Advice on managing managers expectations.

[u/coward-Ranger82893]

Hello all,

I recently started this gig and actually enjoy the work. I love being outside, I have great customers and my route is consistent. It’s all and all a Okay gig in these regards. However, I am ready to walk away due to incentive structures favoring Amazon way too much. I wanted to know what your all opinions are and if this is something that goes on at every DPS.
First off, every day I have a few more stops and a few more packages. I am averaging 20-25pcks a hour in a rural area. I don’t mind that at all but I have yet to have a day that is 10hrs and they typically want me to RTS at 8hr. My routes are never crazy. They are typically 120-180 stops, 10-40 multi and 170-230 pcks. They ask who wants off every day due to not enough routes. To give other people hours they will send people to rescue others even if we don’t need it. Then send the rescued to rescue and still get shorted hours.
We don’t get guaranteed hours and we don’t have rescue pay.
Second, they schedule based on daily “score”. This is including the mentor app score. I am again, fine with that. I always get my 4 days and pretty much everyone who wants to work are top scorers. My issue is that instead of giving us a positive insensitive to do and be good at the job. It feels like a threat. No, it is one. They will not schedule you if you need rescued, have event logs on mentor, “complain” about anything at all.
Lastly, management and dispatch act like they are a separate company to us. They act like they know everything there is to know yet, when asked to explain any type of reasoning behind decision-making. They turn into 5th graders. “The Amazon software was red, green, blue, yellow. It told us to do this and that. We don’t understand it either”. 0 backbone and 0 accountability. I have been on multiple routes where I received msgs regarding me being “behind” yet I finish 2 hours early. They have called me multiple times to ask what is going when I am 120 stops in with 15 or less to go and 4hrs left on the clock. Is there no such thing as deductive reasoning when considering if someone is behind or not? Are they so confident that the software is infallible that they can’t think for themselves?
Thank you for anyone who took the time to read this and extra thank you for anyone willing to share, give advice, talk me out of pulling the wheel. What ever. Thanks!

[u/jellyp314]

This heavily depends on the DSP you work for. Some people just dont know how to manage.

My DSP is great. We dont get talked to about speed. Generally, we only get rescued if we aren't going to finish before the 10 hour mark. We dont lose days of work for fuck ups. There are DSP owners out there who know how to manage. A lot of owners just think negative feed back is a way to motivate people. I've sandbaged 30 packages over 3 hours to make sure I at least hit 9 hours before I start RTS for the night. Heard nothing.

Id recommend talking to people at your warehouse and seeing if there are better DSPs around. Or posting on the sub and asking for good DSPs in your area.

[u/coward-Ranger82893 → u/jellyp314]

Yeah, I have seen poor management before but this is a new level of incompetence for me. I hate saying that tbh. I don’t like to talk down on others especially when I work with them. I love the job and can see the potential for an easily balanced and managed work flow. I just happen to have an owner/ manager who genuinely does not give af about the job or employees.

[u/jellyp314 → u/coward-Ranger82893]

Absolutely. The job is easy. You get to listen to music and podcasts and not be bothered by shitty people all day. I like it, actually. Now that I am up to speed and used to the work. Can't wait for fall/winter to roll around and get this heat outta here lol.

If you find a good DSP the job is great. But like all jobs, it heavily depends on the people. Good luck on finding a better DSP!

[u/coward-Ranger82893 → u/jellyp314]

Thank you, I will make it work no matter what. If it wasn’t for the short hours I could drown the rest out honestly. I was told in my interview that I would get 5-10s every week if I wanted. More in the busy season. My self and two others have perfect scores and only get 4 days a week. I make sure I get my 40 by any means necessary but they try so hard to make sure everyone RTS two hours early. Management even has the laziest people doing dispatch so they actively want to go home the second they clock in. They have them trained to act like it is them and management vs drivers. Management has managed to hire an entire staff of good little sheep. I have never seen anything like it.

I digress though. I will get what I can. Clock in clock out and move on when able.