competition...

okay, this in no way has to do with the company i work for because they actually have pretty good rates.

anyway, there are many messenger companies in Chicago...driving and cycling companies. they are in constant battle for accounts especially huge accounts...rather not name any specific ones. one way to approach things is to offer good service. if you offer good service then money becomes a secondary issue...this isn't true in all cases because many companies are always trying to cut back on costs but it still "can" hold true. either way, another approach would be to offer lower rates for jobs delivered. this is where the problem lies...companies are constantly trying to get accounts and feel that low-balling is the best approach. i really wish it would be more of service issue as opposed to a financial issue. more companies should just stick with the rates they have and be confident that the people hired to represent them are competent enough to uphold the companies standards.

the problem then becomes, how much will the messenger make? packages keep getting cheaper and cheaper to deliver which means that the messenger has to work extra hard just to make a liveable wage. also, with advancement in technology the use of the bicycle messenger has been decreasing...will it ever go away? probably not but the amount of work is much less today than it was ten years ago. some messengers come in and complain but its out of their hands...not much they can do. its up to the people higher up in the companies that have final say as to what the rates will be. also, most companies dont really care/worry about the complaints...if one guy doesn't get the job done someone else will. why? we all need to eat. thats the beauty of the independant contractor...you can say no but someone else will say yes. when that happens then the company no longer needs your services...you wont be terminated but you will part ways...

so...you have cheaper packages and less work. its hard to pay bills and eat but many come out and try anyway. i may not have loved all the guys i've had the pleasure of working with but i have the upmost respect for all my soldiers...peace.