My new Honda generator was delivered today by FedEx ground. They destroyed it. Despite the "Fragile" stickers on the box it looked like they backed the truck over it. The generator is partially crushed, which sorta ruins my 4th of July week as I was planning on using the generator to support several day out on Block Island without killing my batteries..... Great. The chimps that work for FedEx also left the thing on my back deck despite large labels indicating that the package needed to be inspected and signed for. They are truely morons. I promised myself I would never do business with them again two years ago when they trashed a mint British Seagull outboard that I bought. That was trial getting the money back. I didn't think to ask the vendor what shipping service they used and when I got the FedEx tracking # via email I got a lump in my gut. They proved me right. Never again will I use them nor will I allow a vendor to ship me anything via FedEx. How they stay in business is beyond me. Rant off, RT
I cannot remember the name of the trucking company - but FedEx bought them out about 7 years ago in order to launch their 'Ground Service'. I've heard that they've had real integration problems - and that the two business units (ground and air) still run seperately in terms of day-to-day operations...
//sse
//sse
It's always the guys upstairs...
Well - American Freightways was purchased by FedEx in 2000 (after the Viking purchase) - but since that organization came with their own infrastructure, etc - they needed to be integrated into FedEx's backend - which is what I've heard they've not done (although I'm not talking to as many IT people these days as I used to...
).
Prior to 2003, I know that FedEx Operations and FedEx Corporate also had some seperation (at least that's my opinion). FedEx (air) Ops would deliver stuff perfectly - but Corporate was really screwy - and we had problems getting things done - the less-technical-more-policy-and-billing issues resolved (granted - we were small - only $25m, but still...), so we dropped them from our shipping options because they were causing problems for our customers...
So - given that - the (lack of) integration with American Freightways operations would not surprise me very much... Pretty goofy - to have the corporate side of the equation be a drag on the model - instead of the operations side, I mean....
//sse
Well - American Freightways was purchased by FedEx in 2000 (after the Viking purchase) - but since that organization came with their own infrastructure, etc - they needed to be integrated into FedEx's backend - which is what I've heard they've not done (although I'm not talking to as many IT people these days as I used to...
).Prior to 2003, I know that FedEx Operations and FedEx Corporate also had some seperation (at least that's my opinion). FedEx (air) Ops would deliver stuff perfectly - but Corporate was really screwy - and we had problems getting things done - the less-technical-more-policy-and-billing issues resolved (granted - we were small - only $25m, but still...), so we dropped them from our shipping options because they were causing problems for our customers...
So - given that - the (lack of) integration with American Freightways operations would not surprise me very much... Pretty goofy - to have the corporate side of the equation be a drag on the model - instead of the operations side, I mean....
//sse
Chris Miller
Sustaining Member
Use UPS...
I worked for FedEx "Express" for several years, then moved into corporate contract sales where I had to sell "Ground" (it used to be RPS) to my already happy customers. They are the most profitable part of the FedEx family, but you are right- they are independent contractors that aren't treated terribly well. The service was NOT what my customers were used to. I had to move several back to UPS. They are FedEx in name only.
FedEx "Express" still has the best record in the business and treats their people well, which means they treat your package well.
I'd use UPS for any ground shipping I had to do... Good thing I don't work for FedEx anymore!
I worked for FedEx "Express" for several years, then moved into corporate contract sales where I had to sell "Ground" (it used to be RPS) to my already happy customers. They are the most profitable part of the FedEx family, but you are right- they are independent contractors that aren't treated terribly well. The service was NOT what my customers were used to. I had to move several back to UPS. They are FedEx in name only.
FedEx "Express" still has the best record in the business and treats their people well, which means they treat your package well.
I'd use UPS for any ground shipping I had to do... Good thing I don't work for FedEx anymore!
I knew it!
Ah HA! I knew someone out there had to have worked for them!
Yeah, it's too bad when the basic service of a company is good - but some other component screws it up... It amazes me how in this day and age (with all the metrics available for management) some shops can get their core right, but still cannot do the rest of it... Oh well....
//sse
Ah HA! I knew someone out there had to have worked for them!
Yeah, it's too bad when the basic service of a company is good - but some other component screws it up... It amazes me how in this day and age (with all the metrics available for management) some shops can get their core right, but still cannot do the rest of it... Oh well....
//sse
FedEx and Roadway Package Services
Now I understand why my employer jumped over to Airborne for everything. IIRC RPS was used before the merger but was then dropped afterwards, perhaps due to a degradation in performance.
That's the real problem, you know-- a corporation is there to make money by providing service *but* there's only so far you can do in cutting costs before you're hurting people. It's all managed by politics, of course.
Heck, look at Disney... I interviewed out at their Feature Animation unit and later found out that it was the best treated part of the Disney family. I'm just glad I didn't end up working for them given their dissolution of the unit a couple of years later.
I have noticed that large corporations tend to reward the people who do NOT provide service/value to the customer; it's all an effort to provide "shareholder value". It used to be that keeping your customers happy was a good way to maintain shareholder value but it seems that shorting the customers-- and this is usually done as part of shorting the employees, just look at the folks working at Wal-Mart some time-- is the most chosen means of increasing shareholder value, perhaps because the employees fit into spreadsheets more easily than customers.
Customers don't count because they can't be predicted.
(shakes head)
Sorry for the whining. I need to get my mechanical skills up since it's harder to off-shore engine work the way IT work has been pushed out. If you can do your job via telephone and computer from your home, your job can be done by someone in India...
Now I understand why my employer jumped over to Airborne for everything. IIRC RPS was used before the merger but was then dropped afterwards, perhaps due to a degradation in performance.
That's the real problem, you know-- a corporation is there to make money by providing service *but* there's only so far you can do in cutting costs before you're hurting people. It's all managed by politics, of course.
Heck, look at Disney... I interviewed out at their Feature Animation unit and later found out that it was the best treated part of the Disney family. I'm just glad I didn't end up working for them given their dissolution of the unit a couple of years later.
I have noticed that large corporations tend to reward the people who do NOT provide service/value to the customer; it's all an effort to provide "shareholder value". It used to be that keeping your customers happy was a good way to maintain shareholder value but it seems that shorting the customers-- and this is usually done as part of shorting the employees, just look at the folks working at Wal-Mart some time-- is the most chosen means of increasing shareholder value, perhaps because the employees fit into spreadsheets more easily than customers.
Customers don't count because they can't be predicted.
(shakes head)
Sorry for the whining. I need to get my mechanical skills up since it's harder to off-shore engine work the way IT work has been pushed out. If you can do your job via telephone and computer from your home, your job can be done by someone in India...
Yeah, pretty sad. :rolleyes_d:
We're were just watching this thing on Canadian TV about consumers who have gotten screwed by mega corporations - and how those corporations have stripped out their customer service ranks - reducing the amount of feedback into the decision making loop because they think it costs them too much.
It's all very short-sighted, especially when you consider the fact that the very people who are making these decisions are often very intelligent - but are operating in a very narrow timeframe - and have no long-term vision or commitment.
//sse
We're were just watching this thing on Canadian TV about consumers who have gotten screwed by mega corporations - and how those corporations have stripped out their customer service ranks - reducing the amount of feedback into the decision making loop because they think it costs them too much.
It's all very short-sighted, especially when you consider the fact that the very people who are making these decisions are often very intelligent - but are operating in a very narrow timeframe - and have no long-term vision or commitment.
//sse
Mort Fligelman
Member III
Gentlemen: A smile comes to my face.....I began in the family business working on the loading dock......in addition to packing boxes properly so that contents did not get broken.......as each truck driver picked up those boxes....and either threw....kicked...or shoved them.....I would always ask if they read the "FRAGILE" labels I so painstakingly put on them.....answer always the same......FRA GIL EEE......whats DAT.....over fourty years...nothing has changed.....try not to get an ulcer.....so long as the Union protects the stupid......enough said.....
Update!
FedEx arrived today to view the damaged generator. Funny thing is they sent a regular FedEx guy, not a ground FedEx guy. He started laughing when he saw it, shook his head and said it happens all the time, basically FedEx ground is run by chimps and he really couldn't help me..... Hey, at least he came clean on how F'd up things are.
I called Mayberrys where I got the generator from and they have supposedly taken care of everything. A new generator has been shipped to me using regular FedEx 3day, not ground. Delivery on Friday. No extra charge and they will be issuing a return ticket and FedEx ground will pickup the damaged unit within 36hrs.
So far very happy with Mayberrys service. We'll see if it works out in the end. RT
FedEx arrived today to view the damaged generator. Funny thing is they sent a regular FedEx guy, not a ground FedEx guy. He started laughing when he saw it, shook his head and said it happens all the time, basically FedEx ground is run by chimps and he really couldn't help me..... Hey, at least he came clean on how F'd up things are.
I called Mayberrys where I got the generator from and they have supposedly taken care of everything. A new generator has been shipped to me using regular FedEx 3day, not ground. Delivery on Friday. No extra charge and they will be issuing a return ticket and FedEx ground will pickup the damaged unit within 36hrs.
So far very happy with Mayberrys service. We'll see if it works out in the end. RT
Mikebat
Member III
Thanks for the heads-up on FedEx ground. I've shipped a few things that way, but nothing expensive or important. I use regular FedEx for that. My horror story involves UPS ground, who left a $6000 telescope on the porch of my house in Hollywood, CA, despite "Adult Signature Required" on the packing slip and the box and presumably the electronic thing they carry around. Fortunately it wasn't stolen. But that's my horror story, such as it is.
Hey,
I got ya beat! UPS left a semi automatic military firearm, the kind you guys in California can't own, right on my front step! Clearly marked "adult signature required" right on it. BTW, shipping an item like this is completely legal as it was out for repair. I couldn't believe they just left it. Thankfully I live in a very quiet and safe neighborhood. RT
I got ya beat! UPS left a semi automatic military firearm, the kind you guys in California can't own, right on my front step! Clearly marked "adult signature required" right on it. BTW, shipping an item like this is completely legal as it was out for repair. I couldn't believe they just left it. Thankfully I live in a very quiet and safe neighborhood. RT