advice.v4...

sometimes cats forget that in the end...dispatchers are also messengers. we're delivering a message from the screen to the biker. sounds simple enough but can be a bit much at times...

6665...six-five.

j.dot...what up? you clean?

6665...yeah im clean. man! you guys have to start warning us when the package is huge box. that thing didn't fit in my bag!!

...well, where does one begin with this scenario? first off, customers lie. we all know it but we blame each other for the silliness. how was i supposed to know the package was a box? the order has a pick up and drop off address...it also tells me the number of pieces and weight...i also can tell what kind of order it is, meaning, half hour, one hour, and so on. if the order says 1 pc. at 1 lb. what would you think? envelope, right? for all you rookies, and sometimes vets, if it is a f*cking box and it was supposed to be an envelope let your dispatcher know before you deliver it. most of the time we are able to change the rate to a car run and if you still want to take it then it can be profitable. if you don't...it's no big deal, you will still get paid and we'll send a car. simple...right?! i should count how many times this doesn't happen in a day. instead messengers make the deliveries but by then it's to late to argue that the rate should be more money.

patience is something not many have in this line of work. i am also guilty of getting impatient from time to time. you can't help it...it's a fast paced environment and you have to deal with a handful of situations/problems at once. not good...

1141...forty-one.

j.dot...what up? you headed to the daily.

1141...umm, not yet. im over at 440 south lasalle and there's no one at the messenger center. do me a favor and see if you can get me permission to leave the package inside the center. it'll be safe and im sure someone will be back in five or ten minutes.

...first off, there isn't a company in the city that would ok leaving a package at a messenger center. sure we call people to see if it's ok to leave the package inside the actual drop off company but never a messenger center. there is no guarantee that package will ever make it to it's final destination. the messenger knows for a fact that someone will be back in five. granted...sometimes messenger centers take longer than they should but then you get into wait time. if my bikers wait for too long they get compensated. it isn't a great deal of loot but it's something for their time that could be spent making other deliveries. im not saying we can get away with charging wait because of a messenger center but more often than not i can get away with it. the thing about this is that the messenger doesn't see it this way...instead he just wants to get out of there. for what? we're slow right now! no need to hurry and racking up wait time is beneficial. i tell the messenger 10-4 but never make the call...d*ck move, right? nope...i knew for a fact we wouldn't get permission, i would charge wait time if needed, but, all that aside, i knew the messenger center would show up before i even would have gotten a hold of someone...

1141...forty one.

j.dot...yeah?

1141...kill the call. got someone.

j.dot...10-4.

...on another note, sort of, if you're standing by for over 20, 30, 60 minutes do yourself a favor and call your dispatcher. all you need to say is..."checking back". why? cause we're human and we make mistakes. sometimes the computer makes a mistake and hasn't marked you clean. sometimes you clean up with another dispatcher but you never checked in with your main dispatcher. granted...sometimes it's really slow but it never hurts to let your dispatcher know that you're still out there and you want more work. Lord knows i used to get angry at my dispatchers when my number was dropped from the system and i was forgotten about. i slowly learned that i should check in randomly...it doesn't hurt. well, it hurts sometimes when your dispatcher is hung over and doesn't want to talk to anyone but, more often than not, it's a good idea...ha! seriously, rare are the days that some of my crew slip through the cracks but it has happen and i apologize for that but, please, just a quick "checking in" is all that is needed...that goes for everyone who is a working messenger...peace.