How should company fix peak problems?

[SignificantOwner]

UPS is failing its customers at Christmas, and has been for awhile. They want more and more done with less and less. A few years ago my old package route would peak with 200 stops and now its 300 to 330 stops. Most days I could get done by 1900 and might have a couple of days getting in at 2100. Now its out past 1900 everyday and work til 2200 and miss anything that you can't deliver. I moved to feeders two years ago, because the demands on package drivers is to unrealistic. The driver who bid my route is getting crushed and discouraged. I can't blame him, because it was getting bad when I moved to feeders and it just keeps getting worse.

How would you fix it?

The stock price is over $104. The rest doesn't matter. I guess if the market doesn't care we don't care.

 

[over9five]

That is failure as a company and you dear madamn are a part of it!

Don't think you can blame him this year....

 

[kingOFchester]

I don't know if there is a fix.

Not enough airplanes this year for the volume.

• More planes equals more expense.
• Even with more planes, they would have to secure valuable runway rights, if even possible.

Not enough space

• Need more buildings
• Have buildings sitting idle 11 months.

Employees.

• Hiring and training employees pre peak
• Seasonal hires trained and ready to go if we are locked out or strike.

I think there is a lot UPS could of done to make it better. But I am not 100% sure that they could of reasonably made it perfect.

 

[raceanoncr]

After seeing this on the news last night, all I can say is, "I'm so ashamed". This is not the company that I signed up with over 35 yrs ago.

I don't know what the EXACT cause was/is or what the EXACT solution was/is. I do know this, though:

If we, as grunts, would've dropped the ball like this, we'd be out the door. Who's to blame? I don't know that, either. I just hope it is remedied and whoever IS responsible, whether it be an individual or group of individuals is "fixed".

What an embarrassment.

 

[Catatonic]

Business??? The business we are in is delivering boxes to people....on time.....in a professional manner....the higher ups knew of the circumstance the company was in (with mass excess of volume) and did NOTHING ABOUT IT!!!! That is failure as a company and you are a part of it!

I think I'll forward this the the HBR ... it is such a masterful analysis and plan for establishing and running a business. Many new business owners and entrepreneurs can base their business model on your insight.

* Harvard Business Review

 

[kingOFchester]

After seeing this on the news last night, all I can say is, "I'm so ashamed". This is not the company that I signed up with over 35 yrs ago.

I don't know what the EXACT cause was/is or what the EXACT solution was/is. I do know this, though:

If we, as grunts, would've dropped the ball like this, we'd be out the door. Who's to blame? I don't know that, either. I just hope it is remedied and whoever IS responsible, whether it be an individual or group of individuals is "fixed".

What an embarrassment.

If I said that, i would be bashed. I predicted this in October and was laughed at. What the hell do i know.

 

[BMWMC]

I personally think this PR problem will result in smoother peak for some years to come. Until people forget that is. I think more people and shippers will make a better attempt at shipping earlier. Once burned twice shy.

 

[brownmonster]

This might be a blessing in disguise. Maybe people won't order stuff on the 23rd and leave me a nasty note that they had to leave at 11am on the 24th and the package was supposed to be here.

 

[Future]

I think I'll forward this the the HBR ... it is such a masterful analysis and plan for establishing and running a business. Many new business owners and entrepreneurs can base their business model on your insight.

* Harvard Business Review

Why thank you, I knew my degree would get me someplace one day....now go count your pennies and role your naked in them as your natural Christmas tradition.

 

[jaker]

Doesn't matter what we say , we are brown minions

 

[TheDick]

Mosedf my hardest peak-worst planned. You know you under resourced when u cant get ur pick-up pcs in bldg an hour before feeder pull.

 

[barnyard]

This was the 1st peak that I can remember that we did not have sales people in our building to help run air. We usually have 3 salespeople that shuttle air and another as our helper coordinator.

My center was also supposed to have 3 temp cover drivers. 2 quit, 1 could not do it because of a ticket in the past year. None of them were replaced. Those 3 would have made a difference.

Yesterday, our air shuttle did not reach the building till 1100, 3.5 hours late. I did not meet my shuttle till 1400. That tells me that Louisville needs to do a better job of telling customers what time our cut off is.

Our center only had 2 days of really bad weather. 2 hours north of us had 3, but those 3 days meant they had 1000 feet of trailers a day that they could not get to for over a week. It does seem like the people in that neck of the woods is more understanding than what I have seen from the rest of the country.

I also agree that sales needs to make a greater effort at converting NDA to NDA saver. Some customers should not even have an NDA option, saver only. They also need to remind shippers that additional volume in December that could wait till January would be priced lower (as in give shippers a 'sale' on shipping in January, say after the 2nd week.) That would eliminate a lot of the offices that had to have their 30 computers shipped last week or Valentine's BS or the vitamin boxes that could easily wait a week or 2.

Price the shipping so that it is more expensive to ship in December. That would make November and January heavier, but it would also cut down peak a little.

 

[Future]

Hoaxster is the big business Person on the board. He feels everything went great this peak... so i guess it did!

 

[Future]

I think I'll forward this the the HBR ... it is such a masterful analysis and plan for establishing and running a business. Many new business owners and entrepreneurs can base their business model on your insight.

* Harvard Business Review

You are 1000% why this company has lost all accountability!

 

[Catatonic]

Doesn't matter what we say , we are brown minions

As are everyone at UPS except for less than a hundred people.
Don't feel like you are being crucified.
Whoops ... wrong holiday.

 

[Future]

After seeing this on the news last night, all I can say is, "I'm so ashamed". This is not the company that I signed up with over 35 yrs ago.

I don't know what the EXACT cause was/is or what the EXACT solution was/is. I do know this, though:

If we, as grunts, would've dropped the ball like this, we'd be out the door. Who's to blame? I don't know that, either. I just hope it is remedied and whoever IS responsible, whether it be an individual or group of individuals is "fixed".

What an embarrassment.

True statement, and what you wrote is the heart and soul of real UPSERS!

 

[Future]

As are everyone at UPS except for less than a hundred people.
Don't feel like you are being crucified.
Whoops ... wrong holiday.

Go back track someplace else... you are probably a PT sup that just got a facial hair!

 

[Catatonic]

Go back track someplace else... you are probably a PT sup that just got a facial hair!

Your business acumen appears to be better than your BC acumen.
I am a retired UPSer after 40 years of service with a full beard (albeit a gray one).

 

[kingOFchester]

When will Fedex fess up?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When will Fedex fess up?

They don't have to-----they are being killed on social media.