OooUps, they did it again.
Nice job FedEx friends! I can't imagine UPS providing the same level of service soon for the price I paid, although I wish they were a forward thinking company with ideas instead of lobbyists.
A much anticipated piece of gear shipped from Bass Pro Shop to me on a Thursday by "SmartPost." Because the item was backordered, I had chosen the standard delivery method. I was not familiar with the SmartPost level of service and did not hold out much hope of receiving it in time for the weekend. However, it arrived on my doorstep two days later (that's a Saturday morning for those doing the math at home). It made my weekend much better and seemed like a bargain for the $16.95 I paid for shipping the $270 item.
I used the UPS.com Estimate Time and Cost calculator to see how we could have matched the service from that city to my city, including insurance for the item and the approximate weight and dimensions of the box. It would have cost about the same amount, $16.49, to ship it by UPS Ground, but it would have arrived on Monday, too late for the weekend. No option was offered for Saturday ground delivery to my zip code. It may not be available, or may be a limitation of the on-line Time and Cost Calculator. To match the two day time in transit with Saturday delivery as provided by FedEx's SmartPost, it would have cost $40.23 by UPS 2nd Day Air. UPS Next Day Air Saver could have had it there on Friday for $40.45.
As a consumer, I am glad to have my gear in a timely manner at a fair price. As an employee, I hope the UPS managers who care little for hourly employee input do more than rearrainge the deck chairs while we drown in our own 100 years of momentum.