Recession, Me Arse

mikemac

Used to be a hotel night porter and we'd get the newspapers around 5am

The regular guy did Monday to Saturday and left the papers inside the door and would ring the doorbell on his way out if I was sleeping working elsewhere in the hotel . Cool, we'll get them later

The Sunday night guy stood out on the road and fooked over a wall onto the ground.
He wouldn't even come into the car park, pure laziness!
So on a wet night I'd get 60 wet and mucky newspapers. And residents moaning at me for not having enough and managers roaring at me to get up to the shops and replace these with money from petty cash.

We didn't ask our deliverymen to climb any steps or go to reception or any storeroom.
Just stick your head inside the front door and drop them on the ground.

If I was ordering 50 rolls of paper like the OP and got them left on the ground I'd have asked nicely from help to get them in out of the rain.

Maybe the driver reckoned he was getting talked down to and immediately got defensive and lashed right back.
Being nice to people will generally get your more results then demanding something.

Cavehill Red

Used to have a particular courier firm deliver a regular delivery from abroad to me.
But all too often, I'd find a note saying 'We tried to deliver...' which would be confusing because the doorbell hadn't been rung at all.
I complained a couple of times and got the old 'Ah, sure you probably didn't hear him...'
I'd have to hightail it up to their depot miles away the following day and pick the damn thing up, which cost me petrol and time.
One day, I happened to be nearby and heard the letterbox go. I watched the note falling through the door and legged it outside. But the van was already taking off at breakneck speed.
They got a call that day detailing the licence plate of the van responsible and asking for the package to be re-delivered the same day.
I got the same oul BS.
Now I use a different firm who call me on the mobile before they reach the building to ensure I'm in. They get thanks and offers of cups of tea.
And I laugh long and hard when I get sales calls from the first shower of chancers, and enjoy telling them exactly why their shoddy service meant I voted with my wallet and stopped dealing with them.

Dempsey

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Used to have a particular courier firm deliver a regular delivery from abroad to me.
But all too often, I'd find a note saying 'We tried to deliver...' which would be confusing because the doorbell hadn't been rung at all.
I complained a couple of times and got the old 'Ah, sure you probably didn't hear him...'
I'd have to hightail it up to their depot miles away the following day and pick the damn thing up, which cost me petrol and time.
One day, I happened to be nearby and heard the letterbox go. I watched the note falling through the door and legged it outside. But the van was already taking off at breakneck speed.
They got a call that day detailing the licence plate of the van responsible and asking for the package to be re-delivered the same day.
I got the same oul BS.
Now I use a different firm who call me on the mobile before they reach the building to ensure I'm in. They get thanks and offers of cups of tea.
And I laugh long and hard when I get sales calls from the first shower of chancers, and enjoy telling them exactly why their shoddy service meant I voted with my wallet and stopped dealing with them.

Absolutely delighted!

They actually called after they lost your business which is what makes it worse. Customers want to feel valued, and so they should, they are paying for it. Basic social and business etiquette shouldnt come at a premium.

fonecrusher1

No offence OP but im surprised this thread is getting so much attention. Just sounds like a couple of cranky feckers having a bit of a bickering match & both storming off thinking they're in the right.:D

Maybe he should have put in a bit more effort but maybe you should have been a bit more diplomatic & polite?

Cavehill Red

Dempsey wrote: »

Absolutely delighted!

They actually called after they lost your business which is what makes it worse. Customers want to feel valued, and so they should, they are paying for it. Basic social and business etiquette shouldnt come at a premium.

I'm amazed they're still in business if they carry on the way they did with me with their other few remaining customers.
When I rang them and proved I'd seen their van yet he'd failed to deliver, they insisted it couldn't have happened, suggested I was spoofing and must have memorised the licence plate from the last time I'd been to their depot!
I got two calls after I cancelled my business with them. One was a whine the following week saying they could've redelivered at the weekend (which is both no use to me and wasn't offered at the time anyway) which I cut off in midflight and said they weren't wasting any more of my time.
The other came a few weeks later (new sales rep given a cold call list, I guess) and I happily explained why I'd rather fly abroad and collect the delivery myself than ever hire them again.
Sadly, this sort of crap is all too common in Irish service sectors. It's not slavery to expect people to do their job for good money. As for the OP's post, if I were the driver's boss, he'd be out the door for costing me business.

goat2

DOC09UNAM wrote: »

Down with that sort of thing!

he must not own the company, as if he were the owner, he would have been glad to do as asked of him, does his employer know this, i do think he does not know that his employee wasted all that diesel, hours and wear and tear on his van and would not go an inch out of his way to please a very important person to his business, his customer

mikemac

Cavehill Red wrote: »

I'm amazed they're still in business if they carry on the way they did with me with their other few remaining customers.

Write a letter to the CEO telling them what you told us.

The CEO will come down on the managers and the depot

Dempsey

Cavehill Red wrote: »

I'm amazed they're still in business if they carry on the way they did with me with their other few remaining customers.
When I rang them and proved I'd seen their van yet he'd failed to deliver, they insisted it couldn't have happened, suggested I was spoofing and must have memorised the licence plate from the last time I'd been to their depot!
I got two calls after I cancelled my business with them. One was a whine the following week saying they could've redelivered at the weekend (which is both no use to me and wasn't offered at the time anyway) which I cut off in midflight and said they weren't wasting any more of my time.
The other came a few weeks later (new sales rep given a cold call list, I guess) and I happily explained why I'd rather fly abroad and collect the delivery myself than ever hire them again.
Sadly, this sort of crap is all too common in Irish service sectors. It's not slavery to expect people to do their job for good money. As for the OP's post, if I were the driver's boss, he'd be out the door for costing me business.

Any company that makes excuses at your complaints isnt worth dealing with unless 99% of the time they are best you've dealt with then you give them another chance.

But regular bull**** excuses shouldnt be tolerated and its probably more a dublin/city thing because of the traffic problems and the cost of living, the couriers are taking these shortcuts to make a living rather than explaining to employers these problems. Employers probably dont want to hear it as all they are thinking is short term $$$ and that mentality is reflected throughout their company

ILA

While I don't think carrying them into your storeroom was in the guy's Contract of Employment, I supposed he could have obliged you.

However, I do agree that generally Customer Service hasn't improved at all in the climate, in one instance I've to say that it has got markedly worse when I had to contact Eircom.

Also, what's this BS about prices for products and services falling? I know wages are falling but I haven't noticed any marked difference in any bills or the cost of services. Maybe a small reduction, but in one local place I visited seeking a DSL filter for the phone line it was 10 euro! Needless to say I told them to stuff it and went on eBay and got it for about a fiver.

I used to work in a music store with delusions of grandeur, it was usually me on my own all day every day apart from the few times when the boss would come in and sit out back pretending to work. We would get deliveries on a daily basis and most times the delivery men would drop them behind the counter if I was dealing with a customer. If they were parked on the double yellow lines outside the shop they would leave them in front of the counter as it was a one way street and their being there would hold up traffic. One afternoon the boss attempting to act the big man, told a delivery man that if he didn't drop the boxes behind the counter he would have his job.

The delivery guy apologised and said that he couldn't as he had to grab 4 or 5 more boxes off the truck and all ready there were a number of cars stuck behind him. I said it was no problem, I would bring them around once I was finished on the phone with another supplier. The delivery man said thanks as my boss went off on one of those self-indulgent rants that wannabe big men often do, he swore at the driver, told him he paid his wages and would have his job, etc, etc.

The delivery man turned to my boss and told him that if he wanted to make a complaint he could ring his manager anytime. Boss grabs his mobile and rings the company who sent the boxes as the delivery guy thanks me and leaves. To cut a long story short, the supplier refuses to supply the shop and* the courier company wouldn't deliver to it anymore costing my boss in the long-term. The most entertaining aspect of it all was listening as my manager repeatedly tried to act the hard man on the phone issuing idle threats only to be told each time, take your custom elsewhere, our courier did the job he was paid to do and to expect him to go the extra mile while you scream abuse at him is unacceptable.

Dempsey

Deleted User wrote: »

I used to work in a music store with delusions of grandeur, it was usually me on my own all day every day apart from the few times when the boss would come in and sit out back pretending to work. We would get deliveries on a daily basis and most times the delivery men would drop them behind the counter if I was dealing with a customer. If they were parked on the double yellow lines outside the shop they would leave them in front of the counter as it was a one way street and their being there would hold up traffic. One afternoon the boss attempting to act the big man, told a delivery man that if he didn't drop the boxes behind the counter he would have his job.

The delivery guy apologised and said that he couldn't as he had to grab 4 or 5 more boxes off the truck and all ready there were a number of cars stuck behind him. I said it was no problem, I would bring them around once I was finished on the phone with another supplier. The delivery man said thanks as my boss went off on one of those self-indulgent rants that wannabe big men often do, he swore at the driver, told him he paid his wages and would have his job, etc, etc.

The delivery man turned to my boss and told him that if he wanted to make a complaint he could ring his manager anytime. Boss grabs his mobile and rings the company who sent the boxes as the delivery guy thanks me and leaves. To cut a long story short, the supplier refuses to supply the shop and* the courier company wouldn't deliver to it anymore costing my boss in the long-term. The most entertaining aspect of it all was listening as my manager repeatedly tried to act the hard man on the phone issuing idle threats only to be told each time, take your custom elsewhere, our courier did the job he was paid to do and to expect him to go the extra mile while you scream abuse at him is unacceptable.

In that instance surely a petition to the council for a marked loading bay was the way to go, surely a few other businesses on that street would have gladly backed him.

At the counter is fine but aslong as the package or bits arent easily fecked but your employer should of had a storeman employed or he should have gotten off his celtic tiger.

Asking a courier to park illegally on a regular basis is unfair

Dempsey

Dempsey wrote: »

In that instance surely a petition to the council for a marked loading bay was the way to go, surely a few other businesses on that street would have gladly backed him.

At the counter is fine but aslong as the package or bits arent easily fecked but your employer should of had a storeman employed or he should have gotten off his celtic tiger.

Asking a courier to park illegally on a regular basis is unfair

The storeroom was never used as it was so full of crap that you couldn't open the door, the boxes were emptied pretty much as the came ona nd stock put out. The point was that had my manager acted with some common courtesy and not tired the "I pay your wages" card nothing would have happened, his attempt to act the big man resulted in it hurting his business more than losing him hurt the courier or supplier.

Far too many business owners think that it's acceptable to treat service people like they are beneath them, it's not acceptable and all this crap they trot out that people should be happy to have a job and as such do more than they are contracted for is ludicrous.

A delivery man is paid to deliver the goods to your premises, he is not paid to leave them in your storeroom and if he does then he's going out of his ay to accommodate you. I wonder would the op or anyone else for that matter be okay with an important delivery being late due to the courier having to take longer at previous stops to go the extra mile.

Dempsey

Deleted User wrote: »

The storeroom was never used as it was so full of crap that you couldn't open the door, the boxes were emptied pretty much as the came ona nd stock put out. The point was that had my manager acted with some common courtesy and not tired the "I pay your wages" card nothing would have happened, his attempt to act the big man resulted in it hurting his business more than losing him hurt the courier or supplier.

Far too many business owners think that it's acceptable to treat service people like they are beneath them, it's not acceptable and all this crap they trot out that people should be happy to have a job and as such do more than they are contracted for is ludicrous.

A delivery man is paid to deliver the goods to your premises, he is not paid to leave them in your storeroom and if he does then he's going out of his ay to accommodate you. I wonder would the op or anyone else for that matter be okay with an important delivery being late due to the courier having to take longer at previous stops to go the extra mile.

In my experience they are paid to leave the good in the the loading bay or designated area. Otherwise they are expected to ask. Regular suppliers will have worked out an acceptable code of conduct/practice and they'll be exempt from the norm but anyone else that hasnt sorted this needs to park their van/truck, legally, and find the manager/storeman and get instructions on where to go/what to do.

Its a method I've worked with and there is no disrespect involved unless one side insists on a lazy method just so they have an easy life.

I do remember large cold goods deliveries from musgraves where he would have to park illegally, management wanted loading in the front because all the fridges were at the front and we could fill the fridges quicker and less chance of the stock thawing. Thats a case of both sides using common sense despite the fact that management had to bring us in early at a cost to them. They were happy to do so given the circumstances

Couriers cant expect goods to be accepts in insecure areas but management should be using common sense where there is issues not within the couriers control or reasonable for them.

Common courtesy and mutual respect for the other's job is required

epgc3fyqirnbsx

If everyone just does everything to the letter of their job do you know what that is?

A work to rule strike....

We dunno how the initial tone with the delivery man was, posts can't really convey tone, but generally, even if a customer is a dick, you go and do these things.

And I've worked in the service industry most of my life, and stil am

gbee

Cavehill Red wrote: »

'We tried to deliver...' which would be confusing because the doorbell hadn't been rung at all..

No, he did not call, he stopped at the end of the road and got a local kid to throw in the note. Caught one red handed, it's unfortunately too common an occurrence.

Standing at the door An Post pulled up, in popped the failure to deliver note and I opened the door "What are you playing at?" No knock and he came from the van with note in hand ~

I must say that mostly An Post are great, and this is not a complaint, one cannot account for individuals.

gbee

Dempsey wrote: »

In that instance surely a petition to the council for a marked loading bay was the way to go,

*** **** as pointed out in another thread, double yellow lines are loading bays for deliveries, except in clearway situations and no other issue is present.

The one way and semi-pedestrianised narrow streets would rule out a fixed loading bay in most situations.

weldoninhio

Dempsey wrote: »

No he didnt do his job, the point of entry is a security risk above all else. The point of entry is never the place where you place deliveries. If it isnt clear where you unload, you are expected to find out where it is and unload there.

He put the goods inside the gate. How is that a security risk?? The OP who worked there saw that the goods were being delivered, so could have moved them where he wanted. What was the risk??

If he'd left them inside an open gate and hadn't told anyone that the delivery was there, then fair enough. But i'm sure he needed a signature, and as the OP stated, he came out. Jobs a good un.

Secondly, if i remember correctly the OP stated that he did not know if the courier would be insured on the property, yet demanded that he take the risk and move the paper around the property.

weldoninhio

harpsman wrote: »

Why do businesses/people withold their no.s-i agree with pissed off customer

Yeah its shocking :rolleyes:, how did anyone get any business done 20 years ago when there was no caller id.

A lot of large offices do it because they have a main admin staff to deal with any queries etc. that a manager wouldn't need to look after. If the manager calls someone and they get their number then you have awkward customers phoning the manager for everything from a/c queries to change of addresses etc. tieing up their line with queries which the admin team look after and stopping him/her from dealing with more important issues.

She left him the office number and asked him to call back, there was no conspiracy.

Sound Bite

Have I missed something or is this not a case of two thick men, one thicker than the other, neither of which was willing to back down & both willing to cut off their nose to spite their face, sort to speak.

If either of them could have been civil, (and yes Mr Belgrade I don't believe you did anything to help yourself here) then I guess the outcome would have been different.

What I can't understand for the life of me, is why neither of these two eejits, called the manager in Dublin & let him decide before the lorry headed back to Dublin. Surely, the manager would have had some common sense. More than likely, whether rightly or wrongly, he would have asked the delivery driver to bring the paper in out of the rain, so the journey down would not have been wasted.

I'll often go the extra mile for someone who asks nicely, but if not forget it.

cgordonfreeman

Degag wrote: »

I'd just like to point out - and your nightclub may well be different - that any nightclub i've been in doesn't afford it's customers the half hour drinking up time. Most of the time, once the dj finishes and the lights come on, we're rushed towards the door straightaway with no time to finish the expensive drinks we may have bought just 5 minutes earlier.

Our bars close at 2. DJ finishes at 2 or maybe 2.15 depending on the night. 2.20 we'll ask quietly for people to start moving to a certain area (with their drinks), no panic if they don't. 2.30 ask every one to leave. This is when the pricks start sipping slowly on purpose and act like inconsiderate bastards. Most people are fine but there's always one or two at the end.

minidazzler

starbelgrade wrote: »

He looked at me with a big, thick head on him & said, "well, de ye bleedin' want 'em or naat - coz I can leave 'em here or take 'em back?"

I told him to take them back.

starbelgrade wrote: »

So I told him that he could either put the paper in the storeroom, or take it back as it would be useless to me if it got wet. He decided that it wasn't worth his while, reloaded the van & drove back to Dublin.

Try to be consistant here!

Also, you said the client blocked the drive? Why didn't you ask the client not to if you knew you had a delivery coming. Make his job just a little easier!

You are in the wrong here, no matter how much the manager apologised, that's just standard practice in alot of places. You gave an address to deliver to, he delivered, if you wanted it in the storeroom then why not just detail that on the order. Then he has to do it.

You come across as arrogant and childish for not getting your way.

stepbar

lizt wrote: »

If you had been a bit more polite with the delievry guy- like "Listen, I'm sorry, I'm a bit tied up at the minute, is there any way you could possibly bring the stuff into the storeroom? I just don't want the stuff to get ruined in the rain. I'd really appreciate it" - I'm sure the guy would have been more responsive.
It seems from your post you demanded that he do it and if that is the case, I don't blame him for his actions. It costs nothing to be polite.

Ah now hold on a minute..... he shouldn't have had to ask! The chap delivering the goods should have been asking him where to put them!

My da often gets electrical goods delivered to the house. They don't just leave them out in the rain to get wet. Wouldn't do if the items were expensive because I'd be well browned off. Or even worse if the items were left out in the open for some gurrier to steal. Clearly the chap delivering the goods hadn't much of a brain.

Anyhow, the level of customer service in some places in Dublin is shocking. Contrast the attidute with that of our friends in the North / UK. Far better attidute. With consequence, businesses up there get my money.

goat2

i agree with the aboveafter all it was paper he was delivering, hope someone else takes his job and do the decent thing, look after and please the customers, it is easier to keep a good customer.than to find a new customer,,good customers should be appreciated and taken care of

LizT

stepbar wrote: »

Ah now hold on a minute..... he shouldn't have had to ask! The chap delivering the goods should have been asking him where to put them!

My da often gets electrical goods delivered to the house. They don't just leave them out in the rain to get wet. Wouldn't do if the items were expensive because I'd be well browned off. Or even worse if the items were left out in the open for some gurrier to steal. Clearly the chap delivering the goods hadn't much of a brain.

Anyhow, the level of customer service in some places in Dublin is shocking. Contrast the attidute with that of our friends in the North / UK. Far better attidute. With consequence, businesses up there get my money.

In fairness, he is only obliged to leave them at the point of entry, which he did. I don't agree with his actions but I don't think the OP did himself any favours. All I was trying to say is that if you treat people with a bit of respect and courtesy you will be treated the same way in turn! That's my view anyway. Even if I deal with a complete dickhead, I will usually still try to be civil - that's my nature.

fonecrusher1

This is very strange. I just noticed the OP has recieved almost 30 'thanks' from various people?.....um? really? Am i missing something here?

Starbelgrade im sure your a sound enough person in real life but you do come across as being unreasonable & a bit rude in your description of that particular situation. Hey we all have a bad day, no big deal. But holy fcuk you have some serious zombie support in boards!!??

I suspect if it had been a relatively unknown member of boards posting then he/she would have recieved very few thanks if any at all & been the target of a serious bit of abuse from other posters.

Just an observation, not a personal attack.

coffee_cake

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

This is very strange. I just noticed the OP has recieved almost 30 'thanks' from various people?.....um? really? Am i missing something here?

Starbelgrade im sure your a sound enough person in real life but you do come across as being unreasonable & a bit rude in your description of that particular situation. Hey we all have a bad day, no big deal. But holy fcuk you have some serious zombie support in boards!!??

I suspect if it had been a relatively unknown member of boards posting then he/she would have recieved very few thanks if any at all & been the target of a serious bit of abuse from other posters.

Just an observation, not a personal attack.

Duno, I like starbel from his posts but didn't agree with OP
I think any unknown poster would get the same reaction

fonecrusher1

bluewolf wrote: »

Duno, I like starbel from his posts but didn't agree with OP
I think any unknown poster would get the same reaction

This is the very essence of how the thanks button can be misused. ^

You thanked the post? Even though you think he's in the wrong?
Thanking a post means you agree with a post. It shouldn't be used as a means of conteracting support for opposing posts.


This is the ugly side of the thanks button & why some people think it encourages popularity contest style thinking.

coffee_cake

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

This is the very essence of how the thanks button can be misused. ^

You thanked the post? Even though you think he's in the wrong?
Thanking a post means you agree with a post. It shouldn't be used as a means of conteracting support for opposing posts.


This is the ugly side of the thanks button & why some people think it encourages popularity contest style thinking.

What thanks >.>


I WAS with him in the OP right until the "storeroom is 20ft away"
went downhill from there

fonecrusher1

bluewolf wrote: »

What thanks >.>

The thanks you just removed from the OP.;)

coffee_cake

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

The thanks you just removed from the OP.;)

I don't know what you're talking about

I hate when people analyse my thanks. Sometimes I thank cos I agree with a bit but not the rest.
We don't have to go into any social trend analysis about it.