Staff Training Vital in Smalls Work
Page 37
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Much Depends on Personal Contact Between the Driver and Customer : Mechanization Invaluable in Handling
LACK of attention given by traders to the means for sending and receiving goods was mentioned by Er. C. Collins, of Collins Express arcel Service, Ltd., in a paper, "Small arcels Delivery," read at a meeting f the Industrial Transport Association i Birmingham last week. For such avice a manoeuvrable vehicle was :gulled, and it was necessary to proLde a satisfactory standard of cab =fort to conserve the energies of the river.
The driver delivering parcels, said Ir. Collins, was undoubtedly in a class v himself because his frequent concts with the general public constantly smanded tact, politeness and, to some Leasure, tidiness. He had to make a-the-spot decisions with regard to the affic offered to him, and to assess iarges on goods in circumstances hich did not permit reference to ihedules of weights and charges. Faking contacts by telephone was an ,sential part of the system, and this as another factor which emphasized ie need for the right type of driver.
Value of Personal Contact Although driving skill was desirable, is was not the qualification of para. .ount importance. Customers' connued demand for a concern's services rs.tely depended upon the man with horn they • were in personal contact, id they judged the concern by the -iver.
The need for staff training was 'Went at every level of a parcels !livery organization. It was essential ✓ personnel responsible for quotasin and rates. Perhaps a redeeming ature of British Road Services, said r. Collins, was their staff training. Referring to the adoption of echanical handling for sorting, Mr. 311ins emphasized that this needed reful thought before installation, herwise it would not achieve its purse. Mechanization was invaluable
✓ dealing with a large and constant ,lurne of traffic, in that it provided for tffic control in all its aspects and for e optimum use of sorting labour. With extremely careful planning, a sasure of controlled working could
expected which was otherwise [obtainable. If it were employed, ery effort should be made to give ch operator the type of job he was at fitted to perform. It ensured that rrect charges were made and proled a positive and speedy check of nsignment notes.
Often accounts were repeatedly sent to the samecustomers for the same type and volume of goods carried, and if agreement could be reached with the customers, a system of charging by the package could be used. This made the work of costing so simple that a clerk without special qualifications was capable of performing the work.
Alternatively, a staff of clerks had to be employed who possessed geographical knowledge of the territory and were acquainted with route mileages in relation. to origin and destination. They would also have to be capable of applying rates schedules.
No Elaborate Classifications
Comparing the work of the parcels carrier with that of the railways, Mr. Collins said that the general carrier could dispense with over-elaborate classifications. It was necessary, however, to give consideration to the balance between weight and bulk, and when weight was concentrated a lower tonnage rate was to be expected. A correspondingly higher charge had to be made in the lower weight range because of the higher cost of handling. This range was probably up to [1cwt.
About 80 packages to the ton normally comprised a carrier's load,' and rates should be calculated, where appropriate, on the number of deliveries per ton. Certain packs of processed foodstuffs could qualify as smalls, but by reason of their bulk they more legitimately belonged to the freight class, and therefore needed separate consideration. Such packages were generally unsuitable for mixing with other parcels in the smalls classification.
Regularity Essential Regarding conditions of carriage, Mr. Collins said that regularity in delivery was not only essential to efficiency, it was also of great importance if a satisfactory proof-of-delivery service was to be provided, without which no carrier could hope to enforce his conditions. Whatever system were employed it should enable replies to be given to customers over the telephone.
It was surprising how few consignors were acquainted with the conditions, even when they were written in the consignment book and when the consignment book indicated the form of contract with the carrier. It was a tribute to the carrier that he was generally a reliable individual.
Of great importance in a smalls business was an intelligent, alert and polite telephone operator. The capa
bilities of the operator could make or mar a service and might decide whether the concern made a profit or loss. Advice often had to be given over the phone to casual users of transport who were quite unaware of the necessary steps to be taken in preparation for goods collection. The ingenuity of the operator could decide whether the customer was satisfied or confused.
Referring to base personnel, Mr. Collins said that operators on the loading decks should be well-informed regarding the nature of the goods they • were handling, or a serious spate of
claims was to be expected. Sorting must be performed quickly and accurately. The sorter should have a retentive mind and be taught the art of stowage.
Although the value of statistics could be over-stated, a sound statistical knowledge Svas of immense use to the man who prepared rates schedules in pin-pointing unremunerative operations and services in which costs were out of proportion to revenue. It was necessary that he should have knowledge of such undesirable goods as leaking containers and greasy packages, and of delivery points where there were long delays. Liaison between all departments was essential.
In answer to a question during the discussion, Mr. Collins said that although 7,000 to 10,000 packages were handled daily by his concern, claims were negligible. The fleet comprised 60 vehicles and the office staff numbered 14, of whom four were men. Petrol-driven vehicles were preferred to oil-engined vehicles for the type of short-distance service operated.
Keeping the Flag Flying Transferring loads to other carriers for transport beyond the 25-mile limit had been practised to "keep the flag flying" and could be economic if there
were sufficient return traffic. It was preferable, however, to take the goods all the way in the concern's vehicles to avoid loss of goodwill.
Asked how drivers were recruited, Mr. Collins said that boys of schoolleaving age, who already had some experience as unofficial mates, were generally employed. His drivers were gluttons for work. The average number of deliveries was two to three packages per mile, The information on the labels was used for the preparation of delivery sheets, which required all old labels to be erased. Packing in route-delivery order was not practicable; loads were packed district-wise or town-wise. Multiple consignment notes were used having 14 to 25 lines with a separate entry on each line. There was some measure of classification and rates were competitive with postal charges.
A bonus scheme was, said Mr. Collins, a desirable feature of a carrier's business. His company had a scheme based on time, but it might be preferable to have one based on profitsharing.