The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-02-05
TO INACCURATE
AN EXPRESS BETTER
SERVICE CAMPAIGN
NEARLY ONE QUARTER MILLION
EXPRESS SHIPMENTS WRONG
EACH YEAR-HOPE TO BET
TER THE SERVICE.

Plans of a most comprehensive ma
ture to bring about conditions which
will make possible a marked improve
ment in the express service through
out the country, were announced last
night by w. B. Conner, local repre-
sentative of the American Railway
Express company. A Better Service
Campaign" will be undertaken by the
$4,000 men and women employed in
the express business for the purpose
of raising the STANDARDS of packing,
wrapping and marking express ship
ments.
The drive will start on Feb. 10 in
every city and town in the country.
1t will comprise a campaign OF edu-
cation and appeal among express en-
ployes simultaneously with wide
spread effort TO secure the cooperation
cf the shipping public along the same
lines. No new packing or marking
rules have been adopted for the cam
paign, but express drivers and receiv-
ing clerks viii be instructed hereafter
to insist, firmly but courteously, that
the rules already in force be strictly
adhered to.
The chief purpose of the "better
service campaign" is TO check, once
and for all, the waste CT time, effort
and money that result from lost or
damaged shipments. 1t is source
of dissatisfaction and annoyance to
both shippers and the carrier and it
tends to impair the express service.
Regarding the conditions which led
ia a decision for national drive of
this character, an express official
mode this statement today: ut is an
acknowledged fact that the average
American business man regards sat
isfed customer as direct asset to his
business. He would do nothing that
might jeopardize his good relations
WIN that customer. But if the goods
he sent to the customer arrive in bad
order, if the contents are damaged or
pilfeled because tiey were exposed
during journey or if may be entire
shipments are lost because OF made
quat marking or insecure packing,
the customer may not wait long for
explanations, but place his business
elsewhere.
"In such a case, the payment of
the claim by the express company
does not remedy the evil or serve to
encourage more business A gen.
eral dissatisfaction with the service
is inevitable-and no one is the gamer.
"We believe that there is a remedy
for this evil in the fact that the less
of or damage to shipments can in
many cases be attributed to the un-
safe condition in which it is turned
over to the express company to ham
die Nothing is more essential than
the cooperation of shippers, and as
they are keenly concerned in the mat
ter, we are hopeful Of getting them
to help US"
The "better pacling-better mark
ing" campaign viii be conducted at
a period of the year when the express
NOV ement is usually the lightest and
just before the heavy commodity bus
mess starts to move in March. Not
.all Of the fault is laid at the door Of
the shipper. The officials are free
to admit their own shortcomings and
do not evade responsibility fer them.
During the campaign, there will be
an energetic endeavor to prevent
rough handling, mis-routing or other
deviatiOns from correct express meth
DDS in Offices and terminals and closer
supervision of the work of employees
is expected TO improve internal oper-
ating conditions.
A determined effort viii be made
to eradicate what is known as the
"no mark" evil. From July / to
November 80 last year, 127,859 ship
ments, an average of about $4,000
month were turned over to the "no
mark" bureaus maintained by the
company, because all means of identi-