UPS vs FED EX

[macafee]

Is UPS gonna be able to weather the Fed ex storm,,read so much on fedex how great they are doing,hear nothing on UPS,,how can we help UPS -n- us to re gain volume,we need all to pull together and get our work back,if we do no one can touch big brown,,,teamsters -n- Ups lets work together and make something very special ps UPS is #1

 

[archibald]

You worry about all you hear about fed-ex, since the contract was done I haven't seen the fed-ex ground guy on my route, yes the same guy who told all my customers we were going to strike again. remember, the chicken who is the loudest loses his head first, UPS knows what they are doing but doesn't go screaming to the media for headlines to show everyone what they are doing.I am sorry for this cheryl, but macafee, get a clue !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tieguy]

Arch,
You have to keep in mind that Fedex is over the 2 million mark on packages. Most of that would be ours if no Fedex competition. First objective has to be to slow the bleeding. Then how do we get it back.

 

[dannyboy]

One thing we could try is quit charging all those "other fees and services" charges. In our center one of the new "revenue enhancement" tricks is the addy correction charge. They do about 3000 a week at 5 bucks a pop. One of my customers is being hit VERY hard. To the tune of 1500 to 1800 dollars a day by these charges. And what is the addy problem that they are being charged for? Their zip. The same one that the PO gave them in the 60's. The same one that they have been useing all these years. Now we go in and are telling them that they are using the wrong zip? Its hard to get new volume when we deliver a NDA letter that cost them 14.50 and then charge them 10 bucks more cause we think their zip is wrong.

Just my humble opinion.

d

 

[steward]

Then compound the problem by hiring out to temporary service for clerks to make zip code corrections. Pay them per deim, give them a camera and they go at it with a vengence. All of us drivers see it all day long, the address correction stamp on a package with a perfect address. cha ching 5$

 

[archibald]

Tieguy, I tell you how we get it back, focus more on fighting FEDEX than fighting against each other! I am so tired of the in-fighting.The problem is alot of old-timers, union and managment are retiring an the "new UPS" is not the same as when I came up. Noone wants to kick thier ass more than me, I have 18 years invested so I am in for the long haul, but our focus is not right at this time.I will continue to do what I can and I hope others will follow, the strike happened and it is over, we have to heal the wounds as long as it takes, both sides together.

 

[tieguy]

good post arch. The other side of the coin on the address corrections is that customers don't change the dang thing. We call em, we charge em, we call em again and they keep shipping it to the wrong zip. This type of mistake by the shipper results in packages being missorted which costs us extra handles and reflects poorly on us. All the consignee sees is that we delivered the package late. I've trained preload clerks in the past and there is no doubt in my mind that most of the address corrections we charge are ligimate charges that do result in our missorting their package and delivering it late.

 

[upsdude]

Don't forget the packages that say.. "Do Not Address Correct! RTS Only" then we turn around and AC the darn thing anyway!

Or

A business moves to an address within the same center, why charge the shipper for those? In the pre tracking number days I could understand going through the AC process (claims). With today's technology we can prove delivery.

 

[wkmac]

You guys check out the article Cheryl posted on the homepage entitled, "FedEx Ground UnWraps Major Expansion Plans". These guys are building a network because they feel confident going forward and the worse part is their network of distribution hubs will be latest technology automation that although the upfront cost is higher than conventional buildings it's longterm cost will be overall lower because of lower labor cost and higher efficency. We'd better tighten up or we'll be behind a very serious 8-Ball. FedEx "IS" taking volume and major accounts "ARE" moving over. Some folks feel they'll be back when quality becomes important again rather than just price but what if they get the quality issues resolved. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

 

[wkmac]

BTW: I suggest you print out the article and post it around the work site. I am.

 

[johnny_b]

What article?

 

[peacock71]

MAC:

ALthough I agree with your sense of competitive intensity, I have to point out that some of these 'new' hubs are meant to replace an aging infrastructure that RPS created that soon become quite out of date and in many cases not maintained. FEDEX is known for sowing disinformation in the marketplace. However, every single UPSer should know that this is a significant threat to our core business, and while FEDEX can't beat UPS operationally, they are known for having an edge in customer attention, a fact long mentioned on this board and on others. UPS will (is) responding, but again we are not good at the hype the media so seems to enjoy. Just look at the recently posted
price comparisons in a local shipping contest. UPS was reported to be 3X as high as FEDEX. Our local people are supposed to know how to handle such situations but somehow they don't do it.

Go UPS!
P71

 

[upsdawg]

The days when our customers left to use RPS and than came back are gone----along with our customers!!

We are forced to keep raising the rates to cover our costs ( that is why we charge a nominal fee for address corrections--to cover the labor cost).How long can we continue to keep rising the rates only for our competitors to lower theirs enough through discounting, or leveraging their air and the ground to attract more business?

Customers are willing to pay more for a better service---but is that what we are ofering these days?? I hear a lot of complaining from our drivers and if I were a customre and felt that my driver was unhappy--why would I use that company if I could get a similar service elsewhere for the same or less??-

Too many packages---or what happened to all of our packages that we used to have? I am one who remembers the days when UPS was the other company and REA was the big dog-------that changed over night!!!

Let us get back to the basics----customer satisfaction--the best service at the lowest rates---zero service failures!!!!

Latest reports sre thst FED Ex has moved up to 18.5 % of the market for ground and UPS has dropped from 64 to 62% of the market---do we wait until it is 50-50 before we change our mindset??

 

[pkgdriver]

All of us drivers see it all day long, the address correction stamp on a package with a perfect address. cha ching 5$

A box that isnt os1/os2/ah,wrong zip etc with a correction on it is very prevelant.Dim weights also corrected wrong.This should not be a revenue stream.This is the BIGGEST complaint from my pickup customers.The bills are usually corrected promptly but why do MY customers have to take time on the phone to do this? My guess is 30% of corrections are not warrented.

 

[wkmac]

P71,
You may very well be correct and having known of you for several years I trust and respect your thoughts and comments but I would like to add just one thing.

It's easier to stop a snowball at the top of the hill rather than waiting to catch it halfway down or even worse at the bottom! JMO.

 

[sendagain]

The respect we used to enjoy is disappearing as the people behind the drivers keep dropping the ball. Our phone centers alone are probably driving half our business away. Many customers see Fed Ex as a more professional company and maybe they are. If the people at the top would listen to the guys doing the job and facing the customer each day, perhaps they would realize that we can't keep offending customers and stay in business. Quite squeezing people with one fee after another and maybe we can stay on top because we acquire more business and not just more money. Let's stop forcing America to fund every global expansion around the world. Too many people in America are hurting financially.

 

[rushfan]

AMEN about the phone centers!

 

[dannyboy]

Hey Upsdawg

I know why we charge the addy correction charge, but are we doing a addy correction? Or are they just filling out forms and charging , cause they know that most will not call and spend endless hours on the phone trying to get it taken off.

I stay as positive as anyone. Its just when the customer compains to me, and I have taken it all the way to the district manager, who says "that cant be, Ill look into it". I remember not too long ago some managers were in our operation. Cracker Barrel was just getting opened up and had 16 early am NDA. One of them asked if we had that service in our area. WE didnt. HE called the delivery sup and had him fill out the paper work for a credit to just NDA charges. Now that is service honesty and integrity. Look at your corporate posters that you have every where. Its still on there. But charging 5-10 dollars for not doing anything, how can you defend that. And when a customer gets the bill and its 12,956. more than it should be...... well what the heck am I to tell them?

They dont have that problem with FDX. So who do you think they are going with?

d

 

[johnny_b]

The only ones I know for sure get charged that shouldn't are the weird zip codes. There is at least one in NY that has a 080xx zip that gets sent to addy correction, I also seem to remember a CA with a NV zip. Also, sometimes the label falls off and I assume we charge.

I have been told, when I see a box where someone was obviously just dyslexic or something, NOT to just write on the box and to send it to correction so that we can charge the fee. That makes sense sometimes as I guess I could be wrong, it happens 0.1 % of the time.

It all seems to wash out to me. If the customer wants their five bucks back all they have to do is call (I presume?). IF there is anyone who charges for a correction that is completely unneccessary then I think I would find who it was and do my best to get them fired!

 

[upsdawg]

We have a new Region Manager and I like some of his philosophies---his name is Wayne Herring. I saw something that was listed as "Fish Food" and it asked the question: "is it the people or the process?"

It's easy to change the "people" part but the "process" part is a little more complicated!!!