The UPS Store

It’s not helpful when they don’t open at their specified time 8:30am. Sitting outside the door. No signs of life inside.

Because of convenience, I enjoy going to the Post Office, since there is at least one in every town, and two in my town. Yet, there is a company where I ordered something from and needed to send back. They sent me a label for UPS, which I needed to drop off at a UPS store. Years ago, I visited the Norwood UPS Store often, which is now closed, so I needed to find a new one. The Walpole location was about as close as the one in Needham, so I drove the 10 minutes down Main Street to the 1A Marketplace to the UPS Store. The employees here are always so nice, generous, and friendly. Additionally, they are always efficient and knowledgeable. I have been back multiple times, and they have all been just the same as the first… Incredible! Great stop for shipping packages in the area. 5 stars.

Today I had the choice of going to the UPS Store or my local Post Office to mail my package. I chose the UPS Store specifically because I had not taped my box… I couldn’t find my shipping tape. In my mind, the UPS Store was more of a convenience — focused type place and the Post Office, while they probably would have taped up the box, I was sensitive to the fact it’s probably not part of their normal services. So I went for the UPS Store. I was quite surprised and a bit dismayed at the fact the UPS Store wanted to charge me a dollar to tape up my box for me. In the past I have really appreciated the conveniences of the UPS Store… making copies and using a stapler or paper clip, using the pens there, they have always made it so easy. I have always paid for the copies I made but there were times I spent a fair amount of time there copying, stapling, taping, etc. They catered to those of that work from home and /​or do volunteer work, and don’t have access to a fully equipped office environment. That’s what I had in my head anyway. By charging a nominal fee for taping up a box, the UPS Store is starting to stray from the customer-​service orientation I believe they have built up. The sign said something along the lines of ‘due to heavy volume of people coming in without their boxes being prepared in advance… here’s the fee… In the future get the taping and packing done ahead of time that way when you come it, it’s ready to go’. In other words, what I heard is, ‘the heavy volume of people coming in here needing our help and access to office supplies is getting out of hand so we’re asking that you become more self-​sufficient and please just come in and drop off boxes without needing anything’. If the cost of packing tape makes it cost prohibitive in allowing customers to use your tape, then increase the overhead based up-​charges on things overall. I believe the cost of my making copies very likely has an up-​charge based on the fact you have staplers and staples out for people to use. Pens, too. I get that, it’s accepted. You could do that to avoid the message in regards to customer service, that I heard today.

Went in to ship something with a prepaid label, I usually always pack my prepaid parcels tightly and safely. This time it was a rush, so I brought the item and label to the store, assuming they provided UPS branded envelopes, much like the post office does. The woman there was terribly rude when I enquired, telling me that «those are for customers, and you are not a customer». I should have walked right out and not come back. It was an urgent situation, so I sucked it up and bought the plain manila envelope they were peddling, and packed my stuff up, with the only option for tape being a $ 13 roll of packing tape, I just clasped it shut and hoped for the best. She put two strips of tape on the label and called it a day. I have been in before (for prepaid drop-​offs — aka «not a customer» drop-​offs and for PAID shipping) and this woman is always there. Previously she has been nice. Must’ve caught her on a bad day. Or maybe people have come in in the past and screwed them out of envelopes ?? I’m not sure, but to be treated like I was trying to scam them for just asking for a UPS branded envelope and being told I am «Not a customer» sure did sour my experience with this store. Sticking to USPS. Otherwise, I will make the trek to a different UPS store, definitely worth a little bit of a drive to not be treated like dirt.

AMAZING customer service! I went in with a box that had a pre-​paid UPS label, so they basically are just attaching the label for me and handing it off to the nice guy in the big brown truck. However, the guy at the counter (with the 6 older sisters, which I learned in our conversation) was SO NICE and just made me laugh.
Service is where its at; stores either have it or they don’t, and the UPS Store has a great employee with this guy!
My receipt was a label which he applied onto one of their flyers with coupons for photocopying, a discount on mailbox rental and something else. A smart way to build repeat business!

I arrived at the store at 6:20 when the store is supposed to close at 6:30. I realize that is cutting it close, but it was apparent that the person running this store had already been closed for another 10 minutes as the doors were locked and the security gates were all up inside the store. They saw me outside asking if I could still make my shipment, and chose to ingnore me instead of helping me. Customer Service Fail.