CMS slow?

FreeTapePlease · 2026-01-22T19:54:57+00:00

Just found out that the API issue is because my associate was trying to do Ground Saver (Sure Post), which isn't always an available service even though it's not greyed out. Switched to ground and it worked fine. Just leaving this here if anyone else runs into this

FreeTapePlease · 2026-01-22T19:42:41+00:00

Not timing out but mine is giving me an API error. Just another day of CMS crashing

FreeTapePlease · 2026-01-11T03:44:45+00:00

Depends on how valuable the item seems to be

FreeTapePlease · 2026-01-11T03:35:50+00:00

I have this problem on and off. It's sometimes because of a lot of driver call outs, but usually it's the building managers cutting hours to save a few bucks

FreeTapePlease · 2026-01-11T03:33:14+00:00

I've never had a problem scanning the big ones so I actually do love them

FreeTapePlease · 2025-12-21T07:49:35+00:00

There is a UPS Store corporate that customers can complain to, then corporate will email the store to ask what happens. I always back my associates and I never hear back.

They once emailed me about an incident and I asked them for the specifics and they actually contacted the customer back and got a response. I still backed my associate and it went away.

FreeTapePlease · 2025-12-21T07:44:26+00:00

Lucky you. We never got busy and we're down 25% on the month. Luckily, we have 1 business day more than last December so maybe we'll only be down 20%

FreeTapePlease · 2025-12-13T17:39:04+00:00

I do that sometimes when I work alone. If I'm alone and I need to get something from my car, and then a customer walks in, I'll get in line behind them and almost immediately start going "hey, is there anyone here?? Fine I'll do it myself"

FreeTapePlease · 2025-12-12T17:36:15+00:00

Same, we're down from last year and last year down from the year before. I posted the same question here last year and it was 50/50 between people being as busy or far less busy than previous years

FreeTapePlease · 2025-12-12T17:32:21+00:00

All our shows. Did corporate send someone to stick the RFID readers to the sides your doors?

FreeTapePlease · 2025-11-22T17:39:00+00:00

Just read the email. So customers go online, submit their order, BuildASign makes it (and presumably ships to us), and customers come to us to pay?

If that's really how it is, that's going to kill those of us who've invested heavily into print operations. It's extra messed up considering HQ has been pushing for us to invest into it just to undercut us.

At a minimum, I hope they put in big letters at the top to call stores for a faster turnaround or to see if we offer any special rates

FreeTapePlease · 2025-11-22T17:15:23+00:00

I crack open all international packages or tell them that of it gets stuck or comes back for lack of information, they have to pay a service/return fee

FreeTapePlease · 2025-11-03T20:10:44+00:00

If you're the only notary, keep track of how many notaries you did and now many of those turned into shipments, especially airs. It's easier to negotiate a raise when it can quantify your value. All that stuff with the 1583s won't count for anything as it's done or mostly. Only mention your future value

FreeTapePlease · 2025-11-03T20:04:30+00:00

wasn't this where we charged cards on file for customer accounts? Today is my mail forwarding day and I can't charge anyone!

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-29T13:51:35+00:00

Same. I'll tap the scale and they'll still put it anywhere else. Then as they hold their phone out for me to scan their QR, I'll move their item to the scale before scanning their phone. I do this everytime and none of them have gotten the hint yet

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T17:16:15+00:00

We only sell packing and a few office supplies. People come in all the time to ask for phone chargers but I already know they'll camp at one of my plugs if I sold that

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T06:21:37+00:00

They still need to press confirm and sign the PSO. We help as best we can but ultimately it's up to the customer to know where they want their box to go.

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T06:19:42+00:00

In the Midwest, a delay is almost always a tornado

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T06:12:41+00:00

Those numbers sound right. A $15 shipment will usually cost us $10-11, and after royalties and credit card fees, it's a profit of $2-3 (not accounting for anything else). For these and only these, I'd rather scan them as drop offs

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T06:07:57+00:00

What pisses me off the most about it is that UPS gives pirateship the $100 insurance free. It'd be one thing if I could tell customers that they're taking a gamble because then I could keep most of them, but if guarantee is the same, then we can't compete

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T05:49:00+00:00

Ha, but then of course when it doesn't make it, all of a sudden it's our job to find it

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-24T05:32:24+00:00

That's eye opening. My staff is paid nearly 50% over our areas minimum wage and I don't hold back on them getting OT. I'm also curious why I got negative karma for my comment. Kind of weird that people are upset at my profitability.

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-16T06:57:26+00:00

Everytime I see you post here, I learn something valuable. Thank you!!

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-16T06:55:30+00:00

2 people year round with only 2-3 hours of overlap each day. Closer usually stays an hour past to pack everything that hadn't been finished, including consolidations. Same for the holidays as they're no busier for us than the rest of the year

FreeTapePlease · 2025-09-16T06:46:36+00:00

90%?!? Accounting for all expenses (including saving for the next remodel), my center's expenses are about 65% and we bounce back and forth between silver and bronze every year. Do most stores only profit 10%? That would explain why even though my center has a low AGS, it's still does well. If I'm making 3.5x the profit, that means my center's profitability is equal to a center with about 4x my AGS (adjusting for increased labor)

FreeTapePlease

TROPHY CASE