As attendance dwindles in schools and office buildings and passenger flights are delayed and canceled en masse, FedEx is also feeling the pressure of a staff shortage. The carrier announced that “The explosive surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant has caused a temporary shortage of available crew members and operational staff in the FedEx Express air network.” How will these shortages affect you? What can you do to recoup funds lost by delayed deliveries? We’ll uncover the latest service suspensions and share how you can recover refunds and credits when deliveries are not completed on time. 

How is FedEx handling staff shortages caused by Omicron?

With staff shortages causing disruptions in the day-to-day operations of FedEx, leadership needed to make a decision on how to protect employees and fulfill its obligations to customers. In January, the carrier placed a hold on some of its airfreight services. 

Since then, FedEx resumed their International Economy Freight pick-ups, while keeping domestic freight services suspended. The company stated that “The health and safety of our team members is our top priority. We are implementing contingency plans and adjusting operations to minimize delays while continuing to provide the best possible service to our customers during these difficult times. Economy Domestic FedEx Express Freight (FedEx 2Day Freight and FedEx 3Day Freight) is currently suspended.” This isn’t a new issue. In fact, the company admitted that labor shortages cost the carrier $470 million in the last quarter. 

Add COVID-related staff shortage with winter weather-related delays  and you’ve got a recipe for unmet guarantees. 

How can you recoup costs when FedEx fails to deliver on time? 

Shipping during a pandemic is fraught with uncertainty. Supply chain issues and staff shortages add a layer of complication to every transaction. At the same time, rate increases and suspended service guarantees made everything more expensive. Now that FedEx has reinstated its service guarantee, it’s time to claim the refunds you deserve. 

Each year, customers leave billions of dollars of unclaimed refunds with FedEx and UPS. ShipRx is helping businesses just like yours receive credits and refunds when the carriers fail to uphold their stated delivery guarantees. Our proprietary parcel audit software verifies over 40 factors through weekly checks for late deliveries, invalid surcharges, inaccurate rates, and packages manifested but not shipped to generate refunds on your behalf.

Getting started is free and easy. In less than five minutes, we’ll upload your invoices, verify service failures, and process refunds. Wondering how much you can recover? We’ve seen refunds range from 1 – 5%, and it’s better in your pockets instead of theirs.

As staff shortages threaten on-time deliveries more than ever before, it’s time to protect your bottom line. Get in touch with us today to start recovering refunds.

Todd Partner