Rising number of Central Oregonians fed up with FedEx late deliveries
(Update: Adding video, comments from Bend residents and FedEx External Communications Manager, Meredith Miller)
Company says workforce bogged down by hiring challenges, demand surge impacts of Covid-19
BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- With the holiday season right around the corner, people are increasingly concerned about their FedEx packages showing up as scheduled and without delay.
Several Bend-area residents have reached out to NewsChannel 21 in recent days, frustrated about the delays or non-deliveries altogether. A FedEx representative says they've been bogged down by the impact of Covid-19 on their workforce.
One Bend woman states that FedEx has not been delivering their packages three to four days after they arrive in Bend, and it has happened to her on several occasions.
Kathy Sanchez, another Bend resident, said she’s been waiting for her dog's prescription food for awhile now.
"It was supposed to be delivered on Oct. 28, which was 13 days ago, and on Oct. 28, it said that the food was here in Bend on a truck," she said Tuesday. "It’s just sitting in a truck. And I mean, that’s my pet's food, but there’s probably people, humans who have prescription medications that are on that truck, too! The man at the local office here just says, 'We don’t have enough drivers.'”
Sanchez said she opted to pick up the dog food, but was told it would take even longer. The delays are not new to her.
“It’s not a one-time situation," Sanchez said.
Asked about the problems in the Bend area, FedEx External Communications Manager Meredith Miller sent NewsChannel 21 the following statement on Monday:
“FedEx Ground continues to navigate operational challenges due to constrained labor markets and significant package volume during the pandemic. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused by delays in the Bend, Oregon, area and appreciate our customers’ patience as we implement contingencies, including securing additional package handler and delivery resources, to restore service levels. Customers with questions about their shipments are encouraged to visit www.fedex.com for package tracking and customer service assistance.”
NewsChannel 21 reached out to UPS and USPS to see how their operations were running but was unsuccessful in getting a word back.
In September, FedEx held its first National Hiring Day event in Bend, to fill dozens of openings including package handlers.
There are still several open positions.
"Can you imagine, if it’s this bad now, in October, November-- what it’s going to be in December?” Sanchez remarked.
If interested in learning more about FedEx job openings, visit: https://careers.fedex.com/fedex/
