Why Do Missed Pickups Go Unreported?
Because the courier who missed it isn't the person who talks to you, and the exception never leaves the vehicle. In most operations a driver who can't complete a stop moves on and mentions it at end of shift. By then the specimen has sat for six hours and your bench is asking where it is.
What Should Happen Instead
The courier contacts dispatch from the site, not from the next stop. Most failed pickups are access problems rather than absence problems — a locked door, a changed suite number, a receptionist nobody told, a dock that closed early. All solvable while the courier is still standing there.
What to Document
| Record | Why |
|---|---|
| Scheduled pickup time | Baseline |
| Time you learned of the miss | The actual metric |
| The gap between them | This is the number that matters |
| Who told you — courier, dispatch, or your own client | If it's the third, escalate |
| What was affected | Repeat draws, delayed results, rescheduled procedures |
When Is It a Pattern Rather Than an Incident?
- Four signals: you learn of misses from your own staff rather than from the carrier
- The same site fails repeatedly
- The explanation changes between calls
- There's no written exception record you can request. One incident gets a corrective action request. A pattern gets a replacement carrier.
What a Corrective Action Response Should Contain
Root cause, not a description. What changed operationally. Who is accountable by name. How you'll be able to tell it worked.