The UPS Store

I have read the other postings and I have to say they must be ‘hit or miss’, because I use this spot all the time and have never had a problem with my packages getting sent and being received and with the service. As far as the staff and the cleanliness, I never thought there was a problem that couldn’t be resolved in the 10 minutes or so I had to be there. I really think that people now a days feel they need to be catered to and expect the world. My question to the posters here on Unilocal — how does your home look and how did you treat the employee? And ‘No’, I am not an employee of this UPS or any other UPS.

We have had a PMB here for 8 months and Katherine and Ralph are the absolute best! We do everything here. We ship and pick up packages. They are super friendly! If there not busy they will even grab the door for you. We highly recommend this store!

I learned a very valuable lesson today. This is an independently owned and operated location and the employees are NOT employees of UPS. As a result, they are under no obligation to fulfill UPS’s mission to serve the evolving logistics needs of their customers or offer excellence and value in all they do.
I will begin this review by stating that when I walked into this location today… I was already upset with UPS. I am in final stages of refinancing my home and needed key documents express delivered to me from another state. Unfortunately, this package didn’t arrive on the day it was supposed to and I was on business travel when they finally did deliver it. After numerous calls, I had the package rerouted to this UPS Store (Store #0823). Only to find out that it had not yet again been delivered.
This is where my review begins. The clerk essentially provided me with the status of my package, gave me back my my information notice, and told me to call UPS customer service number on the ticket. I couldn’t believe my ears and got upset. I asked that they call them to help me resolve this. They clerk declined, said I was rude and told me we were finished.
I understand her reaction, but I do not agree with it. She had an opportunity to try to make things right or at the very least attempt to see how they could help. But in the end, despite hearing about all of my issues with UPS, she was quick to point out that they were not employees of UPS and under no obligation to assist me. This resulted in me getting far more upset and after I called UPS customer service — I found out that they had once again mis-​routed my package. I was fit to be tied.
During my call with customer service, it became apparent to me that I was going to miss my bank’s deadline for the additional documentation, lose my $ 800 application fee… AND on top of all that — I would have return to this store to get my package. So I let the package continue its journey back to where they started.
In the end, as a customer service representative myself, I have been in their shoes. Clients get upset when you don’t deliver. They get really upset when problems continue to escalate without resolution. However, a negative experience can be salvaged and turned into an opportunity. Being able to assess and address customer complaints is key to making this happen. Support isn’t about always being right, it’s about always being willing to make it right.
I would not recommend this store and would suggest giving our local USPS or FEDEX locations the opportunity to serve you.

I try and avoid using this UPS store. The staff is rude and unhelpful, especially if you’re dropping off prepaid packages. Store is small and it’s not very easy to bring packages in through the 1.5 ft wide door. I would try a different UPS store location of its possible.

They do not allow dogs inside. You are not a restaurant. Get over yourselves and move into the 21^st century.

This place is terrific!
I travel internationally a lot and send and receive mail and packages though this store. They have never been anything but super helpful and considerate. I am sometimes gone for as long as nine months, and they hold my mail and packages for me with no hassles. It is a small store, but that area of Alexandria doesn’t have a lot of space anyway. I think it is the right size in the right location. Not only am I recommending it to you, complete strangers, but I refer my friends there as well. If I could give more stars, I would!

I have to agree on the customer service and the pre-​paid boxes. I was dropping off a pre-​paid package that I hadn’t sealed to make sure the right forms went into the box vice on top of it. The result…“ok you will owe us $.75 to seal it. Are you kidding? for 6 inches of tape you want to charge actual money. I get that you want to make money off packing supplies, but as a customer who has been coming to your store to send packages to friends and family and spent well over $ 300 every year at Christmas just shipping stuff, I would expect you could go ahead and part with the ¹⁄₆^th of a yard of tape. Kingstowne gets my business now, Won’t be going there again, kiss my Christmas shipping goodbye.

I just drop off pre-​printed packages to be returned to Amazon here, but what can I say, they do a good job. Their customer service should be a little more active – they are usually engrossed in behind the counter convos and there’s a delay before they ask you a question. It’s awkward because the store ain’t exactly big, so you feel like you’re interrupting a little. But all in all, they have everything you need to ship something, they can take packages, they can box, wrap, cushion, tape and ship just about anything. Hard to go wrong. They are expensive though. What do you think, this isn’t a charity operation and rent is high in old town. ;)

I was not greeted at all. The woman who was working behaved as though my patronage was an inconvenience to her. She was rude, unprofessional, and has no business dealing with customers. The only thing she actually said besides, is your shipping prepaid, was that she’d have to charge me to tape up my package! And not even the same amount the other reviewer mentioned. So it’s clearly an arbitrary fee that they’d do well to get rid of.
I drove over to the Del Ray UPS where I was greeted with smiles, hello’s, and I didn’t even have to ask them to tape my box closed. They were happy to have my business and didn’t act like they hated their jobs. I will gladly drive a little out of my way to not have to deal with the S West Street location.

I was trying to unload a sub-​component of a rifle which shipped to me via UPS ground. Catherine opined that I could not ship because this is a franchise and I was not a dealer (never mind that this package arrived via UPS Ground as shown on the box I received in it). Good thing I did not need to return this right away! I explained this was not regulated but she insisted on taking my email. Ralph seemed a bit more friendly in accepting this is an unregulated metal machine part with no serial number. I can’t believe I walked half a mile in the wind chilling cold to get a quote. I advise that you call ahead to find out if Catherine (my new UPS postmaster) gets the urge to further regulate whatever you got via UPS ground and whatever you are sending before you step into the cold. It seems like they are still learning what they can and cannot do on the job so one has to be patient with them. If you call or write ahead, I believe this step will save you an unnecessary trip.

ehhh… cashier who helped me was, rude… well not friendly or informative.
The store wasn’t very neat either. I understand it’s a small spot, but I think it could be less packed.
I had my own box and bubble rap and prepaid shipping label. I just needed tape and to drop it off. The cost for tape was $ 1.00 and that’s not a roll of tape either. Just for them to tape it up. While $ 1.00 isn’t a lot, I don’t think there should have been a charge to tape the box.

Catherine and Ralph are always helpful and can get me in and out. I bring close to 20 boxes a week and they always do a great job packaging and taking care of company needs. Several reviews complain they can’t handle UPS customer service but realize that UPS Store is separate than UPS. If you have a problem call the 1 – 800 number. I will always come to this location for all my packaging and coping needs.

I’m not at all surprised by the negative reviews, especially as they pertain to customer service. Please allow me to tell you a story:
On May XX, 2013 I walked into this UPS Store to inquire about printing, I was met with some bizarre pricing scheme and after seeking clarification three times, I was insulted, yelled at, threatened with arrest and, while walking to the door to leave, ASSAULTED BY THE OWNER CATHERINE — LITERALLY HIT AND PUSHED OUT THE DOOR.
That’s right, this woman was cited and assault charges are pending. Why? Because I questioned her pricing practices, she wanted to charge me $ 5 to access a file on a «fob», just to plug it in to the computer.
The owner of this UPS Store is a criminal, and it’s not her first time. Do a little research and you’ll see.
Did I mention I have the entire incident on video? LINK COMING SOON!

Horrible customer service, very unprofessional staff … put your money elsewhere!

Wow. I wish zero stars was an option.
First, this store is NOT a UPS store. Sure, the sign says it is but they cannot help you in the least with anything UPS related. You’re better off dropping off at Staples next door; at least they’re helpful.
Second, the customer service is atrocious. The Manager (the MANAGER) basically blew me off from the second I walked in. Why? Oh, because I was dropping off a prepaid return shipment and as I was told «we don’t make a dime off of that.»
I had a simple question — it turned into an event simply because the MANAGER (red hair, beard) couldn’t take the time (he was just vacuuming… not kidding) to answer a basic question.
Ok…thanks…where’s the FedEX store?
I’m done with UPS… the stores are a joke.

Rude and unhelpful. Manager is classless.

This place is fantastic! They’re courteous, fast, knowledgable, and they don’t go out of their way to try to make you feel like a moron like the UPS on Duke St. (The customer should be right – especially when they pay MORE money than they apparently had to.) I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to be treated (at the very least) like a conscientious human being.

This UPS Store provides excellent service. Ralph and Katharine are always there to help. To prevent a trip out to Alexandria, I sometimes call ahead to see if I have mail in my box. This is a great place, and has made running my small business so much easier. My only issue with this location, is they don’t offer after hours access to mailboxes.

FACT — If I could rate this business 0 stars I would. FACT — The store is operated by a husband and wife team. FACT — Both husband and wife have zero personality, little customer service acumen and were difficult to deal with. FACT — I received a package that was not mine. FACT — Husband failed to identify that he had handed me the incorrect package. FACT — Husband and wife refused to accept the package upon my discovery that the package was not mine. FACT — Husband and wife were hateful and happy to lose any future business from me. FACT — I will never ship another package from this UPS location nor will I ever have anything delivered to this UPS location.

Easy to work with. Open every day. Does notarizing too.