Dealing with LBC Express

I have been a community relations assistant for 4 1/2 years now and I have been accustomed as to how an issue or concern should be managed. If one resident has a problem, I collect all the details and if it is beyond my authority to decide, I relay it to my immediate supervisor or project manager and they advise me on the way forward. It is also what I revert to the person. I remember how the community people would nag me whenever I don't give them a feedback right away and at first, I admit, I don't understand why they have to be stubborn. But later on did I began to appreciate when your queries are addressed properly and promptly just like a customer and service provider relationship. Last Thursday, I had the worst experience in customer relations.

I was supposed to send a package at our site office in Carigara, Leyte. I personally brought it to LBC Express because I am responsible for paying it and I cannot entrust a significant amount to someone outside of our team. To give you an idea of the quantity, picture this: 119 sets of blueprints (which is 15-17 sheets each set, A1 paper size) rolled into a number of bundles and a lot of other building permit requirements in A4 paper size which I estimated to be at most 15 reams of bond paper. The location of our satellite office is nearby an LBC branch so our on site team advised me to just send it through that courier, and so I did. Luckily, one of their Pasig branches, Amberland Plaza, is just a few meters away from our head office, One Corporate Center. It would take a person at most 4 minutes to walk going there. I requested two personnel from our utility to help me bring the package to LBC and when we arrived I sent them back as they also have other errands to do. Only to find out that I cannot send it to Leyte. Why? Because apparently the blueprints, when positioned horizontally, would not fit in the biggest box that LBC can offer. Their staff entertaining my request said, "Baka po mayroon kayong mas malaking box sa office niyo na kasya yan lahat, kasi wala na po kaming mas malaki pang box dito. Saka para isa na lang po yung resibo niyo." It felt wrong for me already because I thought that their shipping service also entails that they will provide whatever is needed to secure my package in bringing it to my desired location, but I was considering her opinion and called our office. Unfortunately, we don't have any larger boxes, so I returned to the staff who is now busy handling the requests of the other customers. I said, "Wala din daw kaming box eh." For which she repeated her earlier statement and added that I should buy a box instead in National Bookstore. The nearest bookstore she is referring to that I am aware of is at SM Megamall which, according to Google Maps, is about 850 meters away from their office. That is when I started to get pissed. Since their staff cannot offer me any other option or make an effort to give me their best customer service, I have proposed these options and their answers to those are as follows: 

(1) Position the blueprints vertically and cover the box with one of their plastic bags. This is unacceptable, of course, since all the packages will be stacked one above the other and my documents may be teared off or may get wet, so I dismissed this thought immediately.

(2) Next is, still position the blueprints vertically using one box and another box will be utilized as the cover. The staff answered that it is still not acceptable because of the following reasons that I find illogical: every box released is considered sold (I am willing to pay but they are not interested in the money they said), it will entail a separate receipt (I do not understand the validity of this argument) and the boxes are not for meant for covering another one.  I was really disappointed and frustrated that it felt really hopeless to continue the discussion with them. I had no other option but to return the package back to our office and send through another delivery service instead. It will be brought to another site which is 2 hours away from our satellite office. I called my complain over LBC's hotline but they requested me to send a formal complaint letter instead.

I was also surprised to learn that my mom also had a relative experience with them. She was going to send a cellular phone for my uncle currently residing in General Santos City. One of the staff in the Binan branch asked her to buy a bubble wrap and place it in a microwaveable container EVEN IF it is already enclosed in its box and it is not bare. So she had to buy a pack of plastic container in the supermarket because they do not sell it for a piece and also the bubble wrap so she can send her package. Such a waste of time! I was reflecting on the matter for two days because I was trying to understand their standpoint but I was still disappointed and what I have gained are the following insights:

(a) It seems that LBC's service is focused only on the shipment since they are not willing to provide all the necessary packaging materials. If this is their case, they should've put up in their website the proper protocol as to how we, consumers, are expected bring our parcels to them so they can accept it and send it. Imagine if I came from a relatively distant place, I rode a taxi and came alone in their branch then I will be greeted by the fact that I should buy my own box because they don't have larger ones. Does she expect me to leave the package in their office while I buy a box? And if it is confidential, I have to bring those heavy blueprints with me to the bookstore JUST TO BUY ONE?

(b) Their Amberland branch has a very poor customer relations. I don't remember ever hearing an apology for the service that they are expected of but which they have declined. I can compare them to a taxi driver who chooses his passengers depending on his personal interest and benefit. 

(c) They are not after the service FOR the people. I am the one who has to think of options for my self while the staff is busy entertaining other customers because apparently it is my problem, not theirs. At least, that is what I felt. I am also an employee; I know that there are rules and regulations set by our management for us to follow. But we have a mind of our own to know what is right and wrong. Of course, they have to deal with the other customers but I also have a lot of things to do that I wasn't able to do because I wasted my one hour waiting for them to act on my request and for an available utility man to assist me from and back to the office. And am I not a potential customer too?

(d) They are not mindful of other people's time wasted. They don't care if I stand there for how long it may take, thinking of ways on how I can send my package. Only to run out of options and just return it all back in our office. 

I am sharing my experience to you so that if you are going to send via LBC, you would remember to bring a bubble wrap, a plastic container or a larger box to accommodate your package. Or that you could try other courier that may have a more systematic way of handling parcels. As for me, I have drafted and forwarded my complaint letter to them but to date, they have not responded. I have sent my package through another courier, but at least it would give LBC a chance to improve their shipping protocol, if they would even bother considering my opinions. I am still hoping to hear modifications soon.

UPDATE:

They already responded to my email but unfortunately, they have not offered me any solution to my problem other than really bring a separate box. The dimensions of their largest available box can be seen in their website but for electronic gadgets, it does not state that it should be sealed in a bubble wrap and plastic container. I have attached a photo of their actual response below. I appreciate the apologies but reading through the content of their response, basically, no modifications will be made as to revising their shipping protocols or the possibility of providing bigger boxes. As much as I don't want to use their service anymore, rush packages will still have to be coursed through them since they are the nearest delivery service to our satellite office. Maybe for bigger parcels, and not urgent documents, I may opt to choose other service than them.