A video showing a FedEx worker using swear words while dropping a heavy package during a scheduled pickup hathe s gone viral and it also led to division between industry experts and consumers alike in the retail sector.
According to Business Insider, the video, posted by WISN, showed the FedEx worker dropping a 144-pound package multiple times, expressing his frusthe tration while swearing. The video has since gone viral and while others came to the worker's defense, the delivery giant condemned its employee's behavior.
FedEx said in a statement that the worker's behavior was "unacceptable," but some consumers and industry analysts raised concerns about the dark side of the retail sector wherein workers are pushed to their limits during the holidays.
Andrea Wendorf, the shopper who ordered the furniture from online retailer Wayfair, said the couch was damaged. Wendorf has also demanded a public apology from the worker in the viral video.
While FedEx itself and other consumers said there was no reason for the worker to be very frustrated while making pickups on a snowy day, delivery drivers took to social media to defend the employee in question.
Some workers in the same industry said they would feel the same if they had to endure snowy days with large and heavy products whether for delivery or pickup due to damage.
The global online retail industry has been expanding at a significant rate over the past years, with delivery services getting dragged into the picture. Behind the success of big companies is the effort and workers who are pressured to deliver or pick up heavy, bulky items as fast as possible.
FedEx said it has rolled out the use of new devices and tools that should assist delivery workers during their workday, especially if the items to be delivered have extra weight. The package delivery giant also reiterated that it will carry out the necessary reviews on the worker's behavior.
Meanwhile, the global package delivery market is expected to expand further in the coming years, particularly the drone delivery segment that has started gaining traction in international markets.
In a new report by MarketsandMarkets regarding the drone package delivery market, analysts estimated that the segment's growth will hit $2.1 billion by 2023, and later balloon to $27.4 billion by 2030.
The report noted that the sector's growth will be driven primarily by hiking demand for business models in the parcel delivery industry that capitalize on reducing carbon emissions.
Consumers and advocates alike are largely going "green," and drone delivery services are believed to be the suitable solution in reducing the courier service sector's growing carbon footprint on the environment.
