How would you handle this?

[soberups]

Are you willing to do that on a High Value package? HV Signature required is a whole different can of worms there.

The fact that the package is high value is irrelevant. I'm not being dishonest or forging anything. Proper procedure dictates that the package be signed for, and if the customer cant do it then I will. If the package comes up missing and UPS wants to make me pay for it then they would have to invoke the grievance procedure first, and a panel would be rejecting that loser clear up into the cheap seats.

 

[soberups]

In this case I think the proper thing to do is to treat the customer the way you would any other customer. Ask for a signature. If they tell you they are unable to sign, then inform them you would not be able to leave the package.

I would hate to be the UPS driver who wound up on YouTube or the evening news because he wouldnt give a disabled person their package.

 

[tieguy]

What he did was he told the customer that there may be another pkg in the truck for him and he was going to look for it.When he got back to the truck (package car) he called the office and explained the situation.They told him to driver release it.He said he wouldn't because of the $7000.00 value.They gave him some grief so he said he would handle it.He went back to the customer and said he was sorry but he could not leave the package with him because he needed a signature.The customer then says no problem I can sign.He pulls up his sleeve with his mouth to reveal 3 small fingers up by his shoulder.He tells the driver to put the stylus in between them which the driver does and the guy signs his name.I don't know but I still would have printed his name and put NO ARMS in the remarks column.That's just me but I can see where the $7000.00 value could create some difficulty in deciding what to do.Thanks for all the different answers.It will be the topic of discussion Monday morning.

This is a terrific example of how we look at the disabled. your coming to his door won't be the first request the person has had for a signature. Many answers here attempt to make the decision for the disabled person. He is missing his arms not his brain. Therefore the first question would be to inform him that a signature is required and ask him how he would like to supply that signature. If he does not have a means such as his mouth or foot then you could follow soberups's lead and sign for him as he did.

But too often we think we have to make the decision of how to sign for the disabled person.

 

[1080Driver]

How about (if you know the person) putting MCM (met customer man) on the signature pad, clarifying his last name & taking a picture on your camera phone.......that should be good enough if any you're asked about.

 

[scratch]

I have a blind man on my route that I will put the stylus in his hand and guide it to the signature pad. A couple of times I have had a consignee too disabled by arthritis to sign so they let me sign for them. A long time ago I had this old woman who was illiterate and signed "X" on my Delivery Sheet. I just clarified her last name in the Remarks column.

We need to use common sense and compassion when dealing with disabled and elderly consignees. A lot of these people cannot drive and depend on us to bring things to them. The last time I came back off vacation, I had a NDA delivery of pain medicine for a disabled widow in her 80s. My Cover Driver stuck three Infonotices on her door on the third attempt and sent her arthritis medicine back. She was home all three times and the doorbell did not ring and no notices were left the first two times. She was hurting bad for a couple of weeks. I felt bad for her and could only apologize to her.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

On my previous route I had an elderly gentleman who did not know how to write a check. He would receive CODs and he would simply hand me the checkbook, I would fill out the check and then hand the book back to him so that he could sign his name. Yeah, it took a little longer but, as Scratch just said, compassion in dealing with those less fortunate than us is something we should all strive to attain. On the other hand, I had a lady who was simply too lazy to write her own checks--I did not fill hers out for her and would ask her for payment and when she balked would leave a delivery notice and come back the following day. I don't condone laziness and would have had an earful for Scratch's cover driver for not taking the extra few seconds to ensure that the elderly lady received her much needed medication.

 

[upsgrunt]

On my previous route I had what I think must have been an autistic guy. I remember the first time I delivered to him I handed him the diad and stylus and, of course, he turned it the wrong way to sign. When I tried to correct him he just mumbled something and brushed me off, so like we have all done before, I just let him sign the way he wanted. When I get the diad back and hit the signature key his signature was perfect- he had signed his name right to left AND upside down and it was legible and nice. I looked up at him and he had this HUGE grin on his face like " Yeah-go try that at home!" It was the damndest thing I'd seen in a long time.

 

[upsgrunt]

I also used to have a guy on the route who had some kind of palsey. He was real independent and insisted on doing everything for himself. He always insisted to sign. That's fine with me and I never had a problem with that, but he was a drooler and I could never clarify the signature until I got back to the package car and gave the diad a bath. He was a good guy, but I don't miss THAT at all!

 

[UPS Lifer]

This is the correct answer. I have seen more than my share of these type of situations as a driver and a manager.

When in doubt use good common sense. If unsure call the center.

So what your saying is, if you were to go looking for common sense, the center would be the first place you looked?!!!!!! Just kidding, I just never saw a coorelation between the two!

I guess if you chop up my original post you would make the correlation. LOL! However I did not make a correlation based on my original post.

Here's what I am really saying.... If you can't figure out on your own what is good common sense call the center and put the monkey on their back so you don't get in trouble.

 

[cino321]

Only at Foster.

 

[But Benefits Are Great!]

This is a terrific example of how we look at the disabled. your coming to his door won't be the first request the person has had for a signature. Many answers here attempt to make the decision for the disabled person. He is missing his arms not his brain. Therefore the first question would be to inform him that a signature is required and ask him how he would like to supply that signature. If he does not have a means such as his mouth or foot then you could follow soberups's lead and sign for him as he did.

But too often we think we have to make the decision of how to sign for the disabled person.

Ding Ding Ding - THAT is the correct answer. You need a signature. Tell customer he needs to sign. He'll know how to sign it, no reason for it to have taken a second thought, let alone a first.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

But that still doesn't rule out the possibility that the consignee simply cannot sign our DIAD and that is where common sense and compassion have to come in to play.

 

[Hedley_Lamarr]

I'll bet his name was Bob!!!!

And his one legged Irish wife named Eileen...

 

[Hedley_Lamarr]

I have Indians on the rout I'm doing that can't read/write. I scribble something and put Patel as the last name....

 

[PassYouBy]

I have Indians on the rout I'm doing that can't read/write. I scribble something and put Patel as the last name....

Thats too funny, I think they are all named Patel, I know at least the ones that sign my DIAD are !

 

[Hedley_Lamarr]

Thats too funny, I think they are all named Patel, I know at least the ones that sign my DIAD are !

You must work in Edison Center NJ. Patel means "farmer" in Hindi, BTW. If you need to ask what their last name is in Hindi it's. TU-MANNA-LAST-NAME-KYAR-A-HEY..Why they understand "LAST-NAME" when you preface it by "tu manna" and suffice it by "kyar a hey." I'll never know....

 

[upsgrunt]

I thought Patel translated to "innkeeper". Seriously-that is what I was told here and the majority of hotels/motels are owned by Patels.

 

[But Benefits Are Great!]

I have Indians on the rout I'm doing that can't read/write. I scribble something and put Patel as the last name....

ROFLMAO!

 

[But Benefits Are Great!]

And his one legged Irish wife named Eileen...

If he were missing his legs also, he could be Matt?

Hang him up on the wall, then, he could be ART?

Thow him in the water, he can be BOB?


(Can you tell I have too many kids?)

 

[hseofpayne]

I thought Patel translated to "innkeeper". Seriously-that is what I was told here and the majority of hotels/motels are owned by Patels.

I don't care what it means, theres just something fishy about the whole gas station/ hotel/Dairy Queen/Quiznos running lot of them! I have heard Patel translates to Innkeeper, but if thats true, Pakistan must not have ant Innkeepers left in the country!