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As a professional delivery worker and an employee of the everyone-hates retailer i have this view: This is an experiment. Only. Lore has said that 75% of deli

As a professional delivery worker and an employee of the everyone-hates retailer i have this view: This is an experiment. Only. Lore has said that 75% of delivery cost is labor related. Wal-Mart is insane about not working off the clock. They won't force associates to do this. From the delivery aspect: When we get a new delivery person they suck for months. There are so many variables that make failure probable: unmarked addresses; multiple units; obstacles (including dogs); access; daylight; wrong address labels; "who gives a sh#t" attitude ("i just cant return with my delivery"); scanning failures Plus. Ups fedex and usps are trusted with access-walking on peoples properties without question. Imo lore is good at pushing things and this test will be called off.

petra 9y ago
Interesting view. You mention many problems. Most of them can be solved with data gathering - what's this unmarked address, which is the relevant unit, what the right access path, which workers do and don't give a shit, etc. and with the right app, and so many employees, you can gather all that data relatively fast, assuming some repeat orders. Heck, maybe do that with augmented reality via phone, to make it dead simple. Also, if the employee still can find where to go, some sort of remote help from another employee can be had.
- ianai 9y ago
  Yes, let's just magic up a borderline plausible/sci-fi fix to a foreseen problem.
- losteverything 9y ago
  Turn by turn directions are used sundays for Amazon. Gps in the scanner screams at the deliverer if the address is "far away" (eg 2.5 miles from location) like instead of 25 Hickory trail they are at 25 hickory lane or 25 highland st. And still carriers get it wrong. Every Sunday. Remote help from another employee? First, if that other employee is off the clock they cant help. Repeat knowledge of family/address makes success.
  - williamscales 9y ago
    I think it's also a worker quality issue. FedEx has never had an issue finding my apartment, being on time and the package has never "just disappeared but we swear it was delivered!" UPS or USPS? Not so much. I'm in the Bay Area but I've noticed the same trend in both Vancouver and the Denver area so I do think it could be a widespread thing. The UPS people just don't seem to care as much or be as competent as the FedEx people.
strictnein 9y ago
Plenty of people like your employer, just very few of the ones that frequent sites like HN.
ianai 9y ago
"Plus. Ups fedex and usps are trusted with access-walking on peoples properties without question." This is huge. I know I wouldn't trust some random Walmart worker like I would a USPS/fedex worker. And I don't even trust them very much. I've had them break enough packages to be wary.

petra 9y ago

Interesting view. You mention many problems. Most of them can be solved with data gathering - what's this unmarked address, which is the relevant unit, what the right access path, which workers do and don't give a shit, etc. and with the right app, and so many employees, you can gather all that data relatively fast, assuming some repeat orders. Heck, maybe do that with augmented reality via phone, to make it dead simple. Also, if the employee still can find where to go, some sort of remote help from another employee can be had.

ianai 9y ago
Yes, let's just magic up a borderline plausible/sci-fi fix to a foreseen problem.
losteverything 9y ago
Turn by turn directions are used sundays for Amazon. Gps in the scanner screams at the deliverer if the address is "far away" (eg 2.5 miles from location) like instead of 25 Hickory trail they are at 25 hickory lane or 25 highland st. And still carriers get it wrong. Every Sunday. Remote help from another employee? First, if that other employee is off the clock they cant help. Repeat knowledge of family/address makes success.
- williamscales 9y ago
  I think it's also a worker quality issue. FedEx has never had an issue finding my apartment, being on time and the package has never "just disappeared but we swear it was delivered!" UPS or USPS? Not so much. I'm in the Bay Area but I've noticed the same trend in both Vancouver and the Denver area so I do think it could be a widespread thing. The UPS people just don't seem to care as much or be as competent as the FedEx people.

strictnein 9y ago

Plenty of people like your employer, just very few of the ones that frequent sites like HN.

ianai 9y ago

"Plus. Ups fedex and usps are trusted with access-walking on peoples properties without question." This is huge. I know I wouldn't trust some random Walmart worker like I would a USPS/fedex worker. And I don't even trust them very much. I've had them break enough packages to be wary.