Collapse of Singapore Singpost Speedpost/EMS Even More Important Than Tree Pruning (Review)

30 June 2016. Thursday.

Speedpost breaks record with failure to deliver on 2nd day!! Spilling over to 3rd day!! Never happened before.   

1st call: India Indian man answered. False assurance that it'll arrive by 6pm today.  
2nd call: Another India Indian man answered. Assured me will deliver by 6.30p.m.  
3rd call: India Indian woman answered with strong Indian accent. She didn't even understand/hear what I'm saying & there's something wrong with their phone! Like long distance sounding (I suspect they are in India but the Speedpost distribution centre is in SG. Some years ago when I had problem with Starhub, their Filipino customer service also sounded distant. And the phone number was overseas number.).  She said delivery man won't be coming at all because it's past 6p.m.. Delivery only from 9a.m. to 6p.m.

I said earlier staff said to wait. Can't you call your delivery man to confirm if he's coming? You don't have the numbers of the delivery men? She said no.

Holy shit.  Even Peeka has the number of their delivery guy & he called me all friendly on my phone (back when I used Peeka).

I said I waited 2 whole days from 9 to 6 p.m..Tomorrow is the 3rd day! Again 9 to 6?  Speedpost has never been like this. This is the first time. Can you call the delivery man to confirm at least whether he's coming tomorrow morning or afternoon? At least a time frame?

Indian woman: Sorry? 


29th June: 1st unsuccessful delivery--reason: Vehicular breakdown.
30th June: 2nd unsuccessful delivery--reason: Delivery could not be completed as new address could not be located. (Really absurd. What new address? I've been living in this same place for years.).

Check this out: Hardware zone: Click to enlarge.

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It is very sad, very worrying & very horrifying when a key infrastructure of a country breaks down. It goes beyond just delivery service. Without realizing it, these Singpost & Speedpost people are causing the country to fall apart.

This is not just about a small delivery company. If it's bad, people can just use some other. This is the country's main nationwide delivery company.  If it breaks down, it is a reflection of the country's breakdown because just 2 years ago, it was not like this.

Speedpost parcels always arrived in 1 day for me once it arrived in Singapore. It was delivered either morning or afternoon. As recent as last year, it was still fine, although starting to show signs of deterioriation (1 parcel from Japan was delayed by 1 day because it left on the first day but returned to service centre that day without being delivered.).

Why are foreigners even allowed to run our Singapore delivery system?  They shouldn't even be hired in key positions yet they frequently appear as managers in fastfood restaurants. And look how badly run those fastfood restaurants are. Look how badly run their countries are.

I still recall that very rude Filipino woman manager at McDonald's @ ARC. Because of her super slow service & poorly managed staff, I looked at her name tag with intention to lodge a complaint. She noticed that I was looking & demanded rudely as if she owned the place, "WHY? Want to see my name?".  


What Singpost & Speedpost need, is a competitor or competitors. With the kind of money at stake, they will be forced to improve.


As I write this, the noise of tree pruning in my area is outside my window. But it's not the noise that is disturbing. What I'm worried about is whether my Speedpost parcel will be delivered this morning or even by the end of today. Shall we bet?

It should have been delivered yesterday, but didn't arrive whole day. It was with delivery courier since 8.41a.m. yesterday. After 6pm, I knew the delivery person had most likely stopped work. Speedpost don't do nights.

I constantly refreshed the online tracking page the whole day. At about 11p.m., it updated to "unsuccessful delivery", reason "Delivery could not be completed due to vehicular breakdown".

Vehicular breakdown.

I have seen Speedpost vans along the roads. Is it possible it broke down?  That the van broke down is a bad sign.   Sounds like China or some other place.

Didn't they service their vehicles to ensure smooth deliveries on the roads? The vehicles are the main "ingredient" in their service & they are not taking care of it?

I imagined the van breaking down. More likely, the delivery guy just clicked on the most convenient reason in the list of reasons on his iphone system update.  Possible that he had too many parcels because he started late at 8.41a.m. & couldn't complete. In any case, he should return early morning the next day.

But till now 11.50a.m., the morning is almost gone & no sign of Speedpost at the door.

Bro said they could be undermanned. So they are unable to complete their rounds. I say it's either that, or the men are lazying around. Already, they start picking up the parcels later than in the past.

The later you pick up, the less time you have to complete the deliveries.


Four years ago (2009-2011) when I used to order regularly from Korea & Taiwan, a Speedpost Singaporean Chinese lady used to deliver to me punctually every time at 10.30 a.m.. The online status would state that the parcel was picked up very early morning at around 6 or 7 a.m.. At 10.30a.m., she would be at my place. Amazingly, she was always very punctual.  She always wore a white polo T, a bit plump & jovial (although not talkative). Hardworking lady.

I don't recall seeing a Speedpost logo on her polo T & she seemed to be a contractor rather than a real staff.

In fact, during those days, I would sometimes still be sleeping & get a shock out of my bed when the doorbell rang. My bro would go to answer it. Before her, I think there was also a Speedpost Singaporean Chinese man who was also very super early punctual like 9.30a.m..

Then one day, the timing changed. No longer morning.  When I opened the door, it was no longer her. Different guys delivered unpredictably (but always before 6p.m.).


All my overseas EMS parcels arrived the next day after arriving at airport. In the rare instance I was not home (happened once or twice), I would call Speedpost which would automatically re-deliver punctually the next early morning or afternoon.  The person who answered the call was always Singaporean.

Last night,  I read that Speedpost hasn't been doing re-deliveries since Sept 2012. 
How can a country's postal delivery service collapse in just 2 years? Bro said an entire country can collapse overnight. Not surprising.

If you think I'm exaggerating, you should read what people say in those accounts/reviews about Speedpost. It sounds like they must be joking. But there is no reason for them to spend time & effort writing such jokes. And Singaporeans are not so creative to make jokes like that.

Every comment I read about what Speedpost delivery men did, is absolutely crazy.  I don't know why they do these things. Are they all foreigners?

A postman's job is not just a job. It is a responsibility. Just like a doctor's job. When you take the salary, you're not working just for the money. Behind, is a duty, an important role. Such people have forgotten that.

If you cannot fulfil that role, then do not take the job.

It is now 12:06p.m., still no sign of Speedpost.  Is the delivery guy having lunch? Maybe they should have an status update that says "Delivery courier on lunch break".

I will avoid ordering anything that sends by EMS next time. It's a pity.

This morning, I felt so comforted by Ezbuy's service that's even more reliable & trustworthy (for now) than Speedpost. How can China win Singapore? Ezbuy just refunded domestic shipping fee without me saying so & left a note.

At 1.16p.m., I just called Speedpost. I concur with the reports (& confirm) that the person who answered the phone is a foreigner. An India Indian man with curly accent. Polite but a foreigner & completely useless.  "I assure you that it will be delivered by 6p.m. today.".

[Update at 6p.m.:  His assurance is false as expected. No Speedpost. They can't control their drivers. I just called again & another India Indian man answered to ask me to wait some more, 6.15 or 6.30p.m.. He doesn't think it'll be later than that. Says if any problem, can call again.].

I noticed that the phone machine intentionally waited with a distant pause after smoothly announcing what #1, 2 & 3 are for before providing #4 "for other enquiries".

Also, it announced a closure of a Singpost branch. Why is Singpost under Speedpost's phone line? Was there ever an announcement on Singpost-Speedpost merger? The 2 have always been separate.


It's strange that in a few of the reports I read, people say Speedpost didn't bother delivering their parcels but put a notice slip into their mail box to collect from their post office.

In the past, during missed delivery when occupant is not home, Speedpost would then put a notice on the door or gate for re-delivery to be scheduled via phone or online.

Also, about 2-3 years ago,  larger parcels could be sent via registered Singpost.  Suddenly, only packages within than their very restricted size limits can be sent that way & everything else goes to Speedpost (& their very expensive prices).

Not only that. 2 days ago, I found out that Singpost "tracking system" is no longer tracking. Some time ago this year, it was still working, but was not updated well.  (In the past, the update was on time.).

Now it's completely Zero for local & overseas registered articles. I sent a package to a Carousell SG buyer & I am also expecting a parcel from Greece. Both tracking numbers are failing to show up in the tracking system (in the old & new websites).  Why bother doing a new website when the basic system isn't even working??

And why install the inconvenience of an extra step when previously it wasn't there? I have to additionally type in a security code!

I checked the SG tracking number so many times, I have memorised it. 


From 2009-2012, I very often mailed local parcels at my nearby post office. Everyone always received their packages whether registered or normal post. If it's registered, it took 2 days to receive. If normal, it took 1 or 2 days.

The only time a normal mail package was lost was because I mailed at a different post office for the first time & their deposit box was outside. So after they closed for the day, it is possible that someone managed to steal parcels out of that box at night. Or it was temporarily lost but later finally arrived (I don't know about this since the recipient never contacted me again.).
 

Recently, I have been reading reports of Singpost losing people's mail, which I find very strange.

Also, I noticed that only as recently as last year, counter staff at my post office would demand that I write a return address (even though it's local package). I say "demand".  They wouldn't budge. Last year, the counter woman serving me even called over the manager who was walking around. Said I wouldn't write a return address on my registered parcel. The manager let me be only after some argument.

Back when I used to mail plenty of local parcels, the staff never cared whether or not there was a return address.

Why now?  Because many people complain of lost mail. Ok. Then why are mails getting lost when previously there wasn't such a problem? Because you are hiring foreigners? Because you are hiring contractors?

I read that Singpost is making a lot of profit & even rich enough to purchase additional $36 million shares in a China delivery company 4PX. Singpost has expanded. But why then has it deterioriated?

I noticed that even the layout of the Singpost branch I go to, has changed. So rundown, so makeshift, blank white & poorly done.  Even the entire staff with the manager have changed. What is happening?  

A few years ago, they were even trying to sell irrelevant groceries such as canned Abalone & cookies that the staff were asking people to buy at the end of the postal services.  Absurd.  Even selling electrical appliances. I thought Singpost must be closing down to be desperate enough to be doing this.

But far from going bust, Singpost has made millions of profit & acquired stakes in China's 4PX.


2 days ago on 28th Tues, I was angry with a Singpost woman. Yes, I have her name. Yeo Chay Boo (you can call her "chuay bo" for "cannot find" in Hokkien). Is she even Singaporean or Malaysian?

Fat balding Chinese woman in spectacles who loves to talk but does as little work as possible & holds up the queue.

A Singpost staff herself holding up the queue.  I'm surprised she don't get yelled at every day.  I bloody well almost yelled at her.


A Carousell buyer had ordered an item from me.  I was to mail it via local registered Singpost.  Queued for a long time. In front of me was a local Indian man who obviously had been waiting for a long time.  In front of him was a local Chinese office man who left the queue when I entered because he couldn't wait any more. Further in front, were another 3 persons.

Delay after delay. She chatted with a woman customer who said she was shortchanged by a certain number of stamps. Baldy Singpost woman who was sitting very comfortably in her chair for a nice chat, admitted that it was possibly her fault because she was busy.

It went on for some more minutes until the matter was solved, then the customer went away.

Next. The franked mail Malay man arrived with a sack. She went to open the side door for him. Then seeing the sack & confirming it's franked mail, told him to put it outside. I was thinking "What if it goes missing if you leave it outside??".

Luckily, the manager (a woman I never seen before) appeared & said that the sack of mail has to be left inside the room. That stupid chuay bo woman relented. But she suddenly had the idea that it was too heavy for the Malay staff to carry off later & insisted that the delivery man take out some of the mail in the sack & put into another sack that was on the countertop.

I think she had left the folded sack there for precisely this purpose, waiting for him. 

He was completely upset by this demand because it wasn't his job. It was double work for him. He said it wasn't her who would be carrying the sack later. She said, "Yes, but pity the poor staff...It's too heavy.".

I don't know what's the matter with her. There must be some benefit for her to force him to do this. She kept saying, "It's too heavy. Too heavy.".

He said, "It's not heavy. I was able to carry it here.".

He said that he was fasting (implying he has no energy to be doing extra work). She replied that "They are also fasting".  (meaning the Malay staff who would be carrying it off later).

He said she should be separating the mail herself because this is not his job. She said she was already full-handed.  He said, "Then you think I'm very free? Come on. I already delivered this to your door.".

Meanwhile, customers were waiting for her in the queue. I was watching her. Wondering what the heck is she doing.

While the delivery man finally relented & started taking out chunks of mail to put into the other sack, she finally went back to her seat.

By the time it was the Indian man's turn (in front of me), his patience was completely used up. But she said he was unable to collect his item because it's been "too long". After waiting in line for so long, he discovered he couldn't get his mail because according to her, it's been returned to sender. She didn't even bother to check inside whether the mail might perhaps still be lying around.

He left in a huff but amazingly held his temper very well (partly because it was his fault for not picking his mail up earlier).

Then it was my turn.

She weighed it. I already knew the weight since I did it at home & knew how much it cost.  I paid. She scanned the barcode, stuck it onto my parcel & gave me the receipt with tracking number. Then started complaining.

She said there is only address, no name.

I said the person only gave me his address (& I didn't take down his Carousell userID. In the past, it was fine just to have an address for the postman to send to.).  

She said, "Then write your address here.". She turned the parcel behind on the counter.

I said it's fine as it is. She demanded that I write my address.

I said I have sent parcels this way before & it's been fine.

She said without a return address, how to recover the parcel? "Throw it away?".

Pissed & wanting to get her off my back, I said, "Yes. Throw it away.".

She didn't know what to say for a second. Then cotinued to demand for a return address.

To distract her, I asked whether she can give me more of those registered article slips of paper for next time. It seemed to boost her ego.

She rudely ignored my request & even increased her demand that I write a return address.
So I took the pen, thinking of writing a fake return address. Meanwhile, she grumbled, "No return address. Then what for register it?".

What a stupid woman. Registered mail means I pay extra for the postman to deliver to this address. Make sure this address receives this package. If it is delivered honestly, there will be no problem. Therefore a return address has never been necessary in all the years that I have been posting mail.

I should have told her that.

Instead, I took the pen,  trying to think of a fake return address. Then decided, what the heck. Why should I rack my brain thinking of a fake address or be forced to write any address??! 

I said in a firm & getting angry voice that I did not know the person & did not want to write it because it is private & confidential information.

She still kept demanding & insisting that I write it. Bloody woman.

My temper suddenly rose & I tossed my hand up & said, "I have spoken to the manager before & it's fine!".

When I looked down at her again, the bold & demanding attitude in her eyes had disappeared. Her stupidly confident attitude had shrunk. She looked taken aback & instantly relented when I repeated, "It's fine. It's fine!". She then muttered in agreement or something while I walked away.

When I turned round, the queue had built up! The stupid staff had held up the queue! All because she kept demanding that I write a return address.


I was so goddamn upset.  Initially, seeing the queue, I had wanted to post via normal mail but was afraid that buyer might not receive it. If it's lost, it would be troublesome to say I didn't post via registered. Should've posted at another branch.

When the tracking number didn't show up after that, I began to wonder if that woman had stolen it.  Previously, once it's at the post office, tracking will display that it's been posted there. Since the day I posted, the page displayed nothing.

I got so worried that I ordered another of the same item to stand by, just in case the buyer didn't receive this one. Was thinking no loss because I can sell this 2nd one also. Either that, or I could refund the buyer. Small loss.

Only earlier today at about 2 or 3p.m., the update suddenly showed up that it's delivery in progress.

It's now 6:03p.m. & the Speedpost man is still not here.  Even the garbage collectors are more punctual than Speedpost. 

[Update: 10:31p.m. Fri 1 July. I finally received my parcel today at about 6.45p.m.. After 3 days of waiting, today being the 3rd day, I had given up hope of receiving today. And I now know what is going with Speedpost after asking the young & forthright delivery guy.]


Speedpost Mystery Solved: http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2016/07/speedpost-sg-mystery-solved.html