MrFedEx
Engorged Member
A couple of days ago, I was all ready to leave the building. All stops in order, all systems go. As I'm sitting there waiting for my turn to get out of the building, my manager pounds on the door and tells me I've got to take a last-minute bulk because Courier X is "bulked-out". So, I back up and they start wheeling it down. It's about 30 pieces and quite large, and will take up the entire center aisle of my vehicle. I tell the manager, "this will have to be my first stop because I can't work around it, and that means lates because I have to break route to hit this place first". So, we load it up and LBT is 10 minutes late.
When I get to the bulk stop, both docks are blocked by semis and there are two more waiting. There is no alternative access to Receiving, so I can't handtruck it in...I have to wait. Here's where WAD really kicks in. First, I send a PP message to Dispatch that I'm stuck waiting. Then, I walk into Receiving and call my manager on their phone, not my cell phone. I tell him I have to wait, and he says "he'll get me P1 help". 20 minutes later, I'm on the dock, After I leave, I'm looking at 20 lates, so I send another PP message reminding them I will be having lots of lates. No P1 help ever comes, so I take all of the lates, which is fine with me.
Please note: At no time do I speed, get panicky about service, or do anything but keep on delivering. I have no additional stress because it is no longer "my" problem. It has been shifted onto management, where it belongs. As a stupid courier, I lack the reasoning ability to take command of the situation and make corrective actions.
I also have a lot of SOS and P2, and the pickups are starting to roll-in heavy, so I send another message advising Dispatch and also call my manager from a customer location telling him I will be needing pickup help or else I'll have DEX 01s. "No DEX 01s, and full break" I am told. Fine. Using WAD, I casually keep right on delivering my SOS and P2, ignoring pickups. At around 1345, I get a message from Dispatch "concerned that I have so many ready-nows piling-up". I send another message saying that I have been directed (WAD) to have no DEX 01s, plus I still have to take a full 13/14. I send the message "working as directed by management". When I come-off 13/14 at around 1500, there are still even more pickups, and some are early closes. I also still have lots of P2 left to deliver. Another PP message to Dispatch that " still have many P2, and early closes...what should I do". I also leave a message on my manager's phone.
The day rolls-on. Because I was directed (WAD) to "not have any DEX 01s", I continue to deliver P2, and ignore pickups, except those that are where I'm already going. Dispatch is getting panicky. My next message..."" What would you like me to do? Drop the P2 or do pickups?". Again, put it right back on them. No response, so I continue to deliver P2. At 1600, I'm finally told to "stop delivering" and do pickups, which I do (WAD again). But by now, there's no way I can possibly get my pickups and ever make the CTV. Another message..."will miss the CTV, need pickup help". I have just covered myself again and someone else has to grab a bunch of my pickups.
I have successfully:
a. Covered myself
b. Put the onus on them
c. Screwed-up the operation by forcing them to send me pickup help
d. Still made SPH
e. Worked as directed
friend. Cost the company money through reduced efficiency
g. Made my manager look like an idiot
h. Brought back DEX 01s
When I get back, my manager wants me in his office. Before he even starts, I tell him that all day long I simply worked as directed, and that if he checks my numbers, that SPH will be at least 100%, so he's really got nothing to say to me. I tell him that I was simply working as directed all day long, and that his initial decision to task me with the bulk set the tone for the rest of the day. I took my full break, and made my numbers....he's got nothing. In fact, he'll probably be called on the carpet for overloading me, and then failing to make operational decisions throughout the PM. I'm just a bot that delivers boxes, and I'm not paid to make decisions...I'm incapable of higher-level thinking.
WAD is your friend. Use it often, but use it wisely. Watch the chaos ensue and just do your job. Let them worry and stress about it. Be like a Ground driver and put your brain in neutral. It makes the job a lot more tolerable.
When I get to the bulk stop, both docks are blocked by semis and there are two more waiting. There is no alternative access to Receiving, so I can't handtruck it in...I have to wait. Here's where WAD really kicks in. First, I send a PP message to Dispatch that I'm stuck waiting. Then, I walk into Receiving and call my manager on their phone, not my cell phone. I tell him I have to wait, and he says "he'll get me P1 help". 20 minutes later, I'm on the dock, After I leave, I'm looking at 20 lates, so I send another PP message reminding them I will be having lots of lates. No P1 help ever comes, so I take all of the lates, which is fine with me.
Please note: At no time do I speed, get panicky about service, or do anything but keep on delivering. I have no additional stress because it is no longer "my" problem. It has been shifted onto management, where it belongs. As a stupid courier, I lack the reasoning ability to take command of the situation and make corrective actions.
I also have a lot of SOS and P2, and the pickups are starting to roll-in heavy, so I send another message advising Dispatch and also call my manager from a customer location telling him I will be needing pickup help or else I'll have DEX 01s. "No DEX 01s, and full break" I am told. Fine. Using WAD, I casually keep right on delivering my SOS and P2, ignoring pickups. At around 1345, I get a message from Dispatch "concerned that I have so many ready-nows piling-up". I send another message saying that I have been directed (WAD) to have no DEX 01s, plus I still have to take a full 13/14. I send the message "working as directed by management". When I come-off 13/14 at around 1500, there are still even more pickups, and some are early closes. I also still have lots of P2 left to deliver. Another PP message to Dispatch that " still have many P2, and early closes...what should I do". I also leave a message on my manager's phone.
The day rolls-on. Because I was directed (WAD) to "not have any DEX 01s", I continue to deliver P2, and ignore pickups, except those that are where I'm already going. Dispatch is getting panicky. My next message..."" What would you like me to do? Drop the P2 or do pickups?". Again, put it right back on them. No response, so I continue to deliver P2. At 1600, I'm finally told to "stop delivering" and do pickups, which I do (WAD again). But by now, there's no way I can possibly get my pickups and ever make the CTV. Another message..."will miss the CTV, need pickup help". I have just covered myself again and someone else has to grab a bunch of my pickups.
I have successfully:
a. Covered myself
b. Put the onus on them
c. Screwed-up the operation by forcing them to send me pickup help
d. Still made SPH
e. Worked as directed
friend. Cost the company money through reduced efficiency
g. Made my manager look like an idiot
h. Brought back DEX 01s
When I get back, my manager wants me in his office. Before he even starts, I tell him that all day long I simply worked as directed, and that if he checks my numbers, that SPH will be at least 100%, so he's really got nothing to say to me. I tell him that I was simply working as directed all day long, and that his initial decision to task me with the bulk set the tone for the rest of the day. I took my full break, and made my numbers....he's got nothing. In fact, he'll probably be called on the carpet for overloading me, and then failing to make operational decisions throughout the PM. I'm just a bot that delivers boxes, and I'm not paid to make decisions...I'm incapable of higher-level thinking.
WAD is your friend. Use it often, but use it wisely. Watch the chaos ensue and just do your job. Let them worry and stress about it. Be like a Ground driver and put your brain in neutral. It makes the job a lot more tolerable.
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