FedEx Ground and it's excellent customer service

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I was talking of your examination of UPS. They still don't have a contract ratified, UPS has become the company "buying" business, and your transit times lag behind.

The supplements will be settled eventually and I don't see anything wrong with buying companies if they are the right ones. The transit times are the main issue but only in certain areas of the country. I had this discussion with our feeder driver just the other night. If UPS can get the sleeper team operations running they'd erase that issue. More hubs + more sleeper teams = bad news for RPS. What's keeping UPS on top overall is the fact that most shippers still prefer UPS and many don't mind paying a little more if they have to to keep using us. Part of the reason for that is what I've said so before. Not to sound condescending. Just calling it like I see it. Service is more than price and transit time even though those do matter.

 

[bbsam]

numbers don't lie. Ground has been around for 15 years cutting into UPS business and all UPS seems willing to do is cut routes.

 

[dezguy]

The supplements will be settled eventually and I don't see anything wrong with buying companies if they are the right ones. The transit times are the main issue but only in certain areas of the country. I had this discussion with our feeder driver just the other night. If UPS can get the sleeper team operations running they'd erase that issue. More hubs + more sleeper teams = bad news for RPS. What's keeping UPS on top overall is the fact that most shippers still prefer UPS and many don't mind paying a little more if they have to to keep using us. Part of the reason for that is what I've said so before. Not to sound condescending. Just calling it like I see it. Service is more than price and transit time even though those do matter.

This was Express's motto back when I first started. Now look where we are.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

This was Express's motto back when I first started. Now look where we are.

Express shipments are down because of the economy and many customers realized that they could live without them. The factors that are allowing Ground to gain more of the market share could easily be eradicated by UPS if they'll just wake up. My original point was that, in general, the general public views Ground and especially HD as an alternative that is SOMETIMES cheaper but usually involves rather shady characters to deliver their packages. Yes, there are exceptions but I'm speaking generaly. Just like we all know that there are UPS drivers that fall into that category too.


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[STFXG]

Express shipments are down because of the economy and many customers realized that they could live without them. The factors that are allowing Ground to gain more of the market share could easily be eradicated by UPS if they'll just wake up. My original point was that, in general, the general public views Ground and especially HD as an alternative that is SOMETIMES cheaper but usually involves rather shady characters to deliver their packages. Yes, there are exceptions but I'm speaking generaly. Just like we all know that there are UPS drivers that fall into that category too.


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The general public doesn't know who delivers to their house and/or doesn't care. I have no idea who the ups/fedexg/fedexhd/fedexexpress/USPS drivers are for my house. You're living in a bubble.


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[Brownslave688]

As someone that has worked for both companies and has interacted with countless customers and RPS drivers regarding this issue, as well as the fact that I pay close attention to my competition, I can definitely say I have had more than my fair share of healthy examination of RPS. It's my superiors in Atlanta that are too blinded to go for the proverbial jugular.

I'm sorry but there is no way FedEx ground/HD are going anywhere. The customers you deliver to have virtually no say in who delivers their packages. All that matters are the big shippers.

Also ups doesn't view ground residential as a highly profitable side of the business. Because of this they will continue to be happy with FedEx taking some of that work off their hands.

 

[Cactus]

The general public doesn't know who delivers to their house and/or doesn't care. I have no idea who the ups/fedexg/fedexhd/fedexexpress/USPS drivers are for my house. You're living in a bubble.


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I doubt that 'cause your just making a blanket statement out of indifference and it doesn't surprise me either. Maybe he's just a friendlier person and you're the one in a bubble.


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[STFXG]

I doubt that 'cause your just making a blanket statement out of indifference and it doesn't surprise me either. Maybe he's just a friendlier person and you're the one in a bubble.


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Whatever makes you feel more important... The majority of the public won't notice you unless you do something that irritates them.

Why should I know my driver? Shouldn't they be back to the truck before I make it to the door?


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[Overpaid Union Thug]

Whatever makes you feel more important... The majority of the public won't notice you unless you do something that irritates them.

Why should I know my driver? Shouldn't they be back to the truck before I make it to the door?


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Comercial customers and "regular" residential customers most certainly notice things rather quickly. And so do their co-workers, friends, and neighbors. And let's not forget out on the roads.

 

[STFXG]

Comercial customers and "regular" residential customers most certainly notice things rather quickly. And so do their co-workers, friends, and neighbors. And let's not forget out on the roads.

Right, the general public all notice that a ground driver is driving through their neighborhood with the bulkhead open. Better use brown!


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[hypo hanna]

Right, the general public all notice that a ground driver is driving through their neighborhood with the bulkhead open. Better use brown!


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They do tend to notice the pkgs scattered on the road.
I do agree that is is the big shippers who make the call on which company/opco to use. If it cost them too much in customer claims and replacement goods, they will jump to another carrier.

 

[prodriver]

Express shipments are down because of the economy and many customers realized that they could live without them. The factors that are allowing Ground to gain more of the market share could easily be eradicated by UPS if they'll just wake up. My original point was that, in general, the general public views Ground and especially HD as an alternative that is SOMETIMES cheaper but usually involves rather shady characters to deliver their packages. Yes, there are exceptions but I'm speaking generaly. Just like we all know that there are UPS drivers that fall into that category too.


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If ups could keep ground from growing they would, "the public views ground/HD as an alternative" you don't really believe that. All shady characters have passed background checks but I'm sure you already know that.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Right, the general public all notice that a ground driver is driving through their neighborhood with the bulkhead open. Better use brown!

They notice the sagging pants drivers. They notice the scruffy faces. They notice them exceeding the speed limit through residential neighborhoods (more so with HD in this area for some reason). They notice the dirty trucks (even worse than ours) that are almost the same color as UPS but are actually white when washed. They notice the unprofessionalism. Etc. etc. etc.....

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If ups could keep ground from growing they would, "the public views ground/HD as an alternative" you don't really believe that. All shady characters have passed background checks but I'm sure you already know that.

I know UPS could put Ground back in their place. They just have to get out from under the piles of metrics they've buried themselves under and come back to reality. As far as the background checks goes.....someone may ace a background check but for customers appearances and attitudes project a different story. The saying "appearances are everything" comes to mind.

 

[MrFedEx]

I know UPS could put Ground back in their place. They just have to get out from under the piles of metrics they've buried themselves under and come back to reality. As far as the background checks goes.....someone may ace a background check but for customers appearances and attitudes project a different story. The saying "appearances are everything" comes to mind.

Bingo. Why doesn't UPS snuff them out, or least put up a fight. They have stood on the sidelines and watch Ground take market share with an illegal (IMO) competitive advantage...the contractor scam. Perhaps Big Brown needs to invest some more money into leveling the playing field. I don't understand their passivity.

 

[Slick silver]

I personally believe that there is to many package that even they can't handle anymore. I have noticed at many of my stops that ground has so much more then express and ups combined. I've seen it were I will pick up 10 and ups has 10 or so then ground has like 25 or more. The ups stuff is also ground and not air. Heck there some stops were all 3 of us are there and both me and the ups guy have nothing and ground has like 2 full carts of stuff. It's funny sometimes because both me and the ups driver will shot the with the customer and the ground driver is slaving away and moves on to the next stop


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[prodriver]

I personally believe that there is to many package that even they can't handle anymore. I have noticed at many of my stops that ground has so much more then express and ups combined. I've seen it were I will pick up 10 and ups has 10 or so then ground has like 25 or more. The ups stuff is also ground and not air. Heck there some stops were all 3 of us are there and both me and the ups guy have nothing and ground has like 2 full carts of stuff. It's funny sometimes because both me and the ups driver will shot the with the customer and the ground driver is slaving away and moves on to the next stop


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No way that can't be happening,big arrow and MFE need to accept it. Grounds market share is getting bigger and bigger.

 

[bbsam]

I know UPS could put Ground back in their place. They just have to get out from under the piles of metrics they've buried themselves under and come back to reality. As far as the background checks goes.....someone may ace a background check but for customers appearances and attitudes project a different story. The saying "appearances are everything" comes to mind.

That's a mindset right out of 1986.

 

[Slick silver]

I run a pm pick up route. I feel bad for him sometimes, I actually try to help him when I can sometimes because he has so much. At least try to help since I used to deal with the same thing last year or so. The stuff he has isn't lite either, a lot of machine shops.


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[Overpaid Union Thug]

I personally believe that there is to many package that even they can't handle anymore. I have noticed at many of my stops that ground has so much more then express and ups combined. I've seen it were I will pick up 10 and ups has 10 or so then ground has like 25 or more. The ups stuff is also ground and not air. Heck there some stops were all 3 of us are there and both me and the ups guy have nothing and ground has like 2 full carts of stuff. It's funny sometimes because both me and the ups driver will shot the with the customer and the ground driver is slaving away and moves on to the next stop


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I see the complete opposite in my area and the accounts RPS has that has more volume than us are mostly at businesses that are struggling or switched to them because the UPS sales reps (who are a MAJOR weakness at UPS right now) pissed them off. And then there is Wal-mart of course. Who diverted much of their volume to RPS (which the Wal-mart dock workers around here hate) mainly for political reasons.

Bingo. Why doesn't UPS snuff them out, or least put up a fight. They have stood on the sidelines and watch Ground take market share with an illegal (IMO) competitive advantage...the contractor scam. Perhaps Big Brown needs to invest some more money into leveling the playing field. I don't understand their passivity.

Like I said....they are trying to run everything with metrics that blanket the who system and are blinded by them.

That's a mindset right out of 1986.

What is? The metrics or the appearance issues? Both points are alive in well into the 2010s as well.

 

[bbsam]

The idea that UPS could make Fedex Ground. Go away.