Business 101

[OntarioVanMan]

Here is the scoop....had this load yesterday
supposed to be 1 pallet. Cargo van load and tariff.

shipper instead has 2 1/2 of one part and 1/2 of another ready and TALL too...his doors are iced over and will have to hand load as well...boxes are bulky but light not so bad pretty easy.
Now for the fun....I call into dispatch as per protocol when there is a load variance...they call paying customer....it is a central traffic control dispatcher not the consignee really...they say take the 1 and leave the rest...they are not going to pay any extra...
This is where it gets dicey....small company owner has worked all day and his staff at OT rates to get what the shift foreperson wants at receiving end....they say they need ALL he can send to keep their OT workers going for the weekend...
What do I do?

 

[zorry]

Take it all. Service the customer.,

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Take it all. Service the customer.,

wow first try....Exactly what I did...the poor guy was so worried he'd wasted all that money on an OT shift just for it to be left behind just because some office clown 1,000 miles away make the wrong call....If it fits it ships was the decision of the day....AND I left him our business card and reminded him that when he is ever the paying customer to give Load 1 a call....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

BTW..even tho customer refused to bump up the rate....OUR dispatch made the executive decision and bumped up my % a little.... I think Mr E. would have approved as well....

 

[layoutshooter]

Taking that extra does wonders for customer service. My only concern would be liability. Taking responsibility for freight not agreed to could come back to bite you. Not as easy a call as one may think it would be.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Taking that extra does wonders for customer service. My only concern would be liability. Taking responsibility for freight not agreed to could come back to bite you. Not as easy a call as one may think it would be.

upper management could have a problem....why? I don't know...it didn't cost them anything and maybe even saved them 1 less expedite load....It sounded like a miscommunication between traffic control and the people on the ground....but I managed to satisfy the ground staff/the working people and everyone is working to-day.

 

[layoutshooter]

upper management could have a problem....why? I don't know...it didn't cost them anything and maybe even saved them 1 less expedite load....It sounded like a miscommunication between traffic control and the people on the ground....but I managed to satisfy the ground staff/the working people and everyone is working to-day.

I would agree, it was better to take the extra. I have just seen to many "things" over the years. Every variance increases the chance you could get bit. Nothing would surprise me these days.

Remember the "Golden Rule" of expediting:

If the customer makes a mistake, it's your fault, and you pay for it.

If your carrier makes a mistake, it's your fault, and you pay for it.

If you make a mistake, it's your fault, and you pay for it.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I would agree, it was better to take the extra. I have just seen to many "things" over the years. Every variance increases the chance you could get bit. Nothing would surprise me these days.

Remember the "Golden Rule" of expediting:

If the customer makes a mistake, it's your fault, and you pay for it.

If your carrier makes a mistake, it's your fault, and you pay for it.

If you make a mistake, it's your fault, and you pay for it.

that is exactly what I was expecting...LOL.....nothing and all the blame... should I have broken down, customer would have said..well If you did as you were told we wouldn't have this problem....gee whiz...

 

[layoutshooter]

that is exactly what I was expecting...LOL.....nothing and all the blame... should I have broken down, customer would have said..well If you did as you were told we wouldn't have this problem....gee whiz...

It's sad that we should even have to think like that, but, it is what it is.

 

[Ragman]

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Problem:...........................: Short arms
Good thing with short arms: I have Deep pockets....
Results: ..........................: Cash is well rooted at bottom of them pockets!

 

[rugbug61]

exactly right

 

[cheri1122]

BTW..even tho customer refused to bump up the rate....OUR dispatch made the executive decision and bumped up my % a little.... I think Mr E. would have approved as well....

I think Mr E would approve too - leaving the customer with a good impression is better than a big ad budget [and cheaper, too, lol].
Just one question: adding a skid or two shouldn't bump the rate, [they do it often in S/T loads], so was it the hand load that would have cost more? Under the circs, I'd have waived any charge for that, myself. [You said the boxes were light!]

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I think Mr E would approve too - leaving the customer with a good impression is better than a big ad budget [and cheaper, too, lol].
Just one question: adding a skid or two shouldn't bump the rate, [they do it often in S/T loads], so was it the hand load that would have cost more? Under the circs, I'd have waived any charge for that, myself. [You said the boxes were light!]

there were a lot of factors that I asked for the bump up.
1. they ordered a CV and tariff on this load was barely minimum to begin with....sometimes we get a bump up when a customer goes over the 2 skids customer depending of course.
2. 2 hours D-time of which i would not get paid for...
3. 107 boxes to load and UNload.... hence the bump up request.
It was a pure judgement call based on all factors....
Remember: If you don't ask you don't get....these suppliers already rape us over a lot of time especially on the D Time issue alone....

 

[Murraycroexp]

Asking = Good.
Demanding = Mistake.
The old bees and honey thing usury pays better than it's ugly cousin.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Asking = Good.
Demanding = Mistake.
The old bees and honey thing usury pays better than it's ugly cousin.

each issue on its own...no problem....wrap it into a package and its hard not to at least ask for a bump up....this is a work for profit deal out here....

 

[Moot]

Taking that extra does wonders for customer service. My only concern would be liability. Taking responsibility for freight not agreed to could come back to bite you. Not as easy a call as one may think it would be.

As long as it is documented on the BOL there should be no problem liability wise.

 

[LDB]

I had an IAC run in Dallas for 2 skids. Arriving I found 2 skids alright, 45x45x80. They only went about 12 miles from the airport. I called dispatch and told them the situation. I suggested we unwrap them and load the boxes into the van, each box being about 12x12x15 maybe and less than 20 pounds. I'd make one trip with half then return for the other half and they'd add 24 miles extra to my pay. The customer would get their delivery sooner and cheaper than calling in a truck. Fedex would pay out less than paying truck rate. I'd make a little more money and definitely more than dry run pay. This was on the Fedex Express dock at the airport, IAC, to go to the consignee so it was all Fedex not some third party involved. Nope. After keeping me waiting a half hour or more the geniuses in dispatch decided to call in a truck to delay a couple of hours and cost a lot more than I would have cost. It was a lose/lose all around, well, except for the truck operator.

If you can figure out how to do it profitably, run the load. It makes points with the customer, well, unless the customer is your own company in which case you're dealing with clueless dispatchers who wouldn't know a point if it stuck them.

 

[zorry]

Think it might have worked out better if it hadn't been IAC ?

 

[Turtle]

Wait.... we have business cards?