At What Lenghts Should Our Service Extend?

[big_arrow_up]

OCAs are one thing but for deliveries I think that if a customer that gets deliveries every day is causing us to go back for second or third attempts because they aren't prepared with C.O.Ds., or simply because they are never open on time, then UPS should make it mandatory that their packages be placed on hold at the center instead of being loaded on a truck for delivery so we don't have to waste so much time and money on them. I've been told that after a second attempt there is is no profit from the packages. I deliver to an "Urban Clothing Store" that opens late and never has the money for the packages. I'll go there three times and their stuff always ends up being put on hold and sits in the center for a few days. NI3s that are C.O.D.s are supposed to be RTS but our sups and OMS coddles this customer as well as a few others. I don't understand why. They cost UPS money in the long wrong.

[The-UK-Guy]

Originally Posted by browniehound

I got an OCA yesterday for a building with 4 companies and 3 floors. The OCA information didn't give a company name or suite number. It did however, give a person's name and the following information on my DIAD: needs GRD ASD and call 617-xxx-xxxx when you arrive.

This is a first. I didn't know I now have to call a one-time customer to alert him of my presence. I didn't know where he worked so I called him from my cell (seems like I'm using more and more minutes for UPS than I should) and he said "OK I'll be down in five minutes." When he gets down to the lobby at 4 minutes (I clocked him), he says he needs to go to his car to get the package. He comes back 5 minutes later with a package that has a label from the package shipped to him(lord help me here, ). I ask him where do you want it shipped to? He says "hold on" (more wasted time) and pulled out a piece of paper that he ripped in half and gave to me.

He then asks "do I get a reciept?" I say NO, because I'm not wasting another second with this person. I will fill out the ground ASD when I have a down minute.

How much of this nonsense do we have to tolerate? I wasted almost fifteen minutes of time for one ground package that we probably got negative $30 in revenue because this person didn't provide any billing information (I used the shipper number from the previous consignee) to me!

If I didn't take the package, I would have been called back later in the day and I would have spent another 15 minutes explaining shipper#'s and third party billing with this fool.

I really don't think we should waste our time with this type of customer. The person at the 1-800# (clueless themselves) should guide these people to UPS.com. If they can't figure out how to print a label here, they should be given the address to a handful of local UPS stores.

It should never come to wasting 15-30 minutes of a driver's time for 1 ground package. We also need the local on-car support on this, "No the driver is not coming back today. Tommorow, have the package ready to ship and he will take it when he is in that area."

Am I out of line here?

Every package Every day. your out of line.
Its our job to pick up packages and we get paid great money to do it.

[RockyRogue]

Originally Posted by The-UK-Guy

Every package Every day. your out of line.
Its our job to pick up packages and we get paid great money to do it.

He's not out line. He's making a legit complaint. If UPS is going to hold its drivers accountable for getting 140 stops (lets say 200 packages) off the car in 9 hours (the usual time a driver is supposed to work) with an hour lunch, its not too much to ask for UPS to provide the assistance the driver needs to complete that task in the designated time. If that means the driver--the guy 'on the ground'--refuses to pick up the package because he doesn't have enough information to get him to where needs to be, that shouldn't get him in trouble. He needs to tell dispatch he doesn't have sufficient information and request the additional information but he should not be responsible for a customer's lack of clarity. In the end, yes, he should make the pick-up but there's got to be a line here....somewhere. -Rocky

[The-UK-Guy]

Originally Posted by big_arrow_up

OCAs are one thing but for deliveries I think that if a customer that gets deliveries every day is causing us to go back for second or third attempts because they aren't prepared with C.O.Ds., or simply because they are never open on time, then UPS should make it mandatory that their packages be placed on hold at the center instead of being loaded on a truck for delivery so we don't have to waste so much time and money on them. I've been told that after a second attempt there is is no profit from the packages. I deliver to an "Urban Clothing Store" that opens late and never has the money for the packages. I'll go there three times and their stuff always ends up being put on hold and sits in the center for a few days. NI3s that are C.O.D.s are supposed to be RTS but our sups and OMS coddles this customer as well as a few others. I don't understand why. They cost UPS money in the long wrong.

how about building a good relationship with the customer instead ?
it doesnt take long to train a customer , a couple of extra minutes on your second or third time picking up there should solve the problem. I usualy give the customer my cel number and have them call me when the packages are ready. I show them how to prepare the package and fill out any paper work and try to work out a schedual that works for both of us.
they know that I will usually be turning up at a certain time and will call me if they arent going to be ready. I also make it a point to know which driver ( if any ) will be passing by the area later than me so I can call and have them get the package. If you make the effort to work with the customer they will usualy make the effort back. I bet you wouldnt mind waiting 30 mins for 1 packaage if it was at a playboy bunny photo shoot huh !

[The-UK-Guy]

Originally Posted by RockyRogue

He's not out line. He's making a legit complaint. If UPS is going to hold its drivers accountable for getting 140 stops (lets say 200 packages) off the car in 9 hours (the usual time a driver is supposed to work) with an hour lunch, its not too much to ask for UPS to provide the assistance the driver needs to complete that task in the designated time. If that means the driver--the guy 'on the ground'--refuses to pick up the package because he doesn't have enough information to get him to where needs to be, that shouldn't get him in trouble. He needs to tell dispatch he doesn't have sufficient information and request the additional information but he should not be responsible for a customer's lack of clarity. In the end, yes, he should make the pick-up but there's got to be a line here....somewhere. -Rocky

I belive you have to work here to have any say in the matter

[The-UK-Guy]

Originally Posted by brownrodster

Had two COD's yesturday and both were ready to go when I got there. But that was only because each package was a NM1 by the previous driver they day before.

8 out of 10 customers of mine will have there COds ready for me .

[RockyRogue]

Originally Posted by The-UK-Guy

I belive you have to work here to have any say in the matter

You forget I DID work for UPS. I wasn't just a 'hub-rat,' either. I worked as a helper through Denver's blizzards at Christmas 2006. Boy....what an adventure that was. My drivers and I did have OCAs. Talk about pains in the patoot. We spent fifteen stinkin minutes at one place because the people didn't have their stuff ready to go. My driver was p*ssed the rest of the night. I can speak semi-intelligently on this subject. -Rocky

[soberups]

The thing to remember about COD's is that they are a financial transaction between the shipper and the consignee. The consignee is making a business decision to order COD instead of on account or prepaying. It is not and should not be our role to "coddle" the consignee when they are unable or unwilling to pay for the item they have ordered in a reasonable amount of time. If writing a check or obtaining a money order is an undue hardship for them, they should be making other payment/ordering arrangements.

[big_arrow_up]

Originally Posted by The-UK-Guy

how about building a good relationship with the customer instead ?
it doesnt take long to train a customer , a couple of extra minutes on your second or third time picking up there should solve the problem. I usualy give the customer my cel number and have them call me when the packages are ready. I show them how to prepare the package and fill out any paper work and try to work out a schedual that works for both of us.
they know that I will usually be turning up at a certain time and will call me if they arent going to be ready. I also make it a point to know which driver ( if any ) will be passing by the area later than me so I can call and have them get the package. If you make the effort to work with the customer they will usualy make the effort back. I bet you wouldnt mind waiting 30 mins for 1 packaage if it was at a playboy bunny photo shoot huh !

I refuse to give anymore customers my cell phone number because I've had too many bad experiences with that. Such as customers not meeting me on time or where they are supposed to and then turning it around on me and complaining to UPS. The only thing I do is tell the customers that they should immediately ask for a C.O.D. amount after they order something and buy a money order or write the check then and not when we show up. And also tell them that they should have the package held at the center if they know they won't be able to pay yet.

[looper804]

Originally Posted by RockyRogue

You forget I DID work for UPS. I wasn't just a 'hub-rat,' either. I worked as a helper through Denver's blizzards at Christmas 2006. Boy....what an adventure that was. My drivers and I did have OCAs. Talk about pains in the patoot. We spent fifteen stinkin minutes at one place because the people didn't have their stuff ready to go. My driver was p*ssed the rest of the night. I can speak semi-intelligently on this subject. -Rocky

Let me understand this,you worked as a drivers helper in 2006.That's it? Semi-intellegently? I think not even close.

Also anyone that gives their cell phone # to a customer is really doing a dis-service to themselves.If you go back a few years you will see that a majority of us did the job just fine with a pad of delivery sheets.We didn't need all this technology to save a few minutes.Like was stated earlier,take a few minutes to educate your customers as to how they can help you make your delivery/pick up quicker by having everything ready.If you plan on being on your route for most of your career this will make it easier on everyone including the cover drivers when you are off.

[Cementups]

I have a few customers that havemy cell phone number but only those that I can depend on. I have a daily meet with another driver at 9:30 and have told a majority of m customers and if they need something then they should be there promptly at 9:30 as I am only there for about 10 minutes.

[The-UK-Guy]

Originally Posted by RockyRogue

You forget I DID work for UPS. I wasn't just a 'hub-rat,' either. I worked as a helper through Denver's blizzards at Christmas 2006. Boy....what an adventure that was. My drivers and I did have OCAs. Talk about pains in the patoot. We spent fifteen stinkin minutes at one place because the people didn't have their stuff ready to go. My driver was p*ssed the rest of the night. I can speak semi-intelligently on this subject. -Rocky

OK Rocky whatever you say. I'm wrong, your right as usual.
next time a package isnt ready I'm gonna just leave, call my CM and tell him you said I was wasting my time. I'm sure he will agree that you know best considering you were a driver helper once.

[RockyRogue]

Originally Posted by The-UK-Guy

next time a package isnt ready I'm gonna just leave, call my CM and tell him you said I was wasting my time. I'm sure he will agree that you know best considering you were a driver helper once.

LOL, UK-Guy. I think you missed something OR I wasn't clear. My comment was in relation to the message. If the message isn't clear and the driver knows this, something's not right.

And I never said I was always right. Please stop putting words in my mouth, Sir Knight .

[The-UK-Guy]

Originally Posted by RockyRogue

LOL, UK-Guy. I think you missed something OR I wasn't clear. My comment was in relation to the message. If the message isn't clear and the driver knows this, something's not right.

And I never said I was always right. Please stop putting words in my mouth, Sir Knight .

sorry for putting words in your mouth I must have missed something and somethings not right.

[Forty6and2]

Originally Posted by soberups

If writing a check or obtaining a money order is an undue hardship for them, they should be making other payment/ordering arrangements.

like not ordering the stuff in the first place.

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by Forty6and2

people are idiots. why should i wast 20 minutes for one package when i can be getting 10-15 off somewhere else?
i agree with upstate on this one.

Thanks but I didn't call them "idiots".

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by soberups

The problem with this approach is that you are enabling your customers to continue doing business in an unacceptable way. They dont have to make any changes because you are doing the work for them. They are using you as a crutch.
I give my customers a reasonable amount of time to fill out a check. I wil even do it for them if asked...but I am not calling ahead on my cellphone. If the package is important enough that they need it right away...it is important enough that they will be prepared to pay for it when it arrives.
I have explained to my customers that a COD pkg is like a pizza. They need to be ready to pay for it when it arrives, becuse I have more "pizzas" to deliver to other customers and they are in the back of the truck getting cold.

This forum is great in that we can all learn from the experiences of others and offer advice and/or insight in to situations that we may or may not have experienced or may or may not have responded properly to. It is also great in that we can read the advice that has been offered and choose to continue doing what works for us in our particular situation. I have been doing this for 19 years and have to admit I'm pretty good at it so, thanks for the advice, but no thanks.

The customer I am referring to keeps their checkbook on their computer and it takes 2-3 minutes to log in to the program so the time that I spend on the phone with them is far less than the time that I would have to stand there waiting. I go by this stop in the p.m. but would rather get the pkgs del the first time and they would rather get them the first time.

BTW, I like cold pizza. It must be a carry over from my college days when cold pizza and warm beer used to be breakfast.