EMS/Speedpost SG Delivery: Mystery Solved

1 July Friday 2016

When the delivery guy finally rang my doorbell at about 6.45p.m., I was prepared to scold a lousy-looking man who hasn't been delivering my parcel for the past 3 days during which I waited & waited & gave up 2 days of swimming for.

When I looked through the peephole & saw a casual-looking guy in a polo shirt adjusting his chest pouch, I was thinking in look-down way: "It's a private courier like Taqbin & Qxpress.".

When I opened the door, EH? I was pleasantly surprised to see a young, pleasant-looking Singaporean (?) Chinese guy who looked somehow familiar as I went near to take the parcel from his hands.  Well, I can't possibly scold him. He didn't look the sort who was intentionally & maliciously delaying parcels. He wasn't the Evil Delivery Man.

His eyes weren't beady. His complexion wasn't dark. And he had such a pleasant-looking face. Damn.

He reeked of cigarette smoke however, for a while before it dissipated as I interrogated him. 

"What happened to Speedpost?" was my first question once I took the parcel from his hands.

He gave me a genuine-looking curious look. So I elaborated.

After talking to the friendly, forthcoming guy who seemed honestly unaware of what is going on,  I finally found out what the heck is happening.

It is not the delivery guy's fault. In fact, he doesn't know what is going on. He only knows that people have complained to him about the Indian call centre. He didn't even know that I have been waiting for 3 days. As far as he knows, he only picked up my parcel this morning.

I said, "But yesterday, it was with a courier but then returned to service centre.".

He said it wasn't him.  He said if for some reason they cannot finish a load (of example, 50 parcels), they will pass it to friends who can finish it for them. But usually, all parcels will be delivered by the end of the day.

Does he return to Speedpost service centre at the end of the day?
He thought about it & said he only sometimes returns to the service centre at the end of the day. Not every night.  He says they deliver until 9p.m. & if person is not home, they will call the person. They try their best to finish delivering all parcels.
 
(However, the Indian call centre gives the impression that their couriers return to the service center every end of the day at 6p.m. & workload is heavy, resulting in undelivered parcels that will be re-delivered the next day.).

I said the online status says the parcel was picked up at 9.20a.m. this morning. Was it him? Did he pick it up at that time? I mentioned that previously (some years ago), there was a lady who appeared to be a contractor who delivered punctually at 10.30a.m. & when I checked the online status, it would say parcel was picked up at service centre at around 7a.m..

He said the private contractors cannot pick up parcels earlier than 11a.m.. They have to wait until the regular Speedpost staff are done, then it's their turn. Which means, no, it wasn't him who picked up at 9.20a.m.. (So who entered that online status?).

In the morning. he only goes to "kio" (pick up) leftovers or remnants left behind that Speedpost staff can't do. For instance, if a staff is on MC or has resigned (I was thinking 'resigned'...). The route is then left open for private contractors to take over. However, Speedpost prefers getting their own staff to do it because such staff are cheaper.  Private contractors are paid at a higher rate per box/parcel (very low $. I won't reveal how much.).

At such a super low price, you can imagine how much even lower that Speedpost staff are paid. No wonder they quit.

Based on that, it is also therefore not true that contractors are paid commission for every unsuccessful delivery since it is in their business interest to deliver all the parcels by the end of the day.

He was even obliging enough to ask usually what time I'm home so that he will drop by accordingly. When I shook my hand & said, "Noooo,  I won't be ordering again.", he replied with disappointment, "Then I won't have business.".  (With Speedpost like that, how to give him business? A pity.).

He also confirms that Speedpost has outsourced their call centre. "Everything is outsourced.".

Do you drive a Speedpost van?
No, I have my own vehicle. 

Did your vehicle breakdown?
He looked puzzled, "No.".

Then who entered those ridiculous reasons for unsuccessful deliveries?
"I don't know.".  It wasn't him. He wasn't holding any handheld device. He said after successful deliveries, he will tell his boss who will update with Speedpost. But whether his boss entered those reasons, he doesn't know. I think since it's Speedpost's website & his boss is just a contractor, it is Speedpost staff (India call centre?) doing it.


Bro pieced together the scenario: Speedpost receives the parcel, but own staff unable to handle it. Stingy Speedpost waits for contractor to pick up at some specific slot (perhaps busy contractor). Meanwhile, online status bullshits about parcel going in & out of service centre with all kinds of ridiculously false reasons (vehicular breakdown, new address could not be located, etc...). Actually, the parcel never left for days. Result: customer waits for 9 days.

Based on his scenario, my scenario: I think contractors are only too happy to pick up parcels so there is no need to wait for any slot when they are free.  Therefore...

Speedpost receives parcel, but own staff unable to handle. Stingy Speedpost don't want to give to more expensive private contractor. Prefers to wait for either own staff or cheap contractor.  After days of not getting either one, decides to open to more expensive contractor. Result:  customer waits for 9 days.

That would be how Singpost became rich enough (millions) to acquire more shares in the China company 4PX. Pay staff the least & sacrifice the customers.

Bro said, it's all about money. He rubbed his fingers together.


Earlier today, I called Singpost for help but no help.  From the website, I realized Speedpost has no physical address for me to pursue. Singpost Malay woman on the phone said it's just a processing area (she wouldn't give me an address or phone number of a manager.).

"Let them do their job." were her words.

I said, "That is IF they are doing their job. If workload a lot, that is understandable. But this is intentionally not delivering parcels. Then it is a different matter.".

She repeated, "Let them do their job." & said she has entered a "small note" to Speedpost & see if they can deliver today.

Useless talking to such a stupid, useless woman.

Based on a Hardwarezone advice from an upset customer last year, I then went down to my post office to talk to the manager who said she called & a liason will call me 'today'. I didn't ask who she called but guessed it was the India call centre. I said, "No use calling them. They are very good with false assurances.".

She said, "No, no. This one said will liase with you today. I said you came down here.". She confirmed with me that I'll be home the whole day.

I said, "What happens if still no one calls? And the parcel still didn't arrive today?". (This is Friday & everyone will be off tomorrow.).

She gave me the "that's all I can do for you" look.  "You can come back to me & I'll call again.". 

I said, "Then keep calling & calling??".

She had no answer.

As expected while talking to her, that the asshole liason didn't have the brains to wait for me to get home before calling. I am at the post office, how can that idiot call my home??  Luckily, bro was at home. True enough, when I got home from post office, he said Indian man called with heavy accent, said 'checked' & confirms parcel is with courier now. -.-


Conclusion: Just don't use EMS/Speedpost unless you are willing to wait whole days at home. They will deliver the parcel (I have not read of cases of non-delivery), but you have to wait.  Speedpost has become Tortoise Post.

What used to take just 1 day of delivery, now takes 3 days or more. Once that happens, your parcel is held hostage, you can't do anything until it is delivered by who knows who. If you're lucky, a contractor will pick it up fast & deliver to you, but only after you've waited days + an entire day & almost going out to dinner.

To be honest, I almost wanted to speak to the police after the 2nd day of seeing the crazy excuses of not sending my parcel.

Collapse of Singpost/Speedpost: http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2016/06/collapse-of-singapore-singpost.html