Drop Box Violations

[MrFedEx]

Here's another example of how far the cubicle-dwellers in Memphis are out of touch with couriers in the field. How about being written-up for a "Drop Box Violation"? Somehow, they have managed to heap another level of micromanagement upon us.

This is how it works. While you are processing the 75 or so pkgs in your drop box, while simultaneously answering stupid customer questions, you also must check all of these packages to make sure the customer isn't "cash-only" or a scammer. If you fail to catch such a package, you get your name on the Wall of Shame, and presumably, discipline at some point in time yet to be determined.

Please, oh please, let one of these desk-bound engineers ride with me someday. I will run their fat ass off trying to keep up with me and all of the rules and regulations at the same time.

It's scary sometimes to see that the upper management of Express is so far out of touch with reality. It's painfully obvious, yet they keep right on pushing the envelope. Remote management from people who have never done the job and have no concept of it's vagaries and complexities. A recipe for disaster. Meltdown coming your way soon. Wait for it.

 

[Cactus]

This another load of BS from Mr. or Ms. Clueless in Memphis.

Shouldn't be a courier's responsibilty to watch for bad accounts and/or scams. Fred is obviously too cheap to hire people to do that sort of thing. But then again that comes as no big surprise.

 

[LTFedExer]

It's scary sometimes to see that the upper management of Express is so far out of touch with reality. It's painfully obvious, yet they keep right on pushing the envelope..

You've mentioned this before and I agreed. I still do.

Shouldn't be a courier's responsibilty to watch for bad accounts and/or scams.

Please explain how anyone but the courier can monitor this? What would you do if you were in position to fix it?

I have one idea, but let's hear yours.

 

[MrFedEx]

You've mentioned this before and I agreed. I still do.

Please explain how anyone but the courier can monitor this? What would you do if you were in position to fix it?

I have one idea, but let's hear yours.

How is a courier that is completely overwhelmed at 1700 or so going to do this? Most people are just concerned with getting back on-time, and don't have time to do an extra audit of pkgs. I'm glad that we agree that MEM is living on another planet as far as being in touch with what we actually do on-road. It's like they're in denial.

 

[LTFedExer]

How is a courier that is completely overwhelmed at 1700 or so going to do this? Most people are just concerned with getting back on-time, and don't have time to do an extra audit of pkgs. I'm glad that we agree that MEM is living on another planet as far as being in touch with what we actually do on-road. It's like they're in denial.

C'mon dude, you know better than that. You stay there and do what you're told. When they ask why you're so late, you tell them you were just following what they told you to do.

 

[snackdad]

ohh and by the way you did not turn in a sales lead last month......

The couriers in my station are so overwhelmed especially at certain drop boxes that they will take a photocopy of a drop box bar code, or the second barcode for drop boxes that come with two in side the door. It is then posted barely visible somewhere in the truck usually near the interior shelves of the grumman interior. That way we can do drop box sweeps of our heavy drop boxes on lunch break and have the barcode right there inside the truck to scan then in when back on road and they are already processed. Another way FedEx forces us everyday to compromise our own time and safety due to ridiculous productivity demands.
How could we even check if an account number was a good one. There are no published sheets of account violators (at least in my station) only lists of the violations after the fact. When you ask a manager they say, you could call dispatch and see if the account is good. I think the only time I would do that is when an unknown shipper dumps 50 OLs in you drop box all on airbills and you really do not feel like processing that many. Call to dispatch, bad account, problem solved. Dump them on a managers desk!

 

[Cactus]

You've mentioned this before and I agreed. I still do.

Please explain how anyone but the courier can monitor this? What would you do if you were in position to fix it?

I have one idea, but let's hear yours.

I'd take those OL's and packages from deadbeat accounts back to the station and let them sit there and rot.

Let the undesireable customer figure it out then.

 

[LTFedExer]

I'd take those OL's and packages from deadbeat accounts back to the station and let them sit there and rot.

Let the undesireable customer figure it out then.

But how would you know if it was a deadbeat account #? That's the point here, to eliminate having to check on every airbill with an account # so you can tell which is bad or good.

 

[MrFedEx]

ohh and by the way you did not turn in a sales lead last month......

The couriers in my station are so overwhelmed especially at certain drop boxes that they will take a photocopy of a drop box bar code, or the second barcode for drop boxes that come with two in side the door. It is then posted barely visible somewhere in the truck usually near the interior shelves of the grumman interior. That way we can do drop box sweeps of our heavy drop boxes on lunch break and have the barcode right there inside the truck to scan then in when back on road and they are already processed. Another way FedEx forces us everyday to compromise our own time and safety due to ridiculous productivity demands.
How could we even check if an account number was a good one. There are no published sheets of account violators (at least in my station) only lists of the violations after the fact. When you ask a manager they say, you could call dispatch and see if the account is good. I think the only time I would do that is when an unknown shipper dumps 50 OLs in you drop box all on airbills and you really do not feel like processing that many. Call to dispatch, bad account, problem solved. Dump them on a managers desk!

Exactly.

 

[Cactus]

But how would you know if it was a deadbeat account #? That's the point here, to eliminate having to check on every airbill with an account # so you can tell which is bad or good.

Sometimes were given a updated list of delinquent accounts.

Can't catch them all however.

I have one idea, but let's hear yours.

So now what's this plan you have?

 

[LTFedExer]

So now what's this plan you have?

Eliminate airbills at dropboxes. Use powership or FedExShip, which requires a valid account number. I've been saying there's WAY to much paperwork and it needs to be cut down. This would be a good place to start.

 

[MrFedEx]

Eliminate airbills at dropboxes. Use powership or FedExShip, which requires a valid account number. I've been saying there's WAY to much paperwork and it needs to be cut down. This would be a good place to start.

Good luck with that.

 

[Mr. 7]

Eliminate airbills at dropboxes.

Impossible. What about the one-time user that needs to FDX something out. Paying by CC or, using someone's acct.?
I had to have my mother FDX me something, I told her to go to her closest drop box and fill out a form that would be inside (I hoped).

 

[vantexan]

Reading this thread makes me realize how lucky I am. I've done heavy dropboxes in the past, but current route doesn't have one. Typical day I do 5-8 pups, mostly docs, maybe 5-12 pkgs. Just alot of driving. I can understand wanting UPS pay when you're dealing with that kind of freight every day. FedEx should at least offer bonus pay for heavy rts. Instead of giving entire station a specific payscale, give rts different payscales. Give swings the higher pay too. Hump all day? Get paid well for it. Cruise all day? Settle for less.

 

[Mr. 7]

give rts different payscales. Give swings the higher pay too. Hump all day? Get paid well for it. Cruise all day? Settle for less.

Or, here's another good idea...
Never call in sick, never late, never miss a POD, van scan, or have an accident, get a big, fat raise.
Why not?

 

[vantexan]

While they're at it put machines in at stations that would allow them to swipe credit or debit card, punch in info, get an address label and receipt. Eliminate airbills altogether. No need to image ab's either, machines have already captured info.

 

[vantexan]

Or, here's another good idea...
Never call in sick, never late, never miss a POD, van scan, or have an accident, get a big, fat raise.
Why not?

Great if you can do it, but most can't. And what happens if you do any of the above after you get the big raise? Will they hammer you on the next raise?

 

[DS]

Good luck with that.

Last year,ups took away the time allowance for manual waybills.
Nobody uses them anymore.
I still see sometimes 50 a day,so I look bad on the op report that day.
You fedex guys sure have your problems too I see,having to verify every acct #?
Not to make light of your original post,but it struck me as a great sales lead slogan
when you said "Pushing the envelope"...go ahead,,,take credit for it...you said it first

 

[LTFedExer]

Good luck with that.

I never said it would happen. Of course, it's an idea from a courier, why would it be considered? What was I thinking?

Impossible. What about the one-time user that needs to FDX something out. Paying by CC or, using someone's acct.?
I had to have my mother FDX me something, I told her to go to her closest drop box and fill out a form that would be inside (I hoped).

We're talking about packages with bad/cash only account #'s, not CC. After all, when you process a CC, you put in the CC #, don't you? As for the person using another account #? There's enough FedEX Offices, ShipCenter or BSC's around. Getting to one of them, at least in our stations area as a whole, is usually no further than most dropboxes. Go ahead, nitpick and mentioned the remote areas. The few airbills you'd get out there, you can check the account #.

Since we take ideas from UPS, and vice versa, how do they deal with airbills? I go to a dropbox and UPS next to me. I have 20 airbills and they have 20 packages. Their LONG gone before I'm done. I don't see many. if any, hand written airbills.

OK, let's try this on for size. When the airbills are scanned into the system, have the account number put in also. If the account is bad or cash only, automatically generate a trace for stop shipment. Would it cost a few bucks? Yes. But no more than losing the revenue for that/those packages and eventually that bad/cash account would learn they can't 'get away with it' anymore. Obviously, this would need to be done the same night it was picked up. If you have an idea, let's hear it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I have 5 drop boxes and very rarely do I deal with ASD's (Air Shipping Documents). Most of the pkgs are prepaid ground returns while the others are software generated labels. I think people are afraid to use ASD's if they don't have an account number and have to enter their credit card information.

The only problem I have with my drop boxes are those people who can't read and put pkgs for other carriers in there.