Seeking advice on bad situation w/ driver

downdog

New Member
I am a UPS customer, not employee. I have had the same driver for several years and we became friendly with him, like many people in our neighborhood have. He has had lunch at my house several times, we always chatted on the street, and often he would call to see what time I was home to get my packages. I work from home and get many deliveries but no where to leave them safely without me receiving them.

Recently, the driver became suddenly angry and irrational with me (details perhaps unimportant here) and despite my efforts to clear the air, he was exceptionally upset.

I believe he is going through a depression and perhaps has some other emotional problems. I know he has gone through a very tough time personally including family deaths and other crises recently. I feel certain his behavior is a result of his emotional state.

We feel badly for him and accept that he is a good person, going through a hard time, and just feel badly that he is upset. My assistant and I both tried to call him and text him to ask him to explain what was wrong and that we wanted to apologize if we had upset him (although we felt certain we had done nothing wrong) and he responded with a very rude message saying never to call him again.​

So...as of that day, he quit delivering to us. For a few weeks, our deliveries have been coming from random delivery guys at random times - (although the upset, regular guy is still in the neighborhood). The issue for us is that we are now having, for the first time ever, big problems with deliveries and pickups. My pickups aren't showing up at the time reserved online - and since this is my business, I have had to go to FedEx a few times and send things last minute to get them out in time. My deliveries are being left outside and not coming on the day my tracking information online says they are coming. I called once (to the local number) when I was desperate for my pickup and they said they showed it had been attempted (it hadn't been) and that they would send the driver back - he never came. I am afraid to call UPS again because I don't want this man to get in trouble and lose his job. Although what he is doing is unprofessional, we and our neighbors feel badly for him because we think he is not doing well. My international client uses UPS exclusively so I can't just switch to FedEx or whatever. However, I really do not want to get this man in trouble - he has a family and has been a great asset for a long time. Any suggestions?​
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
You have no choice. Call and complain about the deliveries not coming on the day they're supposed to (may not be drivers fault).

You have to complain about the missed pickups. This is the drivers fault. It can't be allowed to continue.

When you call, don't give all the specifics you gave us. Don't say how good he was. Don't say he's going thru a tough time. Don't say he used to have lunch with you. Don't even say you know his name.

Don't mention the driver at all. Just tell them the problems that you (the customer) are having with your pickups and deliveries.

"Recently, the driver became suddenly angry and irrational with me (details perhaps unimportant here)"

I suspect that the details are very important, but don't bring them up on your phone call.

Good luck, and thanks for continuing to ship with us.
 

trickpony1

Well-Known Member
Over9five-
Excellent post!
Not everything is the driver's fault.
The driver may be experiencing one of the "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situations the company seems to enjoy placing us in.
I hope that customer understands that we are all human and trying to do the best we can to get through life and his actions weren't directed at her.
 

mattwtrs

Retired Senior Member
Over 9.5 is right on. Please call the 800 # so there is a record. We have an OMS that takes local calls & screws them up beyond belief. She blames it on her new meds. Drivers are not the only ones with problems!
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
I would call and complain, there is no excuse for bad service. I called on my driver once when he stuck a package with jewelry half way out of my mailbox in a thunderstorm. We all have a bad day every once in a while, but to take it out on the customer that pays our salary is wrong. And missing a Pickup is getting into serious problems.The company can't fix a problem unless it knows about it. In a case like this, his supervisor will probably just say something to him and hopefully he will straighten up. I am a driver, and sometimes we have certain circumstances with the way we are dispatched from day to day that may explain why he comes at different times or you have a different driver even though you see your regular guy in the neighborhood. I hope this helps, possibly some of the problems you mentioned aren't due to him.
 

canon

Well-Known Member

So...as of that day, he quit delivering to us. For a few weeks, our deliveries have been coming from random delivery guys at random times - (although the upset, regular guy is still in the neighborhood). The issue for us is that we are now having, for the first time ever, big problems with deliveries and pickups.​

Agree 100% with other posts, call.

But I too agree whatever it was that upset him is probably more important than you might think. We really don't have the option of just deciding not to deliver to an address on our route. The only way I could see that happening is if he "sold" his side of the story to management, who is now working with the driver to avoid a repeat of the situation. I had a similar experience when I requested to take a different training route when I was trying to qualify as a driver. The route they were trying to give me was where an old highschool girlfriend lived... if her dad saw me on his porch he'd have a heart attack on the spot. (Was a nasty breakup...details not important. :cool: )

I'd call the local number first and ask to speak to a driver supe or center manager that covers your area. Explain the changes in the quality of your service and see what he says. Maybe even note you never had a problem when your old driver serviced your address, but now there are new drivers all the time. (In this case, you're giving him a compliment.) They'll know the situation and might be able to give better answers than someone on the 800 line. I'd leave out the details too. If you're not satisfied with the results there, then I'd call the 1-800 number.

In my neighborhood, we went from one driver who always came at the same time to seeing multiple drivers at all times too. The old driver was still around, we just never know when or who is going to be delivering. Admittedly, for signature only packages we've had to switch carriers so my wife could know when to be home. Wasn't the drivers fault, that's the nature of PAS. The driver supe can explain what PAS is and why it's a better system than the old way if that is the cause.

I could see all this go right out the window if the reason the driver is mad is because you gave him an atomic wedgie when he bent over to pick up the packages. Details are important sometimes.​
 
D

driver x

Guest
I would be interested in seeing how this problem is resolved. Hope the driver is OK. And the customer seems to be going that extra mile that the driver did for him over time. Thanks.
 

The Brown Santa

Ping Pong Ball
I would say entering someone's home to have lunch is crossing the line..just my .02. I never enter someones home, because the next thing you know, UPS gets a phone call " Hello, yes, um one of your drivers brought a package into my living room for me, and now (insert item of value) is missing..." I'll just leave it on the porch/stairs and you can come out and get it.....
 

BLACKBOX

Life is a Highway...
As a driver I think you have to know where the line is between you and the customer. You mentioned the driver had lunch at your house? To me thats too personal. Hope there wasn't any "extra-curricular" activities while driver was on break

Sometimes there is more to this story than you are telling. Sounds like you all were involved in an affair, and now the driver is blowing you off (you found out that he was married? Possibly?).

The deliver habits from one driver to another varies only slightly so you to think that your business depends solely on how one driver delivers is amusing.

Come On! Quit stalking that poor driver......move on. Sounds like he did!
 

tieguy

Banned
Over9five-
Excellent post!
Not everything is the driver's fault.
The driver may be experiencing one of the "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situations the company seems to enjoy placing us in.
I hope that customer understands that we are all human and trying to do the best we can to get through life and his actions weren't directed at her.

Trick my poor paranoid friend. How can you possibly survive with such a paranoid perspective?

This driver has developed a friendly relationship with the customer that exceeds the boundaries of normal.

This driver is now P.O. at the customer for some slight to the point he has stopped talking to the customer.

These two issues happened without any involvement on the companies part.

The driver is now pouting and avoiding the customer at all costs. This is the driver doing this not the company.


Customer you have the right to good service and the driver does not have to be your friend to provide it. Call and complain.


If you really want to keep him out of hot water then possible options may be to leave him a message on his cell phone first , send him a text message , send him a warning through another driver or maybe try to reach his business agent at his teamster local. But I would not continue to put up with this crap much longer without calling and complaining.
 

trickpony1

Well-Known Member
Tieguy-
Once again you're right! :lol:
One morning over coffee and donuts the mentioned driver and several others decided they would really disrupt their routes and have each other become "random" drivers through the other guys areas thereby causing the usual timely pick-up/delivery times to be erratic.

It didn't have anything to do with PAS/EDD :lol:
It didn't have anything to do with add/cut :lol:
It didn't have anything to do with cutting routes :lol:

Let's see you twist this around, reword it, paraphrase it and then go off on one of your usual tangents and then call me paranoid.

C'mon....I know you can do it. :thumbup1:
 

Dutch Dawg

Well-Known Member
....If you really want to keep him out of hot water then possible options may be to leave him a message on his cell phone first , send him a text message , send him a warning through another driver or maybe try to reach his business agent at his teamster local. But I would not continue to put up with this crap much longer without calling and complaining.

Tie, You forgot the option of throwing a rock with hand written note through the package car window. Surely, I hope you jest on the cell phone call, text message, or business agent.

The simple 800 call with a very brief complaint as first suggested still appears the best for this still hypothetical mysterious situation.
 

downdog

New Member
Thanks for the replies.

I don't think that my business depends on that one driver - not at all. I just see no coincidence that he delivered and pickuped here consistently and professionally for years - and then one day when he got upset, he stopped delivering, and my deliveries and pickups started coming from other drivers, and most importantly, not at all or a day or too late.

Prior to reading this, we assumed he had the other area guys filling in for him outside of company knowledge, and that they weren't doing a good job. We don't want to get him in trouble for that. However, perhaps its that he had his route changed to delete only our house and the problem therefore is with the other guys and not him at all. Perhaps I can safely complain without getting him in trouble. I'm certainly not willing or able to continue accepting a problem with my business letters and book deliveries so I need to get the problem fixed...thus posting here for advice.

In terms of details - he got upset when I asked him if he would like to try a bereavement support group my husband and I participate in after losing our parents suddenly. He lost two family members within a very short time and has been clearly depressed. However, we feel I offended him by asking him this and thereby implying he needs help. There's nothing more to it --- I am married and not having an affair with this guy, and neither is my male assistant. And, this guy never tried to initiate anything sexual, nothing like that.

Thanks to everyone. I appreciate the input.
 
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toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
I hear all the time, where is the other guy who delivered here before. Truth is, we are on the same street, and wave at each other several times throughout the day. Its a glich in our system, should not affect you. Taking the personal side out of it, you pay for a service you deserve it, and you need to fix it.
Personal side, if you are in a bereavement group, you know everyone handles grief differently. Maybe he is too close to you with the info you know to be comfortable at this time. Just call about the erratic time, etc, take over9fives advice, leave everything else out, give him time to heal, and you will see him again somewhere sometime.
Its great that you care, and Im glad you came here for advice. Its nice to know you care about someone you see every day, I too have treasured customers like that. But after a recent loss I just preferred to not talk to anyone I knew, until I somewhat healed. To break down in the middle of a day looks unprofessional and ruins the day. But you have a business to run, and thats what UPS does. So call and get it fixed.
If he is having problems with loss, he has to handle that however he does, in the meantime, do what you need to do.
 

canon

Well-Known Member
In terms of details - he got upset when I asked him if he would like to try a bereavement support group my husband and I participate

Just to cover all the bases, don't use big words around drivers. Maybe he thinks bereavement is something sexual? Sorry, I know this is going to upset a few of you out there... but we're known for our legs, not our brains. Unfair yes... but it's a cross we have to carry.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
Just to cover all the bases, don't use big words around drivers. Maybe he thinks bereavement is something sexual? Sorry, I know this is going to upset a few of you out there... but we're known for our legs, not our brains. Unfair yes... but it's a cross we have to carry.

Hope you were being sarcastic. Otherwise, you know how to reroute your system, through weird countries, but dont know english......?.


BTW Im known for legs, brains, AND other things.
 

tieguy

Banned
Tieguy-
Once again you're right! :lol:
One morning over coffee and donuts the mentioned driver and several others decided they would really disrupt their routes and have each other become "random" drivers through the other guys areas thereby causing the usual timely pick-up/delivery times to be erratic.

It didn't have anything to do with PAS/EDD :lol:
It didn't have anything to do with add/cut :lol:
It didn't have anything to do with cutting routes :lol:

Let's see you twist this around, reword it, paraphrase it and then go off on one of your usual tangents and then call me paranoid.

C'mon....I know you can do it. :thumbup1:

ah tricky , may I call you tricky? You do squirm when presented with options that do not allow you to properly condemn the company.

The customer clearly provided us with a timeline where the service disruptions began when the driver got PO at her.

The customer clearly gave examples of the exemplery , personalized service she recieved prior to the drivers pout.

Hence your attempt to blame systemic issues or the evil coorperation come up empty handed again.

I apologize that I have to rub your nose in these facts but alas I know you would not possibly want to lose a customer in the interest of falsly alibing the driver?
 

tieguy

Banned
Tie, You forgot the option of throwing a rock with hand written note through the package car window. Surely, I hope you jest on the cell phone call, text message, or business agent.

The simple 800 call with a very brief complaint as first suggested still appears the best for this still hypothetical mysterious situation.

Well the customer did ask for options that would allow her to avoid calling the company.

By the way trickster I didn't get any attaboys for providing her with options to save the driver discipline?
 

tieguy

Banned
Thanks for the replies.

I don't think that my business depends on that one driver - not at all. I just see no coincidence that he delivered and pickuped here consistently and professionally for years - and then one day when he got upset, he stopped delivering, and my deliveries and pickups started coming from other drivers, and most importantly, not at all or a day or too late.

Prior to reading this, we assumed he had the other area guys filling in for him outside of company knowledge, and that they weren't doing a good job. We don't want to get him in trouble for that. However, perhaps its that he had his route changed to delete only our house and the problem therefore is with the other guys and not him at all. Perhaps I can safely complain without getting him in trouble. I'm certainly not willing or able to continue accepting a problem with my business letters and book deliveries so I need to get the problem fixed...thus posting here for advice.

In terms of details - he got upset when I asked him if he would like to try a bereavement support group my husband and I participate in after losing our parents suddenly. He lost two family members within a very short time and has been clearly depressed. However, we feel I offended him by asking him this and thereby implying he needs help. There's nothing more to it --- I am married and not having an affair with this guy, and neither is my male assistant. And, this guy never tried to initiate anything sexual, nothing like that.

Thanks to everyone. I appreciate the input.

here you go trick. Good hearted customer tries to help depressed driver and driver gets offended. Terrific service stops abruptly thereafter.
 
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