I need help with a driver release procedure

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
As for stepping out in front of cars, overboard, I think that suggestion is a little overboard. We had a driver in our center who was hopping out of his package car, running across the street with a package and was hit by a passing car. He went into the windshield and broke his arm. To add insult to injury, literally, the police ticketed him for jaywalking.

With regard to your supervisor, take it from someone who has done your job for three decades, along the way we sometimes have to deal with an overbearing, under-intelligent supervisor, who, basically, has a chip on their shoulder. He probably goes home and kicks the dog or someone else. Just let it wash off of you like water off a duck. Ignor him. Nothing will happen to you. The aren't all like that, but when you encounter one, outlast it.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
I disagree. You do what the boss says, Work As Directed. It is THEIR company, not yours. Your job is to do what the boss says.

Although I would follow this up with someone else... I like the idea of mentioning it to the DM! But until you hear differently, DR as you are instructed to.

You're going to cause yourself problems taking some of this advice that is basically telling you to "refuse to follow"......
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
I've never heard of anyone being disciplined for waiting for an eldery person to come to the door, when the driver can see them approaching. I think this would be a very difficult case for "failure to work as directed". I guess one could work as directed and not think about the effect on their eldery customers, but I choose not to. I am prepared to accept any attempts at discipline that may come my way as a result.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
You wouldn't be disciplined for waiting for an elderly person. You would be disciplined for refusing to follow instructions.

Do what the boss says.
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
I suppose that one could argue that they did not see the customer and that leaving the package by the door would be an unsafe DR delivery. I think that it would be very difficult for the supervisor to do squat to you.
 

raceanoncr

Well-Known Member
something that is often forgotten, that the last letter in ups is service,
The bottom line is service.


Welllllll, Dusty, when I was hired, that was true. Some years ago, with the whoopy-do rebranding, the company's legal name was changed to UPS. It is no longer United Parcel Service. So, technically, there is no more service in the name, hence, no need to continue the practice.
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
Over, I understand what you are saying about working as directed and generally speaking I agree. In this situation I do not agree with the sup that is saying to drop a box even if the elderly customer is on the way to the door. This should be a judgement call. The driver knows when it is appropriate to drop and run and when not to.

There is one particular stop on the rte that I was on this week. The customer is not elderly but is handicapped. That stop is handled with special consideration. Knock on the door and wait for the customer. Yesterday she was not near the door, she hollered come in, I opened the door, put the pkg on the chair where it was easily accessible for her.

We have a high population of elderly here, and we have many a situation as I described above. Personally, I would have called Overboards sup a little more than heartless. We do what we have to to take care of the customer. Numbers be damned. A sup that has no concern for the customer can stay the hell off my truck and I will tell him so.
 
If the person is on the other side of the house,ding and wave. If they are at the door,hand it to them with a thank you. If you know or see it`s an older customer then take a second to wait for them as a courtesy to their age and as a customer.
If you average out your stops the quick ones will more than cover for the slow ones. if your sup questions it ask him if you were delivering to his mother if he would want you to wait. It would be very ballsy for him to attempt discipline on this issue.
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
One of the things that I have noticed with some of the elderly customers here is they have figured out it is much easier to leave a table of some sort near the front door. I wish more would do this. It is much easier on them than bending over trying to pick up pkgs off the ground. Even light pkgs can be difficult for the elderly to pick up. We have a few customers that have notes on there doors, 'leave pkg on table'. In a few cases we have notes in diads, 'do not leave at door, hand to cust'. There are so many variations on this request I could fill a half page.

The ones that get me are the elderly that keep their front doors locked during the day. I'm not saying the door knob is locked. Nooooo, that would be to easy. The door knob is locked, the dead bolt is locked (can only be unlocked with a key from the inside), the chain is slid into place. It takes 5 minutes for them to open the front door. Can you imagine if there was a fire. They would never make it out. These are the ones I won't wait for. I don't have time for it.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Over, we are talking basic courtesy here. Suppose it was Nana Over 9.5 and she order a Tony Little Gazelle. How would you feel if you knew that the driver left it by the door, knowing full well that she would not be able to bring it inside, let alone even lift the damn thing? Now, I am not suggesting that he bring it up to the 3rd floor, take it out of the box, and set it up for her, but if you know that the person is home and that they need a little help then you take the minute or two and help them.

Common sense and basic courtesy can go a long way in this job. Numbers don't mean squat when you know you didn't do the right thing. You can always make up those few minutes during the rest of the day.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
Over, we are talking basic courtesy here. Suppose it was Nana Over 9.5 and she order a Tony Little Gazelle. How would you feel if you knew that the driver left it by the door, knowing full well that she would not be able to bring it inside....


I agree we should be able to hand the package to Nana.

But if management tells you not to, I would suggest you work as directed. We are not in charge, management is. They must decide and train us how they want a package delivered. The OPs sup told him very plainly how he expects the package to be delivered.

Are you suggesting the OP should refuse to work as instructed???

Can we decide when we work as instructed and when we don't? I would work as instructed, and perhaps mention it to the DM next time I saw him.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
You make an excellent point and I wouldn't want the OP to gamble his job on whether or not to work as instructed. Always work as instructed and then discuss and/or grieve it later.

Now, if you are asking WWUD, I would treat the customer in the same manner as I would like to be treated. Of course, I have 20 years in, so perhaps I have a bit more leverage than the OP, but, yes, I would take care of the customer and then discuss the situation with the sup during the rest of the OJS. It really doesn't take that much longer and, if need be, the time can be made up during the rest of the day.

I think it has been shown here that the sup in question needs to take a refresher course in customer service.
 

MC4YOU2

Wherever I see Trump, it smells like he's Putin.
The funny thing about working as directed is how many different "ways" there are over the course of one's career. As many ways as there are sups x center manager's x dm's x ups policy divided by the square root of years of service.

"There must 60 ways to leave your lover" - Paul Simon
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
Somehow, I doubt that this supervisor is going out on the area with a video camera waiting for you to hand a package to a feeble old lady when you could have dropped it on her porch and ran. If he were to do that, I think a harrassment grievance would temper his desire to continue that way of thinking.

But regardless, I have to disagree, you are in charge out there 99.9% of the time. These are your customers and it's your company that you are representing. And to blindly follow the orders of some rogue supervisor who will later deny that he ever gave you such instructions if one of those elderly customers calls a complaint, is just bad business. And, if this supervisor has it in for you enough that he's going to press the issue of excessive customer contact with elderly customers, then, believe me, your troubles have just begun. He will find plenty of other things to jam you up with as soon as you discontinue quality service to the elderly.
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
What I am saying is that I don't believe any driver has ever been disciplined for failing to follow an order from a supervisor that they would never wait for an elderly or disabled person to come to the the door to hand them the package. And, I don't believe any driver ever will be. We have plenty of managers on the site, has any of them, even one, come forward and said that one should not wait for a customer who we know has a physical disability? My point is that this supervisor is a baffoon, and yes, I often ignor instructions from baffoons, and in my 30 years, I've never been disciplined for that indiscretion.

You, and this supervisor, are making this a power issue, and I am discussing a service issue. I think most of the reasonable people here and even in management know the difference with this issue.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
Want to have some fun with it?

Leave the package with a note on it next time. "Supervisor requests I laeve the package on the ground and not hand it to you in person. If I do not follow this procedure I will lose my job. If you have a problem, I encourage you to call this phone number **corporate number**. Leave supervisors name and name of center on said piece of paper. :)
 
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