Last weekend, I ordered a new external hard drive online. When I made the purchase, I opted to have the item shipped to my office where there is always someone to sign for it. I live in an apartment where the packages are usually left at the leasing office, which closes at 6pm. I don't always make it home before 6pm and always leave before the leasing office opens. I can handle the delayed gratification that comes with shipping but I can't handle the frustration of knowing my items are close but inaccessible.
The Sunday night purchase included two-day shipping so my hard drive was scheduled to arrive Wednesday. I thought that would work well since I would then be home for the long Thanksgiving weekend with plenty of time to install the drive and move my photo and music files to it. On Monday, I learned that the meetings I had scheduled for Wednesday were cancelled. This meant I didn't need to work that day. Since schools were out on Wednesday, I knew I would rather stay home with my son than go to work while he slept in. I promptly decided to take the day off. But, my package was due to be delivered on Wednesday.
The receptionist was very understanding when I explained the situation. I asked her to send me a text message when the delivery was made so I could stop by and pick up my stuff. She was totally agreeable to that and went a step further to give me the second key to her desk. She would lock up my package if I didn't get to the office before she left for the day. I could stop by anytime and collect my new hard drive. It was a great plan.
As it got later in the afternoon on Wednesday, I wondered if she had forgotten me as I had no text, call or email. I sent her a text. She replied immediately to let me know that no delivery had been made on her watch. She also noted that if someone else received a delivery while she was at lunch or on a bathroom break, they usually let her know. Okay, I needed a little patience.
As 5:00 approached, I decided to check the website to confirm that the package was on schedule. I was surprised to learn that FedEx had delivered the package at about 1:30. The record indicated that it had been left with the receptionist and signed for by C. Huff. I don't know anyone by that name at my office but there are a few new folks. Anyway, I dropped my son at the gym and headed to my office to retrieve my package.
By the time I arrived, just about everyone had left for the day. There were only a few dedicated souls who apparently weren't feeding the masses at their house the next day, Thanksgiving, who were still on the job. I went immediately to my office expecting to see a package sitting on my desk. Nope. My desk looked just like I had left it. I check in the cabinets and drawers. No package. I moved on to the receptionist's desk armed with the keys to access her locked cabinets. No package there either. I walked around checking cubicles and offices throughout the suite. No luck. I went back to my desk and looked again. I logged into my PC and double checked the FedEx tracking information. The information was the same, signed for by C. Huff. I pulled out the office phone list. There was no C. Huff on the list. Maybe it was delivered to the suite down the hall. My badge can get me in there, too, so I went snooping. Still no package.
After an hour, I gave up my search. I called my boss at home. He's a good guy so I knew he wouldn't mind. I left a voice mail asking if he had maybe locked up my package in his desk for safe keeping. He called me back an hour or so later. He didn't see the package but he did have information about it. I share my office with a women who is very responsible. She had asked the boss about the package. She wondered if she should take it down the hall on my behalf assuming that this was a work purchase rather than a personal one. He confirmed that this was not a purchase for the office. With that information, my helpful roommate decided she would secure the package by locking it in her desk until Monday.
I tried to make a reasonable plan to get my package by dealing with the one person I expected to have hands on it, our receptionist. Somehow, my plan fell apart. Someone whose signature was interpreted as C.Huff was kind enough to intervene, sign of the package and deliver it to my desk. At that point, my roommate took responsibility for the safety of the package. She didn't think to give me a call or send me a text. She opted to lock it in her desk. Had I seen this possibility, I would have had it shipped to my home!
Now, I have to decide my next move. I know where the extra keys are kept. I could go to the office, find the spare key, open her desk and get my package. This is a tempting option. There is a downside though. My helpful roommate would be flipped out to know that it was that easy to violate her space. The violation would put our relationship at risk. We aren't best buds but we get along. There is a degree of trust between us. I don't think that trust would be there if I was able to access the locked areas of her desk. But I want my stuff. I'm angry at her for keeping it from me. I resent that I have to consider her feelings in this. I also resent that I wasted an hour looking for the stupid package. She could have just contacted me! For now, I'm going to sleep on it. Maybe Thanksgiving will bring clarity.
No comments:
Post a Comment