HOW RELIABLE AND SAFE IS OUR COURIER SERVICE

HOW RELIABLE AND SAFE IS OUR COURIER SERVICE

Some days back my daughter found 4 parcels lying on the steps of the first floor staircase of our building. One of them was meant for my son. The second one was for the lady staying in the building opposite ours, so I arranged to have the same delivered to her. All the parcels contained (I presume) Annual Reports of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited. I sent an email to the Company Secretary of the company, informing him how it was a serious matter that these parcels sent by them had been left on our staircase in this manner and not delivered to the concerned addressees and also informed that it was not clear to me how these parcels had been sent i.e. by post or courier because there was no postal stamp or courier slip. Although, I did not get any reply from them, a prompt action had been taken. A representative from Blue Dart called on me, informed me that a new recruit was responsible for this, apologised on his behalf, promised that the same mistake would not happen ever again and took from me the other undelivered parcels remaining with me. This was not end of the matter. The same evening the same representative came back again with some executives (his bosses) and the courier boy, who had been assigned the job. The poor courier boy (a teen with first job perhaps) was made to apologise. I felt sorry for him. He was shaking when he said, " साहेब, माझी तक्रार करू नका. मी तुमची माफी मागतो. तुम्ही कंपलेंट केलीत तर माझी नोकरी जाईल हो. प्लीज, मला करा. सॉरी! माझ्या कडून अशी चूक परत घडणार नाहि. सॉरी,सॉरी ---" He must have said 'sorry' at least twenty times.

Then just three days back, I found 3 envelopes meant for one of our neighbours, sent by Bank of India,through Professional Couriers, lying on the floor of the right wing corridor.Needless to add here that hand over the same to them. However, I do not know whether they have written to BOI about it. Typical ''चलता है' attitude!

Once I was traveling in a train. It was some years back. A courier boy sitting opposite me, was busy tearing envelopes containing some leaflets. My curiosity got better of me. I picked up (without his knowledge) some torn envelopes and the torn leaflets. They were from Citibank, Chennai. I wrote to them (I had no access to computers, hence couldn't send email) enclosing the torn leaflets and the envelopes so retrieved by me. In a matter of a week or so I received a letter of appreciation from the Citibank along with a gift cheque of Rs.501/- They had immediately discontinued services of that courier. That's what I call swift and prompt action. 

So now I have started wondering - Is our courier service safe and reliable? Efficient?

And now our postal service has improved, especially the 'Speed Post' ( may be the speed is not that fast, but  it may be slow, steady but surely it will reach us)  and 'Registered Post'. So why opt for couriers.