One Company...

[local804]

I disagree. If your sup tells you to go out and find sales leads while your out doing what you consider to be "your job" then guess what its now "your job" to do so.

[/COLOR]

With company morale at an all time low in my center, I think sales leads are the last things on the guys minds. With overdispatched loads and with a PAS system created by an einstien, Why not try to keep our current customers and let BD work on getting new accounts. BD gets paid very very good money to do the job and the do a good job at it. They will be the first person to tell you that they cant be at 10 places at the same time and that holds true to us also. If the guys (lower seniority) cant get a day off and are punching out later that the unload, why should they place sales leads? Why should drivers have to have ground meets when the same 10 people are always off the clock at 5? I have no problem with turning in a sales lead but tell me under what article this would fall under? Failure to follow instruction? just curious

 

[raceanoncr]

Hmmm...with our run count down about 20 in the last yr or so, our DM said that they ain't getting rid of none of the reps. The DMs reasoning is..."We are keeping in contact with the lost customers."

Is this like the US keeping in contact with Cuba?

 

[upsdude]

Is this like the US keeping in contact with Cuba?

I'd have a better chance meeting with Castro than a BD person.

 

[tieguy]

With company morale at an all time low in my center, I think sales leads are the last things on the guys minds. With overdispatched loads and with a PAS system created by an einstien, Why not try to keep our current customers and let BD work on getting new accounts. BD gets paid very very good money to do the job and the do a good job at it. They will be the first person to tell you that they cant be at 10 places at the same time and that holds true to us also.

804 i really don't understand your argument about letting BD do their job. You are not going out and selling a new customer. You are identifying potential customers in your area and asking them if its ok for you send a BD person in to talk to them. They still have to explain our services , sell them and set them up. The driver has a huge advantage in that he knows the area very well and he has had a chance to develop a good relationship with the customers in that area. If you think you have too much work on your car then turn in a sales lead for frieght opportunities. Its odd to me that you wear your local 804 moniker but don't think there is anything wrong with our packages going to a non-union competitor.

If the guys (lower seniority) cant get a day off and are punching out later that the unload, why should they place sales leads? Why should drivers have to have ground meets when the same 10 people are always off the clock at 5? I have no problem with turning in a sales lead but tell me under what article this would fall under? Failure to follow instruction? just curious

Work as instructed language would certainly apply. As well as the basic relationship that a boss and those who work for him have always had. The boss defines your responsibillites in your job. You do not have the right to tell the boss what your responsibilities are unless he allows you to do so. You guys sometimes forget your role and have to be reminded of it. When reminded you then cry because the boss said some really mean things to you. If the boss tells you to go out and do nothing but generate sales leads then guess what? Today its your job to do nothing but generate sales leads.

 

[browniehound]

Interesting thread............

hope the corporate BD person is reading through it. Lots of feedback here most of it negative.

Can we agree that we want our company to handle those packages and not the other guy?

I see drivers that do a terrific job getting sold sales leads. They work the natural love relationship most customers have with their driver. They see what the shippers in their area do everyday. They talk to those shippers or employees working the shipping docks who usually provide us with some great inside information that a BD person would never be able to get.

Can we take a different route and share some positive stories from those who are not offended at being asked to help the company they made their career choice?

Tie,
Your point about us drivers having an close relationship with the dock workers that a BD would never have. I agree that we need to tap this resource (our driver relationships) and ask for the business.

This is why BD wants us to get leads. They know there is no better person to sell UPS business than a UPS driver. Problem is, most shippers that I talk with ship with the competition for a reason. Putting in a sales lead is not going to change their mind.

My route is tapped out. I've entered all the sales leads I possibly can. Funny thing is, most of my the customers on my route use UPS exclusively.

Of course I will enter a sales lead if I see a volume opportunnity (why wouldn't I, its a win-win situation?), but I'm finding its just not there.

This is where I take offense. The center manager wants 1 quality lead per month. I can't do this. There simply is no quality leads left on my route.
I already put in all the possible quality leads when I took over the route. There is nothing left! I'm more than happy to steer business our way. Problem is, there is no business on my route that UPS dosesn't already have or has been given to a sales rep.

 

[browniehound]

Summer is almost here!

So before you guys go on vacation, why not hand in
one or two leads? You are the best in the business and our eyes on the road!

Why not start today?!

. BWAHAHAHA

 

[Harry Manback]

In the spirit of "keeping it real" who has time? Mandatory lunch, 9.5, no missed businesses, no missed pu's, OCA's and any other screwball that gets thrown at us on a daily basis, do not allow us the opportunity. Mondays and Fridays, runs get cut, on the regular. That means, I'm not getting off till 21:00. How the hell can I be expected to go throughout my day, skipping and singing about how wonderful UPS is and how people should use us.

You want me to spread some sales lead love? How's about showing me some in return? I don't have to shout to our customers that we're the best in the business. I SHOW it, day in and day out. It's hard to be enthusiastic about sales leads when it's crammed down my throat everyday. And besides that, drivers, more than anyone, know who potential customers are and who are not. Do you think that we just refuse capitalize on that?

 

[samiam]

Work as instructed language would certainly apply. As well as the basic relationship that a boss and those who work for him have always had. The boss defines your responsibillites in your job. You do not have the right to tell the boss what your responsibilities are unless he allows you to do so. You guys sometimes forget your role and have to be reminded of it. When reminded you then cry because the boss said some really mean things to you. If the boss tells you to go out and do nothing but generate sales leads then guess what? Today its your job to do nothing but generate sales leads.



Tie,

Now I feel you are getting personal. I don't have a BOSS. I have puppets that get pulled to tell me what to do. That's not a put down on them, it's a fact. Even my own on roads have said they lack the power to really make any real decisions in our center. When people ask what I do for a living I say "I'm a driver for UPS". I don't say "I'm not sure, something at UPS, it just depends on what I'm told to do today'. COME ON, BE REAL !!!!!

 

[dammor]

Its not about doing their job. Its about using a powerfull tool you have called area knowledge to point them in the right direction.
Its about using the relationship you have built with that area over the years to help us win business.

Tie,
That is a true statement. It would also have been a true statement when PASS was put in. We almost begged to have some input here. Our powerful area knowledge and customer relationship tools were not given the time of day by those with a map and a keyboard. So now our powerful tools are needed? I'm surprised I am the first to call you on this.

I am all for growing the business, but at the same time I am very aware that my input is only welcome when asked for. That is very rare indeed.

Not trying to start a fight, but do you understand why many of us get so frustrated these days?

 

[705red]

As stated " One Company" does it really make that much of a difference, if all Teamsters benefit from new business?

Maybe our service providers should spend a day with B/D to see this side of the business from their perspective.

Chan, it does matter! I have seen my work going to the freight side and until the freight side gets a contract in indy and unionize across the country thats Our ups teamster work.

I guess sales guy has a long weekend and cant come on here on his own time. I guess we will have to wait for him to go back to work to log back on here.

 

[westsideworma]

Work as instructed language would certainly apply. As well as the basic relationship that a boss and those who work for him have always had. The boss defines your responsibillites in your job. You do not have the right to tell the boss what your responsibilities are unless he allows you to do so. You guys sometimes forget your role and have to be reminded of it. When reminded you then cry because the boss said some really mean things to you. If the boss tells you to go out and do nothing but generate sales leads then guess what? Today its your job to do nothing but generate sales leads.

Tie,

I'm no driver and usually see the logic behind your posts but I don't see it here. If "his" is to get sales leads that day, what excuse should the driver in question use when they're over 9.5 or going to have missed business because they're generating leads with an over dispatched PAS truck in tow? I doubt "I was generating sales leads" would be an acceptable excuse from what I've heard from my drivers and many others in my center.

 

[diesel96]

Summer is almost here!

So before you guys go on vacation, why not hand in
one or two leads? You are the best in the business and our eyes on the road!

Why not start today?!

For those of you wondering why all the negative feed back on submitting leads is all aboutbesides creating extra work on your route):Here's my analogy:

Salesguy starts a thread in Brown Cafe about handing in lead cards,Now he's nowhere to be found to answer the negative critizism about Sales Rep's not following up driver's leads.
It's kind of like the real world,Driver submits lead,Sales Rep no where to be found.(or slow in their response)

I don't think ALL Sales Rep are to blame here,their customer base way exceeds their abilility and availibility to communicate with their customers.I know its important to drum up NEW Accounts,but maintaining and communicating the one's we already have and giving them incentives to stay with us is just as crucial.

But it's the UPS way to dole out to Drivers and even Sales Reps un-attainable workloads and expectatations.Sometimes trying to be more efficient than nesseccesary for the almighty profit$ is overkill and you know who suffers here?(besides the drivers,customer service reps and ALL hourly employees)
The CUSTOMER,yes remember them Mr. Askew?

So if your out there SALESGUY,come out and defend yourself from all this negativity.An hourly(such as myself) should'nt have to do it for you.Let your bosses know how you feel.Don't worry were all off the clock here,they won't bite.
And don't forget about the customers you already have!

 

[705red]

For those of you wondering why all the negative feed back on submitting leads is all aboutbesides creating extra work on your route):Here's my analogy:

Salesguy starts a thread in Brown Cafe about handing in lead cards,Now he's nowhere to be found to answer the negative critizism about Sales Rep's not following up driver's leads.
It's kind of like the real world,Driver submits lead,Sales Rep no where to be found.(or slow in their response)

I don't think ALL Sales Rep are to blame here,their customer base way exceeds their abilility and availibility to communicate with their customers.I know its important to drum up NEW Accounts,but maintaining and communicating the one's we already have and giving them incentives to stay with us is just as crucial.

But it's the UPS way to dole out to Drivers and even Sales Reps un-attainable workloads and expectatations.Sometimes trying to be more efficient than nesseccesary for the almighty profit$ is overkill and you know who suffers here?(besides the drivers,customer service reps and ALL hourly employees)
The CUSTOMER,yes remember them Mr. Askew?

So if your out there SALESGUY,come out and defend yourself from all this negativity.An hourly(such as myself) should'nt have to do it for you.Let your bosses know how you feel.Don't worry were all off the clock here,they won't bite.
And don't forget about the customers you already have!

I think salesguy was on the clock, and has a long weekend off of the clock. We should here from him when hes blowing off our customers on tuesday!

 

[tieguy]

Tie,

I'm no driver and usually see the logic behind your posts but I don't see it here. If "his" is to get sales leads that day, what excuse should the driver in question use when they're over 9.5 or going to have missed business because they're generating leads with an over dispatched PAS truck in tow? I doubt "I was generating sales leads" would be an acceptable excuse from what I've heard from my drivers and many others in my center.

Its not rocket science . I'm a driver I know who I pick up from and who I don't. I see who the other guy picks up from. So I see that fdx is picking up from ABC company. Even though I don't pick up from ABC I will still have some deliveries to them. So when I do I politely ask if they would be willing to have a UPS sales rep stop by to discuss the advantages of a using UPS. By now I have already made numerous deliveries to them over the years and the guy likes me because I'm the ups man and I look good in brown. The guy has seen me efficently march in and march out. He see's me finishing up my route when he leaves work and we usually wave. So we have a relationship of sorts from my delivering in his area. The guy says sure why not. Gives me a business card and I now have a sales lead to turn in. The sales lead leverages your relationship with those customers and gets the BD persons foot in the door.

 

[705red]

For those of you wondering why all the negative feed back on submitting leads is all aboutbesides creating extra work on your route):Here's my analogy:

Salesguy starts a thread in Brown Cafe about handing in lead cards,Now he's nowhere to be found to answer the negative critizism about Sales Rep's not following up driver's leads.
It's kind of like the real world,Driver submits lead,Sales Rep no where to be found.(or slow in their response)

I don't think ALL Sales Rep are to blame here,their customer base way exceeds their abilility and availibility to communicate with their customers.I know its important to drum up NEW Accounts,but maintaining and communicating the one's we already have and giving them incentives to stay with us is just as crucial.

But it's the UPS way to dole out to Drivers and even Sales Reps un-attainable workloads and expectatations.Sometimes trying to be more efficient than nesseccesary for the almighty profit$ is overkill and you know who suffers here?(besides the drivers,customer service reps and ALL hourly employees)
The CUSTOMER,yes remember them Mr. Askew?

So if your out there SALESGUY,come out and defend yourself from all this negativity.An hourly(such as myself) should'nt have to do it for you.Let your bosses know how you feel.Don't worry were all off the clock here,they won't bite.
And don't forget about the customers you already have!

Its not rocket science . I'm a driver I know who I pick up from and who I don't. I see who the other guy picks up from. So I see that fdx is picking up from ABC company. Even though I don't pick up from ABC I will still have some deliveries to them. So when I do I politely ask if they would be willing to have a UPS sales rep stop by to discuss the advantages of a using UPS. By now I have already made numerous deliveries to them over the years and the guy likes me because I'm the ups man and I look good in brown. The guy has seen me efficently march in and march out. He see's me finishing up my route when he leaves work and we usually wave. So we have a relationship of sorts from my delivering in his area. The guy says sure why not. Gives me a business card and I now have a sales lead to turn in. The sales lead leverages your relationship with those customers and gets the BD persons foot in the door.

Tie your missing the point here. Why should we the driver put our reputation with the customer on the line for our bd reps, who couldnt sell water to the devil in hell. As you can see alot of views here and it boils down to the sales people either not doing their jobs or are being told to get new business and not worry about the customers we have now! Even if we turm in a sales lead the customer gets a call from some number cruncher in india who has no idea what is going on in the customers world.

I guess what im saying is we will get the leads when your willing to show us that your in this business for the customers, until then get your own sals leads from the bd guys. Good luck getting them to leave the coffee houses they hide in all day!

 

[ImpactedTSG]

Chan, it does matter! I have seen my work going to the freight side and until the freight side gets a contract in indy and unionize across the country thats Our ups teamster work.

I guess sales guy has a long weekend and cant come on here on his own time. I guess we will have to wait for him to go back to work to log back on here.

Right there is the problem with UPS. The attitudes like that will always be a detriment to the company. Teamster work? Don't you realize that if UPS does not prosper and keep business, there won't be any work period?

 

[705red]

Right there is the problem with UPS. The attitudes like that will always be a detriment to the company. Teamster work? Don't you realize that if UPS does not prosper and keep business, there won't be any work period?

Where is it said that sales leads are teamster work? My job is to service the customers with the packages they receive and ship out. We have a business development team responsible for growing the business. Next you will want us to fix ouur own trucks when they break, now that work belongs to automotive. Now tough guy why can the automotive department, preload, unload, package car, and feeder drivers get the job done, but the bd department can pass ff their jobs to us. Maybe after they cut the dead weight in tsg they can eliminate the bd dept. and put on some more drivers so we can grow the business.

Until then maybe when your not drinking your latte and fixing a broken printer you can go out and get some sales lead. Dont forget to bring the customer a latte too.

 

[tieguy]

Where is it said that sales leads are teamster work? My job is to service the customers with the packages they receive and ship out. We have a business development team responsible for growing the business. Next you will want us to fix ouur own trucks when they break, now that work belongs to automotive. Now tough guy why can the automotive department, preload, unload, package car, and feeder drivers get the job done, but the bd department can pass ff their jobs to us. Maybe after they cut the dead weight in tsg they can eliminate the bd dept. and put on some more drivers so we can grow the business.

Until then maybe when your not drinking your latte and fixing a broken printer you can go out and get some sales lead. Dont forget to bring the customer a latte too.

You're right you have a hard job. I don't want you doing BD's job. Just want you to share your knowledge of the area and point them in the right direction.

 

[upsdude]

You're right you have a hard job. I don't want you doing BD's job. Just want you to share your knowledge of the area and point them in the right direction.

Tie,

I don’t think any of us are totally opposed to turning in leads for additional business. I do think UPS needs to take a really hard look at BD. The current system isn’t working. It seems that most of the post here go along with what I see in my center, the BD guys are MIA.

I’ve made a lot of money from sales leads in the past by communicating with a really good BD guy. All the sudden he was gone, never in the building. I did run into him on the street one day and he told me the reps were told to “stay out of the center”. They were told to be in front of customers in the mornings, no need to be in the center. How’s that working out?

I have a couple good friends in the car business. Car dealerships have a different angle on slow or dropping sales, they hire more salesmen. UPS looks to their drivers as an extension of the sales force, nothing wrong with that. We all know a bad driver could kill a million dollar deal in a heartbeat. On the flip side I’ve seen cases where a decision maker won’t speak to a BD person without his “driver” in the meeting.

In many cases it comes down to the inability of BD to close the deal. We have salesmen, they just don’t know how to sell. If they did know how, they’d be making 6 figures selling another product or service somewhere else. Or, how about we go back to using career employees (former drivers) in the BD department. The BD folks I had the most success with had been hard working hourly employees before going to BD. Just a thought.

 

[ImpactedTSG]

Where is it said that sales leads are teamster work? My job is to service the customers with the packages they receive and ship out. We have a business development team responsible for growing the business. Next you will want us to fix ouur own trucks when they break, now that work belongs to automotive. Now tough guy why can the automotive department, preload, unload, package car, and feeder drivers get the job done, but the bd department can pass ff their jobs to us. Maybe after they cut the dead weight in tsg they can eliminate the bd dept. and put on some more drivers so we can grow the business.

Until then maybe when your not drinking your latte and fixing a broken printer you can go out and get some sales lead. Dont forget to bring the customer a latte too.

I never said that sales leads were teamster work. I was referring to the freight stuff.

And please, I know this is a tough concept for you to grasp, but I have been out of UPS for over a year, so I am not just swapping printers anymore. I don't drink coffees, lattes, or anything like that, and I'm not really a tough guy, but if you want to test that, send me a PM. Have a nice day.