UPS Stores replacing UPS counter jobs?

[capnroxxor]

What about this post from Teamster.net?

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Hey, the counter jobs are at risk. The only thing separating a UPS Store or MBE from the UPS counter is the prices they charge walk-ins. UPS is mandating that UPS Stores install the ISHIP kiosks in their stores for account holders to ship thier own packages. In fact ill go so far as to say a UPS Store or MBE is SUPERIOR to a UPS Counter in terms of convienience and product line. The UPS Counter does not package, have a large array of packaging supplys, or other services. The UPS counter only offers UPS services, where some customers may prefer FedEx or Airborne, and the price may be better for the same service. The closest UPS counter to me keeps rotten hours and is basically a shed with a scale. A dropbox provides better service than that.

Im sure the next step for UPS, if the courts let them get by with murder (it was a CA court that let OJ walk, right?) will be to move the UPS Stores down to counter rates. Then, I ask you, what can a UPS counter do that the UPS Store cant? Prices are the same, the customer processing capacity is more than likely better at the UPS Store, and best of all, the UPS Store HAS TO PAY UPS FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING OPEN. The teamster clerk needs a union wage, big bennies, and a pension. Where do you think UPS would rather the package go? Another program being developed is taking the undeliverable packages to a UPS Store for the customer to pick up there instead of the counter. The UPS Store owner will be compensated crumbs for doing union work. Will a UPS employee be there to field customer complaints? Will a UPS employee be there to answer the phones when irate customers call up thinking they are the counter and waste thier man-hours? No. UPS makes all the money and has to provide little. Its a parasitic relationship that dodges union contracts. I hope the union wakes up to this fact before its too late.

 

[capnroxxor]

This one makes the point.

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ARTICLE 32. SUBCONTRACTING
For the purpose of preserving work and job opportunities for the employees covered by this Agreement, the Employer agrees that no work or services of the kind, nature or type, and including new operations or buildings, covered by, presently performed, or hereafter assigned to the collective bargaining unit will be subcontracted, transferred, leased, assigned or conveyed in whole, unless otherwise provided in this Agreement. The Employer may not subcontract work in any classification for the purpose of avoiding overtime. The Employer may not subcontract work in any classification if any employee who normally performs such work is on layoff.
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Franchisees, although independent, don't own the business but own the assets they have purchased to establish the business. They still have to obey the rules of the franchiser, in this case MBE which is owned by UPS.

If the company is closing customer counters manned by bargaining unit members and referring customers to the UPS Store, in essence transferring bargaining unit work to a non-union subsidiary, then it appears a case can be made under Article 32, IMO.

 

[brown39]

I would only ship through the UPS counter and if no other alternative I would ship through the UPSS. I would boycott anything and anyone associated with mbe, fdx or dhl. It is about time real UPS'ers stand up and take back lost volume and protect volume as well as get additional volume. These thieves and cheats from other groups threaten our very existence. It appears that mbe is declaring war on UPS as well as UPSS to surpress any competition while contributing to the success of fdx, usps, dhl. Their only allegiance is to themselves.

 

[dannyboy]

IN our area customer counters are manned by OMS's, not union personel. So cutting out the customer counter will not effect union jobs.

Now as a practical matter, I deliver many packages to the UPS store that the customer wants delivered. And I do it for the other over the counter pickups also, and have done so for many years. The customer wants it sent there for a great number of reasons, including having a business addy to keep costs down, having a business adress to meet certain requirements of people they deal with, having a different addy for security reasons, and privacy reasons, and who are we to argue.

As far as UPS sending out a package we dont know where it goes, or we dont feel like delivering, to a UPS store, I dont see it happening. And even if it did, I would be the one delivering it to them, not management.

So I dont see how there is any basis for any aledged violation of the contract.

d

 

[upsdawg]

The UPS Stores accept packages to go out through UPS--Fed Ex --Airborne- POst Office-Anybody and everybody---Can a UPS Union Employee do that--it is called meeting the needs of the public who want one stop shopping and are willing to pay --in some cases up to 40% more--what does that tell you??

If we forced the UPS Stores to be staffed by union personell they would have to double the rates to pay for the high labor cost. This is America and the UPS Store --or for that fact the ASO is an excellent example of Capitalism--people owning their own business and providing a service that customers want and finding a fair rate to charge them---and make a profit!!

I thank UPS for buying into MBE in 1988 to prevent Fed Ex or DHL or the Post Office from having an easy access for the public to use their services---sounds like UPS was smart in protecting our volume and jobs!!

It is in our tarriff, that we have to allow the public into our facilities to ship packages---we don't have the room to really have a counter in most of our buildings--it is a convienence for our customers----why will our customers use an ASO or MBE or UPS Store and pay more?? Is it better service--more convenient hours Monday -Saturday (Some Sundays)--experienced people who know more about UPS services than some of our drivers and counter people??

I like the fact that UPS is leveraging our good name Brand and making money in our attempt to make it easy for customers to ship/receive packages and keeping our competitors at bay from taking away anymore of our business !!

 

[capnroxxor]

Yet UPS is using these stores to recruit the customers to UPS accounts and the stores lose the revenue from shipping. UPS is heavily advertisin online shipping, On-call pickups, And SOHO daily pickup accounts that bypass thier own UPS Stores, which is totally against the idea of having a bricks and mortar location. The compensation for those prepaid drops is not enough to pay the rent on either. The MBE name invoked an image of stores that did more than shipping, I.E. copying, mailbox rental, ETC. Customers are confused that UPS Stores still do these services and it will take a lot of time and money to regain these customers who are going elsewhere for these services. UPS is hurting the bottom line for these stores by requiring the use of "approved vendors" for photocopiers, packaging supplies, and the like instead of giving them the freedom to buy supplies from local vendors for better prices. UPS also continues to do business with their competition, other mail stores and Office supply stores. Office Depot and Staples offer shipping at counter rates, as well as package boxes and copies/office supplies which is most of what makes money in a UPS Store.

Many MBEs converted because of the promise of new business that is just not coming like was "promised", or they wanted to sell, or out of intimidation. UPS is not a good owner to have, as their interests are always going to come before the Franchisees. When every person in America has a UPS Account, what will these stores do for money?

 

[dannyboy]

I beg to differ. All the UPS stores here are doing a booming business, and growing very fast. THey will have to have a trailer droped for the christmas volume.

IT seems that if you spent your time trying to grow your business instead of crying into your computer, yours would be to. Try it. Spend time getting customers. UPS is a drawing card, but you still have to go out and get business for yourself.

So Im sorry if you dont get much sympathy here, we just cant stand crybabies that wont pull their own pants up, and when they trip over it, they try and blame someone else.

d

 

[capnroxxor]

What evidence do you have that all 3,000 stores are doing well? Do you have any proof of this? The MBEs have some proof to the contrary.

 

[dannyboy]

Not all UPS employees do well. But why dont they?

You can allways find those that are the exception to the rule.

But like I said, you came here posting about things you know nothing about, like union workforce being relaced by UPS stores. It aint happening.

d

 

[badhab1]

Danny, please consider not responding to these mbes. They will truly end up trashing this decent board. Notice that if they don't get responses on one thread they will simply circumvent the topic and post on another. I disagree with some of your posts and even though tie has mellowed, many of his previous ones were too biased but these folks are beyond tolerance of many of us. Yahoo was never a quality board but it is now a joke. JMHO

 

[dannyboy]

Your right. I shall. ITs just I hate listening to loosers. They allways find someone to blame for their failures.

d

 

[capnroxxor]

UPS is the one setting the prices for shipping at these stores, dictating the vendors they buy from, and charging fees that they do not charge other Authorized shipping outlets, and they still do business with direct competitors to the UPS Stores like Office Depot. UPS also does more advertising for internet shipping and residential pickups than ads for the UPS Store. Are you saying all those situations are the storeowner's fault?

 

[upsdawg]

Thanks Dannyboy---rather harsh, but true.

The UPS Stores as a whole has volumes through the roof---there are going to always be exceptions to this because of location or just the people running the store!!

I would bet that the value of any of the MBE stores has increased since UPS bought MBE and migrated the stores to the UPS Store. I can't beleive that there would be ANY MBE Store who is not grateful to have UPS come in before US Stationary filed Chapter 11 and buy just the MBE portion. What if UPS would have let them file chapter--where would the MBE Stores be than??

This is a free market and I would think that if there is someone who owns a business and is not happy with it could sell it---get out from the control from UPS---because if you don't--your store will continue to appreciate in value---complain all the way to the bank!!!

Or maybe become independent or see what PalMail or one of the other ASO's has to offer!!

 

[capnroxxor]

US office products went bankrupt which had nothing to do with the success of the MBE brand. MBE made a mistake by going public and allowing a company with other interests to use MBE as a cash cow and misuse the royalties paid to them by hardworking Franchisees. Had UPS not bought them, the MBEs would still continue on with whatever success they had before, but possibly face going independant or joining another franchise. No MBE was in jeapordy of filing for bankruptsy as a result of the failure of thier franchisor.

Once again they are in the possession of a franchisor who has thier own interests put before the interests of the stores. UPS is doing great with these stores, as they are seeing the package volume. But are the storeowners taking home more money? In many cases not. Shipping double the number of packages means nothing when the profit made on those packages are lower, so the net profit that pays the bills and the owner's salary is not enough to justify the doubled workload and overhead.

You obviously have not read the GS agreement. UPS has it written in that the stores cannot go independant without legal action, or sell the store without shouldering the cost of UPS Store conversion first. The UPS store owner has lost so much control of their business they have been reduced to a caretaker of UPS's new prepaid counter. Isnt it wonderful that UPS found a way to have the labor pay them for a change!

 

[dannyboy]

Badhab

It is interesting that the MBE tries to make a point in quoting thing he has no knowledge of, trying to gain support for its personal agenda.

In the case of the customer counter clerks, in our area they are OMS's. Management. Interestingly, in the city with the UPS center and counter, the UPS store is doing great, with 75-100 packages going out each day, and this is their second year. Even when they had the Nascar Race right down the road, and our management team put in a shipping counter at the track, the UPS stores volume almost doubled that week. Im sorry, from what the losers are posting and reality, there is a large discrepancy. And with someone that constantly posts inacurate info, I guess that would make them a liar?

Getting close to my retirement, I started a business that, while starting to take off, is not able to pay me what I make at UPS. And for the first 5-10 years I would be a fool to think it would. But with hard work, intelligent decisions, and a willingness on my part to work long hours now with and useing the income for expansion, it will. And if it doesnt, then I only have me to blame for the failure.

d

 

[badhab1]

Wish only the best for your business venture. I have seen both oms & hrly manning counters. Of course several years ago they were manned in the S.E. exclusively by non-union clerical personnel. Never made much difference to me as long as the quality and dedication was present.JMHO

 

[proups]

capnroxxor: I have some useful advice for you about your UPS Store - SELL IT!

I am sure that there is an individual out there that will see the value in the UPS brand, and would buy it from you.

The real question, that I have not seen you answer, is are you making more or less than you were before UPS bought MBE?

By the way, I haven't seen any UPS customer counters closed.

 

[rushfan]

Nothing mentioned about closing our customer counter here. The counter employees are not covered by the contract in our area.

In our area, another UPS store just opened. The first week of business, I was picking up 30 pkgs a day. Since then the volume has jumped. I spoke with the owner who owns another ups store in our area. He said his volume went up 43% yes 43% compared to last year. His store is within 3 miles of one of those who didn't convert to ups store. By contrast that other store who didn't convert ships friend-word company. He has nothing to do with us. My hypothesis is those customers have left him to ship with us at the ups store.

I haven't heard anything about ups advertising during the holidays, but my other hypothesis is ups will be pushing the ups store during this holiday season.

 

[lemon]

"He said his volume went up 43% yes 43% compared to last year."

Did he happen to say anything about his PROFITS?

We have local stores that have a far greater volume % increase - unfortunately they are making less money - not only on shipping, but also mailboxes, copies, faxes...

Show me the MONEY! (not the volume)

 

[upsdawg]

The side benefits to the volume being up at the UPS Stores is the additional foot traffic. UPS can not have any control of the fact that the customers do not purchase stamps--packaging supplies--private mail boxes--copies-faxes-pagers--notary/passport--frozen pizza?-----whatever it is that the UPS Stores can sell a customer , other than UPS Shipping.

The possible side benefits of the future are unknown--but should be exciting that there could be some future enhancements which would be lucrative for the Francishees. Are you making a 40% mark up on everything like before---no--are you having return business because the rates are now competitive and customers don't feel like they are being gouged?? YES! Is UPS sharing in some of the adverising dollars, where they weren't before?

Maybe the best advice is from PROUPS---maybe it is time for those locations who don't see any value to the UPS involvement to sell their locations (for more than they were worth before the UPS involvement) to someone who sees the value.

I have seen when some of the MBE/UPS Store locations that were sold and the new owners were able to have increased volume immediately---is that because the old owners weren't meeting the needs of their customers????