Mail-order ammo stolen by delivery co?

[rust collector]

You're completely missing the point.

Nobody wants to hear your sob stories. They want their packages that they pay you people to deliver to their address delivered to their address. Intact.

No, you are missing the point. It's not about excuses, it's about the conditions that the people are working under. These days, companies can't fire someone because there is no one to replace them. They feel fortunate if they come to work near the scheduled time. A carrier can have five excellent employees in the chain, but if one is lazy, inept or crooked, the whole thing goes south. We like to focus on the driver, and some are unfortunate, but others are dealing with stuff that should not be on their truck, packages leaking contents all over, and ridiculous routing.

I hope it will get better but we had a good thing going and it now isn't functioning properly. That applies to the USPS as well as parcel carriers. We should understand why so we can try to help them help us. Meanwhile, realize what is going on and use game cams or webcams to make your case.

 

[Old Dog]

The point I'm trying to make is it that's the workforce that we have now. Employers are begging people to come to work now. McDonald's is hiring people at $15 an hour and they can't beg people to work for them.

Yep. I'll even cut my favorite diner some slack, when service is slow, I'll ask the manager how many of his servers and cooks called out sick on a beautiful summer weekend morning -- I gave him the tip to make sure he knew who was FB friends with his staff, that way he could see the pics the "sick" employees posted from the beach.

It is a different workforce now. Not to make excuses -- but the concept of ethics is missing in many workplaces now.

I worked at both Fed Ex and UPS in college as a package handler (the guy who loads the delivery trucks). I hope to add some perspective.

I'm gonna take a stab and assume this was in the pre-COVID era? Because, my understanding is that home delivery increased exponentially during the pandemic and since, with the shipping companies massively increasing their delivery capabilities, so I'd expect it's a different kettle of fish these days.

As several here have already noted, one key is establishing, if not a relationship, at least some personal contact, with one's regularly delivery drivers. Yes, my home is rural, near the end of a very long "no outlet" dead-end road in the woods. But my UPS 5-day-a-week driver is a shooter (he always cracks a smile when he has boxes for me marked "Nitro Express" or "SGA" ... A Christmas card with a cash tip or gift card for your regular drivers (especially your USPS driver) has always worked for us.

It's great to live in a small community too -- when workers know they will be running into customers at the grocery store or church, they tend to be more conscientious.

Again, not making excuses for the stupid, incompetent, lazy or criminal drivers, but it's understandable that the drivers are at the mercy of GPS in most cases, and I'm consistently amazed at how poorly marked many home addresses are on my road alone -- it almost seems as though some folks don't want to be found. I've marked my mailbox (100 yards down my driveway) with an arrow, put up big numbers on the front of the garage and put a post marker alongside my driveway -- so, not to jinx myself, but I've never had delivery issues with UPS, FedEx, Amazon or the USPS.

 

[Hartkopf]

It's the lazy, inept, crooked drivers we are all talking about. That's why in my earlier post I recommended reporting drivers who mark delivered for an item they steal or dump in the ditch because they were lazy that day. It's too bad we're in the situation we're in and everybody is stressed. That doesn't mean I should donate a case of ammo to a delivery driver.

 

[IlikeSA]

You're completely missing the point.

Nobody wants to hear your sob stories. They want their packages that they pay you people to deliver to their address delivered to their address. Intact.

Not my sob stories, not in the delivery service and haven't been for almost 20 years. I'm merely trying to provide context for the original poster, not for you. There have been plenty of posts that I didn't care for and I never said anything anything personal towards anyone, I just ignored the post. Apparently you lack those common manners.

 

[bdickens]

It is a different workforce now. Not to make excuses -- but the concept of ethics is missing in many workplaces now.

So, apparently, is the concept of supervision....

 

[Old Dog]

So, apparently, is the concept of supervision....

Don't know if you're still in the workforce, or how long it's been if you're retired, but I can tell you that in almost every occupation now, those that are most qualified to be supervisors, don't aspire to be such, nor do they promote as much as they should.

With the current overriding concern in every company or government agency to increase diversity in the workplace, the emphasis on wokeness (which bleeds down to how organizations train staff on issues such as preventing sexual harassment, celebrating diversity, preventing hostile work environments) as well as the bewildering plethora of complex labor laws (and the right to months of PFML, FMLA each year, which have made HR's and managers' jobs a nightmare, the consistent enabling of employees abuse of sick leave), the way hirings, raises and promotions hinge on whether or not someone is a minority (which of course now includes LGBTQ), not basing hirings, raises and promotions on merit -- the most experienced and qualified -- but based on quotas instead. I worked for a government agency where staff achieved the assignments they desired most (on a particular shift, or with particular days off, or a job with the least amount of responsibility) by firing off complaints about their supervisors or co-workers. Hostile work environment and sexual harassment claims, among other types, have been weaponized. The woke mentality (micro-aggressions, triggers, etc.) has made everyone a potential victim, and I saw employees ruthlessly use the new culture to get assignments they wanted -- and get supervisors that were effective and had expectations of their staff -- placed under career-impacting investigations, reassigned or even fired.

My point is: fewer and fewer people want the responsibility these days of being supervisors. So what does an organization end up with? Those who simply want the money, but either don't possess the skills or the motivation to become effective supervisors.

So: are you surprised?

 

[bdickens]

Oh, I think there's some hope yet. Some HR departments are onto these people.

At my previous job, I overheard part of a conversation between the boss and HR. The HR person said - and this is almost a direct quote - "Oh, my God! What is it now? Is there anyone down there this guy does get along with?"

At my current job, I have seen more than one person fired because they called in too many times.

 

[Green Glow]

My regular delivery guys are reliable and have my phone #. If it's muddy or icy, they know they can drop it off at a neighbor's or that I could meet them in town where the roads are paved and plowed. Much safer for UPS/Fed-Ex. However, if it's a substitute, who knows. I have had packages returned as undeliverable b/c of relief drivers who were too lazy to make the effort.

Right on! I've cultivated a relationship with my mailman and UPS driver for 10yrs. Money at Christmas, hot/cold drink depending on season, and a tip for anything extra such as using personal car to stop by house after work to deliver late package.
It's worth it. Not a single piece of lost packages or mail during that time.

 

[tws3b2]

Right on! I've cultivated a relationship with my mailman and UPS driver for 10yrs. Money at Christmas, hot/cold drink depending on season, and a tip for anything extra such as using personal car to stop by house after work to deliver late package.
It's worth it. Not a single piece of lost packages or mail during that time.

I don't get it. My ups and mailman/,lady gets paid to do a job. Tell me again. Just why should I "Cultivate a relationship"???? Are you saying I should pay them again to do a job they are already getting paid for???

 

[Robert]

The finer points of friendly social interaction are a bit off topic for THR. As is most of the third page...guess we are done here.