At What Lenghts Should Our Service Extend?

[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?

[looper804]

Why would you call the customer.Send a message to the center to have them call the customer and get his/her location.When you get this info then go do the OCA.Also isn't it our job to deliver/pick up pkgs? If the OCA takes 1 minute or 30 that's our job.Your getting paid,why the complaint?

[Cementups]

did I miss something here? Don't you get paid by the hour????

[jds4lunch]

I get pickups similar to this all the time at the university here. I believe the last one I got only had the university's address on it with "1E - office". Since that could be any of the university's 10 million offices, I always send them back to dispatch with a message saying "need building and room number". I agree the people at the 1-800# are useless, but the bottom line is our job is to deliver/pick up packages, plus we are paid by the hour.

[toonertoo]

I agree with cement.
I have asked for a supply pouch, for like 4 yrs, and aint got one.
I get paid by the hour. I go get a package from some bonehead, I stand there and wait while they figure out what they are doing. Just like I sat at the pumps tonight trying like hell not to go over 9.5 while the carwashers were yakking. Not gassing mind ya, just yakking at some guy who pulled in on a new Motorcycle. Blocking both sides of the pumps betwen yakkers and yakkees. It aint my job...to discipline people. Back in the olden days..............we moved at a pace and stopped for breaks, kinda like us drivers do...............or else. But seems like its different if you arent driving. We seem to get bi**ched at daily for our slow performance even tho the most time I lost all day was at the pumps.....................So tomorrow will be fun and its Friday, and I made 42/60*5 for someone elses dead weight, Yeah for me!!!

[Service Failure]

Out of line? Far From. True we are paid by the hour but in cases like this it seems that we are always in a lose/lose. When looking at the numbers, they will probably wonder why the hell it took you 15-30 minutes to do one OCA and on the other hand if you chose not to deal with it you get left with a service failure. I was told that 5 minutes was enough of a wait and that's usually the amount of time that i give customers to get their things ready because like i was told by many, theres always tomorrow. ( I always send a message letting them know the situation though ) Anyway, I hope this post wasn't out of line!

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Whenever I get an incomplete OCA I always send it back indicating what information is missing. It usually takes 2-3 messages before I get the information that I need. The local OMS simply turns around what they receive (our OCAs originate in Buffalo) but that doesn't help me when I get an OCA for the college that simply says "Biology Dept--bring GND ASD".

As for getting paid by the hour, while that may be true, why should I be wasting my time in a non-productive effort to secure one pkg when I could be getting 5-10 residential stops done in that same time period? Work smarter, not harder.

[toonertoo]

The point I tried to make and not well is.......
I would also rather get those 10 to 15 off than stand around and wait, but....
There are many problems with the oca's I also get.
Not enough info,
out of area, for the regular driver, and out of area for me also, but I get stuck running it. There goes my beloved sporh.
I would like some sort of supply rack/pouch/something to hold asd's
Why the center that takes the calls for ocas, dont understand what the person is sending, such as an ARS.
Why they dont tell the customer where they can go to get the labels.
Why the center doesnt tell them that the little sticker on their qvc pkg is not a return label.
Seems trying to provide service doesnt get as much attention as someone who is spending 40 minutes pm time making out asd's for customers and goes over 9.5. Maybe then I will get a chance to talk to someone.
So until we can have a meeting over some of the problems we all face, instead of cramming safety down our throats, with message after message, and meeting after meeting, Ill just make my 42 bucks an hour. With the news of runs cut daily continuing, the only difference in this summer over last is Ill be taking off Fridays and Mondays more often. Coz it will be dark when we get home in the summer, again.

[Harley Rider]

All of us are dealing with these same problems now that they cut out 1 time pu's. When I get an OCA or 1 time pu without enough info, I message the OMS and let them handle it. I can promise you that I will not be calling someone to get their pick up though. UPS doesn't provide me with a phone and I am not giving them my cell phone time until they start paying on my bill.

[brownrodster]

First tiem ever I called a customer recently. I was covering a route and one of the addresses in the pickup log did not exist. Called the business and they told me the proper address. Went there, picked up their packages and all were happy. Should have told someone back at the office to fix the log but since I know the address now I don't really care lol.

[DS]

You guys call them OCA's,we call it ODS...on demand service,
and I carry a plethora of supplies to cover any possible scenario.I know I'm a dying breed but I dont own a cell phone,anytime I have the time to call a customer,be it from a pickup,or on occasion a pay phone,they appreciate the effort,and usually listen to you when you tell them you are in a hurry.We still do cash so I can get a petty cash voucher if I feel cheap and take it out of my cods.I can fill out a waybill in 2 minutes,or leave one and return later.Ive found that the right attitude can instill my sense of urgency in customers.
Heres what to do,I'll be back at 4:15 on the dot,please be ready.

[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.

[Harley Rider]

Most of them really aren't idiots. They just don't have to deal with time issues like we do. Plus they consider their time to be more valuable than yours. UPS now calls customers that have a COD coming for delivery that day but how many customers have a check made out for you when you get there?

[UpstateNYUPSer]

This is where a cell phone comes in quite handy. I have several accounts that get CODs and they are quite slow so I call them on the road and the checks are all made out for me as I walk in the door. I also have another COD stop where I write down all of the CODs and method of payment and by the time I have brought the last pkg in all of the checks have been written and the money orders filled out. This is simply a matter of knowing your customers, which ones have their stuff together and which ones don't, and working with those that don't so that your day goes as smoothly as possible. My customers appreciate my calling them because it gives them the time to write the checks and they know that I am on a tight schedule so it works out well for both of us. I know someone will reply by stating that we get 3 minutes per COD but why take all 3 minutes if you don't have to? Work smarter, not harder.

[RUiNed In Trace]

For the most part, I am with Brownie on this one. It aggravates me to no end when I get to an ODS and they are not prepared, especially in the case of this customer. I mean come on, having to go to their car for the package? Yes I get paid by the hour, but I do not get paid to babysit people. I have no problem helping a customer along, but some people are just freaking clueless. I really love the people who think it is my responsibility to tape up their package for them. Sorry pal, I don't leave my envelopes open in the mailbox for my postman to lick, so go buy some supplies.

[brownrodster]

Originally Posted by Harley Rider

UPS now calls customers that have a COD coming for delivery that day but how many customers have a check made out for you when you get there?

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.

[big_arrow_up]

The two things I hate most about OCAs:

1) When I arrive at the location and after going up several flights of stairs I find 3 65lb. packages even though the info in the DIAD clearly stated that there was one package weighing "0 lbs."

2) Having to back track and go way out of area to get an OCA because one of our "spoiled" drivers, who is actually in the area near the pickup, keeps refusing the OCA.

[barnyard]

Sometimes, training customers is the key. There is a business on a route that I have covered that demands early delivery, the problem is that they get 3-4 CODs per day and never had the checks written. The route also has heavy air and waiting for the CODs can make the difference in late air. I covered the route and when I got to the stop and he went to write out the checks, I told him I had to come back. I returned at 2p and he was not happy. I told him that I could not wait for him to write out checks and that if he wanted continued early delivery, he had to have checks written out before I got there.

Next day, same thing. I returned at 2p and told him the same thing. Next day, all the checks were ready.

Unfortunately, the regular driver did not make it stick. Shippers that use Worldship can have an email sent that a COD package was shipped, along with the amount due and the date the package is due for delivery.

I have done the same thing with OCAs. If they are not ready, I tell them where a drop box is located and tell them I can be back tomorrow.

I go out of my way for the customers that respect my effort, not so much for those that take advantage or have no respect for the effort. It's a 2 way street.

TB

[soberups]

We are indeed paid by the hour...but there comes a point where the customer who is unprepared is causing my OTHER customers to have to wait and is interfering with the service that THEY have paid for. Sometimes in life, as well as at work, you have to draw some boundaries.

[soberups]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

This is where a cell phone comes in quite handy. I have several accounts that get CODs and they are quite slow so I call them on the road and the checks are all made out for me as I walk in the door. ...

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.

[looper804]

Originally Posted by big_arrow_up