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amberwoodottawa · ‎12-11-2003

I just spent 1/2 hour on the CP online site trying to see their last delivery day before Christmas but was unable. All I could find was last suggested dates for mailing into the US.

Can anyone tell me if there is mail delivery on December 22nd and 23rd in Canada, especially Express Post.
Thanks

Malcolm

llee2 · ‎12-11-2003

Hi Malcolm,

According to CP, for US delivery recommended dates for surface is Nov 28 (Expedited was Dec 4). Air date is tomorrow Dec 12. I don't think this includes Xpresspost but they didn't list a separate date for that.

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-11-2003

Isnt it funny that the dont post the days they are deliverying in Canada though or not deliverying?

We know there is no mail December 25th and December 26th but what about the 24th, or the 23rd or the 22nd?

That's what customer service is all about, telling your customers when you are working and when you are shut down!

dan.j.m · ‎12-12-2003

At my post office they had a post-it note style set of sheets each with all of the deadlines printed. Very convenient.

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-13-2003

We just noticed that our pick-up on Friday was 1 1/2 hours later than normal due to the increased volume CP is handling.

I was getting somewhat worried that CP forgot about us as I had several Express packages destined for the US that I am hoping will arive in time for Christmas.

Still, for those of us who dont go to the Post Office, it would be nice if they infomred us of what days they will be picking up and delivering both in Canada and the US.

How difficult would it have been for them to have posted it on their web site?
Malcolm

souranial · ‎12-14-2003

CP just e-mailed me that they will deliver up to the 24th. I am not sure what "up-to" means - does it include the 24th? I guess they phrased it like that so they could get away with the package not making it for christmas. What amazed me was how the cutoff for USA was Dec.12 and the cutoff for MAJOR CENTRES in canada was Dec.11. Go figure! Regarding the pickups - they say that they should run as usual up to the 24 (which again looks like a great method of not saying it straight). They say that until then the pickups are at the drivers discretion about when he/she will pickup.
A friends rep also told him a secret - that CP will be delivering in Canada on Saturdays (express and priority cuorier and purolater only). How true this is I dont know.

I hope that helped!
I know that UPS is a great alternative for our current proximity to the holidays. They are working harder now and some of my packages have a schedualed delivery time of 1 day less than they do the rest of the year!

Best,

Daniel

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-14-2003

Daniel
Thanks it did help me.

Malcolm

mikers99 · ‎12-15-2003

I got mail yesterday (sunday) in the day *BOX. They make overtime doing that. I also got my regular mail at 11pm at night.
So from here to Xmas it is work everyday until then.

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-15-2003

WOW!
I am receiving tons of bids on everything I am listing right now and tons of inquiries if I can ship so that people receive the products by Christmas.

I'm OK with Canada but with the US I am telling potential customers that if they want it before Christmas it has to be by overnight courier.

Malcolm

ospreylinks · ‎12-16-2003

UPS Standard Service is 5 business days to US. We are still shipping UPS for Christmas delivery (today is our last day).

Jeff

souranial · ‎12-16-2003

Jeff - just a quick note! Before you start making customers pay for faster delivery than UPS standard, check with UPS about the delivery times to the desitinations as some of them are standard 2-3 days! Why pay 3 Day Select of Expedited when you dont need to - right?

Good Luck everyone!
Happy holidays,

Daniel

ospreylinks · ‎12-16-2003

We only use UPS Standard.

Jeff

acurael · ‎12-16-2003

Or better yet, charge them for Expedited or 3 day and send it Ground... 🙂

I've never understood why anyone would go with 3 day though - it's only about 10% cheaper than 2 day from what I've seen.

Wade

souranial · ‎12-17-2003

Wade, you are right!
We give our customers the option but they end up choosing either next day, 2 day or standard.

Customers have not been noticing that our auctions state that they must pay extra to get their items in time and are still paying the small packet fee. Are any of you contacting them to make sure they know that it will not arrive and offer them faster service -or- do you assume that they have read and understood that the item will not arrive in time and go with that method anyways?
I dont want a customer to day that they expected it to arrive in time when they paid for standard service.

Thanks,

Daniel

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-17-2003

We inform customers at the time that they win an auction the expected delivery time based on the fee quoted even though the small print in our auctions sets out the delivery times.

I have learned that few people read and digest the terms and conditions that one puts into their auctions and repitition clears me of anyone accusing me of not informing them.

Even when I ship the product, I send a confirming email and often will set out the anticipated delivery time based on what they paid. This is especially true if I suspect someone may expect more than what they paid for.

Same goes for the invoice that I enclose. If someone has asked for less expensive shipping method which is going to take longer than my posted normal time, I will indicate the shipping method right in my invoice next to the shipping charge.

Generally customers receieve at least 3 confirmations from me about the shipping method chosen for the price and the anticipated time for it to arrive. This includes repeating it in their PayPal invoice.

Once every 2 months someone emails me that their product hasnt arrived and I remind them it falls within the shipping method they chose and paid for.

I have never had any complaints that I overcharge for the shipping methods chosen and time for the product to be delivered even though we average 1 late delivery every 3-months.

Malcolm

ospreylinks · ‎12-17-2003

After 2 months they still haven't received an item???? I'd be calling you too. That seems a bit extreme (you must be quoting international shipping right?) I know we send golf clubs to Australia via surface mail (read boat) it takes six to eight weeks and we inform our customers of that at the outset (obviously allowing them to pay the difference if they want air freight).

But two months to ship anything within North America, I'd be upset both as a buyer and as a vendor.

Jeff

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-17-2003

Jeff
You read it wrong.

Only once about every two months, an item that I ship is delivered beyond the time I inform my customers to expect it, given the shipping method that they paid for.

Having one late delivery every two months is not a bad track record for CP and 90% of the late deliveries are into the US where the goods are handed over to USPS.

Malcolm

ospreylinks · ‎12-17-2003

Oops.... guess I'm one of those that don't read the fine print to clearly. I see what you mean, that two months after the auction closes they contact you.... do people actually wait that long?

I have never had anyone that patient. Within two to three weeks, if they have not received their goods, they are on me like a fly to s***. Which is good, because the sooner someone lets me know there is a problem, the quicker we can react.

For us, shipping is not a profit center. I net the same if someone wants me to ship via the most expensive method or via the least expensive.....zip.... and since I don't make any money on shipping, I make money on margin of goods, regardless of the method of shipping, it gets the same attention from me. Out the door within 24 hours of receipt of payment and if not received within the normally accepted time frames, follow-up as required.

Jeff

ospreylinks · ‎12-17-2003

Thanks Malcolm... I noticed that after I hit post and therefore did followup with thread 17.

As you said in one of your threads, people dont read the small print .... I guess sometimes people (read me) don't read the large print very well either.

Jeff

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-17-2003

Jeff
While shipping is not a profit centre for me, I end up getting more money that my shipping costs as charged by CP 90% of the time.

I purchase packaging materials and we spend between 10 minutes and 20 minutes packaging each instrument we ship.

I would never build that cost into my selling price but reflect it exactly where I belive it should be.

I quote "S, H & I" as being the cost to package and ship a product fully insured. We originally used to tel people we added $10 for handling but that upset people who didnt see $10 worth of packaging materials as the amount of material and time spent varies.

As I pointed out in another thread, we have never had any complaints about our shipping charges and in fact receive praise about the overall delivery service we provide.

I think people appreciate that something as delicate as a violin travelling across the country and being delivered for $25 Cdn is still a pretty good deal.

One other thing to consider. Lets assume I negotiated a Level 3 shipping rate with CP and ship a trumpet for $15 and my competitor has a level 1 and ships the same instrument for $25. I may make $5 while he doesnt make anything. Am I to pass along the discount to the customer?

(Food for thought)
Malcolm