GL "Management" - the guy behind the curtain...

[HeadWizard]

So what I'd like to know, has anyone on this board ever actually spoken to "Management" at GL?

I must say that I have had several good outcomes when I've unfortunately had to deal with him/her/them, but therein lies the issue - who is "Management". Why can't "Management" come out from behind the curtain and deal with us as paying customers when necessary?

"They" use the Customer Service Reps as gatekeepers and hide in the background with the 72 hour rule ("Management will get back to you in 72 hours") whether the situation requires it or not.

Wouldn't it be more efficient for "Management" to just pick up the phone once in a while and resolve situations on the spot rather than dragging out issues for days?

There lies the answer, we deal with GL and nothing seems to make good sense most of the time.

 

[Recovry4x4]

GL MisManagment. LOL The GL Grandwizard.

 

[drgreg]

I have never had a problem getting thru to someone to help. As in any business, management is there to manage. Call GMC about a problem with your car and see if they connect you to the asshat in the commercials, or even better Obama.
Some people that feel GL sucks must not read the bidding rules and think it is just like shopping at Wal-Mart. Yes, it is not always a simple or perfect process, but the prices are right and we are still getting the stuff.
If everytime an EUC takes too long someone runs off to their Congressman or starts screaming that they want to talk to management, they may stop selling to individuals or start scrapping instead of selling.
I'm not saying that the system is perfect, but it seems like some here have made complaining about GL a favorite passtime.

 

[stumps]

I would bet that if we added up the yearly purchases of the entire SS community the total would be less than the monthly rate of some of the scrap contracts that GL services.

-Chuck

 

[M1075]

So what I'd like to know, has anyone on this board ever actually spoken to "Management" at GL?

I shared the stage and microphone with the CEO once. Does that count?

 

[DDoyle]

Tom Burton, will be at the MVPA convention in Topeka - so any number of folks could speak to him (I have in the past), since he is President of the company, I'd say that is about as far up the food chain as you can get.

Best wishes,
David Doyle

 

[wreckerman893]

Once you get through the human firewalls they put in place and actually get to someone who can make a command decsion most of the time you can get a resolution to your issue.
If it gets to the point where the threat of a Congressional is necessary someone in (mis)management has failed at their assigned duties.

 

[tstone]

Great photos. Ithink they represent some of my past expeirences with GL.; their PR issues would evaporate if competition were allowed.

 

[papercu]

their PR issues would evaporate if competition were allowed.

They never had a lock. Their contract with Uncle Sam is up for bids every few years, feel free to bid on it. Wayne

 

[wreckerman893]

They never had a lock. Their contract with Uncle Sam is up for bids every few years, feel free to bid on it. Wayne

When they privatized the sales of govenment surplus there was an infastructure and personel already in place (DRMO).

GL came in and once they were up and running they started closing sites and getting rid of people that had stayed on from DRMO. I know this from talking it several former emplyees that got shafted by GL. They were promised that they would keep their jobs once GL took over.

GL did this to maximize profits......we the taxpayer are getting screwed because stuff is bing shipped at govenment expence to regional sales sites such as Redstone, Oklahoma City and Lockborne, OH.

At Albany, GA, GL is open one day a week for loadouts and inspections (good luck getting one). One overworked person has to work several sites because management don't give a rats butt how much they inconvienence we the customer.

As for bidding against them against GL for the contract it would take a huge company to move in and continue to do what GL does.......they are in the catbird seat and they know it.

I am happy with the prices I pay for most stuff and I have only had a bad experience at Lockborne (due I think to the lousy way GL treated the staff up there).
What I am dissatisfied with is the attitude of the higher ups out in Arz......they know they have a monopoly and are prob going to keep it.

If anyone is successful in de-throning them I will send them a resume.....talk about a dream job......

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

Haha. 'Management'. Nice 'Oz' pics, but I also just finished watching the two-season rerun of HBO's "Carnivale" series which had 'Management' an unseen entity dictating orders through others, but never seen himself. Everyone down the chain just parrotted...

"Management said so..." or..."That's the way Management wants it" or "That comes straight from Management."

'Management' came across like some ethereal, untouchable entity who was to be obeyed but who couldn't be held accountable for anything whatsoever...much like GL in that regard, I suppose.

 

[papabear]

Ummm....then there is this.....I own a small towing company....and everyone ALWAYS wants to talk to the owner ..because of this and that... etc....but...
I pay folks to do a job...and they do it well...and they know the requirements and pretty much know what I will allow....or not allow and they play the field very well.

SO....it kinda takes alot to get to the TOP....and I don't blame them a bit.

I know we all think our problems are the most earth shaking....but in the real world of management...they probably are not.

This is gonna piss most of you off...but when you are dealing with hundreds of folks in my case....and thousands of folks in GL's case....it's hard to look at one person and say....OK it's your turn....vent!!

 

[TexAndy]

Ummm....then there is this.....I own a small towing company....and everyone ALWAYS wants to talk to the owner ..because of this and that... etc....but...
I pay folks to do a job...and they do it well...and they know the requirements and pretty much know what I will allow....or not allow and they play the field very well.

SO....it kinda takes alot to get to the TOP....and I don't blame them a bit.

I know we all think our problems are the most earth shaking....but in the real world of management...they probably are not.

This is gonna piss most of you off...but when you are dealing with hundreds of folks in my case....and thousands of folks in GL's case....it's hard to look at one person and say....OK it's your turn....vent!!

So you hire people to take care of problems. Or lose business.

I'm convinced GL doesn't do nearly as good as it could if it had better customer service.

Some people don't bid as much (or at all) because they don't like the risk of dealing with GL. Not just the risk of buying used items but the risk that GL will screw them between the end of the auction and when they go to get their item.

Then there's the policy decisions. Like streamlining everything down to fewer but bigger outlets and slashing the number of employees. The farther away something is, the less likely I am to bid on it.

Or some of the crazy pickup hours they have. Some bases have pickups (appointment only) only 2 or 3 days a week! That wouldn't be so bad, but some of these bases sell alot of stuff. So they wind up scheduling people to make pickups on big items every 30 minutes and God help you if you have any problems.

Don't get me wrong, some GL employees go FAR AND ABOVE (the Fort Sam crew is GREAT) the call of duty in helping load people out, make appointments, give leeway on pickup times/dates... but as a whole, the company is FUBAR.

 

[acmunro]

If dealing with GL was easy everybody would do it. Think about it. I've had my moments with the crew in AZ but I still buy.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

The Base hours are usually the DRMO's hours even though you're not technically dealing with DRMO, which is why you get the "between 1pm and 3pm every second Wednesday when the moon is in Jupiter" kind of pickup hours. Varies between bases, plus sometimes they just close certain days and don't bother to let anyone know in advance ("well we had a notice up on the door" just doesn't really cut it.) Just never plan to to anything on Mondays and Fridays and you're usually okay.

Plus there's still the whole issue of bidding for something, buying something, picking something up and still never actually OWNING the 'something' until Uncle's had five or six years to think about it after the fact.

"Dear GL Customer: On a recent GL Sale, Event 3155, Jan. 17th, 2002, you were the successful bidder on KNOB, BAKELITE, 1957 RCA TELEVISION RECEIVER, NSN 5825-01-256-2853, and we have since been informed that this item has now been reclassified from DEMIL A to DEMIL D, requiring you to return it immediately..."

So, we individual GL buyers might really just be paying for the privilege to store stuff for Uncle for a few years. Surely that nonsense wouldn't stand up in court if someone had deep enough pockets to take the battle all the way to the top? It completely shakes the foundations of commerce as we know it in a free society and erodes property rights to the point there's no longer a line between buying and renting - and under conditions set at whim by the Landlord.

That all said...the Ft. Lewis GL people are really great.