UPS, AI & U

 UPS, AI & U

   “United Parcel Service, Artificial Intelligence and You”  Yesterday I was treated to a glimpse of this future reality.  A package was delivered intended for me at 717 on my street, rather than my address of 617 (a driver human error).  The address on the package was 617 (correct).  The package was clearly marked, “SIGNATURE REQUIRED”.  This is probably the case, since Medicare is being charged fifteen Thousand dollars for each monthly delivery of the drugs.  As is standard UPS delivery procedure, the driver did not ring the bell, received no signature. used his or her own signature, laid the package on the porch and was on their way.  My neighbor later picked up the package ($15,000 in drugs), thought it was a newspaper and was about to discard it, when she noticed it was not addressed to her, but was addressed to me, a hundred numbers down the street.  She was nice enough to call me and I went down the street to pick up the package.

   I called UPS customer service at 1-800-742-5877 to report the incident and was greeted by a robot (AI) that asked several questions, not allowing me to describe the transaction, but unwilling to transfer me to a human.  I was told to go to a web site, also with no human contact or comprehension.  On the fourth attempt to get past the robot recording I was able to travel the maze and be transferred to a human.  She was in the Orient and English was her second language, so we were able to communicate, but not efficiently.  This is another customer assistance program, designed to save money, not serve the public.  The young woman informed me that I had signed for the package at 12:30.  So, had my neighbor tossed the $15,000 package in her trash, according to UPS records, I had signed for receiving it and was responsible for the loss.  When UPS was founded the “S” stood for service.  That was a long time ago.  As recently as the 1970’s I dealt with UPS as a customer and was treated as one.  Today the “customer” is a single digit profit source and is dealt with by a machine and treated as less than a machine.

   Was I given the opportunity yesterday to get a glimpse into the future, or was I merely made aware of the present.  UPS is aware that the drivers are forging delivery signatures.  They are willfully blind to it.  Morality and customer care is not an issue.  It saves the corporation time and money and time is money.  Artificial Intelligence is replacing human interaction.  This may not be good for humanity, but it is certainly good in the short term for CEO’s.

Cheers, Old Buz          08/18/2023

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CEOs: “Camel riders in route to attempt passage through the eye of a needle.”       – Old Buz