What free/discount @#!% do you get on your route?

[Mike23]

EVERYONE gets free stuff or discounted stuff (which isn't offered to ALL UPS employees) on their route...besides water. What do you get?!

1. Minimelts ice cream (that's the flash frozen stuff, mmm)

2. 25% off motorcycles and motorcycle stuff

3. Only occasionally (since only delivered there once) get red bull energy drinks

4. Again, occasionally (deliver once in a blue moon) free suckers from a place that makes the gourmet style suckers (you know, the sour apple and bubble gum kind!).

Of course, all the candy dishes left out by unsuspecting receptionists...Someone really should warn them someday that clients don't take their candies but UPS drivers do!

 

[Paid-over-in-Maine]

Pizza from a local deli

Lobstah! Fresh from the boat

Burritos from a Mexican fast food rest. (NOT Taco Bell!)

Free rentals from the rental store

 

[DorkHead]

Good subject, let`s see:

coffee or hot chocolate at several express marts

comped food at thruway rest stops occasionally

greenfees at a private country club about 6x a season

invites to at least 10 christmas parties

haircuts

welding at a iron shop

big discounts at automotive repair shop

 

[SmithBarney]

Free item of the week/month at Conoco(gas station with fill up)

One Realtor has a break room and when I showed up early for my Pickup, they
say help yourself to anything in the fridge... and it was always stocked.

Free candies of course

Free Pens don't we all have a great collection of pens

McDonald's Manager always threw me a "super-size" cup and says enjoy.

My favorite Free Lobster, Free Burritos(45 of them) Free Flowers
all from shippers who issued "destroy orders" on the packages.(either undeliverable or a day late)

 

[rod]

One of the best perks I ever had was for about 10 years I would take my lunch break in the breakroom of a small town grocery store. For some reason they had one of the most complete magazine selections you have ever seen. I would grab a couple of magazines off the display rack to read and return them after I was done. Also they would give them to me if I wanted them. All they did was rip the front cover off and they would get credit for them. I probably looked at every hot rod, hunting, gossip, boating, motorcycling and yes "girlie" magazine ever printed for a period of about 10 years. Also the big Tupperware container of free bakery goods was a plus. When that store was sold the new owners weren't so friendly.

 

[MechanicForBrown]

I get allot of " Why do you wear a purplish blue uniform? , OH, I am a mechanic for UPS!, Oh, So you don't drive?........... UHGGGGG, No,NO,NO, I am a mechanic, oh!! So you repair their trucks, well thats nice.

People!

So thats what I get, no water,food,discounts... I just get stupidity!

 

[scratch]

My present route doesn't have many freebies on it. I just get offers of bottled water, drinks, Delta Employee Passes, and also winks and smiles from certain desparate women. My first route was great, it was all commercial. A GM dealer would sell me parts at employee prices, about 50% off. A Keebler cookie warehouse would give me cases of cookies. A chemical plant would give me cleaning products. A sporting goods and tire warehouse gave discounts too. And I also had a Price Pfister warehouse where I could get faucets cheap. A commercial route is much better than a residential route in this regards. If you take care of your customer, then they will take care of you.

 

[upsgrunt]

On my old route I delivered to an auto wrecking yard that parted out cars. I still get used parts for nothing or next to nothing. My pickup needed tires so I gave them the size and said to keep an eye out for a good set-- they sold my a like new set for $40.00. Those guys will always be my favorites as I fix my own vehicles.
Sometimes when someone offers you a cold bottle of water it sure feels like gold to me!

 

[Cementups]

Since i deliver in a primarily rural setting there isnt really a lot to offer in te way of freebies. I do have a lot of my regular customers that offer me water and such and one guy who was one of the elementary school principals flag me down when I drive by his house to give me a free-z-pop. Even after eating at the same pizza shop for over 6 years they still don't even offer me a slight discount. We all have to make money I guess.

 

[soberups]

Nothing. And I like to keep it that way.

Accepting "freebies" is, in my opinion, unprofessional and can create the appearance that the quality of service provided is related to the freebies given. It can create the perception that the driver has developed a sense of entitlement or expectation, even when he/she hasnt.

I have a couple of wineries on my route that give me a bottle of wine and a card every Xmas. I accept them only because they are also giving the same thing to the FedEx guy, the mailman, the garbage man etc. I quit drinking 12 years ago, so I just say "thanks" and give the wine to my wife.

 

[ReLooped]

I miss my route...not only because of the people but because of the perks that came with it:
-A tile shop that gave me a full dollar off per sq. foot of tile i bought.
-brake shop gave me a sweet deal on a set of drilled and slotted rotors for my honda.
-free starbucks whenever i wanted.
-there's a lady who makes baby clothes who hooked me up on some bibs and towels.(i have my first due soon!!)
-Stereo shop that sold me a nice ipod integrated head unit at cost
-tool store that gave me great prices on gloves..the ones that have the rubber palms for good grip on pkgs.

But what i really, really appreciated was how they would always put in a good word for me whenever i had a ride along/ojs. mind you it probably went in one ear and out the other of my 'shadow' but just the fact that my customers would genuinely vouch for me like that is the biggest validation for me.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Sober makes an excellent point in that we need to be ensure that there is no correlation between level of service and any perks/gifts we receive. Do we tend to take care of those who take care of us? Absolutely. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not, as long as your other customers receive the level of service that they have come to expect.

 

[Mike23]

Nothing. And I like to keep it that way.

Accepting "freebies" is, in my opinion, unprofessional and can create the appearance that the quality of service provided is related to the freebies given. It can create the perception that the driver has developed a sense of entitlement or expectation, even when he/she hasnt.

I have a couple of wineries on my route that give me a bottle of wine and a card every Xmas. I accept them only because they are also giving the same thing to the FedEx guy, the mailman, the garbage man etc. I quit drinking 12 years ago, so I just say "thanks" and give the wine to my wife.

Some cultures can find it extremely offensive if you refuse a gift though. Therefore we're only being polite

 

[Theichii]

as a cover driver i know of several perks around, and i'm one of two covers who know almost all the routes, so i appear on routes quite frequently, especially now since we are having 3 vac's a week. I know a burger king gives police/fire discounts, a sports house will give me "Samples" of clothing, An adult novelty store will sometimes give free "gifts" if they get a lot of an item, cajun record store will give me new cd's (well that could be just because it's my grandpa....)

 

[Dizzee]

What free/discount @#!% do you get on your route?

I get 50% off on all *#!&%. Occasionally I get all the free *^!#*% that I can carry. Sometimes, I get the buy one, get one deal on &%#*. Unfortunately, one time I got *%!#*, but a little penicillin took care of it.

 

[badpal.]

I work a mall route so I am constantly having things offered to me and the discounts are numerous. Some of my favorites include: Starbucks, free/discounted food, sporting goods/athletic gear samples & discounts, discounts and often free installation at the auto accessories store, cold water when it's hot, hot beverages when it's cold, and the samples/discounts I get a the health foods store/cafe (can't make a regular diet of food court meals). These "perks" kinda make up for all the volume I handle in a day

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I work a mall route so I am constantly having things offered to me and the discounts are numerous. Some of my favorites include: Starbucks, free/discounted food, sporting goods/athletic gear samples & discounts, discounts and often free installation at the auto accessories store, cold water when it's hot, hot beverages when it's cold, and the samples/discounts I get a the health foods store/cafe (can't make a regular diet of food court meals). These "perks" kinda make up for all the volume I handle in a day

Of course, the eye candy in the mall makes working there a little easier.

 

[dcdriver]

free Starbucks everyday, just have to get their paychecks there early on pay day.

 

[badpal.]

Of course, the eye candy in the mall makes working there a little easier.

amen bro!

 

[barnyard]

I do not ask for discounts. I expect to pay full price. I cannot discount the service that I am providing, why would I expect a discount in the goods or service of another provider??

TB