Complaint Review: FOX LEDGE SPRING WATER

First off I want to say that this is the worst job I have ever had in my life. From the first day that I started working with Fox Ledge there has been an issue with the maintenance of the equipment and The 6 bay water truck that I use to deliver water. It started with the electrical components of the truck.

The lights burning out, loose wires in the body of the truck. I was told I cannot plug anything into the lighter outlet because a fuse kept blowing out. Mind you that I was a new hire learning a new route. I had to have 2 GPS fully charged at home to ensure that I got to every stop. I spent long hours 0700 am to 6 pm or later to learn the route as fast as possible. I did this for the first month or two on the job. It took them about 6 months to finally get the electrical problem fixed which tuned out to be the whole fuse box had to be replace. The next problem was with the bay doors cable breaking and rollers on doors constantly breaking. You had to prop those doors up while having to pull water from the racks before the door slammed down.

My supervisor Joe Powell had frequent attitudes when told about the equipment and would mumble and curse under his breath. He had an attitude because you did not take the water from the very top rack. Those top racks are not the easiest to reach. On top of that the racks that they use constantly had a whole corner missing and would be in the middle of a rack of 5 holding 40 / 5 gallon jugs of water. The bottles do not have the proper support causing the racks come apart.  As a result the older style bottles would crush and break costing the company even more money

 Another issue I had with the equipment is with the hand held computer and printer. There is a constant lack of phone service and server connection needed to upload and download the route completed for the day and for the next day. Also In the mornings not having a print out of the day’s route. If you cannot download the next day’s route and you don’t send a fax with the print out how can someone start the work day? Not a way to start your work day.... I had to wait till 8:00 am when the Office workers come in to work a whole hour after I start working at 0700 Am. I sometimes had to drive home and connect to my WIFI to download the day’s route. Also I have problems with the printer disconnecting on its own and the battery dying. The hand held computer beeps and punches in letters and opens and closes accounts on its own. There has been plenty of times that I’m creating an invoice for a cash paying customer and the computer would change the price settings and the amount paid on its own. The hand held would also print out invoices multiple times after the fact.

 Yes I have had a few mishaps driving this truck with all of its faults.

 I bottomed out going up a steep hill at one stop that moved to a new location bending the bumper a little further from what it was when I first started working for Fox Ledge. As a result the cross bar that held the hand truck did not close properly. I was written up for that a mistake on my part but not avoidable to service that customer. At the time I told my supervisor Joe Powell that I was not comfortable with the hand truck being on the back of the truck. He told me that he checked it and that it was ok. A few months passed and the hand truck fell off the truck, the cross bar came open while driving. I was written up for that too. I told him that I had concerns about it and he claimed that I never told him that. I took the blame thinking it was something I was doing wrong. After that the hand truck was replaced and put back on the same location but this time with a clip to keep the cross beam from popping open again. Guess what happened the hand truck fell off the back of the truck again mind you this was with the clip holding the cross bean closed. After backtracking looking all over for the hand truck I found it. This proved that it was not my fault as to the hand trucks falling off the truck. This dishonest JOE POWELL still has not withdrawn those two write up for the hand truck. He claimed that I was Careless and don’t listen to directions. How is that when you claimed to have looked at the truck after I retrieved the hand truck? I watched you placed the hand truck back in its place with the cross bar closed and the clip secured and was still able to pull the hand truck from its holder. And still you will try to use that as an excuse to let me go and fire me. I have lost all respect for you a long time ago. I came to realize that you are a dishonest person and will do and say whatever you need to cover your a**.

 I have spent countless hours reworking the routes so they make sense and you JOE POWELL have fought me every step of the way. I do certain things to avoid wasting my time and wasting gas thus saving the company money on fuel and hopefully cut down on future maintenance of the truck. I have to skip 12 stops to go to one stop because that customer wants the water early that makes absolutely no sense at all. It makes no sense that I’m being told by the Main office that the drivers are not allowed to go into the homes to deliver water and then another person tell me that we are. WHAT IS IT?????  I personally don’t mind about putting the water in the house for a customer but some of them are downright nasty because you don’t. I come into work sometimes 2 hours early on Thursdays to get 7 New Crystal Runs accounts done along with 15-30 stops. Those 7 new stops takes 4 + hours to complete alone. Going through the tolls the EZ PASS WILL WORK BUT COMING BACK IT WONT WORK.

IT TOOK ME BEING PULLED INTO A DOT CHECKPOINT FOR THEM TO REALIZE THAT THEY NEEDED A HUD STICKERS TO LEGALLY OPERATE IN New York STATE. I WAS TOLD TO AVOID DOT CHECKPOINTS AT ALL COST. WHEN YOU CALL THE MAIN OFFICE AND ASK TO TALK TO SOMEONE THEY WILL REFUSE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

I call certain customers because I should not have to go up and down stairs multiple times to deliver water. I call to make sure first that they need water, and if they do how many. I cannot tell you how many times that I deliver water and had too many or too little the first time. Most of these stops have limited parking and FOX LEDGE as a company does not give its drivers money for the parking meters. In and out as fast as possible to avoid a parking ticket is my main concern. After all it will be my driving record and insurance that will be affected.

 I have customers in slate hill (HOMETOWN DELI) that will order 5 cs 6/1 gallon water 1 case free and when I get there ask for another 6 cs. I try to give the customer what he wants in this case and get yelled at for it by JOE POWELL. KEEP IN MIND THE CUSTOMER PAID FOR ALL 12 CASES up front. I was short 2 cases to make 12 cases. I promised them that I would be back on the 9 FEB 2016. On the 9 FEB 2016 I came into work and was told by Joe that I had to go down to NJ to drop off the water truck and pick up the box truck in its place. That’s when I told him that I needed to deliver 2 cases to HOMETOWN DELI and that they already paid for the water. He told me that he didn’t care when I asked him if he can deliver it to them since I had to drop off and pick up box truck on top of doing the stops for the route. If it’s on the truck I will give it to them, Are we not in the business of selling water???? This happened on 8 Feb 2016 and again on the 15 Feb 2016. Joe Powell told me on the 9 Feb That I cannot give the water unless Dan Toomy knows about it. On 15 Feb 2016 when they asked for the water again I called Dan Toomy and asked him if it was ok and he said it was as long as you have it on the truck give it to them.

On 15th Feb 2016 the Hand truck fell off the truck again, I believe it has to do with the box truck door sliding up all the way and then you have to pull it down to almost being close to keep it down. I must have mistakenly thought that the door was closed. When you have equipment constantly breaking on top of an unhealthy work environment that causes things like this to happen. Careless on my part I think not, distracted with all the BS going on YES but I take responsibility for this and nothing else given the toxic environment I have to work in. It might surprise you that you are just learning what has been going on maybe you already knew. I have been unhappy with this job for some time now, but from being homeless to getting a job it’s hard to go back to that so I decided suck it up and drive on. So if your question is if you’re not happy why you stayed there you have it plain and simple. I have stuck it out as long as I could but what happened on the 16th Feb 2016 was my absolute limit.

The next morning 16 FEB 2016 I came into work and JOE POWELL had an attitude and told me rudely that the water truck was ready that I must go and pick it up from NJ. Also that I must get every stop from Monday of all stop that were closed for Presidents Day along with that days route. I later texted JOE POWELL ABOUT ACCT# 21797 to ask him to get that stop. The Box Trucks Height clearance is too high for the 2 Railroad underpass I have to go through to get this account serviced. As usual no response from JOE POWELL he does not answer his phone calls or text when you do call with a problem to assist with one stop. He then has the nerve to lecture me about why I don’t call about this and that.  Why you don’t you answer your text or phone!!!! Last time I checked I pay my own cell phone bills. I do not have a company cell phone to selectively answer when there’s work to assist your co-workers.

Ok this brings me to 16 FEB 2016 I started my route for the day after a snowy night and icy roads after I completed my route I went up to NJ to Drop OFF NICKS water truck and pick up my truck. Upon arriving I went to the truck to transfer some water to get some stops from Monday done on the way back. I noticed that the Check engine light was still on and then proceeded to go to the office to speak to the guys that checked the truck in. I informed them that the check engine light was still on and that I was here to pick that truck up. The then proceeded to tell me that they never called and told JOE POWELL that it was ready to be picked up and that they had parts on order. So I risked my life and my safety driving on snowy icy roads and through heavy rain coming back to the warehouse for no reason. If I would have got into an accident you would be so quick to write me up. I believe that JOE POWELL knowingly sent me down there to pick up that vehicle knowing it was not ready. I don’t care what anyone has to say about it. I told JOE POWELL on the 9th Feb 2016 after coming back with the Box Truck that I gave them his cell phone number and that they will call him when it’s ready.

 I do not think that it is fair I am the only person that is picking up and dropping off vehicles and doing my route for that given day on top of that. NICK and ERNIE complaining and saying that they won’t go and pick up any trucks or drive a box truck. If I can do it they can also do it. I WILL NOT BE PICKING UP ANYMORE VEHICLES OR DROPPING ANYTHING OFF.

 This brings me to 16th Feb 2016 I called Melisa in the office to get Dennis phone number to inform him of what happened. I vented to Melissa for about 15 min before I got the phone number. She informed me that Dennis is already at home and that his cell phone gets no service at his house.

 I decided to wait to call Dennis on the 17th Feb 2016 and told him what happened, he told me he would call and find out what was going on and call me back. He never did.

I went to work on the 18th Feb 2016 and JOE POWELL informed me that DENNIS wanted me to know that he was told to not return my call like he said he would. JOE POWELL also had a write up for losing the Hand truck and wanted me to sign which I Refused. I later called DENNIS on the phone and asked him why he did not return my phone call to which he replied he was told by his boss above him to not call me back. I then told him that I found it to be highly disrespectful for him to not call me back since I showed him the professional curtesy of him being my boss and above JOE POWELL. This is the pecking order is it not?????