Queuing at Späti: Chaos when picking up parcels in Berlin!
Find out how parcels can be picked up in Berlin, what challenges there are and what services are available.

Queuing at Späti: Chaos when picking up parcels in Berlin!
There are currently numerous problems with parcel delivery in Berlin, primarily affecting the collection of DPD parcels. A scenario that can often be observed takes place in a Späti, where there is an unusually long line waiting for an employee. This man, a 60-year-old German-Turkish man, is looking through stacks of DPD parcels behind the counter for a parcel that a young man with a pick-up note would like to pick up. Frequent language barriers make communication difficult, which often leads to misunderstandings. So the employee has to tell the waiting customer that the driver hasn't made a delivery that day, which the young man doesn't seem to fully understand and continues to wave his pickup slip. Berlin newspaper reports on these challenges that many customers experience every day.
However, the problems are not limited to communication between employees and customers. The collection process itself also raises questions. Loud allanswers.de The parcel recipient can fill out, pay and print out the parcel label online, which should make things easier. In addition, parcels can be dropped off at Pickup parcel shops or picked up directly, and collection is also possible without a notification card, provided the person collecting them presents a valid ID and possibly a power of attorney. DPD stores the parcels in its Pickup parcel shops for a week, but this does not always help to reduce the burden. Especially if the driver doesn't arrive on time or the packages are mixed up.
Customer friendliness and alternatives
When it comes to alternative drop-off points, the Deutsche Post DHL Group has a wide range of options. DHL offers around 38,000 drop-off points nationwide, including post offices, parcel shops in kiosks and supermarkets. Customers appreciate the multiple locations and flexible hours that allow packages to be picked up or dropped off at any time of day. Constant shipment tracking also ensures that the package status can be tracked at all times.
Although DHL's service offers have advantages compared to DPD, users are not spared the problem of parcel collection. Smoother communication and a more effective process could help reduce wait times and frustration for customers. The prospect of a solution to these problems is uncertain, but remains of great importance for many Berliners who rely on their parcels every day.