Unrealistic (AKA stupid) On Demand Pickups

OptimusPrime

Well-Known Member
Was say 1:00pm. Get an ODS for a package for 2:00PM. Know the business. Know they are open until 10pm. Call the center, tell them to squash that crap. Will do it during pickups, when I am back in that area. No dice. Customer wants it by 2. Uggh. So I go, pick it up. Talk to the guy. Explain to him, no matter when the package hits the truck, it's not getting back to the building any sooner than I do. "I just feel better knowing the package is out of the office". Uggh.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
Tell him the longer it sits on the truck the greater the chance of it getting damaged.

Yes, tell him that during the day you meet up with other trucks and transfer work back and forth. Some of the other trucks work thru the night so it may not make it back to the building for the night sort. With all the movement of boxes to and from other trucks their is a small chance the package could mistakenly get shifted to the wrong truck. Being that you care about the customer so much, you don't want to see an honest mistake keep his package from making service.

Or, work as directed and soak up the easy OT by breaking off to make service. That makes a lot more sense for my wallet.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
If I get an OCA with a commit time that I would have to break off to get but will be in that area later I will put the ETA as the time that I will be in that area unless I know that the business will be closing early that day. Commit times for OCA requests made online are usually much earlier than those made through the 1-800#.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
I automatically send back all resi on demands that have a 5p commit. I get 1 for the same address at least twice a week, OMS still sends it with a 1700 commit and I send it back. Boggles my mind that is a customer choosable commit time, gives some customers waaaay too much power.

I have had others that wanted pick ups while delivering and I show them the back of my truck and say, "are you sure????" I am covering a route that is 1/2 rural with lots of gravel roads, by noon, anything in the back of my truck is covered in dust.
 

Dragon

Package Center Manager
I guess in this thread customer service doesn't apply.....but in the other thread it does (you know the one...where you piss and moan about the customer not getting the early delivery)....
 

Big Babooba

Well-Known Member
I had one for a stop that another driver was a half a mile away from. I was 5 miles from it. They wouldn't give it to him because he was in a different town. 10 mile round trip vs 1 mile round trip? Yet don't idle your truck to keep your ass warm during your lunch.
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
I just put in the time for when I will be there no matter what the commit time says, hit yes after it prompts that it's ok after commit and then when the "late for pickup" reason prompt comes up I mark "delayed in traffic". Every time!
 

packageguy

Well-Known Member
Was say 1:00pm. Get an ODS for a package for 2:00PM. Know the business. Know they are open until 10pm. Call the center, tell them to squash that crap. Will do it during pickups, when I am back in that area. No dice. Customer wants it by 2. Uggh. So I go, pick it up. Talk to the guy. Explain to him, no matter when the package hits the truck, it's not getting back to the building any sooner than I do. "I just feel better knowing the package is out of the office". Uggh.

Remember, You get paid by the hour.......
 

hellfire

no one considers UPS people."real" Teamsters.-BUG
I guess in this thread customer service doesn't apply.....but in the other thread it does (you know the one...where you piss and moan about the customer not getting the early delivery)....

dear sir,,i must disagree,,the VAST majority of my oca's are resi...also most are rs or ars,, with silly commits,, 1100 am,, 12 am on a resi thats simply sitting outside in the porch..I see it as a huge waste of gas and time ..Yet i should not question it???????????????????/
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
Remember, You get paid by the hour.......

...but wouldn't you rather work smarter than harder? If you are going to be in that area later and the business is not closing early what difference does it make what time you get there?

I am working smarter and not harder. Te easiest money I make is driving from one end of town to the other. I don't get paid to think so I cant answer your last question.
 

Indecisi0n

Well-Known Member
...but wouldn't you rather work smarter than harder? If you are going to be in that area later and the business is not closing early what difference does it make what time you get there?

I agree. I send a message to the center to change the commit time. If they do not then I will break off and waste time.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
we are not allow to refuse. We have to accept then message or call center and they will determine whether to take it out. If refuse you could end up in the principles office.
That's how it was last I was in Package. If you refused an OCA, it would show on some report that the person sending it to you made a mistake. Even tho that was true, we have to hide that sort of thing.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
That's how it was last I was in Package. If you refused an OCA, it would show on some report that the person sending it to you made a mistake. Even tho that was true, we have to hide that sort of thing.

Same here--we accept and then ODS asking them to either change the commit or assign to a different driver.
 

beentheredonethat

Well-Known Member
...but wouldn't you rather work smarter than harder? If you are going to be in that area later and the business is not closing early what difference does it make what time you get there?

How do you know with 100% certain, that the business will be open later? How do you know this isn't a personal package for someone where it absolutely has to be shipped and that person does not want to leave it at the dock when they leave for the day? Have you ever, ever missed a pickup? Has someone in your center has?

Keep in mind, one of the problems with UPS back in the days was we had the attitude as a company that it was UPS way or the highway. We would not wait for the customer to have a package ready. We would not alter the normal pickup time for the customer. We would not alter the route to get a customers package to them earlier in the day. It was like the Henry Ford method of color selection. You can have it any way you want so long as you want black. With competition, we have to bend. We have to do what the customer is paying for us to do. Not just what is convenient for us.

I find it ironic, so many people have posted that they "LIE" such as writing reason "Traffic delay" when they know that is not the case.

However, I do realize 90% of the time, probably more, you are right, the customer can have a later pickup time without impacting them. Maybe it's even 99% of the time. How do you know when it's that 90-99% of the time, and when it's not? You don't.
 
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