What Others Can Learn from UPS

    Here’s the final part of my correspondence with Jordan Colletta, Vice President, Customer Technology Marketing at UPS. Colletta is responsible for the marketing activities of e-Commerce solutions. Under Colletta’s guidance, UPS is delivering new solutions through the development of Internet-based technologies, applications and wireless access. He has the responsibility for UPS shipping systems, information solutions and the family of UPS.com Web sites, including content, functionality and language for more than 100 individual country sites. What I wanted to find out is how this company manages to deliver lots and lots of packages by people who seem truly happy to be handing them over. By the way, if you've ever wondered how you could STOP delivery of a package (hmmm, that would make an interesting post . . . ) check out the company's "Delivery Intercept" page.

Q:    I hear it’s the company’s 100th birthday. How is everyone going to celebrate?

A:    UPS is celebrating its 100th birthday throughout 2007, primarily through employee events around the world. The celebration in more than 55 U.S. cities will revolve around the arrival of a mobile Centennial exhibit, built inside large tractor-trailers. More importantly, the company is already looking ahead and making plans to help ensure the next 100 years are just as successful as the first.

Q:    UPS was recently included in BusinessWeek’s Top 10 of its first-ever ranking of “Customer Service Champs.” How did that happen? How does a company become one of the “top 25 ‘client-pleasing brands’?

A:    BusinessWeek investigated the techniques, strategies, and tools that businesses use to serve customers. They created a list based in large part on the brands in J.D. Power & Associates' database. In addition, the publication polled 3,000 of their readers, generating a pool of names most associated with treating customers well. They then approached J.D. Power to survey customers about the brands that were nominated by readers but not already in its database. Despite their differences, most of the names on the “Customer Service Champs” list share a few important traits. They emphasize employee loyalty as much as customer loyalty, keeping their people happy with generous benefits and perks.

Q:    BusinessWeek cited UPS “for its delivery reliability, training of drivers and managers and its embrace of advanced technology to improve efficiency and customer service at the same time.” How does the company manage to bring such seemingly divergent—the technological touch versus the human touch—areas into sync?

A:    UPS invests in the latest technology because it helps our customers synchronize and simplify global commerce, giving them visibility into their shipping and helping them serve their customers more effectively and efficiently.

    Just as importantly, UPS invests in the best technology and training to give its more than 427,000 global employees the tools they need to help provide our customers with top-notch service. UPS invests a billion dollars a year on technology – more than it spends on delivery trucks – but nothing is more important that a well-motivated, well-trained work force.  Technology, training and great customer service truly go hand-in-hand.

Q:    It seems to me—and this may sound a little controversial—that some of the commercial airlines like American and United could perhaps learn something from this global shipping expert. What do you think?

A:    Many companies have benchmarked best practices from UPS. For example, hundreds of companies across the country have contacted UPS for help with their own safety training programs, as have police departments in several major cities.
   
    The passenger airline business is a different animal from air express package delivery. Certainly, we’re very proud of our airline. UPS operates one of the world's largest airlines, using more than 600 aircraft to serve more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. And UPS also is a pioneer in developing aviation technologies to enhance the safety and efficiency of the aviation industry.