Numbers -VS- Customers

[HomeDelivery]

I agree, please UPS, don't become like FedEx... but multiple threads that I've been reading on this site are slowly sliding down to Fred S's level.... what are your TEAMSTERS doing???

I am like you, re-raise... I become part of the community that I deliver in:

also leaving my pre-paid cellphone number on the door tag to call me until ~7pm to see if i'm still in the area & i'll gladly re-attempt that missed wine or computer package that I couldn't get a direct signature for...

helping elderly customers with their frozen food package & carry it to the kitchen table if need-be

remembering some work-at-home customers that leave their garage doors unlocked so I can slide the daily parcels that they order inside, out of sight of the street

I also thank them for providing a contact number on the package when I run into a problem & need to call the customer DIRECTLY instead of having a person at a warehouse call the next day

I run into friendly drivers, such as yourself who'll let me into the same apartment complex because he has the code & I didn't...

eventhough I get paid less than you, wearing purple instead of brown, I still love the freedom of being on the road & making sure that these products are getting to their final destinations in a safe, efficient manner.

stay SAFE out there! because when you guys get pushed over your limits, accidents will happen! (i've seen them in other logistics company striving to push stops per hour)

I am with an "independent contractor" & will tell him my limits so he can adjust his area for me & in turn, I'll make sure his delivery area that I service will be free from complaints & will be filled with satisfied customers.

 

[curiousbrain]

Customer complaints do not compute - it says that we care and put customers first, right there in the Policy Book; the Code of Business Conduct, too.

 

[soberups]

If I am going to have to screw my customers over, at least dont tell me to hand them a sales lead when I'm done.

 

[The Milkman]

For a one time purchase, I agree with you. However, what if you had to buy 1000 items at a 20 dollar difference? Would you buy all of them at the shop that is more expensive for a difference of 20,000? I'm guessing the answer is no. When we are talking of a lot of our larger customers who ship 1000 or more a day. A $1 difference may not sound like much but it works out to $1000 per day difference of about 1/4 million dollars in a year. Very few customers will pay that much money more. As far as the person who commented our transit time is superior to FDX ground. That isn't true. In many areas of the country they beat us in overall transit time. THis is because they exclusively use contract carriers that they pay relatively inexpensively to move the loads between their hubs. We pay a lot more to our feeder drivers and we do have some areas we use TOFC, although cheaper then feeder drivers, it is still way more expensive then the contract carriers FDX uses. Although I agree that UPS makes a good profit, the overall profit margin isn;t that great. We've averaged around a 10% profit. So for every dollar we bring in we earn a dime in profits.

I agree on the large shipper but I had a rural rte for many yrs and the housewife or small business that operates out of their garage comes to depend on our service more so than price. I don't think people like Mrs Johnson from Johnson & Johnson who I delivered to worried about price and her neighbors also did not care.

The small business owner who loved the flexability I gave them as a driver who could before all the GPS stuff came about gave them a fairly good idea about my schedule that I tried to change to accomadate their needs .

They loved the Service, They loved that they could in most instances turn their shipment around in a timely fashion knowing I would swing by later in the day.

If service gets bad enough for large shippers as you well know they will, no matter how much the discount and all the empty promises about pick-up times etc. etc. They will go elsewhere as THEIR customers become unhappy with not getting their pkgs on time or in good shape.

 

[dannyboy]

You know, this thread and so many more can be summed up by a center manager I had many years ago.

He used to answer the phone at times, and when he did, instead of United Parcel Service, it sounded like United Partial Service. I wonder why they now answer it with UPS, not United Parcel Service........

One more thing, the small business owner, the same small business owner that provides America with most of its jobs, and provides UPS with a great many packages, used to be the backbone of our company. I wonder if we arnt butt kissing the big boys, and neglecting our bread and butter in doing so.

And that is the way it is.

d

 

[Re-Raise]

I have a business on my route that has gone from 5 employees 10 yrs ago to probably 150 now. They ship only with UPS and I pick up about 30 pkgs a day there.

Many of these packages are heavy next day air and international packages that they send as samples to their potential customers all over the world.For their larger shipments they are using UPS freight. They are constantly being contacted by Fed Ex and we joke about it.

Service matters to them. Small customers sometimes can become large customers.

 

[dannyboy]

Reraise

Small customers we pick up. Large customers feeders pick up. When I refer to small ones, that is the difference.

d

 

[menotyou]

1907-1929

Messenger Service



1907 - 1912
In 1907 there was a great need in America for private messenger and delivery services. To help meet this need, an enterprising 19-year-old, James E. (“Jim”) Casey, borrowed $100 from a friend and established the American Messenger Company in Seattle, Washington. According to accounts given by Jim there were quite a few messenger services already in the Seattle area, some of which he had worked for in the past.

That initial name was well-suited to the business pursuits of the new company. In response to telephone calls received at their basement headquarters, messengers ran errands, delivered packages, and carried notes, baggage, and trays of food from restaurants. They made most deliveries on foot and used bicycles for longer trips. Only a few automobiles were in existence at that time and department stores of the day still used horses and wagons for merchandise delivery. It would be six years before the United States Parcel Post system would be established.

Jim and his partner, Claude Ryan ran the service from a humble office located under the sidewalk. Jim's brother George and a handful of other teenagers were the company's messengers. The company did well despite stiff competition, largely because of Jim Casey´s strict policies of customer courtesy, reliability, round-the-clock service, and low rates. These principles, which guide UPS even today, are summarized by Jim´s slogan: best service and lowest rates.

This is from the ups website. As you can see, the first policy listed of Jim Casey's is customer courtesy.

 

[Packmule]

In many cases this is true. But when a small employer/businessperson has employees or a customer of their own standing around waiting on a delivery, a few extra buck saved loses its appeal very fast.

 

[Richard Harrow]

1907-192

This is from the ups website. As you can see, the first policy listed of Jim Casey's is customer courtesy.

Jim Casey is dead and gone. This is no longer the company he formed all those years ago. UPS has loyalty to and cares about only one group of people. It's not the drivers, its not their managers, it's not even their customers, it's the shareholders. Jim Casey would vomit if he saw the way his company is run today, and that's the undeniable truth.

 

[curiousbrain]

Jim Casey is dead and gone. This is no longer the company he formed all those years ago. UPS has loyalty to and cares about only one group of people. It's not the drivers, its not their managers, it's not even their customers, it's the shareholders. Jim Casey would vomit if he saw the way his company is run today, and that's the undeniable truth.

Damn capitalism ... I miss the halcyon days.

 

[Richard Harrow]

Damn capitalism ... I miss the halcyon days.

I'm a fan of Capitalism, but lets be honest, UPS was extremely profitable before their Wall Street debut.

 

[browniehound]

This may be true in your runner gunner mind but it is not true in my UPS world.

I am a part of the community I deliver to. My cell phone number is given out to anyone who asks for it. I have keys to multiple businesses and garages. I know the people who need help getting the packages in the door and I wait for them.

I pride myself on being consistent in my delivery and pickup times for my accounts in spite of the splits management moves to my route.

Fed Ex and Fed Ex ground are outsiders in my area and they don't pick up at any businesses in the five small towns I deliver. I have 15 pick up accounts in this area.

Service does matter to some people, and service in my little area is the only thing I can control.

You keep running and gunning and I' ll just continue to be embarassed we hold the same job.

Re-Raise, you are a breath of fresh air! If every driver thought this way there would be NO competition. I'm sure by doing all you said to service our customers you must be "over-allowed". Its in this area UPS is missing the "big picture", to use their phrase.

I don't think they get it. All these customers you provide the best service to would go to the cheaper alternative if you didn't go above and beyond your duty, ie: giving out your cell and putting it where they ask, etc. Your manager totally ignores this because you were 8 tenths paid over for the day. Yet, without your superior service (which takes more time than allowed) you are keeping customers with UPS that would otherwise jump ship, thus making more money than your "over-allowed" time.

Keep up the good work! Its people like you that make people choose UPS

 

[The Milkman]

You know, this thread and so many more can be summed up by a center manager I had many years ago.

He used to answer the phone at times, and when he did, instead of United Parcel Service, it sounded like United Partial Service. I wonder why they now answer it with UPS, not United Parcel Service........

One more thing, the small business owner, the same small business owner that provides America with most of its jobs, and provides UPS with a great many packages, used to be the backbone of our company. I wonder if we arnt butt kissing the big boys, and neglecting our bread and butter in doing so.

And that is the way it is.




d

 

[The Milkman]

Jim Casey is dead and gone. This is no longer the company he formed all those years ago. UPS has loyalty to and cares about only one group of people. It's not the drivers, its not their managers, it's not even their customers, it's the shareholders. Jim Casey would vomit if he saw the way his company is run today, and that's the undeniable truth.

So Sad but True

 

[dannyboy]

Jim Casey´s strict policies of customer courtesy, reliability, round-the-clock service, and low rates. These principles, which guide UPS even today, are summarized by Jim´s slogan: best service and lowest rates.

This is from the ups website. As you can see, the first policy listed of Jim Casey's is customer courtesy.

Menotyou, while you are good enough to bring up a fair point, your take is a bit off.

The driver MUST be courteous to the customer all the time. It is they that must take the complaining of the customer, and keep doing his job the best he can, with the tools and time allowed. So, as a driver, if you are discourteous to the customer, all hell gets raised, and you can and should lose your job.

On the other hand, the company can do as it wishes with a customer. By a few clicks of a mouse, they have the ability to totally cut the legs out from under my business. What used to be dependable, now has become hit or mis delivery/pick up times. There is limited "discourtesy", as there is no contact. But there is a gross lack concern for the respect and trust that the customer has placed in UPS over the years that is now violated. Where as you get fired for doing damage like that to the customer, the only recourse when done by UPS is for the customer to spend their money with someone that does care. So dont blame the customer.....

A couple of other examples

I get matériel in from Kansas City all the time. Comes in 5 gallon drums. For one or two, UPS is not a bad bet, although the manage to damage about 1 in 8, even though the bucket is in a card board box. More than one or two is sent by FDX freight or Conway. UPS freight is 35-40% more at the lowest price offered to the customer. And in 5 years of getting them in that way, not one damage.

Another business ships large items from OK. They use Conway because of the prices and service levels. One of my pump wholesalers does use UPS, but because of the large number of damages, they had to totally redesign the container. So those extra costs to be able to ship UPS are passed on to me. More than 3 pumps ship FDX freight.

In all these cases, from each of the factories, I get 2 day service via FDX freight. Same as UPS, but at 25-40% less cost.

So while I am not in IT, I do have a handle on cost control and profit margin. The lower I can keep my costs, the lower the price will be to the end customer.

And that is the bottom line.

Brownie, never been said better than

If every driver thought this way there would be NO competition

Thing is, there are a lot of drivers that do think this way. Problem occurs when the company began by taking the thinking out of the job, then telling is when and where to deliver, regardless of what should be done. And there in lies the whole problem.

d

 

[menotyou]

Its more about philosophy. Until the company was taken public, customer service mattered. Now, it doesn't. Shareholder, my ass. Money. Money. Money.

 

[dannyboy]

customer service mattered

Customer service does matter, as long as you are the one that is generating the complaint. I have seen people lose their jobs because of customer complaints. See how long you last as a driver with complaints from customers.

But UPS on the other hand, complaints are sent to the top of the water slide. Where they end up after that, who knows.

But one thing still remains. For every customer that calls UPS with a complaint, there are at least 10 more that dont. But they vote with their feet and dollars.

d

 

[The Milkman]

Menotyou, while you are good enough to bring up a fair point, your take is a bit off.

The driver MUST be courteous to the customer all the time. It is they that must take the complaining of the customer, and keep doing his job the best he can, with the tools and time allowed. So, as a driver, if you are discourteous to the customer, all hell gets raised, and you can and should lose your job.

On the other hand, the company can do as it wishes with a customer. By a few clicks of a mouse, they have the ability to totally cut the legs out from under my business. What used to be dependable, now has become hit or mis delivery/pick up times. There is limited "discourtesy", as there is no contact. But there is a gross lack concern for the respect and trust that the customer has placed in UPS over the years that is now violated. Where as you get fired for doing damage like that to the customer, the only recourse when done by UPS is for the customer to spend their money with someone that does care. So dont blame the customer.....

A couple of other examples

I get matériel in from Kansas City all the time. Comes in 5 gallon drums. For one or two, UPS is not a bad bet, although the manage to damage about 1 in 8, even though the bucket is in a card board box. More than one or two is sent by FDX freight or Conway. UPS freight is 35-40% more at the lowest price offered to the customer. And in 5 years of getting them in that way, not one damage.

Another business ships large items from OK. They use Conway because of the prices and service levels. One of my pump wholesalers does use UPS, but because of the large number of damages, they had to totally redesign the container. So those extra costs to be able to ship UPS are passed on to me. More than 3 pumps ship FDX freight.

In all these cases, from each of the factories, I get 2 day service via FDX freight. Same as UPS, but at 25-40% less cost.

So while I am not in IT, I do have a handle on cost control and profit margin. The lower I can keep my costs, the lower the price will be to the end customer.

And that is the bottom line.

Brownie, never been said better than Thing is, there are a lot of drivers that do think this way. Problem occurs when the company began by taking the thinking out of the job, then telling is when and where to deliver, regardless of what should be done. And there in lies the whole problem.

The last paragraph says it all , hit the nail on the head

d

 

[Re-Raise]

I think it really is a problem that many decisions at the highest level now are being made solely for the benefit of shareholder value.

It has been stated on other threads that it should be that way because they "own" the company. I own stock in a lot of companies and have a degree in Business. I would argue that shareholders for the most part are very short sighted and couldn't really care about the long term health of a company.

As long as they can cash their dividend checks and sell their shares for more than they bought them for they are happy. At the first sign of trouble they can just bail out.

On the other hand the people who depend on the company for their jobs should care about the health of the company. I know I do. The health of UPS depends on people choosing us for their shipping.

Hopefully corporate doesn't try to squeeze every penny of short term profit out to please the shareholders and cost us our customers because of a decrease in service.