Shiply Blog: DPD Delivery Charges Investigated by Daily Mirror

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Friday, 24 April 2009

DPD Delivery Charges Investigated by Daily Mirror

Sandra Wood of West London was disgusted at the re-delivery options offered by her chosen parcel delivery firm DPD. So, she called in the Daily Mirror to investigate, watchdog style!

DPD is owned by Geopost and the Mirror article first decided to get down and dirty with their financials, claiming that they had a profit of £34m last year - insinuating their re-delivery charge option is the reason for their prosperity.

The standard option is free.

It could be delivered Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 7.30pm.

DPD says, unhelpfully, that it cannot offer a more specific time than this gaping 12-hour window. Unless you pay.

Which brings us to the "upgrade option". Sandra could have it delivered before 10am on a weekday, or on a Saturday morning, at a cost of £11.75.

"So if you work on weekdays you have no choice but to pay a huge charge to get hold of your own property," said Sandra.

An anonymous post on the Mirror web site in response says:

The yellow card also gives the option of leaving the delivery in a safe place, all the customer has to do is sign the yellow card in the appropriate place, give details of where they wish the consignment to be left and leave the yellow card for the DPD driver to use as a Proof of Delivery. This costs nothing.

This is a tricky one, I agree that £11.75 is a high price to pay for a more specific delivery window. However, you must remember that many parcel networks don't offer any such option whatsoever. I feel it is a tad easy to pin this one on DPD, the issue with delivery windows are industry wide.

This last-mile issue and getting the timing right to minimize inconvenience to the receiver has long been a controversial one. However, given the advances in technology, route planning, GPS tracking and such forth, waiting in all day for a delivery now really should be a thing of the past. We think it is high time the big boys really step up to the play in this area.

Labels: USER

61 Comments:

Give it time I hear by next year 2010 DPD will text customer a delivery slot within 1 hour. And they currently have full GPS tracking of drivers. They current have an ETA time slot if you call customer service but that is how the satnav system decides, which will never be as exact as the drivers.

As already mentioned, if you order an item for nextday delivery tell the SENDER to put a note to leave safe or with neighbour, Or for the love of god send to a work address!

By Anonymous, At 17 June 2009 20:40
The ETA system is never going to work, as once you have scanned your parcels for delivery, and asked the Saturn unit to optimise the route (put in the best delivery order) using the inbuilt satnav, it sends you to shops that are not open until 9.30am or even 10am and our deliveries start at 8am, a machine is never going to know when every company in the country opens and closes.
It cannot adjust for busy school run areas, road works and closures, so the hour time slot is fantasy, but we have been told we have to achieve it by 95% or face disciplinary action (even the sack).

By Anonymous, At 27 August 2009 06:03
Anon (27th) Can't we create one then?

By getvisible, At 27 August 2009 08:41
My thoughts exactly Lee. We are technologicaly advanced enough to be developing such systems now - not in 10 years time.

I'm not saying it would be easy, however it is a major issue which needs to be addressed by the big firms. In my opinion, the one that invests in developing such systems will win in the medium-long term for certain.

By Robert Matthams, At 27 August 2009 09:56
How would you create a system that knows when a shop owner gets out of bed to open his shop, I have been to two today that say open at 9.30am, but they were still closed at 10.30, so that’s the hour time slot gone for that shop, now as I know she will open later I could call back, but if I do, it will make me late for someone else’s hour time slot.

So you say that’s her fault for being late to open, but that is just one example of how the time slots don’t work, on some days I can deliver to 70 separate address before 2pm, but then on a bad day I might only be able to deliver to 50 in the same time, how would a machine sort that? I would have to sit and wait if I was going to fast, so I could hit all the time slots, that would make me deliver less parcels in the time allocated, so making the service more expensive.

The Saturn sorts the route out so you do the nearest drops to the depot first, and that is between 8am/8.30am, what happens if those people will not be in at that time as they have the school run to do, I know those things, a machine cannot know that, so I do those drops later in the day when I know they have a better chance of being in.

By Anonymous, At 3 September 2009 16:38
I use optimisation, it works, it sorts out the best way to do a route and the sat nav guides you. so as long as the post codes are correct you have no problem. as for eta that tells you that you have an hour window to do that deliver an is seperate from optimisation, that works too, I know because i do 100 plus stops using both systems everyday and without rushing in a very large city i get 98% everyday. this will make waiting in all day for your delivery a thing of the past, just as long as sender uses it, but you can always ring and ask for the timeslot.

By Anonymous, At 9 September 2009 21:09
Wow that’s incredible, you have a machine that knows when all the shops are open,so if you leave the depot at 8.30am and the saturn says your first drop is a shop that opens at 10am ,how do you deliver in the hour time slot? just out of interest what time do you leave the depot, and what time do you return, and you must be a franchise driver.

By Anonymous, At 14 September 2009 05:43
This is interesting, keep the discussion going....

By Anonymous, At 14 September 2009 18:49
Actually the system doesn't work. The map the optimisation and sat nav uses is ancient. It also has errors that would send a novice miles out of their way (and waste their deisel). It has allot of post codes but not all the roads that go with them. Woe betide you if you live in a house built in the last eight years. As a driver you still need to drive with tomtom and a map!

The eta system is based on the normal driver for that route - I was nearly 2 hours ahead of it the other day and as i understand it my only obligation is to deliver in the route order - if i'm early thats the systems fault, not mine, so I don't wait. If i wait I don't earn and the other 130 deliveries are at risk of not being delievred.

Sounds harsh but we're not getting paid any extra to use this system.

Brilliant idea but i wouldn't want to be in customer services when it goes live. Those awkward squad customers who expect the earth now will be a nightmare when we miss their "estimated" time slot.

By Anonymous, At 15 September 2009 15:58
As a DPD driver myself I can clarify that the ETA system will and does work. If the drivers would only help the company to fine tune each route, individually, as I have, rather than go out of their way to complicate the issue and make sure that it fails. The customers are going to get the SMS message direct to their mobile phone and be given the 1 hour slot free, gratis and for nothing.
Being on a regular route and by putting my deliveries and collections in the order in which I intend to do them, and sticking to it rigourously, I can confirm that for every day of last week I hit 100% of the 1 hour ETA window. To be exact I was within 10 minutes either side of the Saturns delivery time.
Get to grips with this lads, think outside the box, run with it, make sure that it works and the world will by your oyster. We will be the best by a country mile.
The company aren't investing all this time and money to watch it fail. Please look at the bigger picture for once.

By Anonymous, At 3 October 2009 22:12
Excellent comment above, that's the attitude were looking for!!

By Anonymous, At 6 October 2009 18:21
"were looking for" or "we're looking for", as in WE ARE, not WE WERE. eg. We were outside our ETA's last week, but we're not this week! Shoud re name this the "DPD Drivers ETA Discussion Forum".

Question, who will buy you an oyster? "Think outside the box" - great pun, but even if you can "get to grips with it", "running with it" may breach health and safety guidelines.

Euphemistically yours,

Phillip

By Phllip, At 12 October 2009 20:59
I put a lot of suggestions to my depot boss when this system came into being, and lo and behold 2 months later after a total nightmare they have decided to actually implement some of the ideas, although they are not saying they are mine!

We have finally got away from doing the run in sequence, and we now just have to hit the ETAs, all I need now is a mig jet to get to my drops in the time scale given, I leave the depot at 8.40am, and it says my first delivery is between 8 and 9, because its a timed delivery, so from then on I have about 10 minutes to get to my next stop, and it goes down from there, I end up being about an hour and more out by the end of the day.

Also Could someone please explain how, if your a customer, when you receive a text on your phone telling you we will be delivering your parcel between 10.30 and 11.30am, and you have already left for work as most people will have done by the time we set off to start delivering, you are going to be in to collect that parcel.

This system just makes every parcel a timed delivery and we get nothing more for doing all that effort, this is just a sales scam, if the customers are lucky 5% will be able to take advantage of the ETA, but as most of us leave the depot at about 8am most people will have left for work by the time we tell them what time we will arrive.

If we have a two-hour time slot as I suggested in the beginning, it gives everyone a fighting chance to actually help the customer and us.

By Anonymous, At 17 October 2009 08:18
idiots. Put your route in blooming drop order dont optimize. I work for DPD and it took a few months to sort my route out, due to my average speed of 50 mph.
The Company policy is 9-5 on business. If they open at 10am then thats not your problem unless you know this. You can go back later in the day if you have finished or go back the following day after 10am. and next time remember this!!!

My eta's have worked for a whole week with no fails 100% ETA. most guys who dont wanna help sort their ETA are franchise's. I spit on you all grrrrrr

i bet you wingers are franchise?? hahahaha

By Anonymous, At 25 October 2009 17:59
Do you deliver to shops and private addresses? It will be difficult for someone to just head home at 11am, won't it?

By Anonymous, At 27 October 2009 10:12
No I am not a franchise driver, and the reason they are complaining is because they are being told to slow down, to hit their ETAs! Pure madness, these guys are self-employed, would you shut your shop when it’s making the most money?

So your saying don’t optimise, what happens when someone does a different route everyday, taking out over 50 drops in an area he does not know, so he has no idea what time places open and close, and how long it takes to get from one postcode to another.

How to you scan that in drop order????? Of course your ETAs have worked your doing the same route day in day out.

By Anonymous, At 3 November 2009 05:39
I know what you mean mate. I was 40 mins a head of my ETA and was told to stop and wait for the time to catch up, I refused to do this and I still ended up with 5 NTA's and going over my working hours.

And yesterday since adjusting my settings again, I was 10 mins over my ETA time but with no NTA's lol.

Why cant we start off with a 2 hour slot?? I'm fed up with all theses yellow cards.

By Anonymous, At 7 November 2009 10:14
i can tell you how to get round these stupid ETAs,just do the run in the order you want and if you start to get ahead of your ETAs,just cut the bar code of the parcels,and get the punter to sign on paper.

then you can scan the bar code as the ETA hits and sign the punters name on your saturn,as they say on compare the meercat.......simples !!

By Anonymous, At 11 November 2009 22:41
That last suggestion is fraud.

By Anonymous, At 12 November 2009 15:01
As above your GPS will record you delivering these items in the wrong address. You will get sacked for for the above.

By Anonymous, At 12 November 2009 20:16
As with any new system there are flaws but the company are learning from these and making ammendments to the system elimanating these the people who have taken the negative view of ETAs are the real down fall to the project instead of giving feedback on where things are going wrong they throw the dummy out of the pram the drivers who communicate there issues to the depot management can have ammendments to there profile making the route work to them but its far easier to just gripe

By Anonymous, At 16 November 2009 19:23
Sorry but this system is unworkable in the real world, when you are sat outside a customers house, and he comes out and you have to tell him he cannot have the parcel for 5 minutes, is just sheer madness, if we get behind now we are being told to NTA 5 drops to catch up on our times and if we have time go back later, so now your passing a drop but cannot do it, we are bringing back more yellow cards than ever now, and using more fuel because we cannot just stop and deliver at a place your passing because the ETA will be wrong, and it’s a shop so they don’t care what time they get the goods .… lunacy

And the new software lets you have more time per stop, but why is it not stop selective, like supermarkets that do not open their gates for ten minutes! Then you could add ten minutes on to that stop, but no, we can just add more time to every stop what use is that, we just get more ahead.

And as some one mentioned fraud, we are being told to add time on to our depot leaving times so it takes into account the massive queues in traffic every morning leaving the depot, that cannot be right.

It used to be a great job where you got time to talk to people and get know them, all the customers I used to go to say " you don’t have time to say hello anymore" we have lost all that customer service.

Why wont someone just listen to the drivers and give us a two hour time slot.... less stress, everything delivered on time, and good customer service.

As someone else said simples!!

By Anonymous, At 20 November 2009 05:50
I use to love my job at DPD, I HATE IT NOW!!!!!!!!!! This stupid eta thing is getting me stressed out every day-every hour-every minute. IT DOESNT WORK!!!!!!!!!

By Anonymous, At 20 November 2009 20:01
my profile has been messed around with so many times recently. last few days i've dropped from 100% to 77%,and my timed drops have gone from 4/5 mins per drop to 2/3 mins per drop and swapits gone from 5 mins to 7/9 mins.my departure time has been changed too,from depot, by the time you get on your route your up your own a**e alday,as one of the lads said the other day " were gona kill or be killed", there making us drive like idiots. who's gona pay our speeding fines and collect our points.i do 107 to 110 aday pref 90,mainly privates so the saturn doesn't add up driving from a to b, getting out of van,opening up rear door, picking parcel,walking up path/flats/stairs etc,knock on door,wait,get parcel signed(yellow card or find a neighbour),walk back to van,start engine and drive from a to b again and again.all this in 2/3 mins. i heard depot managers are getting 8 grand a piece for implementing this.

By Anonymous, At 6 December 2009 22:59
thanks guys, it’s nice to see that a lot of you are finding the same problems as us, it’s just a matter of time until someone gets killed trying to hit the targets, what are the union doing about all this ...nothing !!,as far as I know!!.
What is going to happen when the government drops all the speed limits to 20mph and 50mph, a lot of councils have shown massive interest in average speed cameras to blanket residential areas, so how many drops will you be able to take out then.
I too used to love working at DPD, I met some really nice people on my run and had time for a quick word with most, I used to help some of the old folks with swapits, and you know when you see something suspicious, people trusted you and I have had some really nice comments from people who I have helped especially farmers who are out in the fields and are never in to get their parcels of vaccine for the cows.
But all that has stopped now, the CEO has a poster in our depot, it says "IT STARTS AND ENDS WITH THE CUSTOMER" no it does not IT STARTS AND ENDS WITH YOUR ETA now.
I used to take out 70+ drops a day, and finish at 3.30pm but with the ETA, after I have scheduled my Saturn it says I will finish at 5.3opm, because the sat nav built into the Saturn does not know the short cuts I do, so I am an hour in front after about 30 stops, and if I get a SOM to readjust all the driving and stop times, its past 9.00am before I get out, and then the pre 10.00 am deliveries are late.

By Anonymous, At 2 January 2010 07:51
Its the same at every depot. I myself have been taking less stop so I can keep within the ETA time, This affects the business as Im an employed driver leaving an over spill, which ive never had to do before lol. Just means more couriers covering work ONE MAN can do!

The maps are so out of date its un real. Most of my roads are dirt tracks and unnamed roads, So I can doing anything from 30-50mph some are even national speed limit. This is were the satnav fails as it cant have different speeds for certain roads.

TOMTOM NAVMAN etc do it fine but this shitty Co-pilot is proper budget.

Only bonus is when the Satnav says you have exceptions for DUTY I laugh and go, oh Mr Som I can only do 40 stops today.

Drop the hour slot and change it to an Two hour slot.

By Anonymous, At 6 January 2010 14:16
DPD Manchester have a parcel for delivery to me according to their tracking system. It has been in their depot for 10 days. Following several phone calls, which did not even result in the courtesy of a call back, they have now admitted they have lost it and told me in no uncertain terms, to deal with the sender......
Rudeness on a grand scale...

By Anonymous, At 19 January 2010 11:42
Evening all. I was thinking of applying for a franchise with dpd but having read all the above i'm thinking maybe it's not the smartest move. Just wondering though do they pay per drop, if so does the amount paid depend on the locality of the run. ie do you get more per drop if your run covers plenty of miles. Also what are dpd like to work 4. cheers.

By Anonymous, At 23 January 2010 21:42
Hi mate, DPD overall are good to work for IF your an employed driver like myself. Franchise drivers do get a raw deal.
Stop rates are dependent on distance from depot to your route. You get extra for delivering Premium stops and collections, ideally if you have a route which is more businesses then residental you can make a killing. As you only get paid for stops you DELIVERY!! If you lease a company van it aint cheap. Plus if it brakes down you have to hire a van at cost to you while company fix it.

your best off buying your own LWB van and be an independent courier and get paid a day rate. many depot are having their routes changed to 1st and 2nd wave, which again affects the franchise more so then employed drivers.

By Anonymous, At 26 January 2010 19:19
I am odf, and find the whole system frustrating.
No two days are the same, its says on certain swapi-its that the driver will wait up to 15 mins, does the saturn factor this in? no...how many times do you have a swap it for a company with no name on it...nightmare, as for being early, if the customer is in what is the harm in giving him the parcel, after all its his.
With regard to the eta time given, this is not a time the customer has chosen you are forcing it on him.
If your parcel says 10-11 how do you get round that?? you still need to take half a days holiday, all customers want to know is
1.Is my parcel going to be delivered today?
2.If I ordered three items, why do dpd only ever deliver one or two!!
3. Will it be am or pm???

Nuff said job done

By Anonymous, At 28 January 2010 19:16
I THINK THE NEW ETA SYSTEM IS BRILLIANT. IT IS GOING LIVE AT THE MOMENT. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ONE HOUR WINDOW WHEN MY CUSTOMERS GOODS WILL BE DELIVERED, THEY LOVE IT TOO! THEY NOW KNOW WHEN IT'S OK TO POP OUT TO THE SHOPS OR PICK THE KIDS UP FROM SCHOOL, WITHOUT MISSING THAT IMPORTANT DELIVERY, AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN DURING THE ETA SLOT. ONCE ALL YOU DRIVERS GET USED TO IT, IT WILL BECOME SECOND NATURE. REMEBER, THE CUSTOMER IS KING!

YOURS IN APPRECIATION OF ALL THE HARD WORK DPD DO.

AMY CHANDLER

By AMY CHANDLER, At 28 January 2010 20:31
hi guys,

i am thinking about becoming a franchise, and wondering ifany of you guys have any advice, email me at kevin.cullen@hotmail.co.uk

cheers

kevin

By Anonymous, At 29 January 2010 20:32
Are you guys being paid for deliveries that fail the time slot?

By Anonymous, At 1 February 2010 19:26
Kevin see here
http://www.dpd.co.uk/careers/opportunities/owner_driver_franchisees.htm

yes we all get paid, but soon when ETA goes live im sure employed staff will be disciplined if they fail, and franchine will be breached and possibly fined.

today I was 1hr outside my ETA window due to bad weather and accidents. all my ETA failed and a few where NTA. This can happen alot this time of year, and will cause more problems with customer ringing up saying your driver is late.

time for a new job me thinks lol.

By Anonymous, At 1 February 2010 21:54
yes atm but that will be the next thing, no money if it's outside the time slot!

By Anonymous, At 1 February 2010 22:14
Im also looking at starting as a franchise with DPD. It says the fee is from £1300. Is this correct or is there hidden costs with it. Also if you lease their vans how expensive are they. Any feedback would be great ta in advance :)

By duane.pownall, At 3 February 2010 17:20
Its around £1000.00 as a deposit, You will have to pass a credit check as well.
Total cost a month for leasing a company sprinter is about 600.00 a month.

But be warned if it breaks down and needs to be repaired YOU have to hire your own van while its being repaired. you cannot claim for the hire van on insurance either. if in an accident you pay the excess and VAT, Even if your not a fault you still have to pay the VAT.

I would myself lease or buy my own van, so if it breaks down you get a temp one from lease/warranty comapany.

And if your off sick, or van breaks down and you cant get into work you get Charge 150.00 a day.

Still intrested?? lol

By Anonymous, At 3 February 2010 18:48
Hi, i have recently started as an ODF in Maidstone, DPD is an exciting company to work for and are only trying to secure there position as one of the leading couriers in the country, if this means ETA's and changing how they operate we must at least give it a chance!!! Nothing is impossible just somethings take a bit longer to get right. I'm hitting my targets pretty much every day and have found out im going second wave,what do they say a change is as good as a rest. Start positive and good things happen, start negative and nothing happens!

By Anonymous, At 5 February 2010 22:20
whats NTA mean?

By Anonymous, At 11 February 2010 17:10
No Time Available, Drivers can only work a 11hr 30mins a day.

By Anonymous, At 12 February 2010 19:17
I am reading all this with so much interest, it’s great to find that all depots and most drivers are having the same problems; I always said from the start that the principle of ETAs was a good one.
it was just not thought about long enough, it would work superbly if we had a two hour window, the people who dictated this system were the phone companies we deliver for, they thought we were amazing for saying we could do a 1 hour time slot, so why didn’t we say a two hour time slot in the first place.
I love this job sometimes, I used to have a route were I would have paid DPD to employ me, I did 60 to 70 drops a day and the people roughly knew what time I was coming, and I loved having a quick chat, and with it being very rural was happy to help out some of the old folks and the farmers, by leaving parcels with the local shop or neighbour, people love a friendly face, now it’s all rush and stress, and I hate it, I used to do 4 yellow cards a day now it can be as many as 20, doesn’t that tell you something !!.....I know more than a flaming machine.
I can only deliver 40 to 50 drops in the same time now because the sat nav dictates the roads that I have to take, if I take a short cut it does not know about, I end up 15 mins ahead of myself, but if I take the route it says I am on time, I am sorry but didn’t DPD employ me because I could do the job, I knew the area and I was honest and hard working, none of that has changed.
But now they just want a robot to do the work, well I aint no robot, I am a people person and the yes the customer is king, I have various customers who have home addresses on the parcels but I know where they work so if they are not in when I get there, I take them to their place of work, and all in the ETA, because I have to yellow card the house as the Saturn says.
why do I have to sit outside a customer’s house for 10 mins while he stands there watching me and I say he cannot have his parcel because I know a quicker way to get to his house, and I have to stick to my ETA, so he will have to wait 10 mins, how stupid does that make us look?....very!!,sorry mate you are going to be late for your doctors appointment because you have to wait for this machine to tell me you can have your parcel.

By Anonymous, At 21 February 2010 08:44
hi

i am looking at being a driver for dpd, not a franchise driver. can someone tell me what sort of wages dpd pay per year?

thanks

By Anonymous, At 5 March 2010 17:23
hi

i am looking at being a driver for dpd, not a franchise driver. can someone tell me what sort of wages dpd pay per year?

thanks
g.dawson501@btinternet.com

By Anonymous, At 5 March 2010 17:24
Its crap, go to UPS they pay the highest out of all the couriers.

By CEO of DPD, At 5 March 2010 18:46
Its apalling the ETA system does not allow for traffic, does not allow for security gates to open, does not all for elderley or disabled people to take time opening doors, and on top of that a solicitor friend of mine is looking at the legality of it.

By Anonymous, At 13 March 2010 11:09
The ETA system, would be a great idea if it gave you a two-hour window, I have heard there are 4 depots trying out something called second wave, where they change your hours to start at 8am and finish at 4.30, and insist you do between 70 and 80 drops per day, and that’s every day! And also insist on overtime, so you don’t get home till 7pm every night, and you have to optimise the Saturn every day.

I didn’t think they could change your hours unless you agreed to it? and they cannot make you work overtime can they ?

By Anonymous, At 15 March 2010 18:43
DPD Hierarchy are completely obsessed with the ETA sysytem and that mindset has been funnelled down to the lower echelons of Regional Management, the puppet depot Managers and the mindless SOM'S. It appears to be far more important than high cost premiums (no longer a priority) and cetainly ahead of driver safety and consideration for what can (or not) be feasibly achieved in a working day. Some idiot from DPD chose to present the ETA 1 hour slot to Orange in a weak manner to retain the contract - no thought or rationalisation was involved. Orange were quick to realise the gaff and held them to it, job done ! Now DPD are completely ETA driven at the expense of all other issues concerned with the business (like running it professionally etc) - 95% + customers don't care or know about Eta, they are happy to receive it on the day it is intended for delivery. They are and will continue to get an inferior service in order to appease Orange and the 5% (Max) that recognise the ETA facility.
This system WILL lose DPD good and loyal employed and ODF drivers and will ultimately lose the Orange Account for not achieving the standard they dictated. A strong Union would have intervened but the DPD representation is very poor. The employees will soon be getting disciplinaries for poor ETA results, is this in the original contract ? - ODF drivers will get breaches of contract - was that in the agreenment ? I agree with previous comments that a 2 hour window would have been workable, however the 1 hour window will be DPD's demise - it is far too stressful for the driver - you may as well have a complete route of premium deliveries, the effect is the same.
As for first and second wave deliveries - it can and does work in some busy city centres, outside of that it is a false economy. The real target is to get the efficient routes off the Owner Drivers to employed personnel (to keep the depot stop rate down) and push the more costly routes on to the owner drivers so as to shift the heavy cost routes to them. I am neither in the enmployee or ODF camp as I am nuetral to both but the system is riddled with problems.

By Anonymous, At 15 March 2010 21:09
Interesting commments. Makes me wonder if the DPD Hierarchy are actually monitoring this. I certainly think that DPD's competitors are in order to make the ETA work better for themselves and then target DPD's customer base with a better improved and cheaper option. I don't think that DPD have taken into this ETA lightly - yes it does sound like do it or else mentality for the employee's and ODF's. Not to sound like I'm taking sides but should this work and DPD generate new business and keep old, surely that is a good thing, not only for it's staff, but for the future of parcel delivery. Let's face it this industry is customer lead - it either changes with the life styles of the customer in this 24/7/365 world or it dies. One comment I read here was "Customer is King" - that may be true but the real kings are the ones that have the foresight to change what they offer to us customers in order to continue in a very competitive market.
To make ETA work you have to have a strong workforce, a dedicated and loyal workforce. Drivers do know more than a machine - a machine is only as good as what you tell it to do. Drivers in my opinion would make the best people to programme and formulate the basics that the system needs, afer all they are the one's who are the companies ambassador's not the man in the suit doing power point presentations. Change is always difficult, no matter what it is. it's how we embrace it.
Employed V's ODF - Employed everytime.

By Anonymous, At 18 March 2010 09:32
Can someone in birmingham let the Suits know that the letter "E" in ETA means ESTIMATED!!!

Definitions of Estimated on the Web:

estimate - an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth; "an estimate of what it would cost"; "a rough idea how long it would take"
estimate - a judgment of the qualities of something or somebody; "many factors are involved in any estimate of human life"; "in my estimation the boy is innocent"
estimate - appraisal: a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)
estimate - judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time); "I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds"
estimate - a statement indicating the likely cost of some job; "he got an estimate from the car repair shop"

By Anonymous, At 24 March 2010 06:39
ETA what a joke they wont be happy untill a driver is killed or kill some 1 by driving to fast trying to keep in the eta get rid!!!!!

By Anonymous, At 25 March 2010 20:27
That is why there is a 1 hour window - because the time of delivery is estimated - if it were not estimated it would state (for example) 'your parcel will be delivered at 11.32 am' (prompt!)

Better off telling the suits that timed deliveries, yellow cards and UTL's have increased significantly because of the demand of ETA achievements. Timed deliveries are now regarded as non priority, Yellow carded deliveries can not be reattempted at a later time in the day because it will impact on the ETA result and difficult to find addresses can not be afforded the time to search for and find because the next delivery ETA might be compromised.

Today's buz word requirement is negating all the basic elements of the normal service provided.

By Anonymous, At 26 March 2010 21:41
That is why there is a 1 hour time slot - to allow for the estimation. Otherwise the tracking system would read (for example) 'your parcel will be delivered today at 11.35 am' (prompt!)- the 'estimation' allows 11.05 to 12.05.

By Anonymous, At 27 March 2010 21:22
For interesting reading try, DPD terms and conditions of carriage (updated feb 1st 2010)
Section 7-paragraph (f)

(f) Any timescales for delivery given by the Company through its ‘Estimated Time of Arrival’ (‘ETA’) service on its web tracking pages are estimates only and, if the Company is unable for any reason to fulfil any delivery within any specified ETA, the Company shall not be deemed to be in breach of the Contract or have any liability to the Customer.

So if they want to discipline anyone for not hitting ETA targets, just point this out!!

By Anonymous, At 28 March 2010 09:56
That's an intersting post (28 March 2010) - ETA's have become the dominant factor within all DPD depots at the expense of Premium (pre 10/12 & PM deliveries) and all other service issues, as indicated in an earlier post. The routes that are lowering the overall ETA percentage achievement are now being highlighted on a daily basis and details are are being put up on the notice boards to indicate which drivers are falling below the standard expected. It is being made clear that this must be addressed quickly otherwise these drivers will be subject to disciplinary procedures. This was always going to be the next step, it was inevitable. This is a significant change in terms of employment contract and should not be accepted lightly by any employee (or Francisee). The Union will be unlikely to assist in a positive manner as DPD have them well and truly under control, so it is probably more likely that any employee finding themselves under pressure on this matter will need to seek outside legal advice and support. Any decent legal Agency or Solicitor will walk this one easily in favour of the employee.

The ETA system, in essence, is a fantastic opportunity to move forward in this industry sector, however, in this instance it has been implemented far too quickly without thorough user consideration and at a total lack of regard, or canvassed input, from the employees tasked with achieving the results. In it's current format it will ultimately fail.

By Anonymous, At 2 April 2010 23:58
hi all,

i used to work at dpd now left after this eta thing. the job was taking alot out of me physically and mentalley. dont get me wrong its a good idea what dpd have put we got to work ten times harder and cover more postcodes to make the same money we made before, thats the problem.if they want this to work lets increase the per drop rate with smaller areas to covers every1 happy. they use more cabs to cover overspills so where the logistic in that, why dont they pay us the extra instead of the cabs that get £150 a day. believe me once you leave you wont regret it its that decision i made. you make the same amoount being on the buses hint!!

By Anonymous, At 3 April 2010 17:21
Never mind DPD use TNT.
Great sevice, very helpful on the phone and always willing to get an eta and the redelivery is FREE!

By Anonymous, At 3 April 2010 23:32
We have used most of them - DPD, Interlink, DHL, Fedex, UK Mail, TNT, Amtrak (when they were still in business) and UPS - The worst of the lot, by far, were TNT, absolutely appalling service. The best, probably DPD & DHL. Well run major companies with good procedures and infrastructure. Employee v ODF - ODF every time - they are generally more prompt, more professional and certainly have a better business attitude than most of the the employees.
Good luck to DPD with the ETA sysytem - good idea but not a new one. Parcelforce tried it some time ago but ditched it because it was not a high priority requirement by their customers and it had a detrimental effect on all other aspects of the business (timed deliveries, carded deliveries etc,). DPD will go through the pain barrier before realising it is probably a waste of time, in the meantime they will have taken their eye off the competition, Pity really because the ETA sysytem is a positive move forward, just sounds like it needs a lot more thought and research work first.

By Anonymous, At 6 April 2010 22:23
i am an odf covering upto 140 drops a day 80% rural and 60% privates ,when i started i only had to do about 60 drops to clear what i earn now (6 years ago) on frequent occasions over the years i have been forced to sign new blue prints which contain lower drop rates infact recently back in July called in office and told to sign new contract ammendment @ 10% less there and then (6.30 am)i said i wanted to look at it and was shouted at to sign now and i cannot take home to read or he will suspend me for something then breach me i signed under duress then everyone else did .They cap your earnings and constantly mess around with your money .Then there bring out ETA and expect everyone to be full of enthusiasam about it .Let me tell you i get home and by 7.30 pm asleep i cannot think about anything at all and as for hanky panky well maybe its my age but i sleep through any molesation of my body now . What is going on ?? who are this new breed of suited people who do not understand basic daily problems of the industry .Look at previous coms on ETA .The problems could all be resolved well most if the suits would care to listen to there workforce or do there think we are only parcel deliveriers who are not worth the time to listen to!!.Just recently a visit to the depot was made by a senior HR manager and reg manager enquiring about staff morale asked the SOM ! not the drivers get my point??? . AS ODFS we need to set our own forum and maybe a collective voice of concerns which the company could learn from which in the long term could be positive for all concerned .Where is this annuaualle conference monthly news letter who runs the company ? Who is in charge of ODF ? what is the contact details etc .Who paid for ETA system was it the 10% drop in turnover forced on us? do your maths

By Anonymous, At 10 April 2010 04:42
ETA's are not the best but all you moaning that you cant do as much as before? If your employed dont do as much. I used to average between 90 - 110 deliveries a day back on bonus was earning a cream! Now on basic wages I will only do 70 maximum. For whoever says the system doesnt understand how long things take to do thats what you change the time for those stops for. Franchisers . . . I feel sorry for you lot, you do get so much crap, but some people do earn alot. ETA is gettin the company alot more business and soon there will be a new bonus for us too.

By Anonymous, At 11 April 2010 12:02
Post dated 10th April - you open with saying your route = '80% rural and 60% private' and close with asking us to 'do your maths' - you might want to reconsider that one. Also, if you are doing rural (village locations etc) and privates (residential locations) there is not a chance you will get any where near 140 deliveries per day. You would need a very heavy mix of business (Indusrtial Estates) and Town centre drops to achieve those sort of figures. As for the July 2009 10% cut by your Manager, the reason he confronted you in such a desperate manner is that it should have been implemented in May 2009. The rest of the ODF's in the DPD network took the first hit at the end of January 2009 and the second at the end of May 2009.. So you got a couple of extra months at the increased rate. Your depot Manager then came under serious pressure for not implementing the second cut and hence his method of dealing with you in July. You should have stood your ground, he had no basis for a breach, it would not have been carried through by the Franchise dept.
As for Franchise Contact details, they are clearly printed on your monthly Invoices.
The Annual conference will never happen because there is little interest in ODF's by DPD and all the costs, Hotel stay, loss of earnings, commuting, etc. would all have to be met by the ODF, therefore resulting in few if any ODF's agreeing to attend.

Post dated 11th April - don't understand a word - total drivel !

By Anonymous, At 14 April 2010 21:38
certainly would not re new my contract

By Anonymous, At 30 April 2010 19:47