Don't be stupid!

shelskye

Member
Gotta chime in on this one...
You get there at 1755 and the PUP closes at 1800. This gives you only 5 minutes to send a message through the powerpad ***AND*** receive a reply from management.
You MUST start the PUP by the close time or you will have a LATE PUP.
(As you know, you cannot receive messages while the powerpad is engaged.)
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Gotta chime in on this one...
You get there at 1755 and the PUP closes at 1800. This gives you only 5 minutes to send a message through the powerpad ***AND*** receive a reply from management.
You MUST start the PUP by the close time or you will have a LATE PUP.
(As you know, you cannot receive messages while the powerpad is engaged.)

This where you might have to make a phone call and then document all of the information...names, times, exactly what was authorized etc. If possible, I would send the message prior to 1759, especially if I know this customer is a continual problem. The question could be posed in "what if" form, as in "What are my instructions IF the customer isn't ready and I am ordered to wait. Can I expect a call at the customer from a manager or dispatcher with instructions if I am busy processing packages?". I would follow-up with a PowerPad message upon actually leaving the stop, with some information explaining the delay. Most pickups wouldn't fall into such a narrow window.
 

Ricochet1a

Well-Known Member
Worrying about a customer NOT having their shipments ready if one arrives 5 minutes prior to the PU close window is a red herring.

If a PU Courier arrives at a customer's location 5 minutes prior to the close time, then the Courier makes DAMN SURE the powerpad has the stop 'opened' prior to the close time (so he/she doesn't get hit with a late PU), then scans every package present and works as previously directed. There isn't a damn thing the customer can do to hold the Courier, since it would be prima facie evidence that THE CUSTOMER hasn't done what they are expected - which is to have their shipments properly packaged, labeled and presented for pickup.

The only time this issue presents itself, is when the Courier arrives within the first 15 to 30 minutes of the PU window opening. This is when the customer can yell and scream and the Courier has to protect their hide. If the customer still doesn't have their act together 5 minutes prior to the PU window closing, no one (not even a FedEx senior manager), will take any action against a Courier who scans what is ready, loads it and continues on with his route and informs the customer that he cannot wait for packages that aren't ready.

If anyone has an experience to the contrary (making a PU in the last 5 minutes of a window and having the customer trying to hold the Courier), put it up here with a brief, non-personally identifiable narrative.
 

hypo hanna

Well-Known Member
Worrying about a customer NOT having their shipments ready if one arrives 5 minutes prior to the PU close window is a red herring.

If a PU Courier arrives at a customer's location 5 minutes prior to the close time, then the Courier makes DAMN SURE the powerpad has the stop 'opened' prior to the close time (so he/she doesn't get hit with a late PU), then scans every package present and works as previously directed. There isn't a damn thing the customer can do to hold the Courier, since it would be prima facie evidence that THE CUSTOMER hasn't done what they are expected - which is to have their shipments properly packaged, labeled and presented for pickup.

The only time this issue presents itself, is when the Courier arrives within the first 15 to 30 minutes of the PU window opening. This is when the customer can yell and scream and the Courier has to protect their hide. If the customer still doesn't have their act together 5 minutes prior to the PU window closing, no one (not even a FedEx senior manager), will take any action against a Courier who scans what is ready, loads it and continues on with his route and informs the customer that he cannot wait for packages that aren't ready.

If anyone has an experience to the contrary (making a PU in the last 5 minutes of a window and having the customer trying to hold the Courier), put it up here with a brief, non-personally identifiable narrative.

Bingo!

Just have the stop open on the power pad before the close time and you are covered.
 
Kind of off subject, but I had a high volume customer that got bought out. The new company moved most of their inventory to another location. They went from having there own 53' trailer to a couple of packages a week. The shipping manager thought he was still a big shipper. He called to complain that I would not wait a half hour after there stop closed just in case they had another package. Fedex one call told him if he had another package to bring it to the station. One of the few times the call center got it right.
 

Ricochet1a

Well-Known Member
Kind of off subject, but I had a high volume customer that got bought out. The new company moved most of their inventory to another location. They went from having there own 53' trailer to a couple of packages a week. The shipping manager thought he was still a big shipper. He called to complain that I would not wait a half hour after there stop closed just in case they had another package. Fedex one call told him if he had another package to bring it to the station. One of the few times the call center got it right.

All just goes to prove that customer service is DIRECTLY tied to revenue. The greater the revenue, the higher the level of customer service offered. Once a customer 'dumps' Express (that shipping volume had to go to someone else - wasn't Express it sounds like), then customer service becomes, "Bring your package into a staffed location".

In other words, "You are no longer important to us, don't expect special treatment any more".

I'm sure this shipping manager had a 'learning moment'.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
All just goes to prove that customer service is DIRECTLY tied to revenue. The greater the revenue, the higher the level of customer service offered. Once a customer 'dumps' Express (that shipping volume had to go to someone else - wasn't Express it sounds like), then customer service becomes, "Bring your package into a staffed location".

In other words, "You are no longer important to us, don't expect special treatment any more".

I'm sure this shipping manager had a 'learning moment'.

Just one more word of warning about "high revenue accounts". Never cross them, even if you are "in the right". All it takes is one small slip-up, and FedEx will throw you under the bus. This one actually happened to me back in the days when the CTV drivers were based at the stations, not the ramp. A high revenue customer was not ready at 1715, and I was the PM CTV driver. Thinking I had "operational necessity" on my side, I left the customer at exactly 1720, with them demanding that I wait for several additional packages to get ready. Instead of calling my manager (Supertracker days), or Dispatch, I left, and had the station manager waiting for me when I got back to the station. After ripping me a new one, he proceeded th threaten me with my job if I EVER left this customer again without permission. When I pointed out that I had a PM CTV to consider, he turned red and tore into me again. This lasted for 15 minutes.

I let him rant, and said basically nothing. By then it was time for the CTV to depart and he ordered me to the vehicle. I then proceeded to perform my complete 15-minute CTV inspection, with this same manager threatening me over my shoulder that "I needed to leave NOW". The end result was a 20-minute late CTV that caused an friend-delay, and got the manager a warning letter. The next day, the high revenue customer was shifted to another route.
 

Nolimitz

Well-Known Member
On my previous rte I had a vol shipper w/ a 1700 cls. Routinely arrived around 1645 to see nothing close to being ready. everyday I notified dispatch and asked for a WU at that location if they wanted me to wait. Would start pup at 1655, process one or two and end stop at 1701. walk around building to final DB stop and process. If I recieved the WU I would stay and finish processing the late pkgs. If no WU, I informed "Dave" he had to take pkgs to station on his own trk. Gotta go man see ya tommorow.
 

whenIgetthere

Well-Known Member
A few years back, we had a customer who thought they were a high volume account, one who shipped one or two packages a night. I left at the close time, and they called to complain I wouldn't wait. SM asked me about it the next day, and said they have had this problem with a few different couriers. SM was of the mind that they were high volume, also. I told him they had two packages on a busy night, so he said disregard what he had just said about waiting.
 

Guapo

Well-Known Member
When I was swingin' had a manager with me on a checkride, at a retail dock where they were notoriously slow to open the door she ripped 'em a new one because of the problems they were giving the regular driver delays etc. She told them you get 5 minutes to open the door and give us your packages after that were gone. I was even taken aback by my managers approach-but glad to see it.
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
When I was swingin' had a manager with me on a checkride, at a retail dock where they were notoriously slow to open the door she ripped 'em a new one because of the problems they were giving the regular driver delays etc. She told them you get 5 minutes to open the door and give us your packages after that were gone. I was even taken aback by my managers approach-but glad to see it.

We do this at Walmart all the time(on the DEL side) granted I'll come back later, but during P1's I gotta keep moving.
 
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