# Reptile couriers - Help us out



## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

Okay, a problem that reptile couriers are being made increasingly aware of is as has been pointed out recently - Timing. When asked to do a collection or delivery we are asked for a time for the collection and a time for delivery. Now as many of you who drive will know, this is a difficult thing to predict and a difficult thing to get right.

If you are waiting for an engineer to come out, a british gas representative or a courier delivery - then you are given morning, afternoon or a large time bracket. This is because it is impossible to predict precisely or even close, the length of time other jobs they have will take, or even perhaps - they will take jobs upto the last minute, so therefore long term prediction is impossible.

Reptile taxi have been in the past in a position where extra jobs have had to be turned down due to time restrictions being put on the collections or deliveries, making it firstly impossble for pricing discounts to be made due to a persons time restrictions, as extra jobs can't be fitted in.

We are always asked for times though, even if we are unable to give them we are asked for an estimate, if we then give an estimate which we say is so very approximate - we can actually in a lot of cases predict phonecalls asking why we are not there yet when we said approx x oclock. Anyone who is a regular of reptile deliveries will know that as hard as we try - times do tend to go out of the window very easily.

If we have on a busy day say 8 drops - we have to use a start off time - then we have to estimate how busy rush hour will be and how long it will take us to get through the traffic, then we have to work out the first drop time, we add 15 minutes for the social aspect of the job, as many customers become friends - we share their interest and they often offer tea and to show off the collections - which is appreciated on a long journey - to break up the day, but, there could be traffic between journeys, accidents, unexpected road closures - so - are we expected to contact all of our contacts each time this happens and inform them of the delay we are facing? If so, what at the next stop when we incur more, do we again stop and ring all of our contacts and tell them of a further delay. Then what if another delay - do we do the same again, ring all again. The cost of this would be phenomenal, and in a business with - contrary to popular belief, a very low profit margin - usually very much below the minimum wage, can we afford to spend much more on phone calls.

It would help us all - as reptile couriers - Reptile Taxi, Gremlin rides, Pet wheels etc if you could tell us what is expected from us. As you can appreciate - you want timings for your jobs - if we give them, they may be far from the actual time due to the quantity of work we take on - which is all we can do to make our rates feasible. Then, we are up against complaints, constant phonecalls asking where the drivers are and when they will arrive, which fortunatly, in the instance of Ditta/Reptile Taxi, they have me to take calls and pass back and forth messages, but at the same time, they have to pull over to take calls, or stop to return the calls. One man bands that do not have the luxury of a person to take calls while they drive really do/would struggle with this.

Timings and couriers basically are a no win situation - the demand for timings and timing updates is making the business more costly.

I am thinking that it may be a better option and just say - as in the way of TNT and the bigger companies Morning - between 7am and 1 or 1 till 7 or late night.

I personally, for the effectiveness of the running of reptile taxi would like you as the customers input on this - what should we do? Your suggestions are much appreciated.


----------



## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

HI...

I agree this is a very difficult situation.

I think perhaps much liek a cal out engineer a time could be specified such as

8am to 12

1pm to 5

6 pm onwards

like morning afternoon and evening

this allows for weather issues, traffic jams/ sccidents etc..

a contact number MUST be provided AND

the courrier should be expected to call if they will be late outwith the given times..

keeping to an hour never mind a minute of drop of times is almost impossible at times..

so maybe a monring/ afternoon evening time shold be set and work within specific perametres...

not sure what rep taxi, gremilin rides or petwheels would think to that suggestion


----------



## hayley_o (Jul 24, 2007)

Great-Geckos said:


> I personally, for the effectiveness of the running of reptile taxi would like you as the customers input on this - what should we do? Your suggestions are much appreciated.


Hi Karen,

Personally I would never call the rep taxi on the day I was expecting a delivery, however I think it's nice to get a rough time so other stuff can be done in the day. I know last time I was getting a delivery from rep taxi, I checked the route with them the night before and found out it'd probably be early evening.... which meant I could go & get my shopping in the daytime.

Perhaps a good idea to stop people phoning & stuff, would be that the route could be sent by email to everyone on the run the night before the delivery, so then people could maybe have an idea of what time they had to be at home for their delivery? Just a thought!


----------



## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

hayley_o said:


> Hi Karen,
> 
> Personally I would never call the rep taxi on the day I was expecting a delivery, however I think it's nice to get a rough time so other stuff can be done in the day. I know last time I was getting a delivery from rep taxi, I checked the route with them the night before and found out it'd probably be early evening.... which meant I could go & get my shopping in the daytime.
> 
> Perhaps a good idea to stop people phoning & stuff, would be that the route could be sent by email to everyone on the run the night before the delivery, so then people could maybe have an idea of what time they had to be at home for their delivery? Just a thought!


 
that kinda backs up the morning afternoon or evening drop theory..

im sure its worth a try at least..

u could trial it and see how it goes


----------



## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

Sparkle, yes - what I'm thinking due about the time parameters. Would make things a little easier.

Hayley - yes, we do that at present, we offer approx times where they are asked for, but the point I am making is, in a day with many drops where times are offered where requested (many wouldn't except morning, afternoon etc), we are asked to be specific, so as you can imagine, a time delay per drop can easily clock up extra hours - but where the person sitting waiting is concerned, this is often not appreciated.

I am interested to know from customers what you think of only being offered time parameters such as those suggested by Sparkle. Are they acceptable to you as a seller or buyer? Would it put you off using the service if only a time parameter was offered as opposed to a time slot?


----------



## RedGex (Dec 29, 2007)

Hey, i'd be pretty happy with morning/afternoon/evening. If I really wanted something at a specific time, i'd expect to pay more for it.... Just like if I wanted something delivered tomorrow, i'd expect to pay more than if I waited till there were other deliveries in my area...


----------



## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

Excellent - thanks, some good replies coming here, but, I'm hearing from our obviously happy customers - what about our happy customers but clockwatchers, or regular customers with suggestions. Come on - step in before I start calling you to the thread :lol2:.

I am interested in how we can serve you better but be cost and time effective too! So come and give me a hand, help me to help you.

As part of Reptile Taxi's forthcoming *'Amazing April* ', I will be looking for your input to help me give you the service you are looking for. Over the next few weeks we will be trying out several different angles to help you with your hobby, and help breeders and reptile shops to bring to your doorstep what you would like to have at a price you want to pay. Give me your input!


----------



## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

Havent used a courier yet...but i would like morning/afternoon/evening..
its hard to get a whole day off. but if i can get the morning off, and then noone comes, its annoying.... as i then have to re arrange etc etc.. obviously if you have had an accident/accidents on the roads etc then obviously i woudl liek to know etc etc by phoning ... havent read the whole thread tired  lol.


----------



## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Laws of a courier:

You must be psychic: You must know EXACTLY what the other party is thinking, even if they don`t bother to tell you.

You must NEVER get stuck in traffic, you must always push that little button on your dashboard that has the picture of the wings on it, so you can fly over the jam James Bond style.

You must be able to give an EXACT time of arrival, within 2 minutes. A 1000 mile journey is easy to pinpoint if you are psychic as stated above. 

Laws for mobile phones do not apply to couriers, you must phone even if you are doing 80mph on the M6. You do not safely pull over as it will you even later, meaning you would have to phone again and end up repeating the process several times.


:whistling2::whistling2:

This is another reason i`m taking a break from Petwheels. I love the animals, and the driving, its petty people i have an issue with.:lol2:


----------



## gaz (Oct 5, 2005)

TNT simply do a "before noon" and a before 6pm option,covers most of the bases and allows little room for complaint
regards gaz
ps:before noon cost more,something to remember when people want to be "first" on the delivery list.


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I am happy with a simple time bracket, morning, afternoon, evening... No courier gives a specific time. Anyone who is expecting any courier to be able to give an absolutely exact time is a bit ridiculous really especially when it's a personal courier.

A phone call is great if running exceedingly late but I never understand why people post asking for phone numbers to contact taxi's etc... at the end of the day if you're doing your job you're on the road which means you often can't call anyway. Finding a service area and stopping to phone people just makes you end up running later :lol2:


----------



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

(just to say... good posts guys.. G_G & spirit.. i too am only tooo aware of the "time space continuum" when on deliveries...)

the amount of times i have got back at 5am.. the only good thing being the traffic is better then!

how do people feel about night running..??

its far easier, if you are a night owl like me, to do trips in the evening and early hours.. there is less traffic about and journeys take nearer the time you might think.. but for some people a 3am call is not great news!

people forget too.. we have to break to eat and pee!!! and no, eating is not always a sarnie from a petrol station.. sometimes i splash out on a little chef!

N


----------



## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

spirit975 said:


> Laws of a courier:
> 
> You must be psychic: You must know EXACTLY what the other party is thinking, even if they don`t bother to tell you.
> 
> ...


Oh mand this made me laugh!!:lol2: Not far wrong there.

Enjoy your break: victory:.


----------



## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

Nerys said:


> (just to say... good posts guys.. G_G & spirit.. i too am only tooo aware of the "time space continuum" when on deliveries...)
> 
> the amount of times i have got back at 5am.. the only good thing being the traffic is better then!
> 
> ...


 
Eat & Pee! You think you are allowed to eat & pee - well shame on you. How can you give 101% service if you have to eat & pee!!! *tuts*

:lol2:


----------



## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Great-Geckos said:


> Eat & Pee! You think you are allowed to eat & pee - well shame on you. How can you give 101% service if you have to eat & pee!!! *tuts*
> 
> :lol2:


:lol2: yeah i knew i`d missed one....


No courier can at anytime stop to eat and pee... you must keep your legs crossed at all times therefore keeping your left foot on the accelerator. 

Stopping for coffee is not allowed under any circumstances, including when you`ve been on the road for 14 hours and can no longer see it because your eyelids are in the way. :whistling2:


Have to admit i used to love the 3am starts, as i can get away easily on the roads, but when you don`t get home until midnight, and people still complain about prices, timing etc, and you have morning sickness and whirring hormones, it really does make you feel like saying "Well go spend a couple of hundred on a train ticket and go get it yourself then" which is again when i knew i needed a break, until at least the hormones settle and i can keep my eyes open for more than an hour at a time:lol2:


----------



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

Rory is SO going to kill me for this...

:lol2:

i am better at being a camel than he is.. this resulted one afternoon, in the hunt for a suitably sized bottle..

coke bottles no good, hole too small and so on...

once one was found.. all was progressing.. well.. until the car in front swerved and i had to anchor on the brakes...

:blush:

never again, lol.. thank god i have leather seats in the golf !!! :lol2::lol2:

all good fun isn't it, being a glorified pizza boy *grins*

Nerys


----------



## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

I CAN not believe you have done this!!


----------



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

:Na_Na_Na_Na:

well.. you needed something to take your mind being a grumpy fart trying to give up smoking..

(opps.. was i not supposed to say that either... :whistling2::whistling2

:flrt:

N


----------



## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

I've never used a rep taxi company but i totally agree with what everyone else has said. If i was using a company like the ones mentioned in the thread i'd be more than happy to be given morning, afternoon or evening time slot. Although if i was told afternoon and for whatever reason it was going to change to evening i would ideally like to be told, but at a convinient time to the driver ie, on a break or while already stopped for a delivery.


----------



## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Nerys said:


> Rory is SO going to kill me for this...
> 
> :lol2:
> 
> ...


:lol2::lol2:


----------



## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

so what do the courriers think to my sugegstion of morning afternoon or evening..

is it worth a try...

oh and u can all have PEE bottles... NO STOPPING


----------



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

i think yeah, its probably easier to keep that sort of idea..

afternoon would have covered me the other day eh.. well.. 1pm.. 4pm.. both afternoon *cough* :whistling2:

i think the latest drops i have done have been around the 2/3am time slot.. does that count as late night, or early morning i wonder.. :hmm:

N


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I'd be quite happy to accept deliveries at 2am or 5am or any time really if it made life easier for the driver... don't know if the courier could accept the shock of seeing me in my nightie though :whistling2:


----------



## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

gwinni said:


> I've never used a rep taxi company but i totally agree with what everyone else has said. If i was using a company like the ones mentioned in the thread i'd be more than happy to be given morning, afternoon or evening time slot. Although if i was told afternoon and for whatever reason it was going to change to evening i would ideally like to be told, but at a convinient time to the driver ie, on a break or while already stopped for a delivery.


 
If more people were like you it would be fantastic!: victory:
I`ve given people time allotments say between 12 and 3pm, and get asked for a more specific time as 3 hours is too much. It is impossible when its a London to Scotland run.

On of my worst nightmares was doing a single run, from Devon to Manchester (no one on here)..., and had done around 300 miles southwards. I phoned the bloke i was collecting from to tell him i was about an hour away and got:
"Oh sorry, i`m at work today, got called in this morning and can`t get there. You`ll have to come tomorrow":bash:


----------



## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

some people might even prefer 2 am or 3 am who knows

id go for morning afternoon evening and nightshift...

4 times slots...

that covers the early AM slots


----------



## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

I'd be more than happy with a morning / afternoon / evening arrangement. Generally I collect things myself, but if for some reason I couldn't and wanted it enough to arrange a courier, then I'd also be happy to accept it at any time of the day. 

Late night would probably work out even better, as I'd then know I've got the rest of the day free to be working / sorting other things out etc.


----------



## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Oh i know i would be sitting waiting and being desperate for what ever was getting delivered to me to get here out of excitement but if i have to be patient then so be it! I would also be happy for late night 2am or whatever delivery as i'm usually up till all hours so the later/earlier the better!


----------



## babyburm (Apr 19, 2007)

Great-Geckos said:


> Eat & Pee! You think you are allowed to eat & pee - well shame on you. How can you give 101% service if you have to eat & pee!!! *tuts*
> 
> :lol2:


love ya new banner ditta, very cool


----------



## argentine_boa (Feb 10, 2007)

im lucky, when i go on delivery, as i have to go normaly from devon to atleast manchester, i normally have someone with me to keep me amused and if we are running late they normally Lana rings them to inform them.

but your completely right, even with my tomtom i never know exacly because of traffic.


----------



## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

Morning/afternoon/night slot seems fair to me, I can only see it being a problem for people for work, but then surely all you need to do as most people finish at 5-6 is arrange it for 7-8pm and you are sorted.

I think it's stupid that people expect jobs to have a certain time limit, there has been one occasion when using a courier a job couldn't be done in the same day because of a mess up (not on the couriers part) and I had to cancel the job, that was purely because of the buyer for what I was having taken to them, so what if something is two hours late, would you rather it was you who had just sat there for two hours in gridlock stressed out, tired and probably a bit road raged, givin em grief might not be the best thing to do


----------



## sarah1207 (Dec 17, 2007)

when u order things and get them delivered by say tnt, they say morning afternoon...... so when having a rep delivered wny do peeps wanna no with in 10 min time slots what time is it comming,................. okthis might sound s bit harsh but

the likes of reptile taxi pet wheels and gremlin rides do this job to help us out , if it wasnt for them some of us wouldnt have the pets and reptiles and equipment we have we weould end up having to pay double the amonunt to get it or not bother at all so everyone should be greatfull u take the time to transport there pets in a safe envoroment

so surly when they say 1 pm and they arrive at 3 pm does it matter ? u asked for dilivery and u got it, so whats the problem lol

but i guess if u said morning. afternoon, evening it would work very well

WELL DONE U GUYS ON THE JOB U DO FOR ALLOWING US TO DO YA HEADS IN AND DELIVER US OUT DREAM PETS. UR ALL A GOD SEND XX


----------



## SnuffBunny (Jan 23, 2008)

They should be gratefull they didnt have to drive themselfs to pick it up.
Id be happy no matter what time it was due, as long as i got it :crazy:


----------



## Great-Geckos (Jul 25, 2007)

Rory - you're not the first to do that and you really won't be the last, so go and get your blanket and pillow off the couch and put them back on the big bed!!:lol2:


I must say - you are all a very well behaved and well balanced little group of reptiliers aren't you?? I personally would be very greatful for the implementation of a time bracket as opposed to the specific time option. Making a few calls to inform of a change of time bracket for a few is much easier than constantly having to placate people and phone the girls to see where they are at. As you who drive will know its bad enough being stuck in traffic, running behind and knowing you won't be home till well into the small hours without having to worry about how many people are going to be on the phone about their time slots. I feel very bad about having to ring the girls or text them to ring me when they stop - this would make life easier for everybody.
It may stress the customers out a little us not being willing to be specific, but surely not as stressful as getting worked up because we are late and don't really know how much later it will be.
So yes - this would save a lot of time and money.

Some great posts here by the way - the thread makes great reading.


----------



## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

its a lovely well behaved thread karen...



debated well and with just the right amount of humour..

no nasty comments no bitching...

ARE WE SURE ITS RFUK


:lol2:


----------

