Business development aka sales people....

W

want to retire

Guest
Wow Whiskey.....well said.......but yet the BD guy wants you to do his job also. What's one more task? It goes like this OMS:"There is a new p/u for your area. Where do you want it in your board?" Driver "I can't handle any more p/u's"......OMS:"too bad".......they want to be p/u @ 17:00.......Driver: I can only be @ one place @ a time"..........OMS: blank look.............Manager: "why are you out so late? Customer so and so called in saying you're getting there after closing....".......and so it goes.
 

upssalesguy

UPS Defender
it's not the BD guys job - we are conversion account managers, not cold callers. You see fedex, you turn in a lead. THAT IS NOT TOUGH.

yeah, so you work hard and pick up a lot of packages, that is your job, brah. when did people all of a sudden think they can make up their own rules for what they do during the day?
 

wisedragonfly

Well-Known Member
i work my assssss off. I work with our major customers and spend more time in the offices then the shipping docks. the only time i get noticed is if an account leaves that costs the district money. it is a thankless job and this thread is proof. If I didnt have to deal with constant service issues, I could really make an impact winning business - it is everyones job to do customer service and at the minimum, get the packages there ON TIME and IN GOOD CONDITION. I like when the drivers are complaining about split routes and telling me that is why they dont turn in sales leads. Hey dummy, why do you think the route was cut?

I do buy pizza and bring in breakfast if needed - but why butter up to the guy who will be the first to be laid off?

freight reps also have an unlimited budget and work regionally (MANY regional carriers go after a certain nitch freight lane) and that is the expectation of them by their shippers. They are not strategic like UPS. Also, UPS has about 600 times the customers as the largest freight carrier.

I am fired up today, sorry.


I hear you, upssalesguy!!

I see the same thing with the sales force in my district, as well. That's why I get so upset when some of these drivers acted like BD is pushing their work off on them. They don't even have a clue as to what the BD folks go through on a daily bases. Some drivers need to realize that BD is not the department who makes Corporate decisions.

Volume is our bread and butter and everyone should do their share to find the volume opportunities, no matter what department we work under. No, every single lead is not going to sell! Yes, UPS should give drivers time credit via DIAD for customer contact. That's the only way it's going to work. Of course, their will a driver or two that will abuse the customer contact code and never attempt customer contact by submitting a valid lead. But, I think if the DIAD was setup to give the customer contact credit, more drivers would be willing to find the leads. If the credit is already available in the DIAD, the Corporate needs to mandate that center managers train their drivers to use it.

Somehow, someway, operations and BD must find a common ground to grow the volume. Corporate really should complete a real study to find out how to get the drivers credit for customer contact. Drivers need to realize when your volume grows on your route, it will require the center to make another route. Refusing to submit leads because your route is already too heavy for you, is absolutely ridiculous!
 

badpal.

avoiding brown kool-aid
it's not the BD guys job - we are conversion account managers, not cold callers. You see fedex, you turn in a lead. THAT IS NOT TOUGH.

yeah, so you work hard and pick up a lot of packages, that is your job, brah. when did people all of a sudden think they can make up their own rules for what they do during the day?

You really did not just use much less type out the word "brah." I hope you don't use these types of terms with the customers.
 

wisedragonfly

Well-Known Member
Wow Whiskey.....well said.......but yet the BD guy wants you to do his job also. What's one more task? It goes like this OMS:"There is a new p/u for your area. Where do you want it in your board?" Driver "I can't handle any more p/u's"......OMS:"too bad".......they want to be p/u @ 17:00.......Driver: I can only be @ one place @ a time"..........OMS: blank look.............Manager: "why are you out so late? Customer so and so called in saying you're getting there after closing....".......and so it goes.

want to retire, I have a question for you. How many more years do you need before you can actually retire? I mean, are you a senior driver that's broken from years of delivery? Those package cars do break our drivers up pretty bad. It's a tough job! Or, you are a young guy that is afraid of a little work? Something tells me your a young guy, since you really don't understand that BD does not call the shots.

Just in case you missed this comment from my previous post...

Drivers need to realize when your volume grows on your route, it will require the center to make another route. Refusing to submit leads because your route is already too heavy for YOU, is absolutely ridiculous!
 

JustTired

free at last.......
Drivers need to realize when your volume grows on your route, it will require the center to make another route. Refusing to submit leads because your route is already too heavy for YOU, is absolutely ridiculous!

While I agree in principle, I think you'll find that most drivers have little faith in that being the outcome. Just as we've seen the area covered by the BD people grow (sometimes even double), so it goes for the average driver. It's hard to be overly enthused about looking for more business when you drag yourself home at 8:00 at night - day in and day out. You can beat a horse only so long before it just refuses to move.

A human being can only do a finite amount of work in a day, if for no other reason than time constraints. When that limit is reached, you're at the point of diminishing returns. For a company that prides itself (or at least used to) on being a "safety oriented, our people are our most important asset, etc." business, it sure is hard to tell these days.

I've always said that a company that lives by the "numbers" will die by "numbers". There needs to be standards and goals.....but both have to be realistic. Until that happens, "it is what it is".
 
i work my assssss off. I work with our major customers and spend more time in the offices then the shipping docks. the only time i get noticed is if an account leaves that costs the district money. it is a thankless job and this thread is proof. If I didnt have to deal with constant service issues, I could really make an impact winning business - it is everyones job to do customer service and at the minimum, get the packages there ON TIME and IN GOOD CONDITION. I like when the drivers are complaining about split routes and telling me that is why they dont turn in sales leads. Hey dummy, why do you think the route was cut?

I do buy pizza and bring in breakfast if needed - but why butter up to the guy who will be the first to be laid off?

freight reps also have an unlimited budget and work regionally (MANY regional carriers go after a certain nitch freight lane) and that is the expectation of them by their shippers. They are not strategic like UPS. Also, UPS has about 600 times the customers as the largest freight carrier.

I am fired up today, sorry.


Refer to post #26 and you will be successful instead of beating your head against the wall. Is it easy, no. Does it work, yes!
 

wisedragonfly

Well-Known Member
While I agree in principle, I think you'll find that most drivers have little faith in that being the outcome. Just as we've seen the area covered by the BD people grow (sometimes even double), so it goes for the average driver. It's hard to be overly enthused about looking for more business when you drag yourself home at 8:00 at night - day in and day out. You can beat a horse only so long before it just refuses to move.

A human being can only do a finite amount of work in a day, if for no other reason than time constraints. When that limit is reached, you're at the point of diminishing returns. For a company that prides itself (or at least used to) on being a "safety oriented, our people are our most important asset, etc." business, it sure is hard to tell these days.

I've always said that a company that lives by the "numbers" will die by "numbers". There needs to be standards and goals.....but both have to be realistic. Until that happens, "it is what it is".

I hear you, JustTired. I understand where you're coming from.
 
W

want to retire

Guest
want to retire, I have a question for you. How many more years do you need before you can actually retire? I mean, are you a senior driver that's broken from years of delivery? Those package cars do break our drivers up pretty bad. It's a tough job! Or, you are a young guy that is afraid of a little work? Something tells me your a young guy, since you really don't understand that BD does not call the shots.

Just in case you missed this comment from my previous post...

Drivers need to realize when your volume grows on your route, it will require the center to make another route. Refusing to submit leads because your route is already too heavy for YOU, is absolutely ridiculous!
I'm a 28 year broken down driver(your words, although it is true).........Afraid of work?: my friend, I have sweated buckets and moved mountains for this Company. One last time....BD is part of MGT. MGT calls the shots
 

upssalesguy

UPS Defender
I'm a 28 year broken down driver(your words, although it is true).........Afraid of work?: my friend, I have sweated buckets and moved mountains for this Company. One last time....BD is part of MGT. MGT calls the shots

wait, so I get to call shots? huh. news to me.

you're all fired!

:)
 

wisedragonfly

Well-Known Member
I'm a 28 year broken down driver(your words, although it is true).........Afraid of work?: my friend, I have sweated buckets and moved mountains for this Company. One last time....BD is part of MGT. MGT calls the shots

Well, hopefully you only have 2 years left and you can retire with an awesome pension. Perhaps you should have retired when you hit that 25 year milestone and saved yourself some heartache. I do understand your job is physical, but you're not worked any harder that any other UPSers. IMO, you're not moving mountains because you cry over something as easy as submitting a lead where there is competitor opportunity, simply because it will make your route too heavy. You cry when the OMS gives you an extra stop or a new stop. If you were moving mountains, you would just suck it up and complete the task to the best of your ability and feel good about yourself; knowing you did your best. Instead, you choose to whine about the hard work. You should have learned years ago that UPS is not for everyone and found a job that made you happier.

One last time... I am NOT management! I am an hourly employee that works in BD. I work hard every single day and my pay is NOTHING compared to a driver or management. It's typical, just like any other position, where there is not enough time in a day to get everything done that CORPORATE is asking that we do. I am asked to do things that sometimes seem unreasonable, but I still find a way to love what I do and I do it the best I can with the tools they give me to perform. That's life at UPS, so you need to get over yourself.
 

david cassin

dublinbrown
i work in brokerage in dublin,i have submitted pages and pages of leads to our bd dept some have been fruitful others theres excuses that the phone nos are wrong.
while our sales people work hard we all work hard,i have to take my hat off to the drivers as they are the face of ups.they work exceptionally hard.would you haul 300 boxes up and down stairs all day.our sales get extra bonus when the get a customer onboard so that pushes the wages up.i have been with ups for 21 years here and i still like the job although it has changed and when i started we had 2 employees in the office and 3 vans.we now have near 1000 people and well over 120 vans.everyone is under pressure lets all stick together and keep ups on top.
 

hudson

Well-Known Member
UPS package car drivers really don't have the time to "talk" with a customer about potential volume. Our job is to work with a sense of urgency. We say "Hi" and "Bye" and in between, let the person know signing the DIAD, that we saw the "big game last night". When the DIAD is returned to us, we're gone. Leaving a sideways glance with a smile as the customers parting words bounce off our sweaty backs. Most of us are paid over every day. Unless your one of the lucky ones, who has a pickup stop with 500 envelopes.
To much yin. Not enough yang.

You do not always have to talk to the customers about their competitor volume. Just identify that customer xyz is using FedEx by submitting a valid sales lead. UPS is not asking the drivers to sell anything, just indentify were there is additional volume to gain.
 
W

want to retire

Guest
Well, hopefully you only have 2 years left and you can retire with an awesome pension. Perhaps you should have retired when you hit that 25 year milestone and saved yourself some heartache. I do understand your job is physical, but you're not worked any harder that any other UPSers. IMO, you're not moving mountains because you cry over something as easy as submitting a lead where there is competitor opportunity, simply because it will make your route too heavy. You cry when the OMS gives you an extra stop or a new stop. If you were moving mountains, you would just suck it up and complete the task to the best of your ability and feel good about yourself; knowing you did your best. Instead, you choose to whine about the hard work. You should have learned years ago that UPS is not for everyone and found a job that made you happier.

One last time... I am NOT management! I am an hourly employee that works in BD. I work hard every single day and my pay is NOTHING compared to a driver or management. It's typical, just like any other position, where there is not enough time in a day to get everything done that CORPORATE is asking that we do. I am asked to do things that sometimes seem unreasonable, but I still find a way to love what I do and I do it the best I can with the tools they give me to perform. That's life at UPS, so you need to get over yourself.
How do I bid on a bd Job? Wait- let me wipe the tears...I mean sweat....
 

wisedragonfly

Well-Known Member
How do I bid on a bd Job? Wait- let me wipe the tears...I mean sweat....

You might be an old broken down driver, but I do love your humor! ...as I wipe the tears of laughter! :rofl:

I don't think you can bid down to a position as an hourly in BD after holding a driver position, so you would have to apply for a BD mgmt position. You know what they say; if you can't beat them, join them!

Personally, I don't think you would make it in BD. However, if you did bid into BD mgmt you most definitely would come to realize that BD mgmt works til wee hours in the morning, trying to keep up with the numbers. You do agree that it's all about the numbers, don't you?

Don't forget, if the customer suffers a service problem, you'll be expected to fix it and still find time to sell. Good luck with fixing the service issues!

:clubbing:


Once you become BD, your driver buddies and operations mgmt won't like you anymore because they will think you are the decision maker of all the bad things that happen within the company. You will develop a reputation of standing around all day drinking your latte'. Don't even attempt to encourage a driver to submit a sales lead for an opportunity they see while making their pickup and deliveries because they will tell you just how worthless they think you are.

Still want to come work in BD? :geek:
 
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705red

Browncafe Steward
People do you want to know how we can stop them from busting out routes? Its simple and we must unite. Every driver must refuse a rlo and request their 8 hour guarantee. Ups will put in the routes after they have paid a bunch of guarantee grievances. Ups will not keep paying drivers to go home.

Before someone says that UPS will just lay off drivers, we are in the seasonal period right now, for summer vacation help. UPS will have to eliminate all of the seasonal drivers before this happens. Which will be impossible.
 
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