Our jobs depend on it!

[satellitedriver]

3 strikes, YOUR OUT!!!!!!

Bad spelling.
I could not resist.

 

[outamyway]

come to our hub, we overload the belts so much we can hardly keep up with the rewraps. They really don't seem to get it. They sure as hell complain when the wrap table is full, course we I tell them why I get "that doesn't happen, you always have an excuse..." too bad my excuse is always something that is backed up by fact (even pictures now too cause I'm so sick of their BS), not the fabricated "facts" they use on us. Course then we get about 5 grievances for retaping boxes because they're too cheap to hire someone for that position again. I have been grieved before, I don't blame them, but I have to follow orders as well.

It's too bad upper management fails to address the problem where the problem can be fixed. We can get all the sales lead they want, but if we keep LOSING customers, what good does it do us?

Most of the problems a driver is going to have on the road that will effect servicing a customer can all be traced to the preload. Too much volume in too little time. We all know what that leads to.

Amazingly at our center they've hired three, count em', three new sales reps to go over sale leads with us and do what ever they do. How much do they make? Why not add a few more preloaders to the belts, or add 20 minutes to the flow time. Yeah, we'll get a few new customers here and there but will lose just as many if we keep this up.

 

[Coldworld]

You are very astute in your analysis! The word you will hear is "churn". This is the amount of customers that leave a company and go elsewhere for whatever reason. If you can spend your energy to keep a customer you are better off than trying to replace that customer. It takes somewhere between 3 and 10 times the effort to replace the business. (I may be low on that figure)

You do have to continue to get new customers but you really need to look at reducing the churn. If you can reduce the churn (keep customers) it has an exponential affect on your overall market share based on the effort it takes to get a new customer rather than keep one.

The average customer has approx a 10 year lifespan... A business development person may have updated info on this that I don't have as i write this.

It has been proven from customer response that the customer's UPS driver has the most influence on their "loyalty" as a UPS customer.

lifer, this is good to know, and makes sense, but why would management, knowing this, how we have so much clout with the small and medium sized customers, make it harder and harder to service these customers, nitpick a couple extra minutes of "customer communication", etc, etc. It just seems like our management dont care one hoot about the customers. Isnt one of the business manager's jobs, besides trying to fire their drivers, is going out to customers places of business and checking in with them. maybe going out and introducing themselves with a bd person, saying "hi" and telling them we really appreciate their business, and what else we can do for you? In my person experience, fedex and dhl seem to have outstanding sales departments, and their drivers really do not get much involved with leads. ups drivers are sometimes hounding their customers, because it is so pushed on us. IM not trying to say we shouldnt look for business, but I think the sales leads need some typr of overhaul. They cut the staffing, dont visit customers anymore, but push more and more on drivers. Yes we have good eyes and ears for these types of things, but when dhl is willing to go in and drop a 15% discount(or at least used to) without going back to an office to look over data for 2 weeks, like ups does, its going to work against us.

 

[Coldworld]

It's too bad upper management fails to address the problem where the problem can be fixed. We can get all the sales lead they want, but if we keep LOSING customers, what good does it do us?

Most of the problems a driver is going to have on the road that will effect servicing a customer can all be traced to the preload. Too much volume in too little time. We all know what that leads to.

Amazingly at our center they've hired three, count em', three new sales reps to go over sale leads with us and do what ever they do. How much do they make? Why not add a few more preloaders to the belts, or add 20 minutes to the flow time. Yeah, we'll get a few new customers here and there but will lose just as many if we keep this up.

I wonder how much churn is because of damages, it would be interesting to know. but it seems as if ups blames the inside employees for damages, but how many are because of too small of buildings, heavy flow falling off belts,
and damages in trailers and vibrations from the rails? They just dont seem to care, they really dont.

 

[filthpig]

Believe it or not, this is probably a good time to go after the FedEx accounts on your route because they (FedEx) will also be spreading their drivers thin, thus making service suffer. Protect your job.

 

[UPS Lifer]

coldworld
First of all, it is a sad state of affairs when you think that a manager's job is to fire the drivers. Based on other posts I have seen, there are quite of few of you that really believe this. This is not a manager's job!!

2nd - I cannot comment on your perception of why you feel your management team does not take care of their customers. I would have to observe them in action (as you have).

BUT - The District Manager does set the tone. I have personally been out on calls with the district manager and watched him in action. One day a week the division managers & center managers have to go visit specific accounts. I made a commitment in my last job to visit our MHN Dangerous Goods accounts and develop a personal relationship. I brought the AE and the manager with me. I had influence with our region and corporate compliance department and helped to create the QIP for my position and made it mandatory for all to visit 2 customers a month.

This may not seem like much, but you use the 80-20 concept and develop a plan to help and support those customers - there is a lot of time and energy that goes into the visit among all the other duties.

Some of the calls are designed to develop new business or educate customers on our culture.

 

[HazMatMan]

Bad spelling.
I could not resist.

I forgive you.

 

[UPSBOT]

UPS Lifer, you are mistaken. Our Center Manager just told a driver in front of his Steward that he was now a liability because he filed an injury report. The center manager than asked the driver if he knew what his job was? The driver said no. The center manager than said it's his job to remove liabilities!! Sounds like it is his job to FIRE people.

 

[outamyway]

UPS Lifer, you are mistaken. Our Center Manager just told a driver in front of his Steward that he was now a liability because he filed an injury report. The center manager than asked the driver if he knew what his job was? The driver said no. The center manager than said it's his job to remove liabilities!! Sounds like it is his job to FIRE people.

Right now they are looking for any excuse to get rid of people. The more money saved in THEIR center, the more likely they are to keep their job as the company keeps rolling down hill.



He is right about it being a sad state that we think this way. But the more this company deunionizes(I think I just made that up) the more it will be about self preservation, than company preservation.

 

[HazMatMan]

3 strikes, YOUR OUT!!!!!!

Bad spelling.
I could not resist.

1. Understand the proper usage of the word you're. It is a contraction, or a combination of the words you and are. Other examples of contractions include doesn't, they're, and can't.
2. "You're a good friend." ("YOU ARE a good friend.")

• "I don't know what you're talking about." ("I don't know what YOU ARE talking about.")

1. Understand the proper usage of the word your. The word your is the possessive form of you, referring to something that a person has, or something that belongs to the person in discussion [or, the person you are talking to].
2. "Is your stomach growling?"

• "Your book is on the table."

I studied this for an hour and promise I won't make the mistake again.
Thank you for all YOUR help.
YOU'RE a great teacher.