How Do You Handle Stupid Non-Customers? - Brown Cafe

browniehound · 10-31-2009, 12:38 AM

I experienced a situation today that involved a OCA pick-up from a non-customer that I think everyone here can relate to. I think I was very calm on the outside even though my patience was really wearing thin on the inside. I want to know how anyone else would handle this.

I get an OCA message for a business stop that I will be delivering to an hour later. This business uses Fed-Ex for its daily pick-up (yes, i tried the sales lead). The info on the OCA said 1 package and 0 for weight. It also said "customer needs GSD". Oh great, we all love seeing that, lol!

So I arrive there with 2 envelopes to deliver at about 1155. This company makes me park on the side of the building and walk about 50 yards to the front because the package car is an eyesore I guess.

So as I'm making the delivery at reception, a man rolls out this 89lb computer server with RMA numbers written all over it and says, "hold on, I'll be back with an address" and "you have a label for me, right?" Right then I knew it was trouble.

While he was doing that I moved the package car to the front of the building and grabbed an NDA ASD. I wanted to put pressure on this guy to hurry up because he knows my truck shouldn't be in front and if this idiot is going to waste my time, I'm going to push the NDA service on him.

I bring in one NDA ASD knowing from experience that they almost always make a mistake and need two. I didn't care, he's only getting one because I can't wait for him to fill out two. Sure enough, he begins to fill it out and says "Oh crap, do you have another one?" Good heavens. I told him no.

He edited it and slapped the ASD on this 89lb server 5 minutes later with RMA #'s wrtitten all over it but no addresses. Just what he wrote on the ASD. Would you ship a package with RMA #'s 3 inches tall on it and the address letters .5 cm on it? I think I would do the reverse. This is the level of intelligence we are dealing with!

So, I take my copy of the ASD and it has no account number or billing option checked. I ask him who's account number is he going to use and he looked at me like I was green. He asked the receptionist if they had an account number in which she said "yeah for Fed-Ex".

He then says, hold on, let me call CDW, they are the ones paying for it. WHOA, wait a second! I've already been here 10 minutes to deliver 2 envelopes and pick up 1 OCA, I cannot wait for him to call CDW. I told him to just call back when the package is ready and labeled.

Here is what really hurts and shows how ignorant some people really are. the package was to be pick-up via call-tag through CDW the following day (now I get why he said 'do you have a label for me') and this idiot calls UPS for a pick-up and fills out an ASD for NDA service on an 89 lb. package and didn't know I would show the next day for free with a call-tag.

I was there almost 12 minutes with this knuckle-head. So my questions are: How do you handle these situations? Do you cringe when you see "customer needs ASD" and why does UPS allow this to be an option. Anytime "needs ASD" is in the equation its at least a 10 minute ordeal. Why can't the 1-800-pick-ups person just instruct our customers that they need to print a label online and have the package ready for pick-up.

And it must be taped! How often do you get "I don't have any tape, do you?" Good grief! Sorry for the rant, I was just hoping to hear of a better way to handle these situations.

Thanks in advance,
Brownie

dilligaf · 10-31-2009, 01:08 AM

LOL Brownie.......................

Ya know, a year ago I would have suffered through it. Not so now. I am too much a bitch to let the customers run over me. Sorry, ain't gonna happen.

I guess I really should clarify that. For customers such as yours I would be a bitch about it. For customers that are really trying (and it is easy to spot the difference from the get-go) I will go the extra step to help them.

As far as moving the car in front of the door, hell ya in a heartbeat. People like the one you describe I have no patience or tolerance for. I am NOT some second class citizen that has to use the back door for appearance sake. F THAT! I would use the front entrance every chance I got.

To answer your question..........................
At a point in time where it became apparent that there was an issue with time I personally would have handed him the label and said "see ya, I will be back tomorrow". That, for me, would have been about the time he wanted to make a phone call. Sorry, I'm outta here!

The ODS P/U's that say gsd or asd needed, I have found, are just generic. Meaning that it is a fall back on item. I have had a few this week and they shipper already has a label (usually pre-printed) on the pkg. The thing that pisses me off more than the 'asd' or 'gsd' needed is the 'air' notation. AIR is 3 letters, so why can't our CSR reps put in NDA or 2DA or 3DA. The only thing that I want to know on an ODS P/U is if is NDA. This is something that I may have to break off early to get. If it is a 2DA or a 3DA I DON'T CARE! I can get those at anytime during the day. Come on people, wake up!

Tape on pkg's..................eh?!?!?!?! Not a big deal. Don't have time to worry about it. Give me the damn box so I can leave. LOL

UPSviking · 10-31-2009, 01:24 AM

Ohh we hate those at our center... However we get the message "need SD" bring AWB. Mind you we only have one kind of Label here in Europe.

I am with Dilligaf on this one, I will always be friendly and helpfull to anybody that returns the friendliness, however if the client is rude and arrogant towards me i will "over time" make them regret their attitude.

browniehound · 10-31-2009, 02:01 AM

UPSViking, he wasn' rude, just ignorant. Its why I put on my happy face and was very polite. Deep inside my blood was boiling however! Its friday and I just want to get home!

An analogous situation for him would be me stopping him as he left for work to go home and solicited some kind of business out of him. Would he enjoy me asking him to switch from Fed-Ex to UPS and me discussing the advantages of using UPS for 10 minutes at the end of HIS day?

I don't think so. What gives him the right to hold me up for nonsense?

browniehound · 10-31-2009, 02:10 AM

Thanks for the reply Dilli, You're right most of the time the "need ASD" is a default, but I usually know which ones they are because it says it all the time. I could just smell trouble with this one.

I wish I had your ba--s sometimes. I just can't say to the customer I'm out of here see you tommorow. I wish I could and I think it all the time. I just too unconfrontational.

As for the tape issue. If someone wants to give me a package without tape, I'll take it. I won't tape it though, it will end up at PSC eventually, right? LOL. I just say to them "you want to send a package that is not sealed?" yeah ok I'll take it???? Its your loss.

Now, I'm getting same day ground pick-up calls only to show up and the package is for the post-office. Because the package says "US Pacrel Return" on it, some genius thinks its for UPS.

Billy · 10-31-2009, 04:03 AM

Why are you in such a hurry? I get paid by the hour so I have all day for people to prepare a shipment for me. While I was there I would take advantage of the time to push for future shipments. If that caused me to fall behind on my route I'd simply send a message to the center. If there was no help available later, I'd be making overtime. That's the level of service that UPS expects from me so I give it. Production is secondary to excellent service and methods.

PassYouBy · 10-31-2009, 04:32 AM

Billy, there are people with families that truly enjoy going home to play with there kids and spending time with there spouse. Not everyone wants the overtime everyday. I can tell you, if I was single and in my early 20's and no family, you bet your A#$ I would be pulling as much overtime as I could. As far a sending a message to the center "for help", that's about all that happens, just a message.

Billy · 10-31-2009, 05:20 AM

I wish there was a way to accent my syllables to indicate sarcasm while typing.

UpstateNYUPSer · 10-31-2009, 05:26 AM

Why are you in such a hurry? I get paid by the hour so I have all day for people to prepare a shipment for me. While I was there I would take advantage of the time to push for future shipments. If that caused me to fall behind on my route I'd simply send a message to the center. If there was no help available later, I'd be making overtime. That's the level of service that UPS expects from me so I give it. Production is secondary to excellent service and methods.

Please note that the red indicates sacrasm while typing.

Billy · 10-31-2009, 06:02 AM

thanks, I'll use that in the future

browniehound · 10-31-2009, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PassYouBy

Billy, there are people with families that truly enjoy going home to play with there kids and spending time with there spouse. Not everyone wants the overtime everyday. I can tell you, if I was single and in my early 20's and no family, you bet your A#$ I would be pulling as much overtime as I could. As far a sending a message to the center "for help", that's about all that happens, just a message.

Its not even so much the lack of production or getting home to the family. That someone disrepects my time by 12 minutes is what really bothers me.

Let me come by your cubicle and talk you ear off about non-sense in my life for 12 minutes and see how you like it and how well liked I become.

I can't believe people are so ignorant and disrespectful...

HEFFERNAN · 10-31-2009, 06:13 AM

Sometimes these people are so ignorant, they don't even think they are doing anything wrong. Much like the older women that hand you a QVC or HSN package with the return address sticker on top of the old label. I don't even know why they send those to the customer.

We have to show great restraint to the customer, no matter how painful you may feel it is. ANY complaint will hurt your employment more than theirs.

grgrcr88 · 10-31-2009, 06:27 AM

I had one of these yesterday, very similar to yours except I have been there a few times and left them a stack of GSD. Well I get the pickup message about 930 saying ready at 930, I go by at 1140 and as soon as I walk in the guys says DAMN the boss ain't here to write ya a check!! To make matters worse he says, I got onena em label thingies but idunno how to fill it out!! My head almost exploded!! I calmy went over to his desk and explained to him that shippers information means his name address and zipcode, and receiver would be where it is going. He writes one thing out and says, Oh heck I think I screwed it up, You got anyt more of them? I tell him no and take it from him and finish filling it out. I ask him what it weighs and he says, I dunno, ain't got a scale! As for the payment, UPS did not include a price for the pickup so I could not have taken a check if he had one, I just told him, we willl bill ya. He says how do I know what to charge the customer for freight, as he begins to write out an invoice to put inside the package that is already taped up. Told him I don't know. He guesses $20 and fills out the invoice, cuts a slot in the tape and stuffs it in the box.

When it was all finished I told him, This is how it works from now on, You do not call UPS untill the package is 100% ready for me to pick up!! Thanked him, guesed the weight of his package at about 60 pounds and went on my way. Spent 13 minutes with them, and I had nothing to deliver there at all!!

probellringer · 10-31-2009, 06:36 AM

there is nothing we can do....there are smart people and stupid people in this world----just navigate around them---my favorites from past are call tag for laptop-----guy hands me the laptop--no box --no bubble wrap---just the laptop----and was upset i wouldnt take it??/??? some people i think are from PLANET HELLO !!!!! i would like to just one time put the label on and send it thru system....and this past week----call tag for a blackberry====same thing...you guessed it--i put the label on the phone and asked if that was good -customer said yes!!!!! hello -i was kidding people....please put it in a box and TAPE IT CLOSED...so i left tag with them....you cant make this stuff up...anyhow....

bumped · 10-31-2009, 06:44 AM

First of all, If I have to park 50 yards away on an everday basis because the truck is an eyesore I would be delivering his stuff at 4:55.

On the OCA I'm pretty sure there is an account number given in the details of the message. I'm almost sure there needs to be an account number or payment linked when the On Demand is called in. I would have used that number.

QKRSTKR · 10-31-2009, 06:54 AM

I think you handled it just fine. Remember other people don't run on ups time. 12 minutes to them is nothing. They go home at same time, or have nothing to do but play computer games anyhow. We have lot's of stops left at 12pm. Always remain calm and don't show anger.

I always do joke with some regular customers about being late or early for pickups. Pull in 3 minutes before you usually do and it's "Wow, your early today." It's 3 stinking minutes. My comment usually is "Only in this job would 3 minutes be considered early."

UPSviking · 10-31-2009, 07:05 AM

The clueless calltag customers are an global classic i guess.... I cant even begin to count the times i have been handed an laptop with charger and all....

I had one big company on my last rte that was always late with their pu´s, so one Thursday after waiting every day that week for at least twenty minutes because they just couldent figure out how to make INV for the States or Asia, i very politely asked if they could please try to be ready at the PU time, because i dont have 20 minutes every day just to wait for them, guess what? 10 minutes later i get an call from the center, that they called and complained saying i was being rude!!!!

From that day on i never checked their shiptm´s for INV, just brought it back to the center and let their stuff go on hold there....

cino321 · 10-31-2009, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniehound

his company makes me park on the side of the building and walk about 50 yards to the front because the package car is an eyesore I guess.

Listen, if this was something I'd have to deal with, I would refuse their stuff everyday. When they do call up and complain, explain to your manager they won't let you park in front of the place to attempt the delivery.

cachsux · 10-31-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cino321

Listen, if this was something I'd have to deal with, I would refuse their stuff everyday. When they do call up and complain, explain to your manager they won't let you park in front of the place to attempt the delivery.

..as he walks you out the door for failure to work as directed.

Bubblehead · 10-31-2009, 08:00 AM

I'm not using sarcasm when I say I don't sweat these stops because I also get paid by the hour.
It is what it is and takes as long as it takes.
I also have a family with children and enjoy getting home to them.
The hours involved in holding the job as a UPS driver is nothing new.
It's been this way for decades.
We're off every weekend.
We are awarded above average vacation time.
In my region I can miss 6 days every 9 months.
In my early years as a driver I stressed about stuff like this and felt I needed to be off in 8 hours.
The more I ran, the more work I got.
Since I backed off, it isn't as intensive on the days I deem necessary for an early out.
The key is to make them few and far between.
If they know your willing to take the time and a half, their less apt to pile on.
I know I'm a little off topic, but saw a couple posts taking the usual tangent about why we need to hurry and shortcut the job to get home.
Getting back on topic, it's never enjoyable and somewhat painful watching a moron in action.
It is however, in this case, a money maker.

browniehound · 10-31-2009, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumped

First of all, If I have to park 50 yards away on an everday basis because the truck is an eyesore I would be delivering his stuff at 4:55.

On the OCA I'm pretty sure there is an account number given in the details of the message. I'm almost sure there needs to be an account number or payment linked when the On Demand is called in. I would have used that number.

I checked, that number was the center account number we used to use for 1-time pick-ups. I also checked to see if he was going to pay by check.

browniehound · 10-31-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cino321

Listen, if this was something I'd have to deal with, I would refuse their stuff everyday. When they do call up and complain, explain to your manager they won't let you park in front of the place to attempt the delivery.

Yeah, instead of parking in the most efficient place, I must park on the side, ring a phone, wait to get buzzed in and then go up an elevator. There is nothing I can do, its their property and its their policy for everyone except the mailman.

tarbar66 · 10-31-2009, 08:31 AM

You can't fix stupid but we all can laugh about it. I used to figure that an On Demand Pickup from a once in the blue moon person would take at least 15 minutes and anything less was a good stop.

Killing the butt holes with kindness usually worked best unless it was the 3rd or 4th time I got screwed by them

hurricanegunner · 10-31-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniehound

Yeah, instead of parking in the most efficient place, I must park on the side, ring a phone, wait to get buzzed in and then go up an elevator. There is nothing I can do, its their property and its their policy for everyone except the mailman.

Everyone EXCEPT the mailman????? Now that sucks!

brownrodster · 10-31-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniehound

UPSViking, he wasn' rude, just ignorant. Its why I put on my happy face and was very polite. Deep inside my blood was boiling however! Its friday and I just want to get home!

I know how that is. When you have to be nice to someone and smile but deep inside you want to hulk smash them because they are wasting your time.