UPS & Cell Phones - Brown Cafe

Dis In Franchised · 06-16-2007, 07:59 PM

It amazes me as I watch UPS slash & cut benefits for the employee. How many of us use our cell phones for on the job duties? What does that save UPS? How effective would UPS be without that constant communication with the employees? AND WHO PAYS FOR IT? WE DO! ARE WE CRAZY? My phone must ring at least 20 times a day for UPS business. Keep taking from us UPS and I for one am going to shut my phone OFF @ work. CAN U IMAGINE if we ALL DID?

Dis In Franchised · 06-16-2007, 08:01 PM

Calling TieGUY.............

1 ringy dingy
2 ringy dingy

scratch · 06-16-2007, 08:04 PM

Have you ever heard of Caller ID?

maybrown · 06-16-2007, 08:07 PM

Using your diad to communicate with UPS. Don't give your cellphone number to your supervisor. Noone knows how you use your phone for business or personal purposes while working!

Dis In Franchised · 06-16-2007, 08:11 PM

Yes & I have it and until a recent issue I never cared about using MY phone for company business but as I watch the waste & the greed that is this company I have come to realize how much the company is saving and how much worse things would be without cell phones. Companies pay you for miles when you use your car for work maybe UPS should pay us for minutes used for UPS work

upsgrunt · 06-16-2007, 08:29 PM

I've thought about this too and I'm not sure what to think. It could be considered stealing time since we are the one's paying the cell phone bill. UPS would not like it if we stood around for minutes without doing anything or putting it in as break. UPS also wants us to study the 10 point commentary and the 5 point thing on our time. Isn't that also stealing our time? One of my coworkers asked about being paid to study them at home and was basically laughed at. It seems like a double standard to me. If UPS wants honest and accurate breaks and lunches inputed into the diad, shouldn't we deserve the same when it comes to calling us on our cell phones and expecting us to study UPS material on our time at home?

cast · 06-16-2007, 11:28 PM

Nobody is making you use it for your job dont answer your phone or turn it off.

Raw · 06-17-2007, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upsgrunt

I've thought about this too and I'm not sure what to think. It could be considered stealing time since we are the one's paying the cell phone bill. UPS would not like it if we stood around for minutes without doing anything or putting it in as break. UPS also wants us to study the 10 point commentary and the 5 point thing on our time. Isn't that also stealing our time? One of my coworkers asked about being paid to study them at home and was basically laughed at. It seems like a double standard to me. If UPS wants honest and accurate breaks and lunches inputed into the diad, shouldn't we deserve the same when it comes to calling us on our cell phones and expecting us to study UPS material on our time at home?

You study UPS stuff on your time? MUHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAH!!!! Now thats funny!!

upsgrunt · 06-17-2007, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raw

You study UPS stuff on your time? MUHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAH!!!! Now thats funny!!

You know those letters bunched together with spaces in my post? Those are called words and sentences that you have to read in order to comprehend. Try it and you understand I said that is what UPS wants, not what I do.

mis_load · 06-17-2007, 07:03 AM

To communicate with drivers UPS should use the diad. I know in our center, they use the diad to communicate with us. Sometimes they will call on the cell phone, but thats not too often. Know on the other hand how many times do you call you supervisor on they cell?? Do you think UPS pays for there calls, I know my supervisor cell rings all day long. Especially after about 2pm., when they are on car doing S&V's and Safe work methods. With almost 30 yrs in I have no problem if the center calls me on my cell. Sometimes its time sentative and sometime it not. I really don't care when they call. Because I know that I have called them on their cell. Sometimes the new generation of drivers I just wonder?? I know that I have seen changes and some or good and some I wonder about. But I make good money, and will do what is needed for our customers and company. Also, about a month ago our center brought in a state policeman to talk about distracted driving and cell phones where top on this list.

HazMatMan · 06-17-2007, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dis In Franchised

It amazes me as I watch UPS slash & cut benefits for the employee. How many of us use our cell phones for on the job duties? What does that save UPS? How effective would UPS be without that constant communication with the employees? AND WHO PAYS FOR IT? WE DO! ARE WE CRAZY? My phone must ring at least 20 times a day for UPS business. Keep taking from us UPS and I for one am going to shut my phone OFF @ work. CAN U IMAGINE if we ALL DID?

If your phone rings 20 times a day for UPS business, then you are just as guilty as the ones you are posting this same message against.. Why did YOU give your number to UPS??? Why is UPS taking from you?? You were the fool who gave your number to management!! Remember the beepers we had?? UPS provided us with those...Must be why you got all those red boxes and zero rep power.....

Cementups · 06-17-2007, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dis In Franchised

Yes & I have it and until a recent issue I never cared about using MY phone for company business but as I watch the waste & the greed that is this company I have come to realize how much the company is saving and how much worse things would be without cell phones. Companies pay you for miles when you use your car for work maybe UPS should pay us for minutes used for UPS work

If you're using your phone for business purposes, hen log each of those calls and calculate your percentages inyour monthly bill so that at the end of the year you can write them off on your taxes. It is a viable tax write-off.

And it's not like you are paying anymore for your service monthly. I know I don't use my monthly alotted minutes. To me is UPS wants to call me, which is usually an urgency thing, then by all means call so we can have the problem rectified. I provide a service to my customers and I would like to provide the best service I can. Even some of my customers have my cell phone number. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

browniehound · 06-17-2007, 07:30 AM

Its not the company I'm sorry I gave my number to, its my customers!! My phone rings at least twice a day from customers requesting an early deliver or pick-up. This I don't mind, but they call when I'm on vacation on a thursday when they KNOW I haven't been there all week, lol.

JustTired · 06-17-2007, 07:36 AM

If you use a cell phone (regardless of whether you use it for UPS business), do yourself a favor. Find the number of the towing service used in your area and save it. If you break down in the middle of nowhere, one of two things could happen.
1. You call in and they (the center) immediately forget about you. or
2. They come looking for you and have no idea which direction to head once they leave the building (believe me, it's been done).

At least you can coordinate things on your own with the towing company who most likely will have no problem finding you. And in the dead of winter (for those of you up north), you'll be glad you took this advice.

dragracer66 · 06-17-2007, 07:53 AM

From a mechanic stand point it make's it alot easier to call the driver and find out what the actual problem is. It also make's it easier to find the driver because now I can call you and get perfect direction's from the driver not the oms sitting in their office. For feeder driver's it's even better I would rather talk to the driver than getting a call from a state cop or hearing about a problem from 3 different driver's who talked to the driver via a cb, the actual problem usually changes 2 or 3 time's by the time I get the call. If your that cheap and worried about the cost hit'm for an extra 10 minute's a day to cover the cost. Most cell phone plan's nowaday's it's almost impossible to run out of minute's before getting charged!!!

tieguy · 06-17-2007, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dis In Franchised

It amazes me as I watch UPS slash & cut benefits for the employee. How many of us use our cell phones for on the job duties? What does that save UPS? How effective would UPS be without that constant communication with the employees? AND WHO PAYS FOR IT? WE DO! ARE WE CRAZY? My phone must ring at least 20 times a day for UPS business. Keep taking from us UPS and I for one am going to shut my phone OFF @ work. CAN U IMAGINE if we ALL DID?

Whats the point? You gave them the number which is why they are calling you. If you're not conducting company business on the phone then you should not be using it while you're on the company clock. You should probably leave it at home or turned off in the back of the car.

While we're on the subject what benifits did ups slash and cut?

steeltoe · 06-17-2007, 09:59 AM

I know that there is no real solution to this, but it really irritates me that no one can get in tough with me if my family has an emergency. I work on the inside. We are not allowed to have cell phones, yet there is no one in the office to answer an emergency phone call. I had a fellow employee whose 2 year daughter had a compound fractured arm. It happened about 20 minutes after he arrived to work. His wife was histerical. She tried and tried to call the building, NO ANSWER. He found out about the issue when he arrived at his vehicle after work. I have never seen some one go postal, but he was close. His wife tried to call the building over 25 times. There is no excuse for this, a person should be able to be reached if there is a family emergency.

diesel96 · 06-17-2007, 10:24 AM

In Feeders it's a must to have your cell phone,..In pkgs,do what you want.When I was in pkgs recently it was a double standard.Mgrs told us not to be on your cell while driving or you can get a warning letter,so why do they call us all the time when we are driving?I was even told not to wear/talk on my bluetooth...So next time your doing Co. business on your cell,pull over and talk and get paid for it.Record your minutes on paper and let your sup know if they ask you why your over allowed.

fredly00 · 06-17-2007, 11:20 AM

TWO THINGS:

-Write the phone off on your taxes...
-don't answer it...

Dis In Franchised · 06-17-2007, 11:43 AM

Hey sorry to stir the pot, this was not the place to do it. I have unresolved issues with my employer (UPS)and I guess in my frustration I got carried away. As for all the red dots, that I still don't understand, I guess I got to thank Tie Guy for that. I am new on this forum & still learning how to use this site. I have many thoughts on how UPS does business & treats their employees but we all do. So again I am sorry to start this crap it was just out of frustration and a little anger & disgust at how my company is treating me and my family

over9five · 06-17-2007, 11:51 AM

Sign up for one of the cell phone plan discounts on UPSers.com. This way, UPS IS PAYING FOR SOME OF YOUR MINUTES!

My sup has my cell number, calls me occasionally (3 times a week, maybe), doesn't abuse it. And I don't mind because the UPS discount is $11 a month.

Get that discount, IT'S FREE!

HazMatMan · 06-17-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dis In Franchised

Hey sorry to stir the pot, this was not the place to do it. I have unresolved issues with my employer (UPS)and I guess in my frustration I got carried away. As for all the red dots, that I still don't understand, I guess I got to thank Tie Guy for that. I am new on this forum & still learning how to use this site. I have many thoughts on how UPS does business & treats their employees but we all do. So again I am sorry to start this crap it was just out of frustration and a little anger & disgust at how my company is treating me and my family

Funny how you say "My company" is treating you and your "family" Your anger and disgust may be legitimate, but people like you is why I stopped being a Steward.

29yearhasbeen · 06-17-2007, 12:08 PM

I drove for about 23 years and have spent the last 6 as a clerk.
Here in California, it's legal to talk on a cell phone while your driving without a hands free device. That will hopefully end next year, I believe.

I am waiting for the fateful day when a ???pound UPS vehicle gets involved in a serious accident. I hope, for the drivers sake, that they were answering a UPS call that they were instructed that they had to take "or else". If you're on a personal cal, which I see MANY of our drivers doing, not only will YOU be toast, but somebody will own the company. That's the point that UPS will declare that no more cell calls will be made.

In our center we have mostly manual transmissions and it's amazing to me to see a driver with a cell phone stuck to their ear, shifting and steering at the same time. That should actually take 3 hands, not 2 and a knee.

I remember a short while back that a sign was posted at work that cell phones were not to be used in vehicles. I don't know what ever happened to that sign.

Also, it will be very easy for the company to say that they never instructed you to answer your cell phone while you were driving. They will say the you should pull off the road and be safe. That, of course, will be after they chastise you for not answering your phone. It's always YOUR call to answer the phone or not.

If it were me, and they had my cell number, I would check caller ID and make my call to them from a customers phone. If they don't like it, pay my bill.

One last thing, supervisors at my center got UPS issued phones for company use. A couple opted for Nextel type phones. I don't have an immediate problem with most of my supervisors as I've worked with most of them for almost all of my 29 years and we have a mutual respect for each others jobs. It's transplants above them I have the most problems with.

Dis In Franchised · 06-17-2007, 12:19 PM

HazMat Man don't worry about me I fight my own battles and I bet you made a great steward and since I am fighting & still work for UPS it still is MY company.

HazMatMan · 06-17-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dis In Franchised

HazMat Man don't worry about me I fight my own battles and I bet you made a great steward and since I am fighting & still work for UPS it still is MY company.

More power to you. And as long as there are employees like you at UPS, I will never be a Steward again..