Smiths news paper distribution

james_smitha

As per the subject I'm trying to discover why **Smiths news paper distribution** will not fire inept staff.

The News Agents where I work in CV37 if it matters, on at least three mornings per week, every week titles are missing. I 100% refuse to believe that every time this happens Smiths News did not receive the correct number of the the missing title at the depot them selves. On some occasions the Mirror is missing, but another title that we normally have just a few off, we than get 'How many!!!'.  With every delivery there is a clearly identifiable delivery/ returns sheet spelling out exactly what should go to that business. The details on the delivery/ returns sheet are not the problem.  As I knew it, for at least 20 years now staff do not have full legal protection untill they have been in a job for at least 2 years. Anywhere I have worked such jaw dropping gross incompitence would very quickly get you invited to H.R and fired

Undervalued

james_smitha said:

As per the subject I'm trying to discover why **Smiths news paper distribution** will not fire inept staff.

The News Agents where I work in CV37 if it matters, on at least three mornings per week, every week titles are missing. I 100% refuse to believe that every time this happens Smiths News did not receive the correct number of the the missing title at the depot them selves. On some occasions the Mirror is missing, but another title that we normally have just a few off, we than get 'How many!!!'.  With every delivery there is a clearly identifiable delivery/ returns sheet spelling out exactly what should go to that business. The details on the delivery/ returns sheet are not the problem.  As I knew it, for at least 20 years now staff do not have full legal protection untill they have been in a job for at least 2 years. Anywhere I have worked such jaw dropping gross incompitence would very quickly get you invited to H.R and fired

Because they choose not to?

It is up to the employer what level of "gross incopitence [sic] they will tolerate, nobody can force them. Equally they may have found that whilst "paying peanuts may get monkeys" it is cheaper overall.

james_smitha

Undervalued  a thumbs **down** to you. What you say is true in so far as it goes. You don't feel any sympathy towards the customer service staff at Smiths who have to listen to irate phone calls from the businesses who's delivery has been put together badly day in day out, or the shops' loyal customers who miss out on their paper? If they employed order pickers that did the job properly they would then need fewer customer service staff and phones. These people doing the job badly yet getting away with it, simply for working nights get an anti social hours premium of at least 20 if not 25% on their wages. Legally there has to be a night manager/ supervisor (supose there is a fire/ fight?), I wonder what they are doing all night, they are suposed to make sure the job is done correctly and if needs be assist possibly new staff to overcome challenges

Savvy_Sue

You can probably control or at least influence what happens where you work, you have very little control or influence on another employer. 

Are they the only distributors you can use? 

Dakta

'Because they choose not to?'


that's the question pretty much a answered! 

I wonder what my reaction would be if I was told I should fire one of my own staff for incompetence - I'd probably put a block on the customer for thinking they can tell me how to run my business and then investigate the complaint to protect other customers if there is an issue (in that order). 

A local takeaway near me consistently can't get simple orders right with a staggering consistency of error which must be well above 90% -  the sheer number of complaints they must get would be staggering but they seem happy to operate like that. What can you do besides order elsewhere.

james_smitha

Savvy_Sue said:

You can probably control or at least influence what happens where you work, you have very little control or influence on another employer. 

Are they the only distributors you can use? 

1. Savvy_Sue Some good words there. Sadly Smiths News are the only option left, it is my belief that they exploit the situation. Many years ago there where 2 other choices, Dillons and Dawsons. Given  that occasionally I've seen the Menzies van pass the shop, I got the gaffer their contact details, sadly Menzies wheren't interested. The shop has to call Smiths every other morning to claim credit for missing titles, I'm sure you'll know that the shop can't sell the credit for missing papers to customers, or when there aren't enough papers for account customers that is embarrassing
   

james_smitha

Dakta said:

'Because they choose not to?'


that's the question pretty much a answered! 

I wonder what my reaction would be if I was told I should fire one of my own staff for incompetence - I'd probably put a block on the customer for thinking they can tell me how to run my business and then investigate the complaint to protect other customers if there is an issue (in that order). 

A local takeaway near me consistently can't get simple orders right with a staggering consistency of error which must be well above 90% -  the sheer number of complaints they must get would be staggering but they seem happy to operate like that. What can you do besides order elsewhere.

Dakta any Business relies on regular customers in particular for it's existance. I feel sorry for the owner of the take away that you describe. Having to deal with all of the mistakes and complaints must waste a lot of time and resources, time that could be better spent. As much as I doubt it my self, are we sure that people aren't misunderstanding the business, possibly you are paying for a random meal from the menu but there is a communications block?

Dakta

TBH I've not really thought about it that deeply, the world is full of people who, I don't want to call outright incompetent but for a billion of reasons for some I can imagine and more so that I can't are not very good at their job. With regards to this takeaway, I think it's unlikely they'd care much if you did complain. 

These are small annoyances and I don't think you can do a lot about them (except take custom elsewhere if it becomes that much of a problem) and I think to delve any further would be to make their business operational problems my own and I've got enough of my own in that regard!

where suppliers and alternatives are limited, it can be a bit more distressing, especially when the issues rise above 'they forgot to add chilli sauce' and have a financial/reputational impact on your own work -  in which case I'd chase up the formal complains contact if there is one, and escalate that as much as possible though I would not be telling anyone what to do with regards to their staff as that would be a fast way to lose any support you might get. (notice might, some companies are just a waste of space and have to be either tolerated or avoided)

Undervalued

james_smitha said:

Undervalued  a thumbs **down** to you. What you say is true in so far as it goes. You don't feel any sympathy towards the customer service staff at Smiths who have to listen to irate phone calls from the businesses who's delivery has been put together badly day in day out, or the shops' loyal customers who miss out on their paper? If they employed order pickers that did the job properly they would then need fewer customer service staff and phones. These people doing the job badly yet getting away with it, simply for working nights get an anti social hours premium of at least 20 if not 25% on their wages. Legally there has to be a night manager/ supervisor (supose there is a fire/ fight?), I wonder what they are doing all night, they are suposed to make sure the job is done correctly and if needs be assist possibly new staff to overcome challenges

Well I appreciate any opinion that doesn't coincide with your is unwelcome.

No, I don't feel sympathy for customer service staff. Most large organisations employ people simply to deal with customer complaints. Not a job I would want personally but they choose to do it. That is a bit like saying do I feel sympathy for police officers because they chose a job that involves dealing with criminals!

As a matter of interest, which law do you feel makes a "night manager / supervisor" obligatory?

lincroft1710

If the reason that Menzies weren't interested in supplying you was that it was unprofitable for them, then maybe it isn't that profitable for Smiths, so they don't bother too much about your order? 

james_smitha

****PLEASE COULD A MODERATOR CLOSE THIS THREAD*** the original question is not being answered