Canberra newsagents have been hit with missing parcels and late deliveries of magazines and newspapers today as a consequence of Gotch and Network ditching local freight company Murrell’s in favour of Toll.
While the magazine distributors save money on distribution costs, newsagents lose sales. Time is now being wasted chasing missing parcels. This is false economy on the part of the magazine distributors.
Newsagents located in NSW, outside the jurisdiction of the ACT, could take this matter to the CTTT. It could be reasonably straightforward to get a case up against the distributors for taking unilateral action which is detrimental to your business and your customers.
Thats Toll for you. They have shocking service in QLD.
My understanding of this after dissucussion with the local distributor is that the head contract for Mag distribution is held in NSW and the ACT by Toll with both G&G and Net. Recently the subcontractors for Magazine distribution in NSW and ACT asked for a paymnents increse from Tolls one assumes for rising costs. Tolls refused Murrells and some others while granting others. Murrells then refused to do any further work for Tolls as they could not make a profit and handed the work back to Tolls. It is rumoured that Tolls take a 25% for Distribution performed by Sub Comtractors. I from previous experience would believe this figure.
Now according to Tolls spin ther are worlds best practice/leaders in Transport services. From bitter expreience they are among the worlds worst. And I am now in Tolls view wrong as I dare to question or even disbelieve their spin which they present as fact. Tolls will not run a service unless it is say 90% full and will not put on extra sevices unless this criteria is met. Hence Canberra Newsagents having to wait another day for some mags because the first and only truck was full. Tough if your the end of customer at the end of the line like Newsagents. Tolls will believe their spin rather that the facts.
The best of Tolls is typified by when they took over the head contract for Magazine distrbution and contacted all Newsagents telling us they would improve the System and give us a far better deal than we presently had. The Offer $13.60 a paracel (or thereabouts +or- .40c from memory) which had to be prepurcashed in books of 10 over the phone using a credit card and then posted to us to stick on all return parcels. This they stated was worlds best practice and the cheapest we would find. My contractor at the time for returns and still is charges $8.80 a parcel on a months acount with a month to pay. To me the offer by Tolls does not even come close to comparing even with their spin and bullshit.
As to Tolls service it is as stated earlier shocking. However from Tolls perspective what is good for Tolls is good for the world. Sounds like Woolies and Coles. Personaly I will not spend 1 cent or use Tolls if I can avoid it.
So when can we expect this debacle to hit Victorian distribution?
Peter
That is shocking.
If I were a publisher I would be pulling my hair out.
If I were a Newsagency I would being doing the same.
This is legalised crime.
Derek,
Tolls Executives would call it Good Business Practice.
Toll are that bad they couldnt organise a #$!@ in a brothel