Was I Wrong?

[SmithBarney]

I once had a del that would take me 10min, silly old coot at a mechanic type place.
First time I went there came in said "COD to XYZ for $120.00" or whatever, he just about took my head off, he wanted us to write down the amount, and hand it to his secratary/wife. He said "I don't want my customers hearing what I pay for stuff"..
(not likethey know whats in any particular box)
I fought with management over this one for awhile, because if something I wrote
was mis-read and they wrote a bad check(wrong amount etc) Management never gave in.
I once would have another company that wouldn't pay the COD till the 3rd attempt,
and then would give me 3-4 post dated checks, management again said it was ok..

Anyway COD businesses are generally customers who don't have
good enough credit to get terms with their suppliers.
so COD Businesses don't get my respect, I do my job but thats about it.

 

[upsdude]

Anyway COD businesses are generally customers who don't have
good enough credit to get terms with their suppliers.
so COD Businesses don't get my respect, I do my job but thats about it.

I agree with what you have stated in some cases, but not as a rule. I know a lot of mom and pop type places don’t want an “account”, they pay as they go.

I’ve convinced some of my COD stops to consider and convert to using a debit card. I explained to one guy how much he had spent on COD charges over a few months time. I told him he could have used a fraction of the savings to buy me lunch!

 

[Thorn]

Yes, it's a fairly new (3 or 4 months old) mom and pop pet store. They probably don't understand UPS's sense of urgency.

To be honest, that's the thing I hate the most about my job. I can usually tolerate most of the other stuff like overdispatch, late hours, or rude customers, but I really hate having to make decisions in the heat of the moment that makes everyone happy. Usually after I have left, I realize I could've handled the situation differently. But by that time, the damage has already been done.

I'll just take the butt-chewing on monday then talk with the pet store owners and apologize. Maybe that will give each of us an opportunity to understand what's going on.

UpState - Do you really do all that? UPS should give you the Brown Mile award.

 

[Jack4343]

I would've been a bit mad at you also. You waited until the customer had the checkbook in hand ready to write you the check before you left. It probably would've only taken her 30 seconds to write the check and the stop would've been over. I understand that you already waited 5 minutes. I've been in that situation before and eventually you reach what I call the point of no return where you've been there so long that you might as well wait to avoid having to bring the box back the next day and begin the waiting process again. I would've told the customer that "I've really got to go and can't wait for long so please hurry" when the man said that his wife would write the check. By you waiting til the lady was ready to write the check, you really were giving the customer the finger for making you wait so long. The delivery was practically almost finished and you walked out. I know it stinks dealing with slow people and CODs but we are alotted extra time for them (not enough though) and you know going in to that customer's business that it will take awhile. Of course it's ok to get on to the customer a bit after you've completed the delivery and tell them that you can't wait like that every time and to please be ready next time and be nice about it with a smile across your face. It's been said many times on here...all we sell is service. It's true. DHL, Fed Ex, UPS...all do the same things. The only thing we can do to make ourselves different is provide the best service we can. I think about that every day I start my route.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

I would have waited for the COD. First, because it was a NDA, and second, because I wouldn't want to go back there tomorrow, again, before 10:30 a.m. and leave another note, etc. I always tell customers if they are not ready for me when I come back, they can either meet us at our shuttle meet point or arrange to pick it up at the center after I get back there. Tough call for you, but I wouldn't want to go through the same hassle two days in a row.

 

[tieguy]

Hello everyone. I am newly registered to the forum but I have been reading here for a while. I really respect many of the people who post here regularly and hope some of you can give me some advice.

This morning, I had a next day air package for a business that doesn't open until 11 am. Knowing this, I made them my first stop just to kill the commit knowing I would be coming back later in the day when they were open. The package was a COD, so I put the shipper name and the amount on the delivery notice.

This afternoon about 4, I come back to this business, but I'm kind of in a hurry because I have to start my pickups at 4.

When I walk in, the owner is behind the counter ringing up a customer. I wait patiently for him to finish. When he's done, he starts to ring up another customer. Again, I wait patiently for him to finish. Finally, he says his wife will write the check. I look around and do not see anyone.
About that time, his wife walks in from the backroom. She passes by me and says she'll be back to write the check. After about another minute, she comes back in with the checkbook and asks me what's the amount. I tell her I left a delivery notice this morning with all the information on it. She tells me sorry, I guess we're lazy.

I look at my watch and realize I've already wasted 5 minutes here and I really have to start my pickups. I tell her I can't wait any longer and that I will return monday to deliver the package and for her to have the check ready when I get there. She seemed angry when I left.

Was I wrong to do this? I'm worried that she may have called in a complaint. I'm also worried that the hermit crabs that were in the box may die over the weekend. What should I do?

You're okay. Your conscience is speaking to you and giving you the answer. The Ghost of Jim Casey speaks within.
you know you should have taken the hit on time for that one delivery even though the customer is an ignorant ass. No one else here needs to speak. We like to see you make the time but ultimately its all about the service. Hopefully the customer will learn their lesson and keep using UPS in the future.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

You were not wrong. During my first year or so of driving I figured out a way to put some fire under these type of customer's feet. If they are ignoring me or taking their time on CODs then I inform them that I have other customers waiting and start sheeting the stop as NI1 or NM1. Once I slap that info notice on their desk or door and say that I'll be back tomorrow. All of the sudden their sense of urgency tends to triple. You should try that. And it can be done without coming across rude. As far as the businesses not being open until after 10:30.....it's not our fault. Go by while you are running your NDAs so you'll at least have the info notice as proof that you attempted it and go back later if possible. If they need the package bad enough then they'll have someone at the store to receive it or have it sent to an alternate address. It's that simple.

 

[tieguy]

You were not wrong. During my first year or so of driving I figured out a way to put some fire under these type of customer's feet. If they are ignoring me or taking their time on CODs then I inform them that I have other customers waiting and start sheeting the stop as NI1 or NM1. Once I slap that info notice on their desk or door and say that I'll be back tomorrow. All of the sudden their sense of urgency tends to triple. You should try that. And it can be done without coming across rude.


I don't honestly see how you can do the above without coming across rude.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

You were not wrong. During my first year or so of driving I figured out a way to put some fire under these type of customer's feet. If they are ignoring me or taking their time on CODs then I inform them that I have other customers waiting and start sheeting the stop as NI1 or NM1. Once I slap that info notice on their desk or door and say that I'll be back tomorrow. All of the sudden their sense of urgency tends to triple. You should try that. And it can be done without coming across rude.


I don't honestly see how you can do the above without coming across rude.

It's easy. I've done it plenty of times. I apologize for being in such a hurry and am careful about the tone I have while explaining why I have to leave. Basically I make it sound like I want to stay a little longer but can't due to the nature of the job. Besides....it's the truth. I have never had a complaint for it and every customer I've done that too was more urgent and prepared from that day on. Most of them anyway. The rest are just clueless losers that shouldn't even be aloud to run a business. The good thing about people like that is that they eventually go away because their lack of urgency and common sense usually leads to their business shutting down.

 

[1989]

I usually ask, "should I come back later? I can come back if I have time. I only have 140 stops and 283 packages left. If I don't have time, I'll be back tomorrow for sure."

 

[Griff]

We like to see you make the time but ultimately its all about the service.

I'll make sure to remind the management here of that the next time they question me about my times.

"Hey listen, I know you LIKE TO SEE me make the numbers, but isn't it all about the service?"

What a joke. Everyone here knows all you care about is the numbers, it is priority #1 and has been for years. After reading this website for quite sometime now its obvious that this is a nationwide policy, possibly worldwide. You can't have your cake and eat it too when it comes to service because the time standards do not allow for service. Where is the time for when a customer has a question or an issue with the service and you have to deal with that? Why can't you enter that into a board just like a sales lead? Doesn't take too long to figure out what this company is all about and it isn't service.

Also where is the line on the issue in this thread. Just how long are we supposed to wait around for someone to cut a check? I'm paid by the hour, so I'll wait all damn night if that's how you want me to do the job. I was told when I first started that 3 minutes is more than enough time for this, so that's what I go by and at 3:01 if the person hasn't started writing the check -- I'm gone. So someone please tell us just how long IE has determined it takes to get a check from a customer and I will follow that to a T, because IE runs this company and they know what is best.

 

[New Englander]

"Where is the time for when a customer has a question or an issue with the service and you have to deal with that? Why can't you enter that into a board just like a sales lead? Doesn't take too long to figure out what this company is all about and it isn't service."

Are you really so stupid to have to ask that?

 

[over9five]

Re: Was I Wrong? YES, YOU WERE!

I would be upset if the driver was too impatient to wait for me to write a check for a pkg that I had paid extra for to make sure I got it in 1 day. Now, don't get me wrong--these people clearly dragged their feet and I would be swearing at them in my head as I was waiting for them to write the check but I would have waited for the check as this is all part of the job.

I agree with the above. You're getting paid while you're waiting for that check. So you're a little late on your pickups. Who cares, you've got a good reason!
I've found (generally), that the nicer you are to people, the more they will help you by signing right away, writing checks, etc.

 

[looper804]

I remember many years ago a scuba diving shop that received many COD's on a daily basis.When any UPS driver walked in his door he would throw every customer out of the store,lock the door and write all his checks.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

It's easy. I've done it plenty of times. I apologize for being in such a hurry and am careful about the tone I have while explaining why I have to leave. Basically I make it sound like I want to stay a little longer but can't due to the nature of the job. Besides....it's the truth. I have never had a complaint for it and every customer I've done that too was more urgent and prepared from that day on. Most of them anyway. The rest are just clueless losers that shouldn't even be aloud to run a business. The good thing about people like that is that they eventually go away because their lack of urgency and common sense usually leads to their business shutting down.

Nice posts. It makes sense you sometimes have to admit to the customer it's not a perfect system and you have to keep moving also. It is possible to be friendly and respectful at the same time.

 

[1989]

I remember many years ago a scuba diving shop that received many COD's on a daily basis.When any UPS driver walked in his door he would throw every customer out of the store,lock the door and write all his checks.

Now that's service

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

I'll make sure to remind the management here of that the next time they question me about my times.

"Hey listen, I know you LIKE TO SEE me make the numbers, but isn't it all about the service?"

What a joke. Everyone here knows all you care about is the numbers, it is priority #1 and has been for years. After reading this website for quite sometime now its obvious that this is a nationwide policy, possibly worldwide. You can't have your cake and eat it too when it comes to service because the time standards do not allow for service. Where is the time for when a customer has a question or an issue with the service and you have to deal with that? Why can't you enter that into a board just like a sales lead? Doesn't take too long to figure out what this company is all about and it isn't service.

Also where is the line on the issue in this thread. Just how long are we supposed to wait around for someone to cut a check? I'm paid by the hour, so I'll wait all damn night if that's how you want me to do the job. I was told when I first started that 3 minutes is more than enough time for this, so that's what I go by and at 3:01 if the person hasn't started writing the check -- I'm gone. So someone please tell us just how long IE has determined it takes to get a check from a customer and I will follow that to a T, because IE runs this company and they know what is best.

Only the pains in the asses get reamed for not making good time numbers.

 

[looper804]

The 1st time its actually scary.You're thinking why is this guy locking me in.

 

[soberups]

Re: Was I Wrong? YES, YOU WERE!

I agree with the above. You're getting paid while you're waiting for that check. So you're a little late on your pickups. Who cares, you've got a good reason!
.

If I am a "little late" on my pickups...I miss the air shuttle and the 40 or 50 Next Day Air packages that my other customers have given to me will all miss service. Is it fair to punish all of those customers for the inability of one to conduct routine business in a timely manner?

 

[wo88upsman]

Even though you may have been running 5 minutes late on your pick up run now you still have to go through the same thing on Monday and they still probably want have the check ready. Probably would have waited myself just to get the stop over with, you were already mad so why not just wait then you want have to get mad all over on Monday. Just my 2 cents worth