Introduction
For weeks now, DHL Vietnam has been bouncing me between excuses, contradictions, and silence. What should have been a straightforward shipment has instead turned into a masterclass in how not to handle a customer — or a crisis.
The timeline of chaos
Early August
DHL’s text messages begin. Over and over, I’m told my documentation is “incomplete” and warned my shipment may be returned. Each time, I resend the paperwork in full.
Mid-August
Confirmation arrives that DHL has the documents — followed immediately by another claim that the paperwork is still insufficient. Threats of delays continue, backed by vague demands for more detail.
Late August
An email from DHL Vietnam admits that the shipment was incorrectly filed at their own end. Rather than take responsibility, they ask me for forms that don’t exist for my situation.
Early September
DHL shifts tactics. Now, the goods are supposedly “prohibited” — including vibrators, which are sold openly in Đà Lạt shops.
September 8th
A new excuse lands: my shipment is “30 days overdue” and therefore barred from import. The catch? That deadline only exists because DHL filed the paperwork incorrectly in the first place.
What this shows
This isn’t about one package. It’s about a logistics giant whose staff can’t — or won’t — resolve a clear paper trail of their own errors.
Instead of taking responsibility, DHL Vietnam has:
- Issued contradictory instructions.
- Threatened returns and confiscation.
- Blamed “prohibited goods” that are plainly available in the local market.
- Invented deadlines that only apply because of their own misfiling.
The result? A saga of delay, denial, and reputational damage — all of DHL’s own making.
Lesson for leaders
Leadership isn’t tested when things run smoothly — it’s revealed in how you respond to failure, contradiction, and public scrutiny. Silence and evasion may delay the fallout, but they always compound the eventual reputational cost.
