Shipping & Handling

[Richard]

Hey Del..

You said.."Some people want to return stuff months, even YEARS later"

Brings up a situation with a customer when I used to work retail.

Customer comes in dragging one of these play houses for children (his daughter). He said he needed to return it. We asked if he had his receipt (no) if there was anything defective with it (no). When did he buy it? Last year (though our gut feeling had our doubts). So finally, he was asked rather bluntly, WHY did he need to return it?

"I need to return this back to you because my daughter no longer derives any satisfaction from it"

(Well DUH...you mean maybe she grew up and no longer plays with it??)

We tried to politely tell him that we REALLY needed to have the receipt before we could talk any further. He left WITHOUT his refund (rental fee??). Score ONE point for the business and ZERO for the "always right" customer!!

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[putty340]

MREETER how are you doing? I have been a UPS driver in Id. for 12 yrs now,how do you like the new production rules-go,go,go,safety first unless it slows you down,(sorry guys I got excited again-I know I shouldnt show that side of things)."shipping charges" is definetly a loose term,I have seen many sales companies think of this as a avenue of income,as a general rule the bigger the company the more the volume the better the shipping rates,the better companies will send you an ARS (authorized return shipping) tag, or a CALL. tag for return ,at no cost to you. Be mindful that the day companies say they ship it, isnt always the day they ship it-UPS does get it going in the wrong direction sometimes-just learn how to track it with UPS online services.Also be aware of where it is coming from,which does affect prices, if you order it from a place that is 100 miles from you, the package could be coming from a werehouse 3000 miles from you. You have two Ups drivers on this board just ask if you have any problems.

 

[MReeter]

Hey Putty,Yes UPS has never been an easy company to work for,especially since Aug. '97,and most recently when the Co. went public.Now so much for work,Hows that new L3000!!!!! I know you'll love it,we've had a Kubota around since 1994.You need to get a pic of the tractor and yourself posted someday.As soon as it warms up enough I'm planning on getting a pic of my wife,our son and myself on the Botas one day.Keep up the stops per hour,Ha! and enjoy the ballgame this weekend.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

One funny item is that there are still a lot of companies operating in an internet-less world. They are still doing the "we shipped it last week" business, not knowing that anyone can track the package and see EXACTLY when it was shipped from their desktop, and show when it was delivered.

And to the UPS driver "putty?" I have my problems with UPS lately but it is the drivers that 99 out of 100 really shine. It is sad that the bigger a company is the less sense they have dealing with their employees. (they forget they are people and their representatives). I can remember times when my driver was grumbling, he is TOTALLY professional and he was being followed around for some reason. I said if he ever has advance notice again I'll open a road out the back of my property so he can get out to another road and the management can sit out on the highway until they get cramps!

del

 

[putty340]

Hey thanks DEL! All drivers can appriciate the understanding,I have been followed many times -no trouble just a lack of trust, sometimes I am not allowed to represent UPS as well as I want to-just a number I guess. I do like to take care of those co. you spoke of because, they are usually smaller and more defenceless against any big buisness with many resources.

 

[Bird]

These delivery companies are just everyone else; they have to hire people, so they get all kinds of personalities. When Airborne or FedEx come here, it's always young drivers, smiling, cheerful, like they're having a great time, but our UPS guy is an older fellow who looks like he hasn't smiled in 40 years, doesn't open his mouth to say a single word unless it's a short answer to a direct question. Looks and acts like he must really hate his job. Maybe it's because my brother is a UPS pickup point, so that driver has to come out here every day./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Del,
I got a big laugh out of your "back-road ESCAPE" idea.
Terrific/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif!
Isn't there something "jumbo-shrimp"ish about the idea of bureaucrats "checking-up" on real workers?
At least they're (bureaucrats) good (sometimes) for laughing-at!!

/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Larry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Sometimes that the case,so far we have had 3 different drivers, because we are in a rural area with the routes being juggled around. All of these guys has 15-20 years under their belt and I enjoy seeing each of them. I would think since we see them at the end of their day they WOULD have that "ground up" feeling but they haven't, EVER. Wish I could be so cheerful myself every day. They are all my age, when knees, backs etc start letting you know they are there!

One of our drivers a few years back was wearing ILLEGAL shorts! Not approved by the home office in Downtown Somewhere Nowhere. This was in the summer when his truck was like being in an oven. They hassled him over it, that was when he was wearing the traditional brown ones, then he switched to red ones for awhile! What a guy.

 

[Bird]

del, maybe the time of day has something to do with our UPS driver's attitude. I don't know what kind of hours they work, how the routing is laid out, etc., but he's not likely to get here before 5 p.m. and I know it's a 50 mile trip back to the terminal when he leaves here (and I don't know whether he has any other stops after he leaves here or not).

Bird

 

[putty340]

bird,I have to say driving is a deceivingly physical job,I have been a labor for many jobs none like this, our weight limit is 150lbs a pkg- thats all day long in an industrial area ( many machine shops ,paper mills ,ect). I usually work 10 -12 hrs a day-an 8 hour day is like a half day,about 170 buisness stops. I want to get home to my family. That is just the bad about the job though,there are many good points like; you meet many good people, you get to know all the professionals(if I have a problem with anything I know I will see 5 or 6 plumbers, or 10 mechanics, or 4 or 5 computer tech`s). that is really cool about the job. I bought my Bota from a place on my route! By the way tractor places get many heavy pkgs. smiley face here! ~~~ man I have to learn exactly how to do those faces.