I feel like I’m always expecting packages. In fact, I have been receiving a steady stream of packages for the last five months because my husband and I are remodeling our 1930 house we recently purchased.
At first it was fun, kind of like having a birthday everyday -- but then it got challenging to keep track of everything that we had ordered. Using the package tracking features on the various shipping companies’ websites became a tedious daily ritual.
But, how cool is this? I got to be part of solving my own problem through my work. I am a Program Manager on Instant Answers and my team and I just finished developing a new Instant Answer that has since alleviated the annoyances of tracking all my packages. Now I can go to MSN Search to track packages from any of four providers, FedEx, DHL, UPS, and USPS. I no longer have to navigate to four distinct sites and follow four processes to see the status of my packages. I can enter just a tracking ID or an ID and some other package tracking keywords, and the Package Tracking Instant Answer properly constructs the tracking link for me. All I have to do is click the link and view the status. WooHoo! More time for Xbox 360 in the evenings!
Here are a few examples of searches you can do on MSN Search to track your packages; just plug in your own IDs for the x’s:
Where is FedEx package xxxxxxxxxxxx?
Tracking status xxxxxxxxxxxx
DHL shipment xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Do you find this feature as useful as I do; try it out and let me know what you think.
--Jocelyn Dollar, Program Manager, Instant Answers
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