Brian Oakley
New member
I got an interesting phone call yesterday afternoon. I was called by a packaging Manager (Greg) for my local station. He works directly under the station Manager (Dan) that I have talked to on the phone once before, last week.
The call became "ODD", to say the least, when he was asked to call by by Dan and find a time where they both could come out and look at my 'setup', for lcak of better terms.
I was quite puzzed for a couple reasons.
1. What does my facility have to do with my shipping?
2. During the 20 minute conversation I had with Dan late last week, why was this not brought up?
Greg went on to say that they do not even ship reptiles, but that I have gone through the propper channels to get such approval, but that he has never heard of such a thing.
Greg'g concern was what if an animal were to get out? "People would walk off the job", I was told.
This may be true, but VERY unlikely. I explained to him how I package a snake (snake in a TIED bag, bag in styro lined box, box taped shut). I asked how a snake would ever be able to get out of that without the use of fingers/digits to untie a bag, forget about the fact that the knot would be on the outside and the snake on the inside.
He then brought up a fact that if a box was dropped and the snake got out. I referred him to the above explination.
He said that more or less they just wanted the chance for ME to meet THEM in person. This way, in the event something went wrong, that I would know them personally..........ok whatever?
I said that unless they are insisting on coming here, which I let VERY few people do, that this would not be possible. I said I WOULD bring a smaller snake (yearlilng boa or something like that) to THEM and all the products needed to ship a snake and show them in person what steps I take. This IS what this is about, packaging, NOT my stock of animals.
THe conversation was not a tense one, he was very nice, but I was NOT at ALL happy about this.
I went to THEIR Corp. levels (Packaging Design & Development) to get such approval and now it sounds like the individual station is backpeddling. WHo runs this show?
Like I have asked before, there are WAY too many inconsistancies when dealing with these folks. LIke I mentioned beofre, I have YET to be asked to sign any type of 'waiver'. I have even asked about it and get the response that I am set to ship. Then, yesterday, I get this phone call? NOT happy. I guess what bothers me most is that the person who asked Greg to call has talked with me, like I said above, and he even said I was good to go?
Why the change of mind? Why the need to see my facility? Why no "waiver" to sign? WHy do these Managers of each station not know about people from the CORPORATE level making the decision to allow us to ship, as I was told, on a 'case by case basis'?
In the end, I was thanked for being a FedEx customer and the conversation, like I said, was pleasent. Just got a 'funny' feeling about this whole call.
He said he would pass on my concerns with Dan and see if we can't meet at THEIR place of business rather than mine.
Not sure what the response will be, but I am ready to call James and get this all figured out as I find it wrong and to me the are renigging on the already designed AND APPROVED agreement.
Just don't feel this is very professional NOR does it leave a good taste in the customer's (ME) mouth!
The call became "ODD", to say the least, when he was asked to call by by Dan and find a time where they both could come out and look at my 'setup', for lcak of better terms.
I was quite puzzed for a couple reasons.
1. What does my facility have to do with my shipping?
2. During the 20 minute conversation I had with Dan late last week, why was this not brought up?
Greg went on to say that they do not even ship reptiles, but that I have gone through the propper channels to get such approval, but that he has never heard of such a thing.
Greg'g concern was what if an animal were to get out? "People would walk off the job", I was told.
This may be true, but VERY unlikely. I explained to him how I package a snake (snake in a TIED bag, bag in styro lined box, box taped shut). I asked how a snake would ever be able to get out of that without the use of fingers/digits to untie a bag, forget about the fact that the knot would be on the outside and the snake on the inside.
He then brought up a fact that if a box was dropped and the snake got out. I referred him to the above explination.
He said that more or less they just wanted the chance for ME to meet THEM in person. This way, in the event something went wrong, that I would know them personally..........ok whatever?
I said that unless they are insisting on coming here, which I let VERY few people do, that this would not be possible. I said I WOULD bring a smaller snake (yearlilng boa or something like that) to THEM and all the products needed to ship a snake and show them in person what steps I take. This IS what this is about, packaging, NOT my stock of animals.
THe conversation was not a tense one, he was very nice, but I was NOT at ALL happy about this.
I went to THEIR Corp. levels (Packaging Design & Development) to get such approval and now it sounds like the individual station is backpeddling. WHo runs this show?
Like I have asked before, there are WAY too many inconsistancies when dealing with these folks. LIke I mentioned beofre, I have YET to be asked to sign any type of 'waiver'. I have even asked about it and get the response that I am set to ship. Then, yesterday, I get this phone call? NOT happy. I guess what bothers me most is that the person who asked Greg to call has talked with me, like I said above, and he even said I was good to go?
Why the change of mind? Why the need to see my facility? Why no "waiver" to sign? WHy do these Managers of each station not know about people from the CORPORATE level making the decision to allow us to ship, as I was told, on a 'case by case basis'?
In the end, I was thanked for being a FedEx customer and the conversation, like I said, was pleasent. Just got a 'funny' feeling about this whole call.
He said he would pass on my concerns with Dan and see if we can't meet at THEIR place of business rather than mine.
Not sure what the response will be, but I am ready to call James and get this all figured out as I find it wrong and to me the are renigging on the already designed AND APPROVED agreement.
Just don't feel this is very professional NOR does it leave a good taste in the customer's (ME) mouth!
