Fred Is Watching

[MrFedEx]

Maybe not directly, but Fred has most definitely stepped-up monitoring of this site. Why do you suppose that is? My guess is that his minions give him a regular report on what people are saying here, mainly because it nicely captures the essence of employee opinion at Express. My take is that the "September Surprise" is the result of a lawsuit that FedEx has lost, or is about to lose. The fact that management seems incapable of adequately explaining the new policies points to a quick "fix' that might plug the hole in the dam...at least temporarily.

The problem is that the dam looks like it's made of Swiss Cheese these days, and Fred only has 10 fingers (or is it 11?). Employee discontent is so widespread and growing that Memphis must be finally figuring-out that their "solutions" aren't working very well.

Consider the fact that many first-line managers actually sympathize with employees these days, and openly express disdain for the newest batch of stupid policies, especially those that pertain to pay. It must be incredibly frustrating to have worked for FedEx for 5 years or so, and then see some worthless newbie make within a few cents of what you are paid. Especially if you are the one that bails them out every day when they cannot do the job.

Consider the plight of vantexan, a long-time contributor on BC. Here's a guy that has always done right by the company by being a 110% courier. He leaves the company and later returns, only to have to start all over again from Ground Zero, despite many years of faithful service and experience. At most union companies, you retain your seniority if you leave, and return at the going rate of pay. That only makes sense, both for the employee and the company. Excellent couriers are very hard to find these days.

What other company has what is essentially a 20-year top-out period? None that I know of. This is such a scam on so many levels, but now it's coming around to bite them in the ass because it isn't taking new employees very long to decide that staying with a company with no retirement and no long-term incentives isn't a good deal. How much retirement savings can you sock away on $40,000 per year?

On one hand, it's sad to watch what used to be a great company swirl around the toilet bowl as it spirals down into the sewer. But on the other, it's gratifying to see our upper management repudiated and disrespected for the way they do business. Fred can buy all the electric vans he wants, or move Flipper or pandas to new homes every day...it isn't working any more. Neither is the concept of being a "team", which has been an utterly ridiculous notion for at least the past 20 years.

Keep it up, Fred, because the entertainment value of watching you squirm is better than sex with a supermodel on top of a new Ferrari. You suck like a lamprey, and your empire is crumbling beneath your feet.

Just look in the mirror if you need to place the blame.

 

[bigblu 2 you]

fred,fred fred! does anyone even care about scott?

 

[vantexan]

Was talking with a mgr and another courier who brought the posted notice about UPS beating us in a customer satisfaction survey. I said not a surprise, they're much more motivated than we are. Mgr asked how so, I said much better pay and benefits. He immediately started putting down UPS employees as not motivated at all. Alot of spin. What amazes me about a large percentage of FedEx mgrs is they seem to believe they can tell us just about anything and we're gullible enough to believe it.

 

[FedEx courier]

Was talking with a mgr and another courier who brought the posted notice about UPS beating us in a customer satisfaction survey. I said not a surprise, they're much more motivated than we are. Mgr asked how so, I said much better pay and benefits. He immediately started putting down UPS employees as not motivated at all. Alot of spin. What amazes me about a large percentage of FedEx mgrs is they seem to believe they can tell us just about anything and we're gullible enough to believe it.

You have to wonder if FedEx managers are just idiots or the are trained monkeys who have taken a pill which forces them to believe the hogwash jargon given to them from above. I don't know how other areas or regions are but in my years at FedEx there were about 5 UPS box-car drivers covering the same area I was. In the later years if any customer had a question you were to refer them to the 1800 number, which many customer complained to me had been outsourced to India and had very large communication barriers. What would anyone in their right mind say about that type of customer service practice? FedEx Express does not care about the safety of it's couriers or the safety of the public. That is not my opinion that is what me and my former coworkers have witnessed first hand especially in the last ten years. These idiots would tell us that having lates was unacceptable but remember safety first. There really needs to be a hard look into FedEx Express's safety practices by a federal agency. FedEx Express has the safety pr in place but it practices an undocumented system of harassment for having lates. Most couriers I worked with were forced to speed, and drive in a dangerous manner to make their numbers and avoid having lates. Mr. FedEx I wish you would compile such a letter and direct it the appropriate safety council to have this companies safety practices investigated and reveal the true nature of these unsafe practices to the public. You seem like you are motivated to expose the true nature of that company.

 

[Cactus]

OSHA and The National Safety Council would be good places to start.

 

[TUT]

I still read all of this as general hatred building up to Corporations in general and not really specific to Fedex. Not that they or UPS shouldn't worry or care, but it's going on all over the place. We are so controlled now by wall street that we have lost who we are. Now on point to Fedex Monitoring this site, doesn't seem like enough Fedex action going on over here to look too deep into what is being said.

 

[MrFedEx]

unfortunately

You have to wonder if FedEx managers are just idiots or the are trained monkeys who have taken a pill which forces them to believe the hogwash jargon given to them from above. I don't know how other areas or regions are but in my years at FedEx there were about 5 UPS box-car drivers covering the same area I was. In the later years if any customer had a question you were to refer them to the 1800 number, which many customer complained to me had been outsourced to India and had very large communication barriers. What would anyone in their right mind say about that type of customer service practice? FedEx Express does not care about the safety of it's couriers or the safety of the public. That is not my opinion that is what me and my former coworkers have witnessed first hand especially in the last ten years. These idiots would tell us that having lates was unacceptable but remember safety first. There really needs to be a hard look into FedEx Express's safety practices by a federal agency. FedEx Express has the safety pr in place but it practices an undocumented system of harassment for having lates. Most couriers I worked with were forced to speed, and drive in a dangerous manner to make their numbers and avoid having lates. Mr. FedEx I wish you would compile such a letter and direct it the appropriate safety council to have this companies safety practices investigated and reveal the true nature of these unsafe practices to the public. You seem like you are motivated to expose the true nature of that company.

I sent a letter to 60 Minutes several months ago, and got no response. I'm working on a letter regarding safety concerns that would be sent to the appropriate agency in each state. FedEx is a big advertiser, so I'm not really surprised that 60 Minutes didn't deem our safety issues as worth their time.

OSHA is a good choice, and it can be done anonymously as far as I know. One item that will most definitely get their attention is the air quality in the stations. As the AM sort ends and people start pulling-out, the level of exhaust fumes is overpowering in most facilities I've seen. OSHA will monitor the air, cite FedEx, and force them to create an action plan to remedy the problem.

Unfortunately, the PR Machine at FedEx works very well, so getting people to believe that Fred operates an unsafe hellhouse can sometimes be difficult.

 

[snackdad]

I think it all comes down to the people that work for FedEx, the couriers, the people at the front counter, all front line employees. We build relationships with our customers. We know their names, we give them our cell phone numbers for when they miss an important delivery. We hang out past cutoff for them and barely make it to the station on time. We find their packages in the huge piles of Dex 1's on Christmas Eve and get them out. We do this because we like them and care about them and are in a position to help.
We do not do this for FedEx, we do this because we CAN. Customer service goes deeper than the uniform.
It really hurts US when we have such great customers when we need to mislead them and that FedEx lets them down. We know the lies that are told to customers. The fictitious delays and supposed bad weather in Memphis. The fake late starts when all the freight is sitting on the rollers at 0630. Maybe a pilot locked his keys in the cockpit by accident.
Sometimes in our relationships with our customers we tell the truth no matter what and we pay the price for our honesty.
I was a twenty year employee with a perfect twenty year safety record. I had reached the sacred 5 weeks of vacation and I was over the age of 40. Never a review under 6.8. I have a file full of letters written by customers and managers praising my customer service and fun attitude toward the job. Despite the low pay, I stuck with the job because I loved the customer interaction, physical challenge, and how everyday was potentially different. Heck I even loved the bad weather.
When, as the head of the Safety Committee I complained to management about fellow couriers working through unpaid breaks and rampant double sheeting and I was targeted. Within 6 months of documenting employees forced to work through breaks to meet impossible productivity demands I got three letters for petty events (one was a lunch break violation) and was terminated.
My relationships with my customers, some friendships going back twenty years were shredded in an instant. I disappeared in an instant. I was taken off of the vacation schedule and work schedule immediately as if they knew exactly what the outcome of my situation would be. Co-workers were forbidden to tell my customers what happened to me. FedEx threw me to the curb and even disputed any unemployment I applied for. I was left with no health care for my family. That's what you get after 20 years, over 40 and honest about safety and falsification. Are you still reading Fred? I worked 6 days a week for nearly 8 full years of my 20 years with FedEx. I was always the first to volunteer and worked many Christmas days giving up time spent with my friends and family.
Is this honesty and customer service on the part of FedEx? FedEx cares NOTHING about the people who created it and cares even less for the customers and the heart and soul of business relationships.
Sadly I still miss my co-workers and customers. I have moved on and my day in court with FedEx is still far away. Remember all of you that still see through the Purple tinted lenses.. You are as good as you last delivery, there is no PSP, no corporate loyalty, you are a unit, a number and financially, probably worth more to FedEx deceased than living. Fred are you there? Hello?

 

[vantexan]

You have to wonder if FedEx managers are just idiots or the are trained monkeys who have taken a pill which forces them to believe the hogwash jargon given to them from above.

Once had a mgr in a meeting tell us that from the beginning of the company to that point in 1994 after all expenditures the company had accumulated a total profit of $1 Million Dollars. It was kind of like that moment in "Austin Powers" where Goldmember asked for the ridiculously low ransom. I pointed out that the company was grossing billions annually and netting hundreds of millions(this was '94). He looked stunned. Then there was the mgr who told me if you don't work until 60 you don't get a pension or any other retiree benefits. Had to show her in benefits book about retiring as early as 55 and being fully vested after 5 years which meant she'd get a payment even if she quit before 55. She transferred into a sr.mgr. job. I've known some very good mgrs who worked hard and treated us right. I could see it troubled them that we weren't getting good pay. One or two I'd go to war for. But there are some that you have to wonder how they ever got into mgmt. Who did they know and what did they have on them, LOL!!

 

[Ricochet1a]

No investigative news program is going to launch a full scale piece based off a single letter. That letter was most likely read by a production assistant, the topic was recorded, then during a production meeting all topics that had letters sent in were read off and a decision as to which to follow up was made by a producer. It would take multiple letters from different people to get a producer to take notice. If they had any interest whatsoever, the assistant producer that read the letter would've written back.

Air quality issues are well known within garages that have large fleets. UPS has the same issue, even more trucks per location, generating even more particulate emissions. Most OSHA regulations are worded to take into consideration prolonged exposure to a toxin or hazard, not a peak. This is another non-starter.

FedEx managers... Most are instinctively reacting to questions by using the talking points that Express puts out for them to regurgitate to wage employees. Unfortunately, many if not most wage employees don't have the reasoning skills to be able to see through the crap for what it is. It takes a very talented person to feed an absolute line of bull to someone and think nothing of it - one of the reasons I decided Express wasn't the place for me to have a career - I don't like lying to people. I experienced first hand many managers who would pull out an Express talking point (you don't want to be topped out, you want something to look forward to - that was my favorite) whenever they were pinned down with a direct question. I'm hearing that more and more managers are resorting to the Express talking points to fend off pointed questions.

FedEx monitoring... FedEx always monitors this site, but when certain information makes its way here, they definately pay attention (wonder what happened in the past 3 weeks...).

 

[Ricochet1a]

When, as the head of the Safety Committee I complained to management about fellow couriers working through unpaid breaks and rampant double sheeting and I was targeted. Within 6 months of documenting employees forced to work through breaks to meet impossible productivity demands I got three letters for petty events (one was a lunch break violation) and was terminated.

Sadly I still miss my co-workers and customers. I have moved on and my day in court with FedEx is still far away. Remember all of you that still see through the Purple tinted lenses.. You are as good as you last delivery, there is no PSP, no corporate loyalty, you are a unit, a number and financially, probably worth more to FedEx deceased than living. Fred are you there? Hello?

When I broke cover and started openly advocating signing union cards, virtually the same thing happened to me. I saw the writing on the wall and left before being terminated, but I was within probably 6 weeks of getting either additional warning letters or a summary termination.

"You are as good as you(r) last delivery" - couldn't have said it better - what you did in the time leading up to that is absolutely meaningless to FedEx. As far as FedEx is concerned, their "committment" to you is resolved each pay day - At Will Employment.

I hope those that wear the purple tinted lenses and still bleed purple realize this. You are literally working day to day - there is no committment on FedEx's part. If you have an accident, stick your head up and start pointing out hypocrisy in the FedEx system, you have a giant target placed on you and you are going out the door.

This is part of the problem that the UPS drivers don't realize when it comes to their rationalizing "just sign a union card" (in regards to Express employees). Express employees that don't stay in lock step with management are gone within a few months - not all can afford to walk away from a job.

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

Here's how fun it is at my station. In July, I hurt my back getting out of an Econoline, I drive this van daily. I get in and out of it more times than I care to count, DAILY. I use proper 2- or 3-point entry and exit techniques. I got out one morning, and my back starts hurting, get to the back door of the truck and I can barely stand, so I tell my manager I need to go to the doctor. This is where it gets fun.

After 3 weeks of physical therapy, I came back to work. I was informed this past Tuesday, at the review I have been "trying" to get done for over a month now, that it was determined that I acted unsafely in exiting the vehicle. I asked how this was determined and was not aware of an investigation into it. I had shown my manager that I can competently enter and exit said truck without incident and that this was an accident, plain and simple. He agreed but our safety person deemed it otherwise, so my perfect record of high 6 ratings is dashed to a low 5, and apparently I have no recourse in the matter.

Guess it's a good thing we no longer get reviewed, huh?

 

[Cactus]

Here's how fun it is at my station. In July, I hurt my back getting out of an Econoline, I drive this van daily. I get in and out of it more times than I care to count, DAILY. I use proper 2- or 3-point entry and exit techniques. I got out one morning, and my back starts hurting, get to the back door of the truck and I can barely stand, so I tell my manager I need to go to the doctor. This is where it gets fun.

After 3 weeks of physical therapy, I came back to work. I was informed this past Tuesday, at the review I have been "trying" to get done for over a month now, that it was determined that I acted unsafely in exiting the vehicle. I asked how this was determined and was not aware of an investigation into it. I had shown my manager that I can competently enter and exit said truck without incident and that this was an accident, plain and simple. He agreed but our safety person deemed it otherwise, so my perfect record of high 6 ratings is dashed to a low 5, and apparently I have no recourse in the matter.

Guess it's a good thing we no longer get reviewed, huh?

Safety directors are not our side. They'll side with management at every turn.

Interesting how he made the "determination" without even talking to you.

 

[snackdad]

I remember one time I walked up to a gate in a very rich area of California. I whistled and yelled as I usually do. No one in yard, no dog, etc. I walked through gate and resident who heard me opens her door to say hi. As she does her dog rushes past her and straight at me and catches me pretty good on the calf before I connect pretty good with my clip board and back the dog down. I end up with a few scrapes and a small puncture wound to the leg. The owners were going crazy apologizing to me, offering me water, car keys, can we finish your route for you? I told them don't worry, I understand the dog was only doing it's job but really they should put up a dog in yard sign and be much more careful answering the door. They even called me that night checking on me (making sure I did not plan to sue). Whatever, its part of the job. I think over 20 years I was bit about 5 or 6 times.
A few days later the senior manager wants me to sign something acknowledging that the dog bite was my fault!!! Ha ha can you believe it. I told him "ya right" and walked out of his office. It seems like whatever ever happened to an employee was always the fault of the employee regardless of anything. Gee a Russian satellite lost orbit and crashed into my sprinter. Definitely the couriers fault.
I know a former safety instructor (he was fired for a DUI) that told me the company continuously coached them how to judge against the courier despite evidence to the contrary. It helps the station budgets.
GFT everything, refuse to sign anything.
Remember Mario Savio.... " There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, the people who own it, that unless you're free the machine will be prevented from working at all." That was always a favorite video of mine. Google it.

 

[Mr. 7]

I am absolutely positive that FDX will blame the driver for absolutely anything it can regardless of anything.

 

[Cactus]

I know a former safety instructor (he was fired for a DUI) that told me the company continuously coached them how to judge against the courier despite evidence to the contrary. It helps the station budgets.

And I'm not surprised.

Just another case of Memphis mentality.

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

Gee a Russian satellite lost orbit and crashed into my sprinter. Definitely the couriers fault.
I know a former safety instructor (he was fired for a DUI) that told me the company continuously coached them how to judge against the courier despite evidence to the contrary. It helps the station budgets.

I was choking on my OJ at the satellite, my daughter thought I lost my mind!..lol And how funny is that?? A safety instructor getting a DUI? (if it was a courier, would it be Delivering Under the Influence of the Purple Promise?)

When I first started at FredLand, our safety coordinator was a slobbering drunk that like to stomp on new-hire toes to see if they had steel-toes...but would have a container roll up her giant foot almost nightly.