I’m not too happy with DHL Express right now.Currently, they have my new macbook pro battery, which my poor battery-less laptop desperately needs to survive my addiction to the hybrid sport of couch/web surfing. Yet, for some reason they just won’t give it to me. Actually, that’s not true. They will let me pick it up. Unfortunately, they won’t let me do that until they’ve tried to deliver it to me again – even after I told them that I wouldn’t be there. 

What is wrong with this picture? It seems ludicrous that they have to send a delivery driver all the way to my apartment again to attempt to deliver a package to a person who has said they won’t be there. They get to waste paper, fuel, and money, along with some opportunity cost to do something that is meaningless – I mean, I already told them I wasn’t going to be home! Why can’t they just ship it right to the depot so I can go pick it up tomorrow? Wouldn’t that save them money?

I’m not a huge fan of shipping companies to start with, but DHL’s system of dealing with customers that are not going to be home is crazy.   At least Fed Ex lets me drive all the way to their depot anytime I like to pick up my pornography important packages. DHL’s system is an important lesson in how inefficiency and convoluted rule-systems can often hamper and constrain your business, deter future customers, and get rid of the customers you already have.When a customer is trying to save your opportunity cost, you should probably let them.