At What Lenghts Should Our Service Extend?

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

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.

Thanks but I didn't call them "idiots".

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

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.

This forum is great in that we can all learn from the experiences of others and offer advice and/or insight in to situations that we may or may not have experienced or may or may not have responded properly to. It is also great in that we can read the advice that has been offered and choose to continue doing what works for us in our particular situation. I have been doing this for 19 years and have to admit I'm pretty good at it so, thanks for the advice, but no thanks.

The customer I am referring to keeps their checkbook on their computer and it takes 2-3 minutes to log in to the program so the time that I spend on the phone with them is far less than the time that I would have to stand there waiting. I go by this stop in the p.m. but would rather get the pkgs del the first time and they would rather get them the first time.

BTW, I like cold pizza. It must be a carry over from my college days when cold pizza and warm beer used to be breakfast.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I'll go there three times and their stuff always ends up being put on hold and sits in the center for a few days. NI3s that are C.O.D.s are supposed to be RTS but our sups and OMS coddles this customer as well as a few others. I don't understand why. They cost UPS money in the long wrong.

It's called customer service.

 

[looper804]

This forum is great in that we can all learn from the experiences of others and offer advice and/or insight in to situations that we may or may not have experienced or may or may not have responded properly to. It is also great in that we can read the advice that has been offered and choose to continue doing what works for us in our particular situation. I have been doing this for 19 years and have to admit I'm pretty good at it so, thanks for the advice, but no thanks.

The customer I am referring to keeps their checkbook on their computer and it takes 2-3 minutes to log in to the program so the time that I spend on the phone with them is far less than the time that I would have to stand there waiting. I go by this stop in the p.m. but would rather get the pkgs del the first time and they would rather get them the first time.

BTW, I like cold pizza. It must be a carry over from my college days when cold pizza and warm beer used to be breakfast.

I also have 1 customer that uses the computer check system.You are right,it is very slow.If this customer has a COD I will make them my last stop so they can take all the time they want.

 

[looper804]

OCAs are one thing but for deliveries I think that if a customer that gets deliveries every day is causing us to go back for second or third attempts because they aren't prepared with C.O.Ds., or simply because they are never open on time, then UPS should make it mandatory that their packages be placed on hold at the center instead of being loaded on a truck for delivery so we don't have to waste so much time and money on them. I've been told that after a second attempt there is is no profit from the packages. I deliver to an "Urban Clothing Store" that opens late and never has the money for the packages. I'll go there three times and their stuff always ends up being put on hold and sits in the center for a few days. NI3s that are C.O.D.s are supposed to be RTS but our sups and OMS coddles this customer as well as a few others. I don't understand why. They cost UPS money in the long wrong.

They have a NM3X put on hold? I wonder how they justify that to the shipper.What shows up when it is tracked? My manager is very strict when it comes to this stuff.He wants it off the car,given to the clerk and rts'd that night.No kissing anyone's ass here.

 

[Forty6and2]

Thanks but I didn't call them "idiots".

i agree. you never called people idiots. i did and i'm sure will do it again someday.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Idiots are simply customers that haven't been trained.

 

[1989]

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?

Sounds to me, that this customer was shipping a personal item. Had never used ups and may not use ups again. Training him would be a waste of time...Worse than people like these are drivers who keep cancelled pick ups in their board.
You walk in and ask if they have anything to pick up. They look at you like you are crazy. They ask where is the pick up is going. You explain they are supposed to be a daily pick up. Then they have to ask someone. So they ask the person in the next office. Then they have to call 2 or 3 people.
i've had pick up logs with 6 to 10 non pick ups in them and have wasted over an hour on them. I've cleaned out a few logs when I get back to the building.

 

[Forty6and2]

Idiots are simply customers that haven't been trained.

fair enough

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

It's called customer service.

Last time I checked UPS was in the business of making money...not losing it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We don't lose money by holding their pkg(s) for a day or so and retain that customer for future deliveries. I agree with you that the policy on NM3 is RTS but no one is being hurt by the practice in your center. Now, if they are NM3 and then ask that the pkgs be redelivered at a future, I would have an issue with that, as I am sure your center manager would.

 

[browniehound]

how about building a good relationship with the customer instead ?
it doesnt take long to train a customer , a couple of extra minutes on your second or third time picking up there should solve the problem. I usualy give the customer my cel number and have them call me when the packages are ready. I show them how to prepare the package and fill out any paper work and try to work out a schedual that works for both of us.
they know that I will usually be turning up at a certain time and will call me if they arent going to be ready. I also make it a point to know which driver ( if any ) will be passing by the area later than me so I can call and have them get the package. If you make the effort to work with the customer they will usualy make the effort back. I bet you wouldnt mind waiting 30 mins for 1 packaage if it was at a playboy bunny photo shoot huh !

UK guy,
If he was a regular customer I would have the patience to deal with him. This is a different story. This person never uses UPS and was only on my area that day for a meeting I guess because I've never seen hime before. To add to my frustation he spoke broken english and it was very difficult to understand what he was saying.

You say its our job to pick up packages and I agree. But how long are we supposed to wait? Is it 5 minutes? 10, 15, 20? It took me in the 15 minutes range to get this one package, fill out the GSD myself, tape the box and go on my way. Why should I be doing this? All of my other customers package and label their own parcels, why should it be different for any other customers?

I also had to bite my tongue with him, and don't like to do that because it hurts. After I called him and he said give me five minutes and he came down and he said "hold on a minute, I have to go my car". When he came back I asked "why didn't you have the package with you, you knew I was coming and I really can't be waiting this long for you". He then barked out, well you "guys" were supposed to pick this up before 5 yesterday in Boston and didn't so YOU WILL wait for me!

I'm under pressure to make my SPORH from my sup. and this one customer for a lousy $5 package prevents me from making it.

Also, why am I required to call this person to let him know I was there? What if I don't have a cell or left it at home that day? Why couldn't he just give his location so I could find him?

Most people aren't like this, but the ones that are really get under my skin

 

[browniehound]

He's not out line. He's making a legit complaint. If UPS is going to hold its drivers accountable for getting 140 stops (lets say 200 packages) off the car in 9 hours (the usual time a driver is supposed to work) with an hour lunch, its not too much to ask for UPS to provide the assistance the driver needs to complete that task in the designated time. If that means the driver--the guy 'on the ground'--refuses to pick up the package because he doesn't have enough information to get him to where needs to be, that shouldn't get him in trouble. He needs to tell dispatch he doesn't have sufficient information and request the additional information but he should not be responsible for a customer's lack of clarity. In the end, yes, he should make the pick-up but there's got to be a line here....somewhere. -Rocky

Thanks Rocky. I don't want to be a jerk out there but there HAS to be a line somewhere. The question becomes, where is it? Apparently UKGuy believes there is no line and that I totally disagree with.

 

[feeder53]

I do not draw that line, UPS MGMT draws the line. I work as directed. The only thing is, that I notify my MGMT of the delays.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

I would've had to tell him to call the 800 number and reschedule another pickup when he gets everything together. Then I would've left and stop completed the pickup as not ready.

 

[jeblatz]

I would wait for the customer as long as it is reasonable. Just send a message back to the center making them aware of the lost time. Then document it yourself. UPS management conveniently ignores these situations when they are harassing employees for production.

 

[brownrodster]

I had a totally random person ask me if I could pick something up the other day. Instantly I knew it would be a time wasting experience. I gave here a few GSD's and said call the 1800 number when you have it ready to schedule a pickup and went on my way! I handled it in a professional matter and we were both happy when we parted company. There often are ways to deal with these situations that are mutually beneficial. However, there will be times when the driver is completely screwed. It sucks but I guess that's what we get paid to do.

 

[looper804]

I would've had to tell him to call the 800 number and reschedule another pickup when he gets everything together. Then I would've left and stop completed the pickup as not ready.

Then you will get a message from the center 10 minutes later to go back because the customer is now ready.

 

[brownmonster]

The phone centers didn't have 15 minutes to waste on a customer and printing out a nice convenient label for the driver. We on the other hand have 15 minutes to waste at 3 times the hourly wage.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

Then you will get a message from the center 10 minutes later to go back because the customer is now ready.

I guess if they know the number to the center, I might get that message. Most people don't know the number though. Even so, at least I know they should be ready this time and I would return...

but at a time that is to my convenience, not theirs.