Crains New York re: UPS Store

[mbe_owner]

There is an article currently running in Crain's New York that is about a UPS Store.
Unfortunately, it does not paint a true picture of this UPS Store Owner. He is like many others, on the verge of going out of business. Will UPS be there to help this store owner and so many others, as they see their life savings close up? What will UPS do to help this owner?
It is difficult to admit when you have made a bad life decision.

 

[bigshot]

mbe owner, why would Crain's distribute this UPS propaganda that "does not paint a true picture of this UPS Store Owner"?

What possible interest would the publication have in misleading the public?

How do you know that this owner is "on the verge of going out of business"?

I've read your UPS store misinformation campaign on all of the other UPS boards. It's too bad that you were able to get an account here. Hopefully Cheryl will block your posting privleges if enough of us complain about you.

If you spent as much time working on your business and your life as you do spreading anti UPS Store propaganda on the internet boards you would be amazed how much more successful you would be in all areas. Like you said: "It is difficult to admit when you have made a bad life decision."

 

[bigshot]

City's economic slump spurs franchise fever

Published 09/08/2003 in Crain's New York Business
http://crainsny.com/article.cms?articleId=19815&a=a&bt=ups

Kevin Mahoney is a very cautious sort of guy. Before he bought his first franchise-The UPS Store on East 51st Street-he spent four years working there, studying the details of the operation. Finally, the former banker and recruiter was ready to commit, as countless other corporate refugees have...

 

[tieguy]

You meant to say the MBE made a bad choice?

 

[brown39]

mbelosers highlight the negatives, as usual, there are a collection of mbe losers who are struggling with the UPSStore conversion due to their ignorance in performing a complete due diligence, want to blame everyone else but themselves.

 

[brown39]

These mbelosers are dominating the yahoo board to the point that has become a trashing board, not worth even reviewing it anymore. The arguments they try to communicate carry only vindictive hatred without any merit whatsoever.

 

[capnroxxor]

There are 7,000 other customers of UPS who also are concerned about the direction UPS is taking with this store concept. Why should we continue to ship UPS when the data about what where and how much we ship with UPS is easily accessable by the company that owns our competition? There are over 7,000 other mail stores out there, some with corporate deals with UPS that rival the UPS Store deal, and when you include the royalties and fees UPS Stores charge they are better off.

The lawsuit will probably get nasty and hurt UPS's ability to sell new franchises and not help their public image much. This is not a good idea.

 

[tieguy]

No one here cares go back to trashing the yahoo board or we will ask Cheryl to revoke your membership here.

 

[capnroxxor]

God forbid the truth should come out. I see how you would like to operate, under complete censorship.

 

[charlie]

From the former YAHOO UPS board/now the YAHOO MBE board:

From: samh1129 Sent: 9/30/2003 5:20 PM
Last night I received an e-mail from Jeff Dewitt asking me if I could attend an impromptu meeting in Oakland with Bob Bonsutto and Troy Emerson from UPS. He told me that they did not know that he had invited 4 store owners to this meeting and we should keep our comments positive. He wanted to put faces with the letters that had been sent in. I agreed and attended the meeting. It was interesting to say the least.

But what most of all surprised me was that out of 3100 centers that switched over only 51 sent in letters and spreadsheets. Of those 51 spreadsheets, only 46 were usable. Bob said that there were minor mistakes in 5 of them which did not show the real picture.

51 letters and spreadsheets sent in!!!!, give me a freaking break. No wonder MBE/UPS thinks everything is just wonderful and there are not the problems out there that we think (know) there are. Bob as much said it, but not directly. He said they have given those spread sheets over to the bean counters or what ever they are called and said with only 46 spreadsheets, there is no way that UPS/MBE will make any changes.

He did say that they were committed to seeing us succeed, That there is no interest in taking over our stores if some fail and they would continue to work on making us successful. He also said that he does not have any answers to all of the questions that Jeff asked him. However I got the feeling that he was listening to us but not hearing what we were we were saying. I feel that he was just giving us lip service.

What did come out of the meeting was, even though the 28th was the deadline to send in spreadsheet, we can continue to send them in. They will welcome all data and letters, but without the data to back up what we are saying, nothing will happen or change.

So now I have done my part, if nobody else send in the data, what's the hell of even having this forum. If its just a place to bitch and moan, its not a place I want to be.

I will be happy to e-mail any of you that would like to fill out the spreadsheet and Jeff's letter for you to use and forward on to others. If we don't do it now, MBE/UPS will continue to say there are no problems throughout the system.

Call me if you have any questions

Sam Holtan

 

[charlie]

From the post below, it would appear that a very small fraction of the MBE/UPSS's are actually having any problems. Much to the contrary of the MBE/UPSS posters and in agreement with the article that started this thread.

Just posting a fact...you don't have to like it!

Charlie

 

[tieguy]

"God forbid the truth should come out. I see how you would like to operate, under complete censorship"

If your version of the truth is total domination of this message board as you folks have achieved on the yahoo board then yes give me censorship.

 

[tieguy]

This post seen on the yahoo message board. cheryl get ready here they come:

Hey Malcontents!
by: thefedexstore (30/M) 10/01/03 11:58 pm
Msg: 37013 of 37074

Little help for CapnRoxxor and MBE owner over on the Brown Cafe's board. They need to see the light.

 

[capnroxxor]

The UPS Store situation is a relevant topic about UPS. Censoring a viewpoint that is contrary to your own beliefs is ignorant. The situation over on the Yahoo board comes about due to both sides resorting to name calling rather than an intelegent discussion of the issues. There are a number of posters over there like BFTS99 that like to use foul language and insults that spur MBE owners to retaliate, which is counterproductive.

If there can be a civil discussion about the issues, then the situation on the Yahoo board will not happen here. UPS is hurting these stores and trying to take an entire industry out of the hands of independant business owners and we should be able to speak about it without being censored. The threaded nature of this forum will keep the MBE topics seperate from others and the spam situation is unlikely to happen. No MBE has resorted to posting on every thread about MBE, and if you dont want to read about it here, avoid the threads.

 

[capnroxxor]

Another advantage to discussing the situation here is that this board is full of real front line employees and management of UPS, not just investors who only care about UPS as a moneymaker. There are many unique viewpoints that can come out here from drivers that pick up from UPS Stores and other mail stores, maybe a sales rep or counter worker who may be able to shed some light on certain aspects of this situation. If UPS is screwing one set of ppl, it stands to reason that they are willing to do it to someone else. Also is the UPS community going to embrace their UPS Store relatives or do they see them as an avenue for UPS to get free labor at the employee's expense? Are there drivers or employees that have had good relationships with shipping stores in the past and now they are torn in thier loyalties? Are UPS drivers now going to start taking customers from these stores and direct them to the UPS Store? These are issues that can be discussed without name calling or spamming.

 

[tieguy]

"The UPS Store situation is a relevant topic about UPS. Censoring a viewpoint that is contrary to your own beliefs is ignorant."

Overwhelming and controlling the topic of a message board as you folks have done on yahoo is every bit the ignorance of censorship that you claim to be against.

 

[legs]

The yahoo board has always been a free for all. It's a big Jerry Springer show with the beer swilling rednecks and obese women wearing clothing that's 4 sizes too small.

 

[peacock71]

Some interesting news from the field. I have an MBE and a UPS Store within a few miles of the old homestead. I know both owners from when they were both MBEs. Both are doing very well. The MBE guy is also the local postal branch and handles many small business accounts, some who misguidedly specify carriers other than UPS. Its more a local community thing that he stays an MBE. Interestingly, he says is UPS volume is way up but he can't just switch because of his other businesses and his customers' needs. The UPS STore which is in more of a conventional shopping center, has had volume in all classes of UPS service rise dramatically, says he is doing 'quite well' but is also working 'a lot harder' (now that is UPS, isn't it!). When I was last there, a guy had just dropped off (in several trips) about 30 heavy packages for his daughter who was going to school.

I guess the story here is that new stores and MBEs who dealt with more casual customers can easily work as UPS Stores, but if you were a 'small business owner' who did a good job and made your MBE part of the community by giving customers what they wanted, a change is more difficult. Just the same...

Go UPS!
P71

 

[lemon]

"What possible interest would the publication have in misleading the public?"

Don't want to piss off the people running full page back cover ads.

"How do you know that this owner is "on the verge of going out of business"?"

The over/under on the store closing date is Feb. 2005. My money is on the "under".

"If you spent as much time working on your business and your life as you do spreading anti UPS Store propaganda on the internet boards you would be amazed how much more successful you would be in all areas."

It sure beats propagating a fallacy that will put hundreds of store owners out of business.

 

[lemon]

"mbelosers highlight the negatives, as usual, there are a collection of mbe losers who are struggling with the UPSStore conversion due to their ignorance in performing a complete due diligence, want to blame everyone else but themselves."

Uh-huh. The #1 and #2 MBEs were unable to perform due diligence? That strikes me as being mighty unlikely. #1 did the research and rejected UPS' offer. #2 decided to go independent rather than re-up as a UPS Store. I'm sure that you would have the other board members believe that these highly successful store owners are complete idiots, unable to assess the financial merits of "Gold Shield".

Your liberal use of the term "mbe loser" casts you as an individual that can only conceive of issues in black and white terms, rather that understanding the topic at hand with a Technicolor(TM) clarity.