Our UPS sub (long and anger filled)

[Mottom24]

where I work I have UPS pick up our shipments every weekday. our first ups guy was a loud mouth, would complain about having to go up our flight of stairs, but he helped every single time. he would come right up, announce he was there, and I would print out the end of day slip while I helped him bring all the boxes down. I hate doing it too, but we are only one store, and there is no room for an elevator, or sliding mechanism for the boxes. plus this is fragile stuff, so a sliding thing wouldn't be wise.

Our new guy is quiet, but helps just as much. every so often he doesn't work a day and we have a sub come in. it's usually one of 4 different ups guys I have gotten over the past 2 years. all of them help like the first... except one. I dubbed him yogi as a nick name. he has the same build as yogi the bear, and talks exactly like him. he opens the downstairs door and yells "UPS!" (now say that loud like yogi would) and walks to his truck... then stands in the truck... never moving. while I lug down every box to him.

but he was a sub, so I didn't care... but finally I was fed up. 2 days ago I had alot of bigger boxes for a big order of dinnerware. with help, it was maybe 5-6 trips up and down. without... well double that. I was tired, it was the end of my day, and i needed help. so i bring down my boxes and tell him I may need some help.

the moment he starts going up the stairs he complains about how my boss can be held liabel if either of us get hurt on the stairs. that I should get a sliding thing put in, or an elevator. now repeat this on every single trip up and down. i was fed up... but i just nodded and let him go. I figured he wouldn't be back for a long while anyway....

Queue yesterday... "UUUUPS"... fuck it's him... ok. i wait.... he is in his truck blabbing on his phone... no... im waiting... he better come up and then ill help him.... 5 minutes he ends his call, slumps, and goes up the stairs. I then immediatly go to the boxes and help him. (I make sure i always get the heaviest by the way). again he complains... and I tell him "of all the ups guys we get, you're the only one who complains" but after 1 trip I see he vanished... when i come down with the 2nd load I see where he is...

He went accross the street to the store, and is now talking to my boss. I know exactly what he is talking about. by the time he is done i have all the boxes down without his help. Im now VERY tired, and VERY angry. he could have complained after he helped me atleast!

He tells me he told my boss that he could be hald liabel if we get injured. that one of them should come over and help, or hire someone with me to help. that they should install an elevator or sliding mechanism. I then tell him "I have been doing this for over 2 years, and never hurt myself. there isn't anything they can do." but he goes on and on. then leaves. Im fumming now.

I understand his position. but i also know you can be held liabel for alot of stupid things. that all the ups guys help me. that we can't leave the boxes downstairs because there is no room in the 3x4 space at the bottom of the stairs to the front door. and if we leave them outside they will get stolen... plus then I would still be going down the stairs anyway.

I go accross the street and flip out. my bosses never saw me angry, I am always cheerful and happy because my job is an easy relaxing one. they immediatly call in to fomally complain. I tell them that i don't care if he gets in trouble or not, I just never want him picking up for us again.

I know what alot of you will say. he is kinda telling the truth, it is asking alot for ups guys to come up a flight of stairs to lug down boxes. but again, we don't have any choice, no where else to put them, and i help them every single time. for 2 years no ups guy has ever NOT helped. they would complain, but just general same complaints i have. with a tone of "well there isn't much anyone can do, but this does kinda suck". but this guy... never helping unless i drag his pudgy ass up the stairs, and then i just never hear the end of his bitching... god i hope they don't give us him again today.

[Akasa]

After a formal complaint you shouldn't see this guy again, or if you do he had better be helping.

[Mottom24]

After a formal complaint you shouldn't see this guy again, or if you do he had better be helping.

Funny you should say that, because he just literally helped me out 5 minutes ago. he was far more silent, no complaints, and helped me half way at the stairs like most of the ups guys do. we had a pretty light day today, but it was just 2 minutes of unloading and BAM done. i guess he got a talkin' to.

[bainsidhe]

We sell our product through distribution and therefore use UPS daily. Now I'm up in the office and never deal with the driver personally, but I hear we have an awesome UPS guy. UPS in general...not so much. But this guy is awesome. And I've also heard horror stories from our customers about their own drivers. One customer had a driver that was suspended for backing into someone. As in taking the truck and backing into a person. Sadly, my customer wasn't surprised, he was that bad.

[fma_fanatic]

Seeing as our regular UPS driver has to go up four flights of stairs when our elevators are down (usually once or twice a month), he's got nothing to complain about. Our driver is good and usually has something interesting to say to me.

Today he pretended to have a fit because I had a couple of piles going, just envelopes and boxes. I told him he had to stand in time out. So he did. He's a pretty good guy.

[mandaliz8704]

Wait a tick... he works for UPS and he's complaining about having to move boxes? That's like a dentist complaining about bad breath. part of the job, dude.

[Jetfire]

IANAL, and I'm not even American, so I could very well be wrong, but....

Personally, I suspect his "liabel" excuse was just an excuse so he didn't have to use the stairs, (as long as the stairs themselves are in good condition and so forth). By throwing around the L words (like lawsuit and liabel), he basically scared the customers into not making him do some of the hard parts of his job. I would think that carrying boxes up and down stairs would definitely be considered part of his normal job, so as long as the stairwell is well maintained and not overcrowded, if he hurt himself, it would amount to his own damn fault (or a workers comp claim). Your complaints to UPS probably earned him a stern talking to from his bosses about when he can and can't refuse to climb stairs.

[Mottom24]

IANAL, and I'm not even American, so I could very well be wrong, but....

Personally, I suspect his "liabel" excuse was just an excuse so he didn't have to use the stairs, (as long as the stairs themselves are in good condition and so forth). By throwing around the L words (like lawsuit and liabel), he basically scared the customers into not making him do some of the hard parts of his job. I would think that carrying boxes up and down stairs would definitely be considered part of his normal job, so as long as the stairwell is well maintained and not overcrowded, if he hurt himself, it would amount to his own damn fault (or a workers comp claim). Your complaints to UPS probably earned him a stern talking to from his bosses about when he can and can't refuse to climb stairs.

You're probably exactly right. I have a feeling he may have not even called his supervisor when he said he did. he probably did that to try to cement his own laziness. from what I understand, UPS has rgeat pay for drivers and they get tons of benefits, so it's a tough jobs at times, but seems well worth the effort. all the other UPS guys put in that effort and I love having them around. but this guy is just annoying and lazy. we have had him for the past 3 days, so I only hope I normal driver is on some type of vacation.

My favorite UPS driver is an asian lady of about the same age as me. she not only does more work than that other UPS driver, she is hilarious and hits on me constantly I wish she was our normal sub. also I find it funny that all my ups drivers are normally tall or big guys, then randomly a very small asian lady. doesn't fit the ups stereotype

[Andara Bledin]

Sure, if he hurt himself, you'd be liable. Just like if anyone else got hurt on the stairs, which is why your company has insurance (I would hope).

He was just being lazy, 'cause he didn't want to have to go up and down the stairs.

Our UPS guy is awesome, and most of the subs are pretty good, too.

^-.-^

[Mottom24]

UPDATE

My boss called him on his bluff with a complaint to UPS, as I stated earlier. seems that on our UPS agreement we have it written, very clearly, our address on the second floor. so they know they have to go up the stairs. it was agreed, signed, and we pay for said service.

So fastforward to today and our regular UPS guy is here. he jokingly said "did you miss me?" and I said "Oh god yes". he told me how he heard our sub gave us a hard time, and I explained to him how I know its sucks, but I would understand more if I never helped. He assured me that he, and everyother driver that does the route, doesn't care to go up the stairs. that they know it sucks, but I help, and there isn't an easy solution for the owners, or myself. so overall, none of the drivers care... except the sub we got last week.

Since he was called on his bluff about being held liable, he then went to his safety regulator at UPS to complain of our stairs being "unsafe" instead of us being held liable for just having to go up stairs to begin with. so our regular driver told us that we shouldn't be surprised if a saftey inspector from UPS comes knocking on our door.

Problem is... we may fail. only because of a crappy railing we have. no ups driver, or myself think of it, because we are using both hands to handle to boxes, so we don't use it anyway. but to be on the "safe" side with the inspector, I am going to bring in tools to fix the never used railing.

sadly my boss has no way to complain a second time. after 2 complaints, UPS drivers get in big trouble, and sometimes loose their ability to choose the same route again, which happened to our old driver because he would show up 2 hours earlier than he was suppose to. which messed up orders coming in from fed ex at the same time that we wanted to get out through ups the same day. so our one complaint is in... but we don't have him regularly, or have any new complaint, so no dice on that. my boss is pissed, but I told him that all the other drivers are on our side and understand... man I hate yogi...

[wagegoth]

from what I understand, UPS has great pay for drivers and they get tons of benefits, so it's a tough jobs at times, but seems well worth the effort.

UPS has a terrible union. FedEx Air has a great union.

[Digitalpotato]

Part of why I think "UPS" is an abbreviation for "United Piece of Shit."

[Dips]

Like the OP, we've been very happy with UPS most of the time. There have been a few hiccups, all due to sub drivers. In our case we've been able to chalk it up to inexperience not the sub driver just being a dick.

The regular drivers both at work and at home are terrific; in 15 years we haven't missed a single package sent by them to either place.