Cover driver sales lead?

[Mike23]

Alright, I did a bit of cover driving for about 6 months. I enjoyed some of it and hated some it. I noticed who had the better routes and who didn't.

My HR department calls me a...hmm...money prostitute to put it nicely. I like earning money and will try anything to get money. I was recently covering a guys route who had been doing it for about 15 years and scrounged up a few sales leads on his route. I mentioned them to him and he told me, 'There's a lot of drivers who would punch you out for doing that. Please don't do it on my route, I already have enough work on my truck and don't need another pickup.' He also told me he never turns in a sales lead because UPS makes more money on it then it's worth to him so why bother?

On another route I got a very good sales lead, already up to about $100 in one month. I was told the regular driver on this route was FURIOUS with the marketing team because he felt it was 'his' because it was on his route although he had no claim to it.

My question is this. Is it considered bad manners to get sales leads from other drivers routes?

I for one don't think it is because otherwise these people would have already had those sales leads. I feel you shouldn't get 100% comfortable on your route otherwise you miss the oppertunity and someone like me would come along and snatch it up

 

[Jones]

If you see an opportunity for more volume take it, and take the money too. Don't worry about it being bad manners. That's the silliest concept I've heard of in quite a while.

 

[dilligaf]

I've gotten a few sales leads as a cover and there has never been any issues. First come first serve.

 

[evilleace]

If you see a chance to get more volume for the company take it these drivers should have been doing it anyway.

 

[705red]

I believe that a cover driver should address it with the regular driver first. The regular driver could be working on the customer already and the last thing we need would be another 800 number returning a phone call when the process has started.

Sometimes the regular driver waits until he knows for sure the customer is ready to ship before turning in the lead, and if a cover driver does the route for one day and turns in that lead why should he get the lead when the driver has been working on it for some time.

Now if the driver gives you some excuse why they don't want the extra work, by all means please turn in the lead.

 

[TheDick]

Money is money. My center is first or second in the district for greivences paid per month. Most of them 9.5 and sups driving routes when drivers are laid off. UPS already has it built into thier OPS budget, so go "GROW" the business. Besides UPS will probably miss p/ups and del after 5pm and they'll use Fredex. Seesaw seesaw. churn churn churn

 

[upssalesguy]

are you kidding? this should be 100% your money. he should have turned in the lead years ago. too bad for him, good for the company.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

I was driving a guy's route who was off because of knee surgery and turned in 5 sales leads in one day. Three sold. Sometimes its a matter of a new face seeing new opportunities. Don't even trip over this.

 

[Cementups]

I don't like it when guys do it on my route, but at the same time, I had done it in the past. I guess turn about is fair play. It mostly bothers me on my route because I'm upset that I missed an opportunity. And if a guy doesn't want to build his route or help keep it alive, eventually it won't be there at all. His loss both ways.

 

[BLACKBOX]

Yes, all good points on having the cover driver seize the opportunity, but as a regular route driver you can't shake the feeling like he just groped your wife (accounts) in front of the other drivers and nobody did anything about it.

You cover drivers just do what you are assigned to do and keep your bloody hands off my (accounts)....uh....wife!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I agree that sales leads are fair game whether they are submitted by the bid or casual driver. One point that hasn't been brought up are sales leads on other areas/runs/routes. I would be curious to hear opinions as to whether it is OK for a driver to submit a sales leads for an account not on their area, thereby receiving the points on their Amex without touching a package.

For the record, I have no problem with submitting leads for an account not on my area but I always check with the driver for that area first to see if he has one in the works before doing so or has any interest in submitting one.

 

[Ghost in the Darkness]

Turn 'em in regardless of whose route it is. Extra volume benefits us all. I'd be tempted to drive around his route on a Saturday just to see if I could find any others he was too lazy to turn in... I'd rather have the extra work then see them ship with Fedex... but thats just me and I'm very competitive.

 

[User Name]

Remember this, does this regular driver give you a heads up on the p/u that they don't go to because they never ship packages. Do the customers call you when they do? Does the regular driver give you tips where to deliver packages for some of the tough spots on the route. My guess is no, so while you go to all the p/u everyday and they don't but still put in the board that they were there. If a regular driver wants a two way street then it should be a two way street all the time, not just when you went on his route and got some extra volume.. JMO

 

[over9five]

IMO the cover driver should deliver and pick-up packages, nothing more. It's NOT his route.

 

[some1else]

pffft when i was an air driver i used to stop in any new building soon as the tenants moved in, and sell leads. i havent looked lately but about 2/3 of my leads sold.

the drivers saying dont touch "my route" or customers wife, or w/e. i sold enough leads to make the extra FT position i took (well close anyway!), so it is mine just as much as "yours"
on the above comment about multiple drivers trying to sell the same account; if i was a biz owner and had 2-3 ups drivers pestering me to open an account i would take it as a good sign that they are interested in my business and will treat me right...

 

[Mike23]

I agree that sales leads are fair game whether they are submitted by the bid or casual driver. One point that hasn't been brought up are sales leads on other areas/runs/routes. I would be curious to hear opinions as to whether it is OK for a driver to submit a sales leads for an account not on their area, thereby receiving the points on their Amex without touching a package.

For the record, I have no problem with submitting leads for an account not on my area but I always check with the driver for that area first to see if he has one in the works before doing so or has any interest in submitting one.

Honestly, if I'm weekend shopping at a small store I always casually ask if they ship with anyone...Then my girlfriend hits me. Everyone has an angel and a devil...I think UPS employees also have a brown...something just above their head which never shuts up.

 

[PassYouBy]

Remember this, does this regular driver give you a heads up on the p/u that they don't go to because they never ship packages. Do the customers call you when they do? Does the regular driver give you tips where to deliver packages for some of the tough spots on the route. My guess is no, so while you go to all the p/u everyday and they don't but still put in the board that they were there. If a regular driver wants a two way street then it should be a two way street all the time, not just when you went on his route and got some extra volume.. JMO

Very valid point...Couldn't tell you how many times I have walked into a P/U account and asked if they have anything going out today? Then they look at me as if I were crazy! Like they have never seen a UPS driver before.

 

[Jones]

IMO the cover driver should deliver and pick-up packages, nothing more. It's NOT his route.

I agree, but it's not the regular driver's route either. It's UPS's route. Both drivers are contracted employees, working as instructed for a negotiated hourly wage. If you don't want a cover driver doing things on "your" route, then don't take any time off. It's that simple.

 

[over9five]

I just feel the cover driver should show a little respect to the driver who bid the route.
Maybe the bid driver has too much work. Maybe he doesn't want more overtime.
By submitting that lead, the cover driver is forcing unwanted overtime onto the bid driver. It's not right.
When that cover driver bids his own route, THEN I encourage him to turn in as many leads as he wants.

 

[dilligaf]

Well Over, let me tell you something. What am I supposed to tell my boss when he calls me and says "you need to get a sales lead"? (BTW he did just that today. I have to have a sales lead every year, his words) Would you care to explain to me how the hell I am supposed to get a sales lead when the only rtes that I do belong to some one else? Would care to talk to my boss and tell him that I can't get any sales leads because you don't think it's right that I am forcing unwanted overtime on the bid driver. I can tell you what he's going to tell me if I say that to him.

So frankly, I really don't give a damn what you think about covers/utilities turning in sales leads. You have gone on and on about how wrong it is but I don't see you giving any consideration to the fact that we (covers/utilities) get hammered on the sales leads JUST as much as the bidded drivers do. STOP! Enough is enough and it's not your a&& that is on the line, it is mine.

And just so you know, when you are not on your rte it IS mine and I take just as much care of MY customers as you do!