One Long Week

As the title says: it was a long week. I don't know why, but it seemed to drag on and on

Work was busy, but I feel like I'm spinning my wheels on my current project. I'm about to throw in the towel, but I need to give it a little more time to sink in before I try to explain why to my supervisor.

I also order a lot of office supplies. Invariably, these supplies go missing en route, or they arrive mangled, or they're not what the requestor wanted. So I've got to get on the phone with Staples (or Office Depot, or Officemax) and get the thing turned around, get a new one sent to us, whatever.

One of the ladies in A/R wants a new calendar. Simple enough, right? Wrong. She submits a procurement form for the calendar last week, along with some other supplies (including a desk pad).

The stuff arrives early this week, except that the calendar and the desk pad (both shipped UPS) look like they've been wadded up then flattened back out again. Both items are wrapped in shrinkwrap (!), with the UPS labels stuck to the sullied plastic, which is torn in spots. Not good to look at, and totally useless.

No need to worry: no packing material was harmed in the shipment of this product. As if that wasn't obvious.

I call Staples, and they apologize. "We'll credit your account, and ship two new ones."

So a couple days pass. Wednesday, the A/R girl comes by again. "The desk pad came, but not the calendar," she says. I tell her I'll look into it.

The Staples order status widget tells me that the calendar is in some kind of limbo. So I call Staples up, and another CS person tells me, "Oh, it's been lost. We'll credit your account and send another one."

Today, the A/R girl returns with the new calendar. Again, it was shipped UPS. Again, it has been mangled beyond belief. Again, it is not packaged to be protected, but is wrapped in a single layer of shrinkwrap which is torn and filthy.

She asks, "I'm not being petty, am I?"

"No," I answer. "You just want the calendar you ordered in reasonable condition."

Which is not much to ask. These things cost us about $10 apiece. They probably cost Staples 1/10th that much, and they've already destroyed two and lost a third by shipping them UPS. Not to mention what they pay in shipping costs, which are likely just as negligable.

So I call Staples. This is the third time. I explain it to a third CS person, who also apologizes, and says...guess what? "I'll credit your account and send another one."

"Can you guys roll it up and put it in a tube or something?" I ask. "The way it's being packaged now isn't cutting it."

"I can put a note on the order," he says, "but that won't guarantee anything. Why can't the UPS driver just keep it up on the seat next to him?"

I've worked in warehouses; I've done receiving, shipping, etc. This comment, made by a CS rep who is just trying to make me feel better (which isn't necessary; I don't take this stuff personally. After all, it's only work), is likely one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard. He is, essentially, blaming UPS for damaging a package that has not been protected in the slightest from even marginal shipping damage.

Throwing a paper calendar, wrapped only in shrinkwrap, into a UPS truck, is like throwing a fish into a tank full of sharks.

So now I wait until Monday, to see what the fate of the fourth calendar will be.

Sigh.

On a different note, here's a new picture of Stephen, the apple of my eye, preparing to chow down on some rice cereal and pears in his brand new high chair. Not exciting, by War on Terror standards, but I think it's awesome. He's turning into a little human being right before my eyes. I can't wait until he starts talking.