Ground customers dropping like flies

[FedExer267]

So this customer was extemley ticked off that I showed up to deliver her 150lb piece of furniture and asked for help. She lives in a apartment building on the 3rd floor with no elevator. She started screaming there should be 2 of us since it is so heavy. I told her sorry we are not UPS and if I called for help there is no one to help. I attempted calling the boss who didnt answer his phone so I told her basically her teenage sons could help or I could put it back in the truck and reattempt tomorrow and maybe get the boss to meet me to help. She was very upset. Dont blame her however it is impossible to give her UPS quality service when you work for a contractor that was probally to busy getting in his 18 at the country club.
She called Fed Ex they called me and told me I had to get this thing up the stairs. Told them sorry I am not breaking my back for a company that for all intense purposes I dont work for, I told them to hop in their car and come help me and it would get delivered, ofcourse they refused, so oh well she will never use us again, not my problem. I can only imagine this is why are trucks have been so light lately People are finally getting the picture and tired of dealing with a 3rd party cuz its very clear to them now we are not employees even though we look like them. FedEX Ground decieving one customer at a time.

 

[bbsam]

I thought your old job called you back.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

So this customer was extemley ticked off that I showed up to deliver her 150lb piece of furniture and asked for help. She lives in a apartment building on the 3rd floor with no elevator. She started screaming there should be 2 of us since it is so heavy. I told her sorry we are not UPS and if I called for help there is no one to help. I attempted calling the boss who didnt answer his phone so I told her basically her teenage sons could help or I could put it back in the truck and reattempt tomorrow and maybe get the boss to meet me to help. She was very upset. Dont blame her however it is impossible to give her UPS quality service when you work for a contractor that was probally to busy getting in his 18 at the country club.
She called Fed Ex they called me and told me I had to get this thing up the stairs. Told them sorry I am not breaking my back for a company that for all intense purposes I dont work for, I told them to hop in their car and come help me and it would get delivered, ofcourse they refused, so oh well she will never use us again, not my problem. I can only imagine this is why are trucks have been so light lately People are finally getting the picture and tired of dealing with a 3rd party cuz its very clear to them now we are not employees even though we look like them. FedEX Ground decieving one customer at a time.

There is always one bad apple in the bunch and you appear to be it.

You are hired to do a job and you should do that job to the best of your ability keeping in mind that you represent your employer at all times. Yes, I know, you are not technically an employee, but that lady doesn't know that nor could care less. All she wants is for you to do your job and you failed miserably. Was your handcart broken?

Your work ethic should not hinge on the size of your paycheck.

BTW, the phrase is "intents and purposes".

 

[Cactus]

That 150 pound weight limit is a bunch of BS. Fred and the sales staff seem to think we're all weightlifters or something. Do you think for a minute Smith would even think about lifting a package that heavy? Hell no. 75 pounds is enough for anyone. Any thing above that should go to the Heavyweight division, either that or send help with the driver.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I also don't agree with the 150 lb limit as it is obviously a source of revenue with little regard for the safety of the employee. Yes, contractually, they are supposed to send help, but, in reality, we are on our own out there as well. "Use existing equipment or facilities to assist in the lift/lower".

267's interaction was classic "How Not To..."

 

[jimstud]

I also don't agree with the 150 lb limit as it is obviously a source of revenue with little regard for the safety of the employee. Yes, contractually, they are supposed to send help, but, in reality, we are on our own out there as well. "Use existing equipment or facilities to assist in the lift/lower".

267's interaction was classic "How Not To..."

upstate if i have a 150 lbs pkg for the 3rd flr and no elevator i will call for help and ups will send it to me or it will go back as a missed pkg. for 1 person to try and del a 150 lbs pkg up 3 flights of stairs by him/herself is a safety issue and you know that.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

upstate if i have a 150 lbs pkg for the 3rd flr and no elevator i will call for help and ups will send it to me or it will go back as a missed pkg. for 1 person to try and del a 150 lbs pkg up 3 flights of stairs by him/herself is a safety issue and you know that.

Exactly but there are better ways to handle it than the way the OP did.

Personally I don't like send agains so I would have done all that I could have safely done to get it delivered.

 

[jimstud]

Exactly but there are better ways to handle it than the way the OP did.

Personally I don't like send agains so I would have done all that I could have safely done to get it delivered.

i agree i would never have said that to a customer if i could not get help they would not even knew i was there. but from a safety standpoint that was dangerous.

 

[MrFedEx]

I also don't agree with the 150 lb limit as it is obviously a source of revenue with little regard for the safety of the employee. Yes, contractually, they are supposed to send help, but, in reality, we are on our own out there as well. "Use existing equipment or facilities to assist in the lift/lower".

267's interaction was classic "How Not To..."

The classic scenario at FedEx is that you are on your own with the 150# box. It's another Catch-22 because if you hurt yourself trying to deliver it "you should have asked for help" and if you refuse on the grounds that it is too heavy, you're "refusing to do your job" or "not servicing the customer".

Sorry, but the little handtruck they give you isn't up to the task and even if you can get your hands on one of the proper types, 150# is often unreasonable unless you're at a loading dock or some other location where it isn't a huge hassle to get rid of it.

FedEx policy says anything with skids or a palletized base should go Heavyweight anyway, but that seldom gets followed. And we all know that customers never lie about pkg weights, right? Once, I had a "150#" crate and went over to a container scale to see what it really weighed. 267 lbs!!!

 

[The Mayor]

That 150 pound weight limit is a bunch of BS. Fred and the sales staff seem to think we're all weightlifters or something. Do you think for a minute Smith would even think about lifting a package that heavy? Hell no. 75 pounds is enough for anyone. Any thing above that should go to the Heavyweight division, either that or send help with the driver.

I also agree that the driver in this situation didn't handle the situation appropriately. However, with that being said, he should of stated that Fed Ex policy states according to our PNP and safety manual, " packages in accordance with a weight limit of 75 lbs or greater required a 2 person lift in order to prevent injury." What the driver should of said was that he would try to get a hold of another driver to assist him, or that he could come back later when someone could help him, or that the customer could pick it up at the terminal. Not be rude to the customer. He should of offered alternatives on our part.

But, on the other hand and in his defense, he did do the right thing in order to prevent a possible injury situation. He just went about it the wrong way.

 

[UPSBluRdg03]

You should have just end over end that thing all the way up them steps. You might would have even got lucky and damaged it about half way up and she would refuse it. Then you just take it back down load it back and the truck and roll on. All in a days work.

 

[Catatonic]

Ground customers dropping like flies ... those maggots!

 

[Catatonic]

BTW, the phrase is "intents and purposes".

Could have been a clever pun ... no I guess not.

 

[FedExer267]

Actually before I tried calling the boss for help I told the lady to sign and I would open the box and bring it up the stairs piece by piece she didnt like that answer and was yelling and screaming so thats when she got the other 2 options. Its not a matter of pay its a matter of I will not take that crap from anyone and I do have the right to refuse service . As far as being a bad apple I would disagree with you upstate 120 stops 500 pieces a day 30 pick ups, and 250 miles a day and always helping the other guys even when I have to drive over a hour to get there. I have had zero complaints and yes I could of used the hand truck but this box was 7 feet long and I will not put myself in a position to be hurt because I have kids to raise when I get home what good is a broken dad.

 

[bbsam]

One disgruntled customer and they are "dropping like flies"? Ever think that UPS runs into the same situation day after day? Regardless of what any contract or safety regulation says, I would guess that most 150 lb packages get taken care of by the single driver.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Actually before I tried calling the boss for help I told the lady to sign and I would open the box and bring it up the stairs piece by piece she didnt like that answer and was yelling and screaming so thats when she got the other 2 options. Its not a matter of pay its a matter of I will not take that crap from anyone and I do have the right to refuse service . As far as being a bad apple I would disagree with you upstate 120 stops 500 pieces a day 30 pick ups, and 250 miles a day and always helping the other guys even when I have to drive over a hour to get there. I have had zero complaints and yes I could of used the hand truck but this box was 7 feet long and I will not put myself in a position to be hurt because I have kids to raise when I get home what good is a broken dad.

Spin it any way you want--you were wrong in this situation.

 

[UPSBluRdg03]

120 stops 500 pieces a day 30 pick ups, and 250 miles a day and always helping the other guys even when I have to drive over a hour to get there. .

One word...Bull****

 

[FedExer267]

One word...Bull****

would you like to go drive my route

 

[FedExer267]

One disgruntled customer and they are "dropping like flies"? Ever think that UPS runs into the same situation day after day? Regardless of what any contract or safety regulation says, I would guess that most 150 lb packages get taken care of by the single driver.

They have been for awhile sam. We cant offer the same service as UPS More times than not your phone calls dont get answered by the boss which means your in a screwed situation. Id like to see you throw a 150lb 7 foot long box over your shoulder and carry up 3 flights of stairs until you do you can pipe down.

 

[bbsam]

"pipe down"? I wonder what the history of that phrase is. Hmmm?