# Flex in Springfield, VA, How is it now?



## KilrBe3 (Nov 28, 2016)

I haven't worked since Aug for Flex. I stopped when my Camry was filled with 50+ boxes and that was when 4hrs windows were still 72$. I made complaints, I feedback'd, I even had a 1 on 1 convo with a Amazon Flex employee via Reddit one day after my ranting got their attention.

I noticed in the e-mails in past month or so, they now actually include a phone number to call, and actually sound like they want to improve.

In Aug, the Maps was still shit. Routing was still shit. It would throw you in any odd direction. Never lined things up correctly. I recall my last day with Flex. I had two boxes left. One in McLean, other all way in Fairfax. Second to last was in FFX, I thought okay sweet, easier and quick way home. Dropped off in FFX....last package...25mins back to McLean...on same street I was on earlier in day..... I raged... Hard... I screamed in my car.. I remember going to McLean 3 days straight with 50+ packages, and working 5hrs and only paid for 4. Add to the crap streets in McLean, I just quit. Not getting paid for over work when they overload your volume count.

Month or so after I quit, Prime Now came.

My questions are,

Does the Springfield one now support Prime Now or is it still standard Amazon reg orders and 50+ packages that they think people can do in 3hrs with less pay now? I'd love to try one tomorrow. But if I pull into that warehouse and see the cart with 50 boxes on, i'll rage. Literally. I'll sit there and wait til everyone is loaded and drive out and never look back ever again. If its Prime Now, with those Bags and 2hr windows once you order like Seattle does, I'd be more then happy. Get some Tips as well.

So, Still amazon reg orders or Prime now? Or mixed?

Cheers


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## Nick Starr (Feb 12, 2015)

I just moved from Seattle to DC and switched my account to this region. I am hoping that it is better now than it was when you describe.


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## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

KilrBe3 said:


> I haven't worked since Aug for Flex. I stopped when my Camry was filled with 50+ boxes and that was when 4hrs windows were still 72$. I made complaints, I feedback'd, I even had a 1 on 1 convo with a Amazon Flex employee via Reddit one day after my ranting got their attention.
> 
> I noticed in the e-mails in past month or so, they now actually include a phone number to call, and actually sound like they want to improve.
> 
> ...


You seem to have some rage issues. Have you thought about a career as an MMA fighter or a professional Democrat activist?


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## KilrBe3 (Nov 28, 2016)

jester121 said:


> You seem to have some rage issues. Have you thought about a career as an MMA fighter or a professional Democrat activist?


Well... That was uncalled for... completely... Reported that message.

I'm sorry that I don't enjoy being packed to brim, and working longer hours then what they pay, and refuse to pay more. It's not like I slacked or was lazy. It was their awful routing and in-house maps. It took more time to Google Map it then to suck it up and bare the awful in-house and "TRY" to make best of it. This went on for 3 days straight where I had overloaded car. This is where I was seeing other people in warehouse get carts with barely 20 packages on. I even made mutiple friends from Flex, and chatted in warehouse after loading with some. Mostly ones who I noticed had low volume. Yet somehow, my luck was always the biggest cart to pull up too, and the crappiest locations. I even made talks with warehouse staff who felt for me. They acknowledge and said my complaint was not the first. That some people got lucky with barely 20 packages and a nice area, but the next cart down would be filled to max and in a not so nice area. (Street layouts)

50+ packages, a shitty area (which you know nothing about being from Chicago, so why did you even reply in here.. oh right, to troll and be a arse) and not getting paid for it.

So please, next time you feel like being a troll, do it elsewhere. What a flaming idiot you are for even trying to stir up something and expected a heated reaction. How sad.


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## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

Lighten up, Francis, it was a joke. Go read your thread, you mentioned "raging" twice in 2 paragraphs, it made me laugh.


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## KilrBe3 (Nov 28, 2016)

Glad I amused you, now move on if you have nothing to provide.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

KilrBe3 said:


> Glad I amused you, now move on if you have nothing to provide.


To be fair we all get crappy routes. Lots of apartments, spread out, etc... It comes with the job right? Not everyday is going to be roses. The gig either works for you or it doesnt. If it was a bad gig a few months ago, I dont see why it would be any better now during the busiest time of year.


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## KilrBe3 (Nov 28, 2016)

I feel like I gave the bad impression and I can see now why I am getting these "snarky" comments back... Also mind blown not one person has yet to answer the correct thing, and rather belittle and poke fun instead. What a great forum so far.

I worked Flex for almost 3 weeks. It was fine and golden for 2 1/2. Great areas, Great locations, I learned the tricks of using the awful app at the time, and had a overall easily 8/10 experience. It wasn't until 3rd week hit, and the volume increased, miles going insanely up by doing circles and non-optimized routing. I noticed the more I tried and faster I worked, and more effort I put in, I was still not beating the clock at the time (4hr windows). My longest day was 6hrs, and was 54 packages exactly.

I don't expect roses and my handheld like a child. What I do expect is a company big as Amazon to get their things straight. Watching cars pull away with 20 packages and next on 50, is absurd. Working past window time and them going "oh, tough luck, work faster". They get away with this as the requirement is long as packages are out of your car by 9pm, they don't care if it took you 12hrs or 12mins to do the job.

All I simply asked here, were, what are the improvements and if any, to explain. Also, to get more insight to the operations of my local warehouse.

All I see is manchilds posting like this is 4chan or reddit, and providing zero help at all. Also, not even remotely from this area. So once again, I ask, why even post if nothing to say good or relate to the OP. Blows my mind how this forum works and the comments after reading few threads here already...

Sadly, this was the place I read back pre-summer that motivated me to try Flex in my area. Now.. I regret even posting here and signing up...

Maybe its my attitude, maybe its my wording. But I am struggling for cash lately, and I TRULY did enjoy Flex when I did it. I loved driving to my own music, no bullshit, no boss, no phones ringing, no co-worker asking stupid questions. Back then, it was and felt like a true Beta program. Which is where I am now, asking if big improvements have been made in certain areas that I had concern. Even more so now that hours at cut to 3 instead of 4, and pay reduced. With addition of Prime Now, I wasn't sure if this was case or due to my local place offering Prime Now or standard site orders.

But apparently, this forum rather belittle and act like children and always give their 2cents when not asked or even close to the topic at hand...

Sigh...


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## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

I've seen all of 3 or 4 posts, total, from Virginia-area Flex people in the past 2+ months. Some areas have active discussions, some don't. Chicago doesn't have much local talk either, but I don't let that stop me from spreading happiness and cheer throughout various threads as I go about my day.


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## UberPasco (Oct 18, 2015)

So you had 2 1/2 weeks of 'truly enjoyable' routes, a half week of crap routes, and you took your ball and went home? Because you didn't want to be bothered to fix an easily fixable situation? SMH, sounds like if you don't get your "handheld" you'll "rage".

But to answer your question, you'll be glad to hear that they made the navigation perfect and you won't get more than 15 packages or work more than 1.5 hrs. Also, Amazon brings the route to your house, loads up your Camry, delivers the packages and returns your car with a full tank and a Benjamin in the visor.


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## KilrBe3 (Nov 28, 2016)

UberPasco said:


> So you had 2 1/2 weeks of 'truly enjoyable' routes, a half week of crap routes, and you took your ball and went home? Because you didn't want to be bothered to fix an easily fixable situation? SMH, sounds like if you don't get your "handheld" you'll "rage".
> 
> But to answer your question, you'll be glad to hear that they made the navigation perfect and you won't get more than 15 packages or work more than 1.5 hrs. Also, Amazon brings the route to your house, loads up your Camry, delivers the packages and returns your car with a full tank and a Benjamin in the visor.


I'm in awe how stupid this forum and community is.

Good reddens all of you. What did I expect coming to a Uber community, morons.

Tell me, please. Tell me how the solution was easily fixable? please. No sarcasm. No saitre. How the hell is that an easy fix to to a solution? When Amazon themselves offered none. Calling and E-mails did nothing. Nav was still piss poor at time. I like how you think "I took my ball and went home" after just 1 week of bad routes. When it was 3 weeks of bad nav, and volume, and final week just iced the cake...

Amazing how you people know so much. Were you there next to me those 3 weeks? Nah.


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## LLXC (Nov 22, 2016)

You should email Amazon Flex and ask if they have a Prime Now in your area. Whenever I do Prime Now, I feel under worked/under utilized. As someone says, it's probably harder work trying to get a block than it is working a block...


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## UberPasco (Oct 18, 2015)

KilrBe3 said:


> Amazing how you people know so much. Were you there next to me those 3 weeks? Nah.


Nope. I wasn't next to you. I would have used alternative navigation and been done two hours ahead of you. LOL.


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## Poolepit (May 17, 2016)

KilrBe3 said:


> I'm in awe how stupid this forum and community is.
> 
> Good reddens all of you. What did I expect coming to a Uber community, morons.
> 
> ...


You are coming across as very arrogant and ignorant after coming here asking for help/advice/insight.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

KilrBe3 said:


> I feel like I gave the bad impression and I can see now why I am getting these "snarky" comments back... Also mind blown not one person has yet to answer the correct thing, and rather belittle and poke fun instead. What a great forum so far.


I wasnt trying to be snarky, just feel like you didnt stick with flex long enough to make a solid judgement of being a good gig. It took me at least a month to become efficient at deliveries. Learning how to sort, take out packages that lengthen my route among other things.

Hope it works out for you


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## CarmenFlexDriver (Jun 21, 2016)

KilrBe3 said:


> I feel like I gave the bad impression and I can see now why I am getting these "snarky" comments back... Also mind blown not one person has yet to answer the correct thing, and rather belittle and poke fun instead. What a great forum so far.
> 
> I worked Flex for almost 3 weeks. It was fine and golden for 2 1/2. Great areas, Great locations, I learned the tricks of using the awful app at the time, and had a overall easily 8/10 experience. It wasn't until 3rd week hit, and the volume increased, miles going insanely up by doing circles and non-optimized routing. I noticed the more I tried and faster I worked, and more effort I put in, I was still not beating the clock at the time (4hr windows). My longest day was 6hrs, and was 54 packages exactly.
> 
> ...


 It's most definitely YOUR ATTITUDE! Yes.....it's YOU, not everybody else!
Don't let the door knob hit you on the way out.


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## KILLERST (Sep 24, 2016)

1. 2.5 weeks as "golden"
2. worked for almost 3 weeks
3. 3rd week volume increase

=> Did the 3rd week's extra hours surplus the 2.5 "golden' weeks you had? If not then Amazon didn't underpay you. After averaging the 2.5 golden weeks and the some crappy blocks for the 3rd, I think you still have some surplus hours from Amazon. It's the nature of the job. Sometimes it takes 1-2 hr for 3hr block. Sometimes it takes 3.5-4. And sometimes you can go home WITH PAY because there is no block to deliver.

Advice (from someone who go to Springfield, VA):

1. Don't grab Monday block. It's usually bad after people's weekend online shopping.
2. Always look before you scan. If you are scanning a Mclean cart and you see Springfield, Arlington, or even Woodbridge appear, DO NOT scan that package. Notify the person who's in charge right away (currently the old lady going around -still haven't asked her name- for block before 3-4 p.m or Caitlyn for evening blocks, there's also another pretty one in charge for evening shift, hasn't asked her name). *This is the advice I get directly from the WH manager.*
3. If you could not reach someone in charge in (2), DO NOT scan the package. Returning the package at the end might be a better option.
4. Be the first ones to arrive (arrive ~20 mins early should do) or the very last one. (chance to GET PAY without any delivering/get some left over package).
5. Raging will never work...

Edit: Also, skip Tuesday after Cyber Monday and when they send out email like this "*Check the Amazon Flex app for opportunities to earn an increased rate of $60 for each delivery block (estimated to take 3 hours) you complete between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Friday, November 25 to Tuesday, November 29 only" *<< SKIP BOTH MORNING & EVENING BLOCKS for those days.


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## JenW82 (Jun 5, 2017)

Does anyone know if you should have an EZ pass for doing Flex? I signed up for it but I can't seem to find an answer on their website -- just curious to find out from someone that's worked with them on how the routes are


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## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

JenW82 said:


> Does anyone know if you should have an EZ pass for doing Flex? I signed up for it but I can't seem to find an answer on their website -- just curious to find out from someone that's worked with them on how the routes are


You're not getting reimbursed by Amazon for any tolls, so it's up to you.

Might as well get one, just for the time savings (and around here it's cheaper too).


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