More then 5 send agains, you must call??

[dilligaf]

Now there is a waste of time for drivers and UPS management. What a poor business decision.

I have never seen any UPS route where 75% of the load consisted of send agains. I have seen where drivers did not make any attempts at all, and record packages as send agains.

Something was going on with this driver on that particular day. Maybe a personal problem, new route, hates UPS - who knows.

If it were me running the center, I would have talked with every person I could at every address noted as a send again on the driver's route. I would then get signed statements if the consignees were available to receive their packages at the date and time noted on the delivery records.

Then I would have terminated the driver for falsifying UPS records.
Let the process takes it course, and serve as a message to the center regarding service commitments and customer expectations.

Not inconvenience all the drivers in the center for one driver's actions.

Just my thoughts.

Chan.. want to come and take care of our driver that does this regularly?

 

[DS]

They have the same rule here about send agains.
Its like having all the overtime you want.
Rarely I have more than 5 but if I do, I re-attempt later until I get down to under 5.As far as phoning goes,try calling at 7PM when you need to get back with your air,they may even tell you to come back with your air and go out again.
Its a great way to get OT if you want it.
If you still have more than 5 after re-attempting,call and ask the sup do you want me to just sit out front until they get home?

 

[dilligaf]

We go back and forth. One day it's p/u times. Next day it's clerk pkgs. We have even been told we have to send in info on any EC's we have. We haven't been told to call in send agains...................YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They probably try to contact the customer and get them to meet us somewhere. LOL

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I try and reduce send agains by leaving packages with neighbors. I do this for all type of deliveries. Houses, Apartments, and businesses.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

I don't see the what the big deal is about send agains, it's not like we're all not going to be back in the same neighborhoods again tomorrow anyways.

 

[rod]

75% send agains? Sounds to me like one of those drivers that wanted to get off early like we were discussing awhile back. You know the one that runs your route better than you do according to your boss.

 

[cino321]

First off, I'm not calling anyone. I'd send a message

If they told me to do that I would do one of two things.

1. I wouldn't driver release anything unless it's a basic or shipper release package. You guys want more full time jobs? Want to add routes? Start destroying all the routes with send agains, and stop driver releasing. Driver release is the reason why some routes go out blown out everyday. It's the biggest scam ever. Save a minute at each stop that you would wait for someone to receive the package or leave a service notice, multiply that by say for example a 120 stops, that's two hours UPS just saved so you get two more hours of work.


2. I would driver release every package unless it was signature or adult signature required. Have my follow ups rack up, have LP follow me, and at the end of the day when they think I'm stealing stuff, I'm just going to point the finger at my manager who is encouraging me to keep my send agains to a minimum.


Just out of curiosity, by what time during the day do they want to know that?

 

[trplnkl]

We have to call in ( I usually just text them) if we have 4 pd send agains or more, one business being closed for a funeral can eat that up. I do try to indirect when feasible. When I started driving I was told that when we get a package delivered on the first attempt we make money, second attempt we break even, third we are loosing real dollars. With this in mind the division managers sometimes get honed in on send agains ( the 3/4 of a load would surely trigger that response). I also figure that for every stop I don't get delivered today, I have one more stop to do tomorrow.
My stance on the cell phone is that I pay for my service to benefit ME, there are times that is also benefits the company, no problem. When the company starts demanding I use my cell to call in, then I start demanding they get me a company cell phone, the conversation is then done. Griff, I understand that you are all about the money and that's fine if that is your motivation. However I am not motivated by the money, but by how much time I get to spend with the people I love and WANT to be around. If I use my cell phone to conduct UPS business on my own accord, then well that's my business.

 

[trplnkl]

Something was going on with this driver on that particular day. Maybe a personal problem, new route, hates UPS - who knows.
If it were me running the center, I would have talked with every person I could at every address noted as a send again on the driver's route. I would then get signed statements if the consignees were available to receive their packages at the date and time noted on the delivery records.
Then I would have terminated the driver for falsifying UPS records.
Let the process takes it course, and serve as a message to the center regarding service commitments and customer expectations.

Just my thoughts.

Here's my thoughts on this Chan. I was with you till you got the the termination part. You had already stated that "Something was going on with this driver on that particular day." What an excellent opportunity to show that UPS managers can have a heart and give a damn about the people that do the work that provides their wages. Go ahead an do your documentation, talk to as many customers as possible. Then instead of terminating the driver, have a talk with him/her find out if something out of the ordinary was a major factor. Then IF you are satisfied that the driver was just hosing the company, by all means fire 'em. We are not just talking about missed service on packages, we are talking about people with real life problems and situations that can plague any of us on the spur of the moment. We are also talking about people's lives.

 

[upsgrunt]

the flavor of the month in our bldg., is commit times for your pickups...you must be within 15 minutes..plus or minus of designated pickup times

since I never chose a time for my pickups (assigned by Mgt.) and have never had any issues w/ my pickups ....Why should it matter??

That's our flavor too; only they tell us it is to be 14 minutes or under because if it shows up 15 then the center gets gigged for being out of the "15 minute + or -" window. Kind of like the time studies, it too, is shrinking!

 

[Channahon]

Here's my thoughts on this Chan. I was with you till you got the the termination part. You had already stated that "Something was going on with this driver on that particular day." What an excellent opportunity to show that UPS managers can have a heart and give a damn about the people that do the work that provides their wages. Go ahead an do your documentation, talk to as many customers as possible. Then instead of terminating the driver, have a talk with him/her find out if something out of the ordinary was a major factor. Then IF you are satisfied that the driver was just hosing the company, by all means fire 'em. We are not just talking about missed service on packages, we are talking about people with real life problems and situations that can plague any of us on the spur of the moment. We are also talking about people's lives.

I'm guessing the driver had all day to call the center with his/her concern. In reading the post, it seems the driver just brought the packages back as send agains.

In my eyes a professional UPS driver has the responsibilty to let the center know of issues that affect service to the customers.

A simple phone call or diad message to the center would have avoided a situation that caused service failures for UPS customers.
Help could have been sent, or the driver could have even been pulled off the route, depending what issues the driver had that day.

No center management team that I ever worked with would deny help to a driver, understanding the number of packages involved. Why pay someone the following day to do the same work? The team would either send an army of drivers or put management on the street.

This appeared to be a case of the driver making the decision to bring back 75% of his load as send agains. And a poor decision that is now impacting his/her fellow drivers during their busy day.

 

[dilligaf]

Chan and Trpl...........you both have very good points. I have been in the situation of having to bring back alot of stops. I begged for help that day, ODS and phone calls. This happened when I first started driving and had no idea at all of what I was doing. I was put on a really heavy business rte and nothing was taken off to help me. If I remember correctly I brought back about 80 pcs that night, many of which were business. It has been hammered into to me since day 1, (even before this incident) call....call....call..........My responsibility to call. I have called and screamed and every other thing I could think of doing to get help and it has, many times fallen on deaf ears.
On the other hand, we have a favored driver that gets away with 'burning' stops constantly. The disparaging treatment that UPS gets away with is phenomenal. I wish we had managers/sups like you Chan or Lifer or Tie (assuming that you all represent yourselves as you really are not, as you would like to be seen). Ours are worthless pukes.

 

[1989]

I remember bringing back 1 or 2 buildings a day when I first started driving (over 200 pcs). All you can do is let the center know. Don't let it bother you.

 

[hdkappler]

75%i remember a driver who use to do that on friday night.one who use to run my my route when i was on vacation.sheet as unable to locate or not in etc.he was good about that on fri.nights.about a year later he became a superviser.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

...My stance on the cell phone is that I pay for my service to benefit ME, there are times that is also benefits the company, no problem. When the company starts demanding I use my cell to call in, then I start demanding they get me a company cell phone, the conversation is then done. Griff, I understand that you are all about the money and that's fine if that is your motivation. However I am not motivated by the money, but by how much time I get to spend with the people I love and WANT to be around. If I use my cell phone to conduct UPS business on my own accord, then well that's my business.

I also receive a lot of grief from my co-workers for using my cell for company business but it is really no one's business other than my own and Verizon Wireless how and when I use my cell phone. It is a tremendous time saver, whether it be for calling ahead on CODs, verifying an address, alerting regular customers who may want to meet me on the road to get their pkgs early, and for a myriad of other reasons which all come together to save me time and provide the best service that I can to my customers. My OMS has my cell number but knows to ask permission before giving it to anyone. My on-car has it but only uses it if he really needs to get in touch with me. Of course, both my kids have it but know that I don't have time to chat but that I can be reached if need be.

It is my cell phone and, as Trplnkl said, it is our discretion how we choose to use it.

 

[toonertoo]

I use my cell phone at work when convienient for me. I have a gazillion minutes, so it doesnt cost me anymore than it always does, and if it makes or breaks my day I use it. I also write it off on taxes. When you are out there all alone with no help from Brown cafe or whatever, you do what you do.

 

[upsdude]

I also receive a lot of grief from my co-workers for using my cell for company business but it is really no one's business other than my own and Verizon Wireless how and when I use my cell phone. It is a tremendous time saver, whether it be for calling ahead on CODs, verifying an address, alerting regular customers who may want to meet me on the road to get their pkgs early, and for a myriad of other reasons which all come together to save me time and provide the best service that I can to my customers. My OMS has my cell number but knows to ask permission before giving it to anyone. My on-car has it but only uses it if he really needs to get in touch with me. Of course, both my kids have it but know that I don't have time to chat but that I can be reached if need be.

It is my cell phone and, as Trplnkl said, it is our discretion how we choose to use it.

Ditto

 

[upsdude]

I use my cell phone at work when convienient for me. I have a gazillion minutes, so it doesnt cost me anymore than it always does, and if it makes or breaks my day I use it. I also write it off on taxes. When you are out there all alone with no help from Brown cafe or whatever, you do what you do.

Ditto again

 

[New Englander]

We've had this policy in our center for probably the last year now.

They were vague as all they said was that if you have 5 or more send agains, call or message in.

They didn't say individual stops or one stop.

I've treated it as ONE stop with 5 or more Never been spoken to about it.

We cover some seasonal towns that are busy in the wintertime and dead come spring/summer. Multiple stores close early to mid week and only open Thur - Sun. Some drivers update their closed lists well, others don't.

If I'm covering one of those towns. I'll message in if the business is closed and I have more then 5. If not I'll tell them when I get in and give them the new posted hours of operation.

 

[Jim Kemp]

I had a lady on my route that was a Drug rep. That would get 75 to 100 pkgs. once a month. All had a sig req and no alternate del on them. Problem was she was always a work or out of town. It would drive the sups crazy. A couple of times they would tell me to leave the pkgs and bring them the diad when I got in and they would sign it, because I would refuse to do it. Other times the pkgs would just mysteriously vanish.