Amazon "Consequences"

[MrFedEx]

The issue with your crunch time was an attack on everyone's air networks. Ground was fine and probably smooth (except weather), when you close in on the last days you have a two fold problem. The last second buyers and then shippers changing services from Ground to Air to make the 25th. That means Ground is running under threshold and Air becomes saturated. It's math. I still don't fault the carriers all that much, even though they are far from perfect. There really is a lot of blame (if there has to be blame) to go around and that includes Amazon and buyers. Everyone wanted last second sales and didn't want to say "Too late for Christmas" and it's incorrect to think anyone can in today's bottom line environment can ramp up plane operations of this magnitude for a few days crunch.

Sorry, TUT, but it's more than math...it's bad management. Ground/HD geared-up for Peak and so did UPS. Express did little to nothing until it was way too late. Their "strategy" was to just have everyone do more stops. Simple, right? When I say Express, blew it, I'm understating the issue. There were many stations that were not caught-up until nearly New Years Day.

Like I said, the preparation was minimal at best. Upper management is trying to spin-it as though it wasn't that bad. It was really bad, and if you were on the inside, you'd know just how bad it was.

 

[gman042]

Cost is the bottom line. No one is saying the regionals are better---they're not---they are certainly cheaper.


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But is that really true? It takes the combined efforts of UPS, Fedex and USP to deliver the Amazon volume. This could potentially amount to hundreds of drivers in a "region" .
Your typical regional delivery company is certainly not going to be able handle that kind of volume with any efficiency. Their expenditures(more trucks and drivers) will escalate rapidly as will the cost of their service. They will not be able to absorb service discounts as the larger more diverse delivery companies. Their service could cost more.
Now....if Amazon wants to develop their own delivery infrastructure, they will encounter the same issue as the smaller delivery company. More trucks, more drivers, the logistics of getting a package from point A to point B efficiently and cost effectively. It is very costly.
Amazon does not directly pay our wages. They have enjoyed huge shipping discounts. It is clear they don't have a true grasp on the costs and the minute details of shipping a package and insuring that it reaches its proper destination.
If they follow through with their threat to use regional carriers, I predict a very costly and potentially damaging eye opening experience for Amazon

 

[Cactus]

Amazon does not directly pay our wages. They have enjoyed huge shipping discounts. It is clear they don't have a true grasp on the costs and the minute details of shipping a package and insuring that it reaches its proper destination.
If they follow through with their threat to use regional carriers, I predict a very costly and potentially damaging eye opening experience for Amazon

I say let 'em go for it and we can watch them fall flat on their faces.

 

[NonyaBiznes]

Not sure if this was stated (didn't read past page 1) ... but:

Didn't Fred just say the SHIPPER'S dropped the ball with the labeling of the packages?

(FedEx News)

 

[59 Dano]

Sorry, TUT, but it's more than math...it's bad management. Ground/HD geared-up for Peak and so did UPS.

If UPS was so geared up for peak, why did they fail so miserably?

 

[MAKAVELI]

If UPS was so geared up for peak, why did they fail so miserably?

Because they had a ton of more freight than we did. Its pretty pathetic when management has to deflect did not take responsibility for their own failures.

 

[jedi_243]

they were under staffed, reason = no one wants to work in cold environments, for little pay and be pushed harder than they have ever been pushed in their life! not to mention the repercussions when they don't ring a door bell, or get stuck in the snow, get bit by a dog, why not just stay home and collect unemployment? simple fact is that the company needs to hire more full time drivers!

 

[59 Dano]

Because they had a ton of more freight than we did. Its pretty pathetic when management has to deflect did not take responsibility for their own failures.

UPS has always had more freight than us.

 

[MAKAVELI]

UPS has always had more freight than us.

Like I said it's pathetic that management can't take responsibility for their own failures.

 

[59 Dano]

Like I said it's pathetic that management can't take responsibility for their own failures.

We were just like UPS. Tons more freight than expected and much of it came later than expected. Just like UPS.

 

[MrFedEx]

We were just like UPS. Tons more freight than expected and much of it came later than expected. Just like UPS.

No, UPS did a much better job. Why? They actually hired temp runners, drivers and feeders and prepped for the added volume. FedEx? Management just expected everyone to do an additional 50 stops. See the difference?

 

[59 Dano]

No, UPS did a much better job. Why? They actually hired temp runners, drivers and feeders and prepped for the added volume. FedEx? Management just expected everyone to do an additional 50 stops. See the difference?

LOL now you're just being silly. Well, sillier. If UPS did such a great job, explain why they had so many WDL.

 

[MAKAVELI]

LOL now you're just being silly. Well, sillier. If UPS did such a great job, explain why they had so many WDL.

The better question is why do you care about what ups did why don't you care what we did wrong?

 

[59 Dano]

The better question is why do you care about what ups did why don't you care what we did wrong?

I care about us but MF is gushing about how great UPS performed during peak. Maybe he slept through the UPS PR nightmare.

 

[MrFedEx]

I care about us but MF is gushing about how great UPS performed during peak. Maybe he slept through the UPS PR nightmare.

UPS at least made preparations and planned for it...we did nothing, until it was way too late. Freddie has been trying to pretend we got tainted by UPS...uh, no.

 

[MAKAVELI]

UPS at least made preparations and planned for it...we did nothing, until it was way too late. Freddie has been trying to pretend we got tainted by UPS...uh, no.

Don't forget he is also blaming the customer for mislabeling. If you ask me it's very bad business to blame the customer for our failures.

 

[bbsam]

This is the only place I see or hear of anyone even discussing it.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Straight from the horse's mouth.
https://postalnews.com/postalnewsbl...tomers-for-poor-holiday-delivery-performance/

 

[!Retired!]

Let's see the overwhelming evidence. Not your personal anecdotes, but actual evidence.
No doubt those reports were from the same sources that saw the secret documents that said Express was going to overnight-only.

That's not going to happen. When you ask for proof, the typical response is 'Look it up, you'll see'

That's great, but there were many, many stations that had 3-4 days worth of freight sitting in piles on the floor that was already way late. I heard from management that the conference calls during Peak acknowledged a wide-spread system meltdown. We had thousands of undelivered due packages at my station on 12-25 and several local stations wouldn't even accept their inbound because the decks were full of loaded cans.

I never said PEAK went smoothly. PEAK hasn't gone, for lack of a better word, 'smoothly' in the 15 PEAKS I've been here. If your management team sucks, that explains a lot. We were told during PEAK...'EVERY package goes on the road' If it got sipped, it went out. Could it all be attempted? Of course not. Can it be fixed? Yes, but all the fixes cost money. Is the extra expense worth it? I/you/we think so. But, you do what as your told as an emplyee and go on. I do the job I get paid to do....deliver packages.
I do this job the best I can for the customer, not FedEx. Why don't you, MrFedEx, start your own shipping company. You seem to have all the answers on how to run the perfect company.

P.S. Amazon isn't going anywhere.

 

[MrFedEx]

That's not going to happen. When you ask for proof, the typical response is 'Look it up, you'll see'


I never said PEAK went smoothly. PEAK hasn't gone, for lack of a better word, 'smoothly' in the 15 PEAKS I've been here. If your management team sucks, that explains a lot. We were told during PEAK...'EVERY package goes on the road' If it got sipped, it went out. Could it all be attempted? Of course not. Can it be fixed? Yes, but all the fixes cost money. Is the extra expense worth it? I/you/we think so. But, you do what as your told as an emplyee and go on. I do the job I get paid to do....deliver packages.
I do this job the best I can for the customer, not FedEx. Why don't you, MrFedEx, start your own shipping company. You seem to have all the answers on how to run the perfect company.

P.S. Amazon isn't going anywhere.

Sigh, are you that dense? Peak is always a cluster, but this Peak was beyond cluster. See the difference? If my daddy had left me today's equivalent of $25M, maybe I would start my own shipping company, but he didn't.

You might be surprised about Amazon.