Goodbye Preload, hello OMS!

[UnconTROLLed]

Operations Management Specialist = your boss, Upstate. like it or not.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

The teacher in Syracuse disagrees with this statement as I said it in a meeting once.

He's wrong.

 

[brownIEman]

Sleeve is correct on this one. Actually, OMS is the old term, they were renaimed a few years back, but it never really stuck. Their official title is PTPCS=Part Time Package Center Supervisor.

Like it or not, they are members of management and ignoring directions from them is refusing to work as directed and a violation of the bargaining agreement.

If you are ignoring them because they give you stupid directions, your on road sups should be backing them up and explaining to you the realities of the hourly/management realationship per the contract. And then behind closed doors "counseling and coaching" them on not giving out stupid directions.

But what the heck, if your FT management are ignoring the issue, while I do not condone it, I certainly understand why you would.

 

[CustomerConcern]

Fun with an OMS who is clueless.....last year summertime sent a missload ods the OMS responds "Its a business you need to deliver it before they close. I tell her its not on my rte can someone transfer it to the right rte? You will work as directed and del it before business closes, or do I need to call the center manager. No ma'am, I am on my way to del it right now."

So I drove the 40 miles out of town to del this 1 missload as directed. By the time I made it back to my rte had 15 missed business of my own, worked up to my 14 hours and missed around 40 resi. OMS got reprimanded by DM, I got the old "You should know better" by the center manager. "I was working as directed sir." big smile and now this OMS won't talk to me anymore.

 

[TearsInRain]

My on-car tried to tell me that our OMS clerks are our bosses

all part-time supes fit the same bill; they aren't your "boss", but if you don't follow our instructions you're in trouble (maybe )

i see us more as extensions of a particular FT supe's authority rather than an entity of our own, if that makes sense

I also hate when I come in an hear them say "my driver this and my driver that"

a good leader or manager takes ownership of their work, there's nothing wrong with that kind of talk as long as they treat it (and you) with respect

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Fun with an OMS who is clueless.....last year summertime sent a missload ods the OMS responds "Its a business you need to deliver it before they close. I tell her its not on my rte can someone transfer it to the right rte? You will work as directed and del it before business closes, or do I need to call the center manager. No ma'am, I am on my way to del it right now."

So I drove the 40 miles out of town to del this 1 missload as directed. By the time I made it back to my rte had 15 missed business of my own, worked up to my 14 hours and missed around 40 resi. OMS got reprimanded by DM, I got the old "You should know better" by the center manager. "I was working as directed sir." big smile and now this OMS won't talk to me anymore.

There are times where you should be able to call your on-car or center manager and explain to them how hideous the OMSs suggestion is, that generally squares things away. Of course if it's after 4 and they are golfing , tough cookies. I believe that is where OMS truly rule ;D

The center which I work has a good team of people. Numbers are awful, but they work hard and are not quite as stressed out as other centers and buildings.

 

[menotyou]

What she being counseled about her poor job performance?

?

 

[menotyou]

He's wrong.

My point was that any person in management is technically our boss.

 

[pott]

I guess they haven't told you to work as directed and cover 2 shifts without getting paid yet. It's a comin!!!!!

 

[CustomerConcern]

I guess they haven't told you to work as directed and cover 2 shifts without getting paid yet. It's a comin!!!!!

WTH?

 

[UnconTROLLed]

My point was that any person in management is technically our boss.

You were right, I was not disagreeing. If an OMS wants me to drive 100 miles out of the way to del a pkg, that is their call. Who am I to argue with management?

 

[brownIEman]

Fun with an OMS who is clueless.....last year summertime sent a missload ods the OMS responds "Its a business you need to deliver it before they close. I tell her its not on my rte can someone transfer it to the right rte? You will work as directed and del it before business closes, or do I need to call the center manager. No ma'am, I am on my way to del it right now."

So I drove the 40 miles out of town to del this 1 missload as directed. By the time I made it back to my rte had 15 missed business of my own, worked up to my 14 hours and missed around 40 resi. OMS got reprimanded by DM, I got the old "You should know better" by the center manager. "I was working as directed sir." big smile and now this OMS won't talk to me anymore.

Your center manager was correct, you both acted childeshly. Your OMS should have been bright enough and had enough respect for you to emphasise the importance of making service on the misload, and asking the cost if you were to do so, ie your missed business.
You should have been smart enough and had enough respect for your customers to let the OMS know the delivery was 40 miles away and would likely cause you to miss several business stops were you to run it.

You should both have been reprimanded. There is a huge difference between argueing with a directive and bringing up legitimate concerns about one. If you do not understand that difference, you should not be working in any customer service industry making the kind of money you are making.

That said, I do understand your frustration. I do not condone your actions. Just as I do not condone the actions of the OMS in this case, although I do understand her frustration with being treated often time as less than dirt by the drivers in the center. Not all of the drivers, but many of them. If you are going to try to sell me on the idea that does not hapen in your center you have an uphill battle. I have worked in more than 40 centers over the years and that happened to one degree or another in every single one of them.

 

[TearsInRain]

There is a huge difference between argueing with a directive and bringing up legitimate concerns about one.

what company do YOU work for?
drivers don't become hard-headed drones by accident or chance, they're created by years of poor leadership, a condition that appears to be embedded in Operations and originates all the way in Atlanta with "metrics"

 

[UnconTROLLed]

what company do YOU work for?
drivers don't become hard-headed drones by accident or chance, they're created by years of poor leadership, a condition that appears to be embedded in Operations and originates all the way in Atlanta with "metrics"

Thank God there is a union.

 

[washington57]

what company do YOU work for?
drivers don't become hard-headed drones by accident or chance, they're created by years of poor leadership, a condition that appears to be embedded in Operations and originates all the way in Atlanta with "metrics"

everyone knows this but it rarely said and then said so concisely.

 

[iowa boy]

Sleeve is correct on this one. Actually, OMS is the old term, they were renaimed a few years back, but it never really stuck. Their official title is PTPCS=Part Time Package Center Supervisor.

Like it or not, they are members of management and ignoring directions from them is refusing to work as directed and a violation of the bargaining agreement.

If you are ignoring them because they give you stupid directions, your on road sups should be backing them up and explaining to you the realities of the hourly/management realationship per the contract. And then behind closed doors "counseling and coaching" them on not giving out stupid directions.

But what the heck, if your FT management are ignoring the issue, while I do not condone it, I certainly understand why you would.

Fun with an OMS who is clueless.....last year summertime sent a missload ods the OMS responds "Its a business you need to deliver it before they close. I tell her its not on my rte can someone transfer it to the right rte? You will work as directed and del it before business closes, or do I need to call the center manager. No ma'am, I am on my way to del it right now."

So I drove the 40 miles out of town to del this 1 missload as directed. By the time I made it back to my rte had 15 missed business of my own, worked up to my 14 hours and missed around 40 resi. OMS got reprimanded by DM, I got the old "You should know better" by the center manager. "I was working as directed sir." big smile and now this OMS won't talk to me anymore.

Your center manager was correct, you both acted childeshly. Your OMS should have been bright enough and had enough respect for you to emphasise the importance of making service on the misload, and asking the cost if you were to do so, ie your missed business.
You should have been smart enough and had enough respect for your customers to let the OMS know the delivery was 40 miles away and would likely cause you to miss several business stops were you to run it.

You should both have been reprimanded. There is a huge difference between argueing with a directive and bringing up legitimate concerns about one. If you do not understand that difference, you should not be working in any customer service industry making the kind of money you are making.

That said, I do understand your frustration. I do not condone your actions. Just as I do not condone the actions of the OMS in this case, although I do understand her frustration with being treated often time as less than dirt by the drivers in the center. Not all of the drivers, but many of them. If you are going to try to sell me on the idea that does not hapen in your center you have an uphill battle. I have worked in more than 40 centers over the years and that happened to one degree or another in every single one of them.

Brown,

In your first quote above, you tell us that the OMS is a part time supervisor and us as employees have to work as directed if told to do so by the OMS. In CC's quote above, he was told, by the OMS, to deliver the misload to another town 40 miles away and informed the OMS that it was not his route and have it picked up and routed to the right driver. The OMS threatened to call the center manager if he failed to work as instructed, so he went and delivered to misload. (working as instructed).

In your second quote above you stated that both the driver and OMS should have been reprimanded for their actions. The OMS should have been reprimanded for not double checking where the misload was located and finding out what route it is on before pulling the 'work as directed' trigger.

Can you explain to all of us here how CC should be reprimanded for working as instucted? And don't tell me he should have used his common sense in this situation, as that would have been construed as refusing to work as instructed. He could have pled his case with regards to this off area misload, but if the OMS says "too bad, deliver it" what was CC supposed to do? Our common sense in situations like this is taken out of our hands when we are told to work as instucted, unless we feel it is unsafe or illegal.

Granted CC may have been a little more smug than he should have been, but if I was faced with the same situation, I would have run the misload, as I have to 'work as directed'.

 

[brownIEman]

Brown,


Can you explain to all of us here how CC should be reprimanded for working as instucted? And don't tell me he should have used his common sense in this situation, as that would have been construed as refusing to work as instructed. He could have pled his case with regards to this off area misload, but if the OMS says "too bad, deliver it" what was CC supposed to do? Our common sense in situations like this is taken out of our hands when we are told to work as instucted, unless we feel it is unsafe or illegal.

Granted CC may have been a little more smug than he should have been, but if I was faced with the same situation, I would have run the misload, as I have to 'work as directed'.

Be happy to. A simple ODS message. His last ODS to the center before heading off on the trek should have been "Running Misload. Is 40 Miles off route, will miss 10-15 business stops."
Yes, the OMS should have asked, and I already said she should have been reprimanded. But the OMS did not ask and CC did not relay the ramifications. And so CC gets to be smug, the OMS gets a reprimand, and our customers suffer because we people who would rather play power games than communate rationally, and people who would rather be in a position to say "haha you clueless OMS, told you so" than communicate rationally.
You are correct, you must work as directed and at the end of the day if told to run a stupid misload, you must do so. But to withold information that you have about the ramifications of your instructions from someone who does not no better, even if they should, is just going to hurt our customers and set us all up for failure.

 

[brownIEman]

what company do YOU work for?
drivers don't become hard-headed drones by accident or chance, they're created by years of poor leadership, a condition that appears to be embedded in Operations and originates all the way in Atlanta with "metrics"

I get that. I already said I understand the frustration. OMS do not become hard-headed napoleons on a power trip by accident or chance either. They are created by years of drivers disrespecting them, ignoring their directions, talking down to them, generally treating them like less than dirt. A glorious vicious cycle.

 

[TearsInRain]

I get that. I already said I understand the frustration. OMS do not become hard-headed napoleons on a power trip by accident or chance either. They are created by years of drivers disrespecting them, ignoring their directions, talking down to them, generally treating them like less than dirt. A glorious vicious cycle.

they won't disrespect me

i say 'please' in every ODS and bring in cookies for the ride home

 

[menotyou]

I get that. I already said I understand the frustration. OMS do not become hard-headed napoleons on a power trip by accident or chance either. They are created by years of drivers disrespecting them, ignoring their directions, talking down to them, generally treating them like less than dirt. A glorious vicious cycle.

So, years of disrespect by "drivers" caused our OMS to snap and live on her cell phone for 5 hours of her 5.5 hour shift, made her wear clothes that I would wear to the local Harley Rendezvous, make her snap at old ladies on the phone so bad the Division Manager talked to her, make her ignore the phone that has ringing off the wall, I can go on for hours!!