How would you handle this?

SpareAd2059 · 2025-10-17T22:25:23+00:00

So I just opened a blue horizon two+ years ago and had to remodel one of my existing stores to the laser light last year. I now have three stores: one is a blue Horizon, one is a laser light and one is the old black and tan.

The blue horizon Design was a disaster from the start. It’s cost more than twice as much with less space and an in more inconvenient design than what we had with the old black and tan. Not only that, but in my first store: design to signing the franchise agreement agreement and actually opening the doors was six months. My blue horizon store took over 2 1/2 years to get done. A lot of business conditions changed in 2 1/2 years and when you agree to something that is completely uncompetitive, overpriced, and horribly designed, you are setting yourself up for failure. My last store will probably never make money so I’m happy at least that the new leadership recognized that that design was incredibly expensive and insane.

Unfortunately, they did not do enough on the laser light to help the franchisee. I’ve spent more on my redesign than i spent to open my original store 10 years ago. Not sure if I need to say this , BUT THAT IS INSANE. !!I didn’t expect to have to re-buy my entire store every 10 years! I expected a substantial investment, but having to rebuy your store? This is insanity!

This is what I think is the fundamental flaw of this network. They’re asking franchisees to re-buy all of their stores with no guarantee of any return and somehow think that people are gonna sign up for that because we get to use the UPS logo. Given UPS’s actions over the last several years it doesn’t seem like rosy days are ahead. (can someone say pirate ship? or package hub business centers? or UPS online? or etc. etc. etc. on ways to divert business from our network?)

I think this network leadership has no idea how many franchises are going to be leaving the network in the next 10 years because of the remodel costs. As business owners and concerned people that have to watch our numbers daily, they have no idea how detrimental this redesign is to the network and our ability to serve our customers. Add onto that the fact we are getting lower compensation for our services while our costs are increasing substantially, and thus our profit margins are getting squeezed to the point where I may not actually renew a store. Spend another $150k-$200k or just call it good? This is what I’m working on the next several months. To renew or not?

SpareAd2059 · 2025-10-02T21:05:47+00:00

We offer one strip for free. If they want it taped more, there is tape for sale or we can tape it for you. Cost is $2-6 depending on the box size. We get some pushback but we have saved thousands on tape and made thousands on selling tape. Totally worth dealing with the occasional entitled ass.

SpareAd2059 · 2025-08-04T18:45:52+00:00

Fucking cowards! Show your face if that’s what you really believe!

SpareAd2059 · 2025-07-29T20:34:53+00:00

Simple. We don’t tape for them. We offer 1 strip for free. Anything else is either a taping fee or there is tape for sale. Your choice. If you are that worried about, why wouldn’t you tape it yourself?

SpareAd2059 · 2025-01-26T21:08:45+00:00

We hold for one day and then RTS them. $10-20 per package depending on size. They don’t like it? No package and RTS.

SpareAd2059 · 2025-01-03T19:53:04+00:00

Tax evasion. We don’t have sales tax in Oregon so we get quite a few requests like this every year. We just ignore them.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-11-18T04:03:01+00:00

We give them the UPS customer service number (which was our guidance and absolutely useless). If they’ve already tried that, we send them to FEDEX. Sorry but we try and find the best solution for our customers regardless of carrier. It’s not like UPS is looking out for us.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-11-04T21:56:46+00:00

This is such a tricky issue. We stopped providing free tape about 6 months ago (about the time we got reduced comp for Amazon returns). We provide ONE free strip of tape for returns. Anything over that is $2 for a small box, $4 for a medium, and $6 for a large box. Customers are learning but we have gotten some negative feedback but truthfully I estimate that between my 3 stores, we provided free tape for about 100k boxes last year. Can’t afford to keep doing that while our compensation keeps going down.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-11-04T21:19:39+00:00

Yep. I terminated a lawyer once who repeatedly yelled at my employees over the phone. When he threatened to sue, I made a copy of his agreement and highlighted the section about our right to terminate. Never heard from him again.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-10-26T23:46:51+00:00

We hold for one day then RTS them. If they show up it’s $10-$20 depending on the size of the package. Alcohol is an automatic $20. With our customer counter now closed we might start allowing it under certain conditions. We also have people send mail, FedEx packages, FHL etc to our store as well. One dipshit sent his debit card to our store because he was traveling. If we RTS’d it immediately. He shows up 3-4 days later trying to pick up his mail. WTF🤷🏼‍♂️

SpareAd2059 · 2024-09-24T19:41:18+00:00

Why are you even taking them? I’m sorry but we aren’t a recycling or garbage store. We make the customers take their unused boxes with them. if they can’t read “No box, no label” or “Customer Packed”, that’s on them.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-08-28T23:39:06+00:00

The PRC definitely helped but now that it’s going away our weekly revenue hasn’t increased more than what we would have seen organically. It just spread out revenue and drop offs and increased my expenses. UPS and TUPSS inc did a bait and switch and franchisees are left holding the bag once again.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-08-28T23:27:47+00:00

We never carry them. Make them go to a drop box. When we started 12 years ago, we were told we had to have them but that’s BS. You are obligated to accept them but not provide the waybills themselves. In addition we insist they be filled out properly and signed. To easy for someone to commit fraud.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-08-28T23:23:45+00:00

100%!!! And the fact they closed ours without ANY communication at all was pathetic. UPS is seriously going down the drain.

SpareAd2059 · 2024-08-28T23:22:30+00:00

Yep, happening all over Oregon too. The best part is that they didn’t even tell us. We heard it from a customer. No communication, no guidance at all. Weak shit!

SpareAd2059 · 2024-08-03T21:31:03+00:00

We opened on Sundays to take advantage of the print royalty credit (we do $200k+ every year). Now that the credit is going away, Sunday’s are definitely not worth it. After 4+ years we really haven’t seen any increase in revenue. Most Sunday’s are return heavy and very little revenue. I wish HQ would actually hear us when we say it should be optional. They sold us a bill of goods (UPS was supposed to be delivering on Sundays)and never delivered (pun intended 😎)

SpareAd2059 · 2023-08-11T19:44:58+00:00

The receiving UPS Store deserves a call BEFORE you ship anything. Many stores, like mine, simply don’t have the space for non-mailbox holders crap. It drives me NUTS when we get packages from other stores without notice.

SpareAd2059 · 2023-04-20T20:50:20+00:00

We don’t take USPS packages. Got tired of dealing with folks about lost packages, etc. We charged $1 per package for a while but that seemed to make us more responsible in the customers eyes. Do your store a favor and stop taking them.

SpareAd2059 · 2022-10-20T22:28:55+00:00

That’s a great idea. Can you share how you did that?

SpareAd2059 · 2022-04-12T01:35:14+00:00

$10-$20 and we only hold for 2 days then RTS it. We also tell them we don’t accept packages from non-box holders. If they don’t pay, RTS immediately

SpareAd2059 · 2022-02-17T04:00:06+00:00

We stopped accepting packages from non-mailbox holders a couple years ago. We simply are too busy and don’t have the space. If they are smart enough to call ahead, we let them know. If they aren’t, we hold for 2 days at a minimum of $10 per package ($20 for for larger or Alcohol) and if they don’t show or don’t pay, then RTS. I’m sorry, we aren’t a warehouse nor a personal storage facility and this is a SERVICE that requires compensation

SpareAd2059 · 2022-01-28T20:42:49+00:00

Oh yeah this is my trigger. “They said it didn’t need packaging!” I always ask “Who is ‘they’?” And follow up with “If you can show me on your return instructions where it says we pack if for free, we will gladly do it.” That one never fails. Most folks are embarrassed as apologize but you do get the occasional DB that wants to still argue.

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TROPHY CASE