with Amazon. You have no contract with Hermes, so you had no need to contact the courier in the first place. That is why Hermes told you to contact your supplier.

Anyway, enough discussion over what was a relatively minor problem - I refuse to get worked up over it. Credit is definitely due to Amazon for allowing me to speak to a helpful human being very quickly (no queue time) and sorting out the problem quickly. In fact, this is the first time I have ever had the slightest problem with an Amazon delivery. I wonder which of these two companies will still be thriving in 10 years time...

A bit of advice for you, don;t order stuff that you know is going to be delivered while you are on holiday, it will resolve an awful lot of issues for you.

spook

Flyboy152 wrote: »

I think you really do misunderstand the point of this website. It is not for "revenge," it is for advice, support and help, that this site provides. Your approach appears to be very negative, perhaps a re-think is in order.

A. That comment's quite patronising.
B. One of the site's slogans in the early days *was* "consumer revenge". I was quoting that. It appears to have been removed nowadays. Yes, it's a glib way of putting it, which is probably why it's not used any more, but the site is all about consumers working together to get a better deal. Criticism of bad service is an important part of this.

You were implying that he was intent on being rude and negative, but someone who gives their personal details out to someone is not doing it so they can be rude to them.

I wasn't implying that he was intent on that when he wrote the number on the card, but that he WAS rude when I called him.

In any case he *had* to put his number on the card, so I fail to see what your comment has to do with anything. No evidence that it was his personal number anyway.

Why would that have happened? You ordered through Amazon, you didn't receive the goods, so what would you have been charged for?

Fair enough.

And we only have your word that is what happened. Are you sure there was no element of you being short with him?

Yes, I'm sure, but there's no way I can convince anyone else of that. If I was, it would excuse his behaviour to some extent but he still shouldn't be rude to customers IMO.

So you should have taken it up with Amazon. You have no contract with Hermes, so you had no need to contact the courier in the first place. That is why Hermes told you to contact your supplier.

Hermes asked me to contact them to arrange redelivery. I did so. They were rude to me. I contacted Amazon to resolve the delivery problem, and I tried (and failed) to contact Hermes to complain about the rudeness problem. I think this makes sense, doesn't it? Why complain to Amazon about the behaviour of a Hermes employee?

A bit of advice for you, don;t order stuff that you know is going to be delivered while you are on holiday, it will resolve an awful lot of issues for you.

A. Again, please try to be a bit less patronising.
B. I don't.
C. I wasn't on holiday.

Anyway, your mind is obviously made up. Hopefully others will benefit from the warning, which I'll summarise:
1. I had a bad experience with Hermes. They weren't awful, but they weren't great. I'm sure others' experiences will be fine.
2. Amazon are now using Hermes.
3. Amazon have good customer service and are very quick at resolving problems, so you can probably disregard (2) as long as you don't mind some extra hassle.

Flyboy152

spook wrote: »

Yes, I'm sure, but there's no way I can convince anyone else of that. If I was, it would excuse his behaviour to some extent but he still shouldn't be rude to customers IMO.

I agree there is no excuse for rudeness; from anyone.

Hermes asked me to contact them to arrange redelivery. I did so. They were rude to me. I contacted Amazon to resolve the delivery problem, and I tried (and failed) to contact Hermes to complain about the rudeness problem. I think this makes sense, doesn't it?Why complain to Amazon about the behaviour of a Hermes employee?

Because you bought the goods from them, not from Hermes. Your contract is with Amazon, they are the only people you should be talking to; Hermes already told you that.

The courier was not an employee of Hermes.

I wasn't on holiday.

Whether you call it a holiday or not, you still "went away for a few days."

~Chameleon~

I have, today, discovered why Yodel might have received bad press lately regarding their delivery service... it's because they are using Hermes couriers to deliver their products! :eek:

I was under the assumption Yodel was the new name for HDNL but today's parcel was delivered by the Hermes courier and not HDNL as I'd been expecting

~Chameleon~

Flyboy, your constant defence of Hermes is becoming rather tiresome. I was under the impression you'd been banned from posting, anyway? Could have sworn I saw PPR under your name last time I looked at this thread!

Flyboy152

Well I am sorry if you find my comments "tiresome." An easy way to resolve that is to not bother reading them. Because I would rather people considered a more balanced perspective, rather than simply call the courier a liar, a thief, or a lazy beggar, when they haven't taken the time to consider that it may not be the courier's fault.

spook

I get the feeling I'm feeding a bit of a troll, but just want to respond to this comment:

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Because you bought the goods from them, not from Hermes. Your contract is with Amazon, they are the only people you should be talking to; Hermes already told you that.

Wrong - I don't need to have a contract with a company to want to complain about the behaviour of their staff. I'm not expecting them to do anything about the delivery, but I would at least like to *tell* them about the way their staff are behaving. Of course I reported the issue to Amazon too.

Your defence of this company is tiresome, as ~Chameleon~ says. I'm all for a balanced perspective, but your blind arguments in favour of the company at all times appear anything but balanced to me.

To everyone else on this thread, I apologise for stringing it out with a long and pointless debate about whether a Hermes courier was rude to me on the phone or not, and whether this is a bad thing or not. I'm off to set up my new wireless keyboard which arrived this morning from Amazon via a Royal Mail employee who was quite friendly and didn't shout at me, not even a bit (even though I took nearly a minute to answer the door to him at 7.30am ).

Flyboy152

spook wrote: »

I get the feeling I'm feeding a bit of a troll, but just want to respond to this comment:


Wrong - I don't need to have a contract with a company to want to complain about the behaviour of their staff. I'm not expecting them to do anything about the delivery, but I would at least like to *tell* them about the way their staff are behaving. Of course I reported the issue to Amazon too.

Your defence of this company is tiresome, as ~Chameleon~ says. I'm all for a balanced perspective, but your blind arguments in favour of the company at all times appear anything but balanced to me.

To everyone else on this thread, I apologise for stringing it out with a long and pointless debate about whether a Hermes courier was rude to me on the phone or not, and whether this is a bad thing or not. I'm off to set up my new wireless keyboard which arrived this morning from Amazon via a Royal Mail employee who was quite friendly and didn't shout at me, not even a bit (even though I took nearly a minute to answer the door to him at 7.30am ).

Why should Hermes engage with you, they have no contractual obligation to do so. In fact many of Hermes's customers have conditions of service which preclude direct contact with their end users.

Just because you can't get your own way, does not mean that anyone who disagrees with you is a troll. Bandying these accuations is a lazy and ineffectual way of debating and ultimately does you no favours at all.

halibut2209

Yeah, flyboy seems to be "on one" again

flyboy, why don't you respond to the actual relevant part which is "then returned it to Amazon the next working day (instead of after 3 working days as stated on the tracking data)."