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UPS Shipping Shops?

December 01, 2015 03:42PM
There just happens to be one of these available in my area just as I happen to need to ship something to a customer. So, I applied and have been assigned.

Trouble is, I've never done one of these before.... Are they anything like the USPS shops? The guidelines/instructions sound as if this should be a little simpler than the USPS ones. At least the scenario isn't a problem for me--I can answer any questions honestly.

Is this shop pretty straightforward? Most of the shops I've done for this MSC are, although I haven't done one in awhile. Never have had a problem with confusing or ambiguous instructions (just repetitive questions) or with following them. Hoping this will be the same.

The shipping cost will eat up most of the fee, but that's fine. It's a somewhat expensive item to ship, but at least I won't be paying the "free" shipping that I offered the item with out of the profits! I don't mind putting in some extra time to get my shipping cost free. winking smiley

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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More About Post Office/Shipping
December 01, 2015 06:45PM
I've seen UPS shops on the ISS platform so not sure if this is the same one. I have been wondering too, so please do report back how the shop is!

Sorry I can't be of any help to your question...
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December 01, 2015 06:50PM
@aayaey wrote:

I've seen UPS shops on the ISS platform so not sure if this is the same one. I have been wondering too, so please do report back how the shop is!

Sorry I can't be of any help to your question...

Yes, this would be the same one.... I've read the materials, and this shop doesn't sound as observation heavy as the USPS shops. Many of the same things this MSC has in its other surveys (cleanliness issues, greeting and good-bye, etc.) plus typical shop questions. The scenario isn't as limited as the USPS ones. And if you were to ship something small and lightweight, the profit would be about the same. This is flat-fee only, but pays enough to cover shipping something small to a nearby zone, with money left over.

I hope someone who's done one will chime in, but, in any event, I'll let you know how it goes!

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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December 01, 2015 08:29PM
I've considered doing them but I can't figure out the zone craziness to determine what it would cost to send something somewhere. I also feel a little funny about the scenario hype. It doesn't sound to me like something a person would do; no one just starts talking about what they're doing like it sounds in the scenario. Or maybe it's just me. I just think the cost of shipment would take up 2/3rds of the fee, so haven't done one.
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December 01, 2015 08:47PM
I have done one. It stated that I had to send it within the same area. I could not send it across the country or even the next state. Perhaps you can talk with MSC and see if you can send it further and eat the overage. At least this was my experience when I did one a few months ago. The scenario could have changed. For my assignment I had to drop cues/hints that I had a small business and see if they offered small business shipping services based on the cues. So if/when they ask what is in the package I had to reply with "I'm sending handmade crafts from my small business to a customer..." or something like that. It was a simple, straight forward shop. I didn't realize the distance requirement until I was already assigned. I would not have taken it otherwise. Why send something for a cost when I could drop it off? Or, maybe that was the reason to say sending to a customer?
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December 01, 2015 08:48PM
@Orrymain wrote:

I've considered doing them but I can't figure out the zone craziness to determine what it would cost to send something somewhere. I also feel a little funny about the scenario hype.

You can check the cost on the UPS website; just plug in the zip code of a proposed shipping address, weight of the package, etc. Same as estimating postage cost on a USPS shop.

They say the average shipping cost is about $10, and that sounds about right for a small package shipped locally. Maybe less for a very light package? Although I might not do it if I didn't actually have a package to ship. When I used to do the USPS shops, I tried to always ship something I needed to, anyway. But sometimes I ended up just sending a book to my sister....

I guess I don't have a problem with the scenario because it's actually what I do in my "other" job. I'm pretty sure I can come up with a way to introduce the subject.... "Oh, I have to ship this order to a customer. Blah, blah, blah. Hopefully the clerk will ask the right questions without me having to pull teeth. But I can do that, too. winking smiley

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Reply
December 02, 2015 06:18AM
@reneeturner wrote:

I have done one. It stated that I had to send it within the same area. I could not send it across the country or even the next state. Perhaps you can talk with MSC and see if you can send it further and eat the overage. At least this was my experience when I did one a few months ago. The scenario could have changed. For my assignment I had to drop cues/hints that I had a small business and see if they offered small business shipping services based on the cues. So if/when they ask what is in the package I had to reply with "I'm sending handmade crafts from my small business to a customer..." or something like that. It was a simple, straight forward shop. I didn't realize the distance requirement until I was already assigned. I would not have taken it otherwise. Why send something for a cost when I could drop it off? Or, maybe that was the reason to say sending to a customer?

I did one a couple months ago when the guidelines said you had to send it to somewhere within the same metro area as well. I also did one last week and noticed that guideline had been dropped, and I think the flat fee might be a couple dollars higher than it used to be too. I agree that the scenario is odd and somewhat unnatural. You just have to pretend to be very chatty/friendly, haha smiling smiley Glad this will work out for OP's business situation! I thought the report was pretty straightforward. I guess I've been doing too many USPS shops because I forgot how much higher UPS charges than they do! Yikes!

Happily shopping the Pacific Northwest. Shopping since 2013 smiling smiley
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December 02, 2015 01:44PM
@reneeturner wrote:

I have done one. It stated that I had to send it within the same area. I could not send it across the country or even the next state. Perhaps you can talk with MSC and see if you can send it further and eat the overage.

I wrote to the scheduler to OK the added distance (since this order is, naturally, in the furthest shipping zone from me!) before applying for the shop, and it was fine. I think they probably tell you to ship it locally so you don't go over the shop fee and end up with no payment.

UPS charges are normally way higher than USPS ones, but I think my package is going to end up being what would ship as a "dim weight" package with USPS, so to send it UPS ground is much cheaper than USPS Priority, and will get it there sooner than USPS Parcel Select (I think). So, in this case, doing the shop is saving me quite a bit of money, even factoring in my time.

I'm printing out the report, and it doesn't look as bad as the USPS ones....

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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December 02, 2015 04:01PM
I have looked these over but just don't think the pay is enough and they had no interest in bonusing
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December 03, 2015 01:05AM
I haven't done a UPS shop but when I was doing USPS shops before the MSC change, I would sometimes send packages to my house if I was in another city. There were high bonuses so it was usually worth it. I would also send stuff to myself at work if I was shopping in the city where I lived and needed a close by zone. My sister and I have been known to send blank copy paper to each other also, or a can of peanuts from a discount store!
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December 03, 2015 01:24AM
I did the UPS shop recently. My package wasn't large but the guidelines didn't say anything about distance. I ended up sending it all the way across the country as that is where my brother lives and I had to send him a package anyway. I agree, that the scenario seemed unnatural. But I think I pulled it off. I actually got a call from the company asking me to do the same shop at the same location with the same scenario. I literally just did the shop about 2 weeks ago. She said she knew that, but they really needed it to be done again ASAP. I told her that I couldn't because it would totally blow my cover. Anyway, I think the shop was easy. My package was small and ended up costing something like $7. So I still made a profit. And like I said, I was going to send this package anyway. This was my first shop for this company and I think it went well.
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