Is this taking Customer Service too far???

*sigh* I somehow knew it would be one of those days today! You ready? Major vent gonna happen right here!!!

When I left my workshop yesterday I booked collections onine for two consignments on a 24hr delivery through Parcelforce. This means that they should have picked up from me yesterday for delivery to my customers today. I've been using Parcelforce since January this year (I sacked my last courier for inefficiency!!) and so far no real huge problems that haven't been fixable.

Until I get into the workshop today and see yesterday's parcels STILL outside my door!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

I get straight on the phone to Parcelforce to ask them what the **** is going on and I am reliably informed that due to strike action there are no more same day collections and that the consignments I booked yesterday will be picked up today and delivered next working day (ie Monday.)

Now see, I WAS aware that there was a postal strike, but as far as I am aware, there were no problems with Parcelforce collections. I am a contract customer and assumed that should there be any problems, that I would have been informed by a notice on the website when I booked the collections! Well you'd think wouldn't you!! If I had known yesterday that there was even the remotest chance of an issue, I would have moved mountains to fix it yesterday and had enough time to organise another courier!!!

In the normal scheme of things, an extra day added on to the delivery time wouldn't really make that much difference to the vast majority of my customers, but one of these ladies is getting married TOMORROW!!!!!!!!! The candles in this box (which is currently sat by my feet!) are for her wedding tables TOMORROW and delivery on Monday will be just a teensy bit TOO ****ing late!!!

Please excuse my post full of stars but I am just so utterly furious!!

Could I pay extra and upgrade it to a Saturday morning delivery before 9am I ask the not very helpful blatantly unhelpful female "customer service" operator. I am reliably informed no, they are not able to do that due to current demands on their services!!! Ohhhhh GRRRRRRRR!!

Ok so damage control time. I have 2 choices.

1. Do nothing. Tell the customer that it's beyond my control (which it actually is! I have no control over postal strikes!) and that I am very sorry but there is nothing I can do about it and I hope her wedding goes ok and that the tables don't look too awful without the pretty glittery candles she'd ordered from me.
2. Drive it up to her myself this evening.

Soooo .... guess what I'm doing tonight? I've just called her and explained the situation and she is very grateful!! I have to brave the M25 around probably the worst part on a Friday night, but what else could I do?! How could I have someone out there thinking that the only thing to spoil an otherwise perfect wedding day was the fact that the candles ordered from ME didn't arrive. It'll only take me around two hours each way *sigh*

I do pride myself on my customer service. Sometimes orders do go out a few days late if I've been manic and not had staff in, but I'll usually fix that up by sending a lil freebie with the order, and I try to treat each customer like my only customer! I couldn't let a bride down before her wedding day.

So this morning I have to finish up in the workshop - finalise my prep for a party tomorrow night (and another Sunday afternoon) to make sure the stock boxes are ready ... and then go home, clean the house and wait for hub to get in from work so I can go play with the traffic!!!