Can anyone interpret a Hermes card?

SADIE

Thanks Lisa,

No I'm a courier posting and expressing my views about deliveries, with no financial gain from the company for my views.

I have certain issues with Hermes expectations of couriers and on a parcelforum suggest that couriers join USDAW to address those problems against Hermes.

sarah*a

*onlyme* wrote: »

I had a card from Hermes today to advise they left a parcel behind the plant...

Now I have a few small plants in my garden, but nothing big enough that would hide a parcel. I had an idea what it is for but when I checked that it shows parcel was delivered and left 'in an outbuilding', which again, I don't have....so am waiting for the company I purchased the item from, which shows delivery to the mysterious outbuilding to get hold of Hermes and come back to me to tell me which/who's outbuilding....

Seems Hermes around the country all get the same training and apply the same common sense...

We had 3 parcels left by Hermes in our 'garden shed' - we don't have a garden shed and even if we did there's no access to our garden from the front of the house.

We later found out they'd chucked it over the fence of next-door's garden :eek:

SADIE

sarah*a wrote
We had 3 parcels left by Hermes in our 'garden shed' - we don't have a garden shed and even if we did there's no access to our garden from the front of the house.
We later found out they'd chucked it over the fence of next-door's garden

That is terrible, I would complain to the company you ordered from, they'll complain to Hermes and they'll speak to the courier.

I have no idea why couriers do this, it's a 3 card system(not good for the courier to call 3 times)but texts, messages count as a call, I don't know if they think they don't get paid for calling and think just chuck the parcel, if that's the case their area manager is at fault for not explaining or training them.

I've been a courier for 10 years and have never left anything I don't think is safe, even when requested by customers or companies(you'd be surprised at companies requesting odd places).
I've always been paid even if I've been unable to deliver after 3 attempts.

I've built up a good customer relationship(even with some who have been horrendous)I want a signature and they want their parcel, locked horns over the years but I have some friends now and we laugh about our battle.

soolin

All my missing parcels eventually turned up, but none by Hermes. So I still have no idea whatsoever what the Hermes card was all about!

It will no doubt remain a mystery.

terra_ferma

SADIE wrote: »

Sadie wrote

TF you talk a load of rubbish, they are a bit funny, these Hermes people...That's a bit like me saying they are a bit funny, these Ebay sellers...
I get some really dodgy looking customers, rude, no manners, half dressed.

I think you have a really good courier, he calls back(so no need to leave a card), that's not usual nor expected by Hermes.

I do think if anyone is going to name and shame a company, then do it factually with a follow up.

You are obviously pushing your own agenda here Sadie, while I've got nothing against any courier company. You may be the best courier in the world, but many people don't have a great opinion of Hermes, including myself. But it's not a problem limited to Hermes, I get regular deliveries through at least 4 major companies, and they are all the same. (except DHL and Parcelforce, which I don't get very often).

*onlyme*

sarah*a wrote: »

We had 3 parcels left by Hermes in our 'garden shed' - we don't have a garden shed and even if we did there's no access to our garden from the front of the house.

We later found out they'd chucked it over the fence of next-door's garden :eek:

:eek: funny garden shed!

Well still no sign of the parcel here and it is being investigated...it's taken rather a long time ...

katep23

sarah*a wrote: »

We had 3 parcels left by Hermes in our 'garden shed' - we don't have a garden shed and even if we did there's no access to our garden from the front of the house.

We later found out they'd chucked it over the fence of next-door's garden :eek:

Garden shed must be their catch all phrase - I had a card from Hermes to say they had left a parcel under the shed. After much searching I finally found it on the back doorstep...

All this was after a call from the guy saying he couldn't find the house, fair enough as we are hard to find (only Royal Mail can be relied upon to find us) but the order form had space for delivery instructions which I filled in and they had been printed out and put on the parcel!

SADIE

lisawood78 wrote
Just a point, but if you are posting on behalf of a company as you appear to be Sadie then you have to have explicit permission from MSE to do so.

No problem lisawood, I can see how you made the mistake and concluded my posts were for self gain, we live in a selfish world.

katep23 wrote
Garden shed must be their catch all phrase - I had a card from Hermes to say they had left a parcel under the shed. After much searching I finally found it on the back doorstep...
All this was after a call from the guy saying he couldn't find the house, fair enough as we are hard to find (only Royal Mail can be relied upon to find us) but the order form had space for delivery instructions which I filled in and they had been printed out and put on the parcel!

Shed used to be one of the few options couriers could list for delivery, expanded now to outbuildings and other, also customer unavailable is a new one now listed, I'd use that one, some couriers don't realise they can return items and still get paid although they need to atempt delivery 3 times, no contact counts as 1 and customer not available by message counts as another 1.
Unfortunately the delivery instruction isn't always left on the HHT, it can be overlooked if only on the parcel!

terra-ferma wrote
they are a bit funny, these Hermes people... the guy who delivers to me is a bit moody, sometimes OK, other times really rude.
he's never left a card, I think if I'm not in he just comes back, as working from home I'm in most of the time.
don't think I'd ever use them
i get some really dodgy looking people from different companies knocking at my door... scruffy, no manners.. even dodgier looking vans...

terra-ferma also wrote
You are obviously pushing your own agenda here Sadie, while I've got nothing against any courier company. You may be the best courier in the world, but many people don't have a great opinion of Hermes, including myself. But it's not a problem limited to Hermes, I get regular deliveries through at least 4 major companies, and they are all the same. (except DHL and Parcelforce, which I don't get very often).

My agenda is quite simple TF, I have an interest in people being treated fairly, myself included. Hermes couriers are a prime example of a large company who use a self employed loophole to pay a bare minimum some couriers earn 45p, not per parcel but for 3 attempts.
It's not really surprising that some aren't dressed smartly and don't drive nice cars. I personally admire anyone that works, even for a low wage rather than claiming benefits and I'm sure some Hermes couriers aren't much better off by working.

I'm in a better position, my pay per parcel is quite a lot more, I have a reasonable car and can afford smart clothes, I can afford to pay in advance for the petrol and wait 4-5 weeks for that expense to reappear in my bank account. I can also afford to be the office for Hermes for free, leaving my own personal tel no for redeliveries and collections.

I have run Newsagents for years and that was a real eye opener but nothing could have prepared me for a couriers job, you really need to be made from strong stuff to survive. I would not lower myself to match the rudeness of some customers but can understand how some couriers with a shorter fuse do and are then reported as being rude on forums.

Some things that make a couriers work more difficult, "you didn't ring the bell/buzzer", phone calls in the middle of the night, customers coming to the door half dressed, customers not contacting until that 3rd card stating parcel to be returned(amazing how many contact on the 3rd and final day) customers who haven't read the T&C's so expectations are evenings, time slots, Sundays, Bank Holiday deliveries etc and no safe place selected.

I personally try a lot harder to help customers who have time problems if they're polite, I revise my attitude for future deliveries if they just assume it's ok for me to call back 2-3 times without an apology or a thank you, I then stick to Hermes T&C's they are rigid but agreed in our contracts, anytime between xx -xx for 3 days before returning items.

Complaints for all delivery companies are there including DHL and Parcelforce, it goes with the territory, you do usually hear more about complaints than praise.

The strange thing is for all the complaints Hermes are becoming one of the big players, Next contract renewed, a chunk of Amazon has just been renewed, Freemans, Grattans, Tesco clothing, JDW to name a few. Tnt, Interparcel and P2GO also passing work to Hermes.

I can see more companies copying the Hermes business module in the future, using couriers under the false self employment umbrella is profitable and appears to be successful so others will follow, although they should look at the case against Ann Summers.

The losers won't be the Courier companies or the suppliers it will be the customers and the couriers.