Unscheduled Pickups

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Simply checking to see if they have anything going should not merit entering an unscheduled pickup. However, if they do have a pkg going, you can either use the shipper number on the pkg for the shipper number or type "WALGRE". I would then submit a sales lead to try to get this volume on a more regular basis. I usually just add the pkg to a scheduled pickup stop by adding it to their total and scanning the pkg as it takes far longer to enter the unscheduled information in to the DIAD and the time allowance is not that appreciable. I also do with this the toner cartridges or with ARS/RS/Online pkgs that I am handed during the day.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

Its not our job to worry about that.

You're right, it's not my job to worry about billing issues.

I guess it's my way of being maliciously obedient (thanks tieguy) by making them happy with a "daily pickup" and then having them billed for wasting my time each day. Maybe after paying for a month or two of unscheduled pickup fees they'd realize it's cheaper to do what I had originally suggested they do which was to call the 800 number (or my center)and schedule a pickup on those days when they actually have something to ship.

Believe me, I am in no way a big pro-company person. It's not my job to look out for UPS's bottom line, but at the same time, I am not going to waste my time with people who's intent IS to waste my time. I think Dannyboy calls that "training your dogs".

 

[trplnkl]

I would simply tell the pharmacy manager that I will not check daily to see if they have something going out unless they're a scheduled pickup account and if they wish to become one I will be more than happy to get it set up for them. Otherwise they can just get the other employees to let me know when they have something going out. Most of these packages are probably RS labeled, thus Walgreen's is not paying for the shipping, so they are not likely to want to pay for a daily pickup. Work with your customers, but insist that they work with you also.
As for recording the pickup, if I have to go from the back door delivery area to the RX area to get the package, I record it as an unscheduled PU. If they bring it to the back door before I an ready to leave, I just enter it the same as any ARS package under special counts. Now right or wrong, my center manager has siad that this is OK to this way, your center manager may think otherwise.

 

[BrownSuit]

I agree with the earlier post regarding submitting a sales lead. Make sure you put in plenty of info.

They obviously are wanting a Daily Pickup, but not wanting to pay for it.

As far as it "not being your job" anything customer related that you can do to help a customer and save uncle brown IS YOUR JOB.

I think your completely in line here because your trying to figure out how to get them to stop.

As far as them refusing to sign unless you check for deliveries, that's garbage; but at the same time until you clear all of this through the on-car or center manager, you need to keep quiet about it. Refusing Delivery was probably the wrong answer.

It sounds like other locations are doing it as well and it may need to be dealt with on a corporate level. None of that will happen unless you let your sup know what's going on and let the BD people know. Again the best way to do that is through a sales lead.

 

[rocket man]

every one should.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

Thanks BrownSuit for the feedback.

I didn't take it upon myself to send the packages back. I sent a message immediately after it happened to explain the situation and talked to the OMS when I got in (no sups around). I was informed that all the walgreens were difficult. I thought it was just a local phenomena (sp?) until I read about it on here. Like I said earlier, my sup had BD go and talk to them and it has pretty much gone back to normal.

I guess in a way I am looking out for UPS's bottom line by bringing it up here in this forum. You never know who lurks in the background at Brown Cafe that may have the ability to check into it at the corporate level.

 

[filthpig]

If I pick up somewhere and it's not in my board, it's an "Unscheduled Pickup".

 

[Catatonic]

...

That being said, Walgreens should have DHL shipping services available to customers in all stores by the end of the year.

Thanks Walgreens

Guess that did not work out!

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Does anyone know if an unscheduled pickup gets charged for a pickup?

The reason I ask is because the Walgreens on my area wants me to check their pharmacy every day for outgoing packages. I told them they weren't a daily pickup account and that I wasn't required to check. After reading Toonertoo's post about the walgreens on her area that wants her to check also, it got me to thinking there has to be a reason that walgreens does this. Maybe someone out there knows and can shed some light on it.

My personal opinion is that it's a corporate decision by walgreens to avoid paying for a daily pickup, but I could be wrong.

Big Brown, I have a similar situation at Walgreens. I don't think they are trying you, I mean by what they are doing. I think they just find it easier to be a casual account, (one that prints their own labels and waits to give em to a driver). I arranged with the pharmacist to slide by once a week, on Fridays, and pick up whatever they have. This makes them happy, and me as well, as I don't have to be summoned daily to the pharmacy. It's better than them using another shipping service, don't you think?

P.S. Walgreens mgmt is flexible, contrary to popular opinion. Talk to them and I'm sure you can come to a amicable solution.

 

[Bubblehead]

MY point is that you aren't making a pickup.Of course if you picked up something you would take the shipper # off of the box.I agree with browniehound here.How do you justify getting credit for an unscheduled pickup when you didn't pickup anything?

It's justified by the fact that you made an attempt at the customers request to make a pickup. The DIAD is a tool to represent your time and movements. Whether a package is picked up is irrelevant just as it is on scheduled pickups. That being said, as others eluded, check with your supervisors and let them make the call as to whether to check daily.

Always make your problem managements problem. Then the remedy cannot be held against you.

 

[DownsizedUPS'er]

Does anyone know if an unscheduled pickup gets charged for a pickup?

The reason I ask is because the Walgreens on my area wants me to check their pharmacy every day for outgoing packages. I told them they weren't a daily pickup account and that I wasn't required to check. After reading Toonertoo's post about the walgreens on her area that wants her to check also, it got me to thinking there has to be a reason that walgreens does this. Maybe someone out there knows and can shed some light on it.

My personal opinion is that it's a corporate decision by walgreens to avoid paying for a daily pickup, but I could be wrong.

ok, here is what i can tell you, and i worked in PCA dept. there are two ways to look at the situation. 1) If you do not have a dpu account, the driver is not required to stop at all. if walgreens wants a dpu, the need to open an account. i can also tell you that my husband is a walgreens manager, and they do not have a dpu acct. ups provides otpu for resi/business' that don't have the need for dpu. business' pay a monthly fee for the acct. which is why the driver stops everyday. if they want you to stop everyday, they need to open an dpu acct. or 2) you can make the stop check to see if they have anything going out. enter info into diad. and give sales acct info to the a/e for that area. walgreens used to be a pca acct. but when ups outsourced the dept things went south. we lost this volume, it was not taken from us. we lost it b/c we sent the pca dept, their main custmore service contact, dedicated associate to that store/account to nonups people that didn't/don't know what they are doing. so maybe we are starting to gain this volume back.

 

[upsman68]

"If you here and I'm here isn't it our time."

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Big Brown, I have a similar situation at Walgreens. I don't think they are trying you, I mean by what they are doing. I think they just find it easier to be a casual account, (one that prints their own labels and waits to give em to a driver). I arranged with the pharmacist to slide by once a week, on Fridays, and pick up whatever they have. This makes them happy, and me as well, as I don't have to be summoned daily to the pharmacy. It's better than them using another shipping service, don't you think?

P.S. Walgreens mgmt is flexible, contrary to popular opinion. Talk to them and I'm sure you can come to a amicable solution.

Do I really need to quote myself? Just do this and they'll be happy. At least they're sending the volume through us.

 

[DownsizedUPS'er]

P.S. Walgreens mgmt is flexible, contrary to popular opinion. Talk to them and I'm sure you can come to a amicable solution.

it's true, i am married to a Walgreens manager.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

This issue has been resolved, somewhat.

Originally, BD got involved, but had to go through the national Account Rep to even talk to Walgreens. Nothing really got resolved, but at least they didn't waste as much of my time when I delivered. The problem kinda smoldered for a few months.

Recently the problem came back up and my center manager told me he would put it in the diad as a scheduled PU. It hasn't happened yet, so I put it in as an unscheduled PU on those days that I have a delivery for them. I don't really care anymore if UPS makes revenue off this Walgreens.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

This issue has been resolved, somewhat.

Originally, BD got involved, but had to go through the national Account Rep to even talk to Walgreens. Nothing really got resolved, but at least they didn't waste as much of my time when I delivered. The problem kinda smoldered for a few months.

Recently the problem came back up and my center manager told me he would put it in the diad as a scheduled PU. It hasn't happened yet, so I put it in as an unscheduled PU on those days that I have a delivery for them. I don't really care anymore if UPS makes revenue off this Walgreens.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Just because they're a casual account, doesn't mean UPS makes no revenue. UPS still pockets cash, they just don't get the weekly account monies.

 

[JustTired]

Just because they're a casual account, doesn't mean UPS makes no revenue. UPS still pockets cash, they just don't get the weekly account monies.

I had a business that used the internet to ship. They had an internet account but not a regular account. The volume grew over the years but they did not want to change to a regular account. This meant that every day I would have to enter an unscheduled pick up to get credit. I finally got the center to put them in my pickup log. The reason for this was not only to save me time entering the info in unscheduled, but to assure that cover drivers would stop there daily.

The center balked at the idea initially. But this business was growing and most days had a substantial amount of volume going out. The possibility of losing this volume over a weekly pickup fee just didn't make any sense. I don't think that they were trying to avert the fee so much as they were used to shipping through their internet account.

Over the years, I've seen potential lose of volume due to a specific center not getting credit for a pickup. Such as a feeder trailer being sent from a hub to retrieve tremendous volume and bypassing the center sort (saving the time of processing hundreds of packages at the center level). My thoughts were....." Is this not UPS....one company, retaining volume regardless of who gets the actual credit for these packages?" It left me dumbfounded as to why a company would even risk the potential of lost volume just because of a crediting problem between locals.

Sorry....got a little off topic. But it is something that always had me wondering.

 

[jw55wags]

I have a new Walgreens (2 years old) on my route and I do not stop daily. I only go there when they have packages. Then I get the pickups if they have any. They have them at the back door waiting for me. A few times I have to get them from the phar. but most of time they have them in back. There has been a time or two then they have sent a scheduled pickup to me. Good luck.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I had a business that used the internet to ship. They had an internet account but not a regular account. The volume grew over the years but they did not want to change to a regular account. This meant that every day I would have to enter an unscheduled pick up to get credit. I finally got the center to put them in my pickup log. The reason for this was not only to save me time entering the info in unscheduled, but to assure that cover drivers would stop there daily.

The center balked at the idea initially. But this business was growing and most days had a substantial amount of volume going out. The possibility of losing this volume over a weekly pickup fee just didn't make any sense. I don't think that they were trying to avert the fee so much as they were used to shipping through their internet account.

Over the years, I've seen potential lose of volume due to a specific center not getting credit for a pickup. Such as a feeder trailer being sent from a hub to retrieve tremendous volume and bypassing the center sort (saving the time of processing hundreds of packages at the center level). My thoughts were....." Is this not UPS....one company, retaining volume regardless of who gets the actual credit for these packages?" It left me dumbfounded as to why a company would even risk the potential of lost volume just because of a crediting problem between locals.

Sorry....got a little off topic. But it is something that always had me wondering.

That was very informative, not very far from topic.

 

[Catatonic]

I had a business that used the internet to ship. They had an internet account but not a regular account. ... I don't think that they were trying to avert the fee so much as they were used to shipping through their internet account.

Good info and example.

This customer was paying retail prices for their shipments.
UPS more than recovered the weekly pickup charge.