The UPS Store — Local services in Sandy

Updating my review from three years ago, downgrading from two stars to one. The UPS Store has yet another new owner (third one in 5 years). The last owner wasn't very customer service oriented, but the newest one, Misty, is even worse.

My spouse and I own three small businesses, and we rent two boxes. We receive mail and packages regularly and are generally in the store at least once a week. For the last couple years, it's been a chore we dread - going into the store is like entering a war zone.

As other reviews note, there is heavy staff turnover, to the point where you rarely see the same person for more than a few weeks, and service is unreliable as a result. The store is chronically understaffed, too. Sometimes, the employee who waits on us can easily find our packages, sometimes they can't. Sometimes we'll receive a phone call when we receive a package clearly marked as containing perishables, sometimes we don't. Sometimes, deliveries are promptly checked in and notifications issued, sometimes deliveries sit for hours. Some of the employees are pleasant and polite, others are not.

Yesterday, I went to retrieve the packages and mail from our two boxes. As usual, there was a long line of people with Amazon returns. As we and other boxholders have been doing for years, I approached the side counter with my package slips. Misty, who was training yet another new employee, curtly waved me away and told me I would have to stand in the long queue of people with Amazon returns. This was apparently a brand-new policy she had instituted.

Standing in line and then waiting while the employees hunted for my packages in the chaos behind the counter took a total of about 20 minutes. I took the opportunity of a brief lull in the constant stream of Amazon returns to tell Misty that as a paying box holder, this new line policy was unacceptable. My spouse and I don't have 20 minutes to waste every time we come pick up our mail. Misty replied she had instituted the policy because she was "tired of rude and entitled box holders" and that "no one should be able to cut the line." I said if she was trying to scare off her paying customers, this is an excellent way to do it. She stated it wasn't scaring off any customers. When I noted it was certainly effective to scare off at least two (my spouse and I), she shrugged. If this is how Misty treats her longtime paying customers, I can only imagine how poorly she treats her employees. No wonder there is so much employee turnover!

To work efficiently, the store really needs three dedicated, clearly marked and fully staffed counters: One for Amazon returns, one for box holders picking up their mail, and one for customers mailing packages or using other store services. Instead, the store has one long line that moves slowly because there are rarely more than two employees on duty, and at any given time, at least one of them is brand new. And the store desperately needs a manager like Ashley, the former manager, who understands the customer service business and knows how to manage employees with grace...

If you want your packages to go "missing" this is the place to go! I challenge you to find another mailbox provider who can match their "package? No, we didn't get that package" rate. For me, it was an ASTOUNDING 33%!!!

I've worked with numerous delivery services and mailbox providers before. Most have not lost/stolen a single one of my packages. The highest lost/stolen rate I've ever encountered with anyone else is definitely less than 5%. But somehow UPS Sandy went OVER 30%. I could hardly be more impressed.

I wish I could have continued to pay for the privilege of having my packages lost/stolen by UPS Sandy. I do REALLY want to find out if they can go over 50%. Perhaps one of you wonderful readers could pay them for awhile and report back to me on your lost/stolen rate.

Unfortunately, I no longer have need of a mail service dedicated to losing/stealing my packages. My needs have changed and I now require my packages to come into my possession.

Sadly, I will no longer feel the thrill of driving to UPS Sandy to find out if they will give me my package, nor the joy of hearing "package? No, we didn't get that package."

Maybe my needs will change again. I hope so. Because if I ever again need to pay someone to lose/steal my packages, I KNOW where to go. And, now, SO DO YOU!

(I can already hear you asking a vital question. "Are you SURE it was UPS Sandy who was responsible for such a high lost/stolen rate?" Believe me, I don't want to steer you wrong when looking for a solution to ENSURE that your packages will be lost/stolen. I must confess I do have a tiny, mustard-seed size soupçon of doubt as to whether UPS Sandy deserves ALL the credit. All I can say is that based on the competence and concern demonstrated by other chains in the delivery process and the lack of competence or concern demonstrated by staff at UPS Sandy as well as actual evidence, records and testimony, I am 99.999% sure that UPS Sandy deserves full credit. I am sorry if I'm neglecting to give due credit to USPS, FedEx, or UPS outside the Sandy location. Perhaps they provided valuable assistance to UPS Sandy in achieving such an impressive lost/stolen rate. But there's simply NO WAY any of those other entities could have achieved this on their own. ONLY UPS Sandy could possibly have been solely responsible for this achievement. Hope that answers that important...

Very rude customer service from Shaunty. Edit* We were there to send back returns, which I typically do in Oregon City. I was specifically told by Amazon to not use a separate box for an item. The older female employee was not helpful, did not offer packaging for a fee, instead she immediately took the item and said "we can't process this." I told her that I was given specific instructions, she proceeded to suggest that I was being dishonest. I then was speaking with the person I came with, not the employee, and said "let's just go to the Oregon City location, I know them there and have never had this issue."

The employee, Shawny or Shawnty/Shaunty, interrupted and was very snarky "they can't process it there either. Have fun with that." It was inappropriate, and rude to say the least. I'd be horrified if I had an employee being unnecessarily aggressive and negative to customers.

The person I came with and myself, left the store immediately. He still had a return, it was packaged in a separate box as requested from Amazon (they provide specific instructions, the sellers can request specific instructions as well). I told him to go back in since that was a regular type of return with packaging. He was then concerned that this employee would deny him service since she seemed to be in such a bad mood. I told him that we didn't do anything wrong, she was just an inappropriate person with ill manners. He needed the return gone that day, so, he went back in. He said Shawnty helped him and seemed much nicer without me there. I do not know this older lady, so, there was no reason for her to be unhelpful and rude towards me. There was also zero reason for her to interject herself into my conversation. I will not use this location again. It's also obvious from other reviews that this individual has been less...