# Happy Thanksbitching! November is here! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 1, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451 "2011-11-01T02:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/161 "2011-11-07T07:58:54Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Today is the one year anniversary of Bill’s wife of 32 years death. > > Bill has been ignoring my emails and didn’t answer his phone. Shrug. On July 7th, my mother only answers the phone if it’s me (because she knows I’m ok with her telling me whichever story for the Nth^n time) or her sister (because it may mean their mother is in the hospital). It’s her wedding anniversary, Dad died in '00. Bill may simply have decided it was a beautiful day to give the world the finger, which includes switching off the cellphone. > [@](#): > > On Tuesday, I’m going to let someone cut my foot up. Are you getting it cross-stitched, or will it be staples? ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/162 "2011-11-07T12:27:24Z")
Last night while trying to sleep I got bitten by a mosquito on my eyelid. As it happens I’m allergic to mosquitoes which means my eye is all swollen now like I got punched in the face. I took a Zyrtec but so far that isn’t helping much. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/163 "2011-11-07T13:00:45Z")
We take my Mom out for brunch every Sunday. That way we know she eats a “real” meal at least once a week. Usually, it’s Perkins or Country Kitchen or some place like that. Yesterday Mom suggested Old Country Buffet. No problem, I said. The gutrot kicked in around midnight. I would like to die now. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/164 "2011-11-07T19:05:56Z")
I have had in the last week two notable customer service incidents. One, which belongs in this thread triggered this email: > [@](#): > > DHL made a delivery attempt Monday Oct 31st at 7pm and left a card on the door saying they would try again on Tuesday. > > Since the first delivery was so late in the day I presumed that the second attempt would also be so I signed the card to allow them to leave without a signature and left it on the door. > Wednesday I checked online and found that the status had been changed to Awaiting Consignee pickup. I followed their directions to use their website tools to request another delivery attempt. > > Thursday the status hadn’t changed online so I worked through their phone menus to speak to an agent. I called the Canadian helpdesk first and after providing the tracking number was told I had to speak to the US desk. They provided the phone number and I called that helpdesk and was told that since the package was already in Canada I had to speak to the Canadian help desk. I went back to the first help desk and after assuring them that I had spoken to the US number they eventually passed me to a supervisor who agreed to set up another delivery attempt. > > Friday there was still no status change so I called again. This time I called the Canadian help desk and insisted on being sent to a supervisor instead of going back to the US desk. I was transferred to a voice mail box where I requested a status update and either a delivery attempt or the address of the facility where I could pick it up since that is not provided on any of the material they have. I did not receive a callback despite the working hours on the voicemail extending until several hours after I left the message. > > Saturday I discovered DHL is closed on the weekends. > > This morning I spoke to an agent who after reading the notes on the account assured me that the person I spoke to on Friday did request a delivery attempt but that it takes 24-48 hours for that request to be processed. > > I have not in a very long time had a customer service experience that was so completely lacking in any attempt at service. Every single contact I have had with this company has resulted in them either sending me to someone else or attempting to send me to someone else even after I explained that the person they were trying to send me to was the one who directed me to them. Only today did the last person I dealt with ( Shabir, if you are passing this on to DHL), take the time to check the shipment notes, explain to me what to expect and make any attempt to apologize for the service I received. I have been hung up on, transferred in the middle of a sentence, and finally today, when calling the accounting line to explain my displeasure and ask them what they could do to address it, was told I had no standing because I wasn’t the account holder. > > That last call triggered this email. Please ensure that they provide you with a refund for the shipping costs for this shipment and I would very much like it if you would consider it when next contracting with a shipping company. I have had wonderful service dealing with you and I don’t believe that they represent the customer service that you are so famous for. > > Thank you, It’s not a life or death delivery, but good lord what a hassle. The second occured during the outing to save my sanity on Saturday after finding out that DHL was closed on weekends. We went to see a movie and the previews cut off just before the show was scheduled to start. Rumblings started in the theatre and being already annoyed I was not feeling calm and forgiving right from the start. Then the manager came in, explained exactly what the problem was (bulb) and told us what would happen. They were going to try and fix it, if they did they would give us all a free pass for the delay. If they couldn’t fix it they would give us all a free pass and refund the money for our ticket purchase. 2 minutes of communicating and everyone knew what was happening and was happy with the outcome. They fixed it, I have 2 free passes and In Time was entertaining. Night and day. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/165 "2011-11-07T20:40:55Z")
Dear Admin staff- While I am flattered you believe I am super human, I cannot, in fact, see 15 patients, return 12 phone calls and check all the daily blood results for the practice within 3 hours. I now have to come in early tomorrow and work over my lunch to finish the paperwork from this PM. When I have blocked out slots to answer calls, or have given double slots to patients, it is because I know I need the time to deal with complicated consultations- it is not carte blanche to overbook my time. We shall be having words tomorrow (you had all gone home by the time I locked up and left, for which you should be grateful- I was not a happy camper). ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Obvious)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/166 "2011-11-08T00:38:57Z")
Hello, grey wrinkly mass currently residing in my skull: I don’t mind occasional loss of a word I want to use due to something in you misfiring, causing the word to disappear from my tongue. I can tolerate the petit mal seizures that leave me sometimes looking like an idiot staring off into space, and other times sprawled out on the floor with no memory of the past few minutes. I can even live with the constant stutter that has severely affected my social life, and left me an introvert. For the love of all that is holy and unholy, do you have to inflict me with migraines so strong that I lose part of my vision? My one great passion is reading, and to take that away from me is horrible. I’d rather be deaf that not be able to read. I swear if I didn’t need you to live I’d remove you with an ice cream scoop and give you to a couple of drunken hicks to play football with. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/167 "2011-11-08T00:44:14Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I have had in the last week two notable customer service incidents. One, which belongs in this thread triggered this email: > > It’s not a life or death delivery, but good lord what a hassle. > > The second occured during the outing to save my sanity on Saturday after finding out that DHL was closed on weekends. We went to see a movie and the previews cut off just before the show was scheduled to start. Rumblings started in the theatre and being already annoyed I was not feeling calm and forgiving right from the start. Then the manager came in, explained exactly what the problem was (bulb) and told us what would happen. They were going to try and fix it, if they did they would give us all a free pass for the delay. If they couldn’t fix it they would give us all a free pass and refund the money for our ticket purchase. 2 minutes of communicating and everyone knew what was happening and was happy with the outcome. They fixed it, I have 2 free passes and In Time was entertaining. > > Night and day. Oh I heard you on crazy service from DHL! I used to work for a company whose parent company had a contract with DHL. We had contract workers who were paid via check, typically sent to a job site. Occasionally, we would have to send one to a residence. Apparently, DHL’s overnight service doesn’t include rural Tennessee! While I would understand a delay of a day or two, they eventually “contracted delivery” with an “approved vendor” who ended up putting the DHL envelope in a regular manila envelope and sending it through the USPS. The “overnight” delivery took a week. We reamed them up one side and down the other for that cluster-fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Obvious)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/168 "2011-11-08T00:53:57Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > Apparently, DHL’s overnight service doesn’t include rural Tennessee! . Doesn’t include my part of GA either, and I live 60 minutes from Atlanta, and 15 from Athens, which is home of one of GA’s major colleges. Anytime I get something that DHL was supposed to deliver, it winds up being handed off to USPS. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/169 "2011-11-08T00:59:17Z")
Dear Driver of Large Van: I parked out here because there was space. Lots of it. Both sides of me and in rows in front of and behind me, too. So why, pray tell, did you park your van so close to my car that even \*\*Twiggy \*\*wouldn’t be able to fit between the two vehicles? I wouldn’t have cared if you’d done that on the passenger side, but you did it on the driver’s side, meaning I had to climb over the center console and shift lever to get into the seat. I’m not really built for that anymore. You’re lucky all I did was leave a note. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/170 "2011-11-08T01:03:45Z")
> [@Cap\_n\_Obvious](#): > > Doesn’t include my part of GA either, and I live 60 minutes from Atlanta, and 15 from Athens, which is home of one of GA’s major colleges. Anytime I get something that DHL was supposed to deliver, it winds up being handed off to USPS. I seem to remember reading somewhere that this is pretty common to all the overnight/express carriers. For destinations that aren’t in fairly populated/central areas, they hand off to the USPS. So carriers like FedEx and DHL get loads of money to transfer items between highly populated areas, and USPS gets to spend more than they get from those carriers to carry those packages “the last mile”. It’s no wonder the USPS is having money problems. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Obvious)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/171 "2011-11-08T01:07:05Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I seem to remember reading somewhere that this is pretty common to all the overnight/express carriers. For destinations that aren’t in fairly populated/central areas, they hand off to the USPS. So carriers like FedEx and DHL get loads of money to transfer items between highly populated areas, and USPS gets to spend more than they get from those carriers to carry those packages “the last mile”. > > It’s no wonder the USPS is having money problems. I’m so glad FedEx and UPS don’t do this as well in my area then. The post office has a bad habit of leaving packages that won’t fit in the mail box sitting under the mail box here, which leads to packages getting stolen. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/172 "2011-11-08T01:11:34Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I seem to remember reading somewhere that this is pretty common to all the overnight/express carriers. For destinations that aren’t in fairly populated/central areas, they hand off to the USPS. So carriers like FedEx and DHL get loads of money to transfer items between highly populated areas, and USPS gets to spend more than they get from those carriers to carry those packages “the last mile”. Educate me, please, on that _USPS spends more than they get_ detail on “the last mile” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/173 "2011-11-08T01:26:15Z")
> [@Cap\_n\_Obvious](#): > > I’m so glad FedEx and UPS don’t do this as well in my area then. The post office has a bad habit of leaving packages that won’t fit in the mail box sitting under the mail box here, which leads to packages getting stolen. No kidding. Not to mention my USPS carrier’s habit of dropping one of those postcards into the box claiming no one was home to sign for a delivery! She did this last week, on a day when my husband and I were both home. Naturally, it was a book that my niece needed ASAP. I went with her to pick it up, and registered a complaint. Not that I expect it to do any good… Fortunately, most of our packages come via UPS, and the driver is a cutie. Plus, my neighborhood is filled with Mrs. Kravitz wannabes, so theft from the front door would be reported immediately… even if loudly barking dogs didn’t scare off the miscreant. (Which happened a couple of weeks ago: dude nonchalantly wheels about halfway down the drive on his bike… up to no good, obviously, because he turned tail as soon as the K9 heard someone and started raising Cain. I was actually a little disappointed that I didn’t get to greet him… judging by appearances, he assumed no one was home because he couldn’t see a car from the street. However, I was out on the back porch with the big dog, and he’d have seen both of us as soon as he made it past the carport … :D) ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/174 "2011-11-08T02:30:24Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Shrug. On July 7th, my mother only answers the phone if it’s me (because she knows I’m ok with her telling me whichever story for the Nth^n time) or her sister (because it may mean their mother is in the hospital). It’s her wedding anniversary, Dad died in '00. Bill may simply have decided it was a beautiful day to give the world the finger, which includes switching off the cellphone. Oh, I’m not mad at him, I was just venting. One of our “rules” is that if we don’t feel like answering a call for any reason, we don’t answer and we don’t get upset about not getting an answer. > [@](#): > > Are you getting it cross-stitched, or will it be staples? I didn’t ask. I don’t want to know. I know I should have gotten every detail, but I’ve actually been in denial. Its like…OK, this is going to happen, so I have to plan for it, but I don’t really need to actually\* think \*about it. It really only got real to me last week. The nice part is that my doctor wants me to spend most of my recovery laying on the couch, with my feet propped up on the arm. Tony will have to do almost everything for me. \*sniffs air noticing that some kitty just used the litterbox. calls Tony to come over and scoop. Doctor’s orders afterall. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/175 "2011-11-08T02:49:09Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Educate me, please, on that _USPS spends more than they get_ detail on “the last mile” thing. Bear with me, please. I’m working on a dim memory of something I read a few years ago about reasons why the USPS is having money issues. The gist of it is that the USPS is legally obligated to deliver to every single address in the U.S., whereas carriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL aren’t. In low-population density areas, these carriers often hand off packages to USPS for delivery because the post office has to go there anyway and it’s cheaper for UPS, etc., to pay the USPS to do the delivery than it is to run a truck out to a location that may not be anywhere near anything else they’re delivering. Meantime, the USPS gets a (relatively) small fee for carrying this package to the remote location and loses out on the larger fee for carrying it cross-country. Why is this a problem? Because delivering in high-density areas subsidizes delivering in low-density areas, and the USPS is losing delivery to high-density areas to the express carriers, who can afford to charge less for package delivery because they aren’t having to subsidize delivery to low-density areas. It’s sort of the same reason why rural areas are the last to get paved roads, electricity, and phone service. The costs to provide those services is higher than the fees that can be earned from providing them, so those costs are partially paid for by the fees charged to the people who get them for a lower cost. I hope that makes sense. I’ve had a day that turned my brain to tapioca, so I’m not sure how clearly I’m explaining. I wish I could provide a credible cite, but so far all I’ve turned up that even remotely sounds like what I remember reading is a [comment by a retired postal worker](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/08/more_on_the_postal_service.php) on a Talking Points memo (thanks, Google), but this is (a) way too recent to be what I remembered, (b) an unlikely thing for me to have read since I rarely if ever read Talking Points, and (c) supplies no numbers. If you want, I can keep digging, but as I said, this was something I read a few years back. No idea if I can find it again. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/176 "2011-11-08T03:55:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Because delivering in high-density areas subsidizes delivering in low-density areas, and the USPS is losing delivery to high-density areas to the express carriers, who can afford to charge less for package delivery because they aren’t having to subsidize delivery to low-density areas. Is there anything that UPS or FedEx will deliver for $.47? ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/177 "2011-11-08T04:03:47Z")
**Morgyn** , I have heard the same thing. It does make sense. I get UPS deliveries, but everything else comes by USPS. I used to pay for fast shipping with other services, but when I saw that it had been handed off, I would start the complaint process. I always got my fast shipping charges refunded, but it was such a pain that now I always pick the cheapest shipping option and figure it will be at least 2 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/178 "2011-11-08T04:12:15Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Is there anything that UPS or FedEx will deliver for $.47? I believe that the USPS has a monopoly on first class mail delivery, if that’s what you mean. And I have no idea if UPS or FedEx will or can deliver anything for that little, but I doubt it. I don’t think USPS could deliver a package for that little, either. 🙂 [And, of course, the USPS is finding it impossible to deliver first class mail for that price, too, due to a variety of reasons.] ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/179 "2011-11-08T04:14:33Z")
What I’m saying is that when I send an overnight, it’s over $10. If FedEx/UPS can’t do an overnight, then the website refuses the service. If I’m sending a ground package, then the cheapest bidder wins… which may or may not be USPS. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451/180 "2011-11-08T04:23:07Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I believe that the USPS has a monopoly on first class They do. I know that all government mail outs MUST be sent by USPS. The USPS documentation for registered letters trumps everything else in the legal systems. 5 bucks to have someone go to a crack house 3 times for a signature…no wonder the USPS is going broke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-thanksbitching-november-is-here/601451.md?page=10)