Customer states driver was rude!

LeddySS98 · 04-28-2008, 08:42 PM

I got a message on the board today informing me I had been 'rude' at a stop 2 hrs ago.

I'm a cover driver, and today I was doing the mall. I had 12 boxes on the hand cart and I went up to there back recieving door, hit the buzzer and waited for the door to open... waited for awhile.. hit the buzzer again... waited, buzzed, waited, buzzed... When your standing there waiting for the door to be opened, time seems to drag, but i was honestly there for a good 2 minutes easy just standing there... SOOOO I head for the service hall entrance, enter the mall, go down a ways turn the corner and down some more mall I go. I get to the stop, roll the cart through to the back, unload everything back in the recieving area where I have always put them, came out, got a signature, asked for her last name, said thanks typed it in, and I left. I was annoyed at the fact they could'nt take 4 seconds to open the back door, but I never said anything about it, got the signature and left.

Well when the call came in, the store manager stated that the ups driver was banging on the back door trying to break in, that he looked like a blur coming into the store and went to the back of the store 'where people are not allowed to go without management, and that he shoved the board in the a little girls face and forced her to sign...

WOW! The story just kept building up... my favorite part was the 'little girl' who i was mean to and forced to sign the bored... the little girl is in her mid 30's I'd say, she had a customer, she rang the girl up handed her the reciept and then handed her the board to sign...

So what do you do? Should I confront the manager of the store and ask her what her problem is? Managment will not back me for 2 seconds, customer good driver bad... So what do you do?

NVBrown · 04-28-2008, 08:49 PM

Don't make a bad thing worse by confronting the store manager. Let your management team know what happened and move on.

helenofcalifornia · 04-28-2008, 09:07 PM

I would definitely say something to the manager, but in a non-confrontational way. You are going to have to deal with this manager in the future. We all have stops like that where we have to wait. I have one for Walgreen's which takes forever for a few stinkin' packages. You are not going to win this one.

LeddySS98 · 04-28-2008, 09:13 PM

That's funny Helen, I think all Walgreens must be slow...

As for the mall solution one of them I have thought about is buzzing the door one time, scanning the packages, and if they dont answer within 3 min. i sheet them up as NR, and bring it back the next day.

fredly00 · 04-28-2008, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

As for the mall solution one of them I have thought about is buzzing the door one time, scanning the packages, and if they dont answer within 3 min. i sheet them up as NR, and bring it back the next day.

That landed me in the office on the phone with the DM.. except it was after 6pm on a weekday
and they were closed.. DM wanted to know why I sheeted 46packages closed..
Long story short, on cars sent drivers home and left the mall truck sit all day, with NDA..
I finished my route came back and they said "go to the mall" haha.. oh well.

satellitedriver · 04-28-2008, 09:38 PM

Leddy,
Just let the complaint roll off of you like water on a ducks back.
Your manager should realize that you got the stop off in the shortest time possible.
The store manager sounds like he is scared for his job and is trying to show his "authority".

dilligaf · 04-29-2008, 06:36 AM

I wouldn't say anything to the manager unless the manager says something first (probably won't). If you go back in there just smile and act like you are having the time of your life. I have a dock delivery everyday for Alco. Same thing. They take forever to get to the back door and most of the time I end up having to call them. I have tried the front door (refused) and have sheeted them constantly as closed (sometimes 2/3 a week. Mgt will not support me on the issue, either. Once in a great while I will catch the rcvg mgr out front on a smoke break and will give her the pkgs then but it doesn't happen often. This is pretty much a lose/lose situation for the drivers.

feeder53 · 04-29-2008, 07:00 AM

I would not engage the manager, he may have been having a bad day and there is not a lot of evidence on either side to say who was at fault, but the customer is always right.

covemaster · 04-29-2008, 07:26 AM

ring bell wait 2 min then ring again, scan em all ni 1 call cntr and say you will have missed bus pkgs and missed p/ups today if you want me to wait longer. put ball in ups court .write down their response date and time of day.... this asslole of a mngr at the mall is a dweeb and he's on a power trip i'v met his type,his wife probaly bosses him around the house lol don't loose sleep over him

Leftinbuilding · 04-29-2008, 08:04 AM

When I used to have these situations, I would never give the manager the satisfaction of knowing I was hot. I would act as if his complaint never even reached me. So insignificant and so obviously a lie, that it wasn't even discussed. Hard to do but it made a bad situation a little better. Then if he mentioned he got a callback from a supe I would "Oh that? No big deal. I just told the supe the truth and went on my way". Burns em up.....

PassYouBy · 04-29-2008, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helenofcalifornia

I have one for Walgreen's which takes forever for a few stinkin' packages.

As for the WALGREENS thing...This must be nation wide. I REFUSE to buy anything from WALGREENS because of the way I have been treated in the past.

UpstateNYUPSer · 04-29-2008, 09:33 AM

I was on vacation last week and the cover driver stopped by to deliver my safe driving award pkg and to ask about a particular stop that he had had an issue with the day before. Well, he wasn't totally truthful with me as I found out when I came back to work and made the delivery at that stop. He had been asked to split up the delivery, bringing the bulk of the pkgs to the normal delivery point and their payroll to the office, which is what I do each payday because that is what they want and it is not that big of a deal. I guess he at first balked, saying that all deliveries have to go to one point, and then he finally relented but not without saying something under his breath. It wasn't so much his initial refusal but his attitude that nearly earned him a call to the 1-800#. I guess he went back the following day and apologized.

What is my point? You are a cover driver and your actions, whether positive or negative, valid or otherwise, can have an impact on the regular driver. You are also trying to work your way up to being a FT driver so you most certainly don't need a hourly personnel in your file.

I would go back to that stop tomorrow (if you are still on that area) and apologize to that manager, whether you mean it or not, assuring that person that you will manage yourself in a more professional manner during future deliveries. Like I said, I don't care whether you actually mean it or not and am most certainly not saying whether or not I think that you were in the wrong. Perception of a situation is often far different from its reality and you may have done everything that you said you did but the manager's perception of your actions prompted a phone call and, judging from the time frame, he probably called as soon as you left his store. Go back, stick your tail between you legs, apologize, and be done with it. If it makes you feel any better think of the manager as a total you know what while you are making the apology.

FYI, and this is off the subject, you drivers may not realize that you do not have to wait to be handed your safe driving award at a PCM to order your award. If you are within a few weeks of receiving your award, you can go to upsers.com, go to life and career, go under recognition, click on their website, enter your ID #, browse your award level and then select and order your award. I actually had my safe driving award in my hands a week prior to my anniversary date.

Rantmuse · 04-29-2008, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

I got a message on the board today informing me I had been 'rude' at a stop 2 hrs ago.

I'm a cover driver, and today I was doing the mall. I had 12 boxes on the hand cart and I went up to there back recieving door, hit the buzzer and waited for the door to open... waited for awhile.. hit the buzzer again... waited, buzzed, waited, buzzed... When your standing there waiting for the door to be opened, time seems to drag, but i was honestly there for a good 2 minutes easy just standing there... SOOOO I head for the service hall entrance, enter the mall, go down a ways turn the corner and down some more mall I go. I get to the stop, roll the cart through to the back, unload everything back in the recieving area where I have always put them, came out, got a signature, asked for her last name, said thanks typed it in, and I left. I was annoyed at the fact they could'nt take 4 seconds to open the back door, but I never said anything about it, got the signature and left.

Well when the call came in, the store manager stated that the ups driver was banging on the back door trying to break in, that he looked like a blur coming into the store and went to the back of the store 'where people are not allowed to go without management, and that he shoved the board in the a little girls face and forced her to sign...

WOW! The story just kept building up... my favorite part was the 'little girl' who i was mean to and forced to sign the bored... the little girl is in her mid 30's I'd say, she had a customer, she rang the girl up handed her the reciept and then handed her the board to sign...

So what do you do? Should I confront the manager of the store and ask her what her problem is? Managment will not back me for 2 seconds, customer good driver bad... So what do you do?

Perhaps management won't back you on this one, however it would be wise to tell your management team exactly what happened from your perspective and inquire how they recommended such a situation be handled in the future. Look to management for guidance on how to deal with difficult customers....its part of their job.

It is curious though, that the manager heard you 'banging on the door like you were trying to break in' and never bothered to answer it. Some people are impossible. Be strong.

BigBrownSanta · 04-29-2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PassYouBy

As for the WALGREENS thing...This must be nation wide. I REFUSE to buy anything from WALGREENS because of the way I have been treated in the past.

I agree 100%. I used to have almost $1000 a month in prescriptions filled at Walgreens. After dealing with the Walgreens on my area, I was glad when Medco started requiring the prescriptions by mail program. I never buy anything from Walgreens now.

As for the Walgreens on my area, they have their own special delivery time. It used to be my last delivery of the day, but I have eased up a little and now deliver them as close to 5 PM as possible.

Customer complaints can go both ways. I have called in and emailed complaints on some of my deliveries. I usually say that I was shopping in the store and their employee was rude when I asked a question and told me I could shop elsewhere if I didn't like it.

filthpig · 04-29-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PassYouBy

As for the WALGREENS thing...This must be nation wide. I REFUSE to buy anything from WALGREENS because of the way I have been treated in the past.

I thank God every day I don't have a Walgreen's on my route.
Tell the store manager your problem. Be VERY nice. Act like an adult, in other words. Tell them that you will wait 4 minutes after you ring the buzzer then you will have to leave. Remember to leave a note, and if they have certain receiving hours follow them. When you are done with your businesses and pickups, go back if it will not put over the time to get to the building for the metro unload. If your CM doesn't like this solution, then do EXACTLY what he says to do.

Big Babooba · 04-29-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rantmuse

Perhaps management won't back you on this one, however it would be wise to tell your management team exactly what happened from your perspective and inquire how they recommended such a situation be handled in the future. Look to management for guidance on how to deal with difficult customers....its part of their job.

It is curious though, that the manager heard you 'banging on the door like you were trying to break in' and never bothered to answer it. Some people are impossible. Be strong.

Probably the best route to take. You never want to get into a pissing match with a customer because you surely will get wet.

mattwtrs · 04-29-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

I'm a cover driver, and today I was doing the mall. I had 12 boxes on the hand cart and I went up to there back recieving door, hit the buzzer and waited for the door to open... waited for awhile.. hit the buzzer again... waited, buzzed, waited, buzzed... When your standing there waiting for the door to be opened, time seems to drag, but i was honestly there for a good 2 minutes easy just standing there... SOOOO I head for the service hall entrance, enter the mall, go down a ways turn the corner and down some more mall I go. I get to the stop, roll the cart through to the back, unload everything back in the recieving area where I have always put them, came out, got a signature, asked for her last name, said thanks typed it in, and I left. I was annoyed at the fact they could'nt take 4 seconds to open the back door, but I never said anything about it, got the signature and left.

Sounds like Stapl*'s to me. After a very similiar situation they agreed to a phone call 5 minutes before we get there to prevent problems. The only problem is they go thru store managers and assistant managers every 3 or 4 months. Then you have to train the new ones all over again.

stringerman85 · 04-29-2008, 12:57 PM

Yeah, Walgreen's is one of those places you ring the bell and stand there for up to 5 minutes before someone finally opens the door...They do hear you the first time you ring it, but you have no idea, especially after countless minutes wasted, And when someone finally comes, They always say they couldn't find the keys anywhere to open the door..It's kind of annoying, But I always know to pretend it's perfectly ok

UpstateNYUPSer · 04-29-2008, 04:44 PM

We will be getting a Walgreens in about a year. Are they worse than Staples?

big_arrow_up · 04-29-2008, 05:20 PM

Walgreens and Eckerd (or maybe it's called RiteAid now) are always problems. They want us to deliver and pickup at the rear receiving door but don't want to answer the door when we do. That is why I always deliver through the front. Yes, I have to walk all the way through the store to the back. And yes, sometimes I have to use the hand cart. What I've discovered though is that it's still quicker to do it that way then to sit back there and wait for someone to answer the door. Those people are never in a hurry to get the packages because it could mean more work for them later. The shelves aren't going to stock themselves.