Let it be known that I appreciate hard working individuals, union or otherwise. And while unions had their place, I feel they are unnecessary and a drain on our economy in many respects. But my recent run-ins with UPS have strengthened my convictions.

A little background: My business ships daily with UPS, about 20 packages on average. We have been a paying customer of UPS for almost 20 years and even supported them during the strike by using USPS instead of a competing carrier.

About 4 months ago, we had a sub driver on our route. He was routinely delivering packages at the same time that he was picking up. While this is not technically a policy violation, it is considered a service issue. After the 5th day of getting my deliveries at 4:30PM, I told the driver "we can't live with this, what can we do about our delivery time?" He ignored me. I mean, completely ignored, dead silence until he pulled away and said "have a nice day." (And no, he can hear perfectly well, it was quite obvious what was going on.) So I raised holy hell with his route supervisor and my sales person. Service returned to normal and I never saw him again.......

...until this week. So he's back, but no delivery issues until today. He does the exact same thing, 4:30 delivery at the same time as our pickup. I can't do business like this, I have J.I.T. shipments that need to be turned around same day. So this time he speaks, but every word is condescending and arrogant. So he departs and I make it known that I'll be calling my sales rep.

I called everyone I could reach and reported him for being a general jackass and a putz, not necessarily in those words. And I actually had a sympathetic ear at UPS who said he was not terribly fond of this guy either. But you know what's the worst part of this story? They can't fire him! Not without major cause. The Teamsters are too powerful and you practically have to make a case for murder before they can terminate. So I am left with this guy who may or may not be placed on my route again making half-assed deliveries and being a general ass.

So yea, if you read this far, let me know if you have any suggestions. I normally would never think of having someone fired, but this guy absolutely deserves it, and I would actually be pleased it it happened, he is obviously hiding behind the union, otherwise he wouldn't risk $30+/hr and great benefits by being such an ass to paying customers.
 

You are correct that it is not a guarantee. However, from a service perspective, it is understood that UPS delivers to businesses during the business day, not at the end. If it were a guarantee issue, I would just refuse to pay the bill.

Switching to FedEx would be a major inconvenience. I have to decide if (a) it's worth it and (b) UPS fails to correct this issue. If either of these two conditions becomes overwhelmingly clear, FedEx will be the way to go. They were horrid as RPS, but over the years it seems that FedEx has turned that around. Unfortunately, the drivers are still contractors, which makes service unpredictable at times. But they are certainly improving consistently.

Haha, UPS does everything in their power to isolate customers to their local sales reps. I have a page full of local center phone numbers that are supposed to be unpublished. It's the best I have short of UPS corporate, which is impenetrable via phone. Although the letter route is likely my next step if things do not improve.
 

I used to work in a warehouse and did my time on the loading dock and parts JAIL, so i understand how important those J.I.T and kitting pieces can be. This guy is like a few of the DHL fellows i had to deal with. Normal arrival was about 10-10:30 and again at 2-2:30, except for the one guy who got everything there at 4:45 without fail.

If he is costing you money or otherwise impeding your normal operating schedule you can legitimately request him being removed from your route. How you can prove that though may be difficult, extra fees incurred or letters demanding better service (or similar memos) from whoever you're doing business with should be enough to convince the union to move this guy.

I'd suggest sticking to FedEx, their service has always been impeccable in my experience.
 

From what I've read, UPS is only under an obligation to have it delivered by 8:00pm, unless you have a special deal with them. I've heard of this thing where you can pay to make sure that it arrives before 11am, but it's pretty friggin' expensive.
 

No chance at continuing to escalate the issue further up the ladder? It seems to me that losing a customer of 20~ years would be really fucking stupid, all over one idiot delivery person. Seems asinine really.

On the other hand there's always bribes, hehe.

As painful as it maybe to switch over, perhaps it's time you look towards using Fedex. Or even switching back to USPS for awhile. I mean, if you need shit earlier and UPS doesn't deliver it earlier, and they're not willing to do anything; then it seems like you'll need to switch. Then again if you continue to complain constantly then surely they'll address it... right?
 

Switch to FedEx? It's called capitalism. Go to the competitor.
 

What type of industry do you work for, and what is the time you prefer?
 

A union is a great thing to be in if you worm your way into the leadership.

It's almost like the mob (by which I mean exactly like the mob) but it's legal!
 

I used to work for the UPS store.

Fuck em.
 

Yesh well, I don't like Fed Ex. Their "overnight" delivery took 3 fucking days. NOT including the weekend!!!

Seriously, I'd call and be like "What can brown do for me?! It can get this jackass off my route or I'm going with Fed Ex." lol.
 

Fuck UPS. I got a 6:45 PM delivery. 6:45! I had to wait all bloody day for it.
 

Niggas be fuckin wit you, you gotta put two in the nigga's dome. Take him up to dem row houses. Ain't nobody ever see dat motherfucka again.
 

He's white, middle aged and ugly. I think he must live with his mom. And I think he eats his boogers.
 

Guess you'll just have to try DHL, then.
 

DHL is no longer doing ground shipping. They got their shit handed to them on a silver platter.

But I can't really switch, UPS does a great job "after it leaves my door" and their software is second to none as far as integration and automation. It's very frustrating to be sure.
 

Cut off your money on the days that he doesn't deliver the packages on time. Cite it as a breach of contract and send them a formal letter. Ask the courier why he is late, keep it concise and perfunctory. Don't start with your "I'm the boss" attitude and bullshit that I know you pull. Just keep it brief, give him a second to offer any explanation of emergencies. Put his excuse in your letter and make it sound as stupid as it is.

As long as you keep this a "personality conflict" issue, you're going to get a dozen nobodies fondling your balls and patting your head. Fuck with their money and the big boys will start poking their head out of their offices to find out what the problem is.
 

You obviously do not know me at all.

They are contractually bound to deliver packages by the time of my business close. There is no legal recourse here at all. This is a quality of service issue and his behavior is directly tied to that quality of service. Had he politely said "sorry, I am running late today" that would have been the end of the story right there as long as it was not habitual.

I am offended that you would expect me to be anything less than professional in this matter. My online persona and my business persona could not be further from one another. I assumed, apparently incorrectly, that our exchanges via PM in the past would have led you to that conclusion.
 

I never said you were unprofessional, so you can go ahead halt that little bullshit train before it leaves the station. Otherwise, you can get as snotty with me as you'd like, and pull all the "you don't know me" crap for days, but to put it in perspective for you, you're getting into a tiff with your package delivery man. You've openly admitted that if he would have kowtowed and apologized you would have been satisfied. You can terminate our friendship or denigrate it at your leisure, but I won't be cowed into retracting or putting forth some apologist rhetoric to spare your ego. You are not my superior in any way and I don't appreciate you pulling petty power games with our friendship as soon as I say something you don't want to hear.

I most certainly mean you no disrespect, because I do have an appreciation for our friendship. You strongly identify with your position as a "boss" at work, because your work takes up so much of your life. But to say that you quit modding at WB, have problems with your delivery man, and openly enjoy your superiority at work ("I'm the boss", "They have to do what I say", etc.) because of completely disconnected, complicated excuses is laughable. You have issues with people disrespecting your station and will internalize it. You can be easily offended in that regard and don't hesitate to act out upon your feelings.

My advice to you at this point would be to drop it. Thus far your escalation strategy is failing miserably and you are doing nothing but guaranteeing that this guy is going to fuck you over in any way he can. If you are interested in growing as a person, my suggestion would be to reopen a dialogue with your delivery man with an apology. This is not a quality of service issue, this is an old-fashioned pissing contest that you're losing.

Ironically, it has opened my eyes to the utility of unions, while I previously held them in utter contempt.
 

Where is it written that being the boss and acting like a jackass are one in the same? Factual statements such as "I'm the boss and my employees will do what I say" are truth. To personalize the issue by boasting about being the boss is completely different, and something that I have never, nor will I ever use as leverage. Being a customer and being "the boss" are not mutually exclusive, yet I choose to take the customer route in these situations, not because it's more effective, but because it's obnoxious and utterly pretentious to choose the other.

As for WB, I have no clue what you're talking about. I left that place because I did not enjoy it and I felt the site was improperly managed. In my private life, for almost 8 years, I worked for various levels of management and largely had little to no conflicts aside from the usual gripes that are associated with virtually every job in existence. You seem to be implying that I am incapable of being managed, which would be incorrect and highly assumptive.

As for your last comment, I shudder to think that my misfortune has given you reason to feel compassion for unions. Was this just a parting shot, or do you seriously think that this driver is deserving of this level of protection? or perhaps you just think me a jerk that likes to make a big stink over nothing.

I'll do my best not to be offended anymore when you defame my character.
 

Please pull the drama crap, I'm not defaming your character any more than a guy turning to his friend and telling him to stop being such a tightwad is "defaming his character". If I can't be honest with you without you pouting, let me know and we can go straight on to being pseudo-friends who have pseudo-conversations about faux interests in bland tones so as not to offend one another. When you tell me I'm going too far or you don't like what I'm doing, I state my case and I take it with a grain of salt. I don't turn it into a "oh gods, how can you do this to me" soap.

I did not intend the remark about unions to be a "parting shot", though in retrospect it definitely is very badly placed for anything but that. I apologize for that, it looks rather dickish. But being the low man on the totem pole can be very risky (as I can attest) when you start being subjected to the whims of persons in power. Seemingly harmless points of contention take a ridiculous onus of "good employability" jargon and start threatening your livelihood. Sometimes, having no protection can be very scary, even if you know and have material evidence of being in the right.

I don't really know that the driver "deserves" the "level of protection" that he's supposedly getting, but I can assure you that from where I'm standing you have basically acquiesced that you are doing this simply because he did not afford you an apology when he was late. This would be a professional courtesy, but obviously people aren't perfect, and if he's having a shitty day at home and getting slammed at work he should be given a second chance.

My mom used to blow up at shitty service, and I do sometimes, I can certainly see your point. It gets a little nutty when I'm paying you to treat me like dirt. But as my mother came to understand later in life (as did I), when you attack someone endlessly and don't give them a way out, you're basically guaranteeing they're going to fight back. You are also making very unrealistic expectations.
 

aw how cute the online boyfriends are fighting!


anyways


so Nuts tell me, what has brown done for you
 

I think they left a stain in his whitey-tighties.