Another Royal Mail Rant

davidlizard

My wife has to co-ordinate the delivery newsletters as part of her work for a charity. These newsletters are typically A5 size books with approx 60 pages. Most of the newsletters are delivered by volunteers who collect them from our place and distribute them. However, there are about 50 people who live in villages so it is more cost effective to post them.

So four times a year, my wife puts the 50 or so newsletters in envelopes and goes off to the post office. As the size of the newsletter can vary throughout the year, they are weighed and sized so the correct postage is put on them.

The last lot went out in two batches, from different post offices. Both POs weighed them and both agreed two second class stamps was adequate.

A few days later, she started getting some emails from people saying they have had to go and collect their newsletters from the local post office, and pay a 15p difference and £1 handling fee as the postage was not suitable.

Therefore either:
1. The newsletters gained weight (very unlikely!) or
2. Someones scales are seriously out of calibration.

I weighed a letter at work, where I know our scales are calibrated (we measure chemicals on them!), and sure enough they are well within the limit for the postage used. Therefore the Royal mail have defrauded people out of £1.15. It appears that about 10 of the 50 have been stung in this way.

So it appears that the post office between them have scales that are seriously out of calibration, and they are mischarging customers as a consequence. I wonder how many customers are being ripped off by such as scam.

We have complained to the Royal mail, but typically have not heard anything (they never bothered to acknowledge my complaint concerning repeated theft from our post several months ago, which is still ongoing, so that does not surprise me). So I guess its postwatch next.

custardy

how thick are they?

HC_2

custardy wrote: »

how thick are they?

Some of them are highly intelligent, so I understand. As for the rest of the workforce - I couldn't say.

(I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Before you get cross with me, I think Royal Mail do a superb job, as I've mentioned in other threads.)

custardy

HC wrote: »

Some of them are highly intelligent, so I understand. As for the rest of the workforce - I couldn't say.

(I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Before you get cross with me, I think Royal Mail do a superb job, as I've mentioned in other threads.)

lol
well how about the complaint i dealt with yesterday
old couple come in to complain they needed their recorded delivery
said it had come up from down south and was sent recorded delivery to ensure they got it that day
then they went out at and the postie was there at 10am
so they were expecting me to produce the RD and were not to happy i coudnt
or as far as they were concerned wouldnt
so we got the item there next day,didnt deliver without a signatuure as they wanted but the old couple were furious and were 'taking it further'

HC_2

custardy wrote: »

lol
well how about the complaint i dealt with yesterday
old couple come in to complain they needed their recorded delivery
said it had come up from down south and was sent recorded delivery to ensure they got it that day
then they went out at and the postie was there at 10am
so they were expecting me to produce the RD and were not to happy i coudnt
or as far as they were concerned wouldnt
so we got the item there next day,didnt deliver without a signatuure as they wanted but the old couple were furious and were 'taking it further'

I recommend deep breathing (chanting is optional) to induce zen-like calm - or, if that fails, a punch bag installed in a corner of your premises.

custardy

well after i dealt with them ,my next customer was a drunk RM employee in collecting a special delivery
this led to a mahooosive argument after him trying to tell me there was an RD with it and the card said so
he was wrong on both points
i took him through the back to discuss that one on one
after that it was the usuall rants of customs charges,how things used to be,why do i need ID for that special delivery etc etc as every day

HC_2

custardy wrote: »

well after i dealt with them ,my next customer was a drunk RM employee in collecting a special delivery
this led to a mahooosive argument after him trying to tell me there was an RD with it and the card said so
he was wrong on both points
i took him through the back to discuss that one on one
after that it was the usuall rants of customs charges,how things used to be,why do i need ID for that special delivery etc etc as every day

I send and receive by SD - and normal post - all the time, and I have no complaints at all.

Except... for a notice posted outside the collection office at our post office - where you have to collect SDs and RDs if you weren't in to sign for them.

It says, 'We will not serve customers while on mobile phones.'

I once told them how pleased I was that their rules preclude them from talking on a mobile at the same time as serving customers, but I got a blank look.

custardy

HC wrote: »

I send and receive by SD - and normal post - all the time, and I have no complaints at all.

Except... for a notice posted outside the collection office at our post office - where you have to collect SDs and RDs if you weren't in to sign for them.

It says, 'We will not serve customers while on mobile phones.'

I once told them how pleased I was that their rules preclude them from talking on a mobile at the same time as serving customers, but I got a blank look.

we have no sign for it,however i do find that hugely rude
not just in work,like when you see people in supermarkets at the till not even giving those at the tills any form of recognition as they are paying

juno

custardy wrote: »

we have no sign for it,however i do find that hugely rude
not just in work,like when you see people in supermarkets at the till not even giving those at the tills any form of recognition as they are paying

If they do that to me, I have this tendency to ask them absolutely everything! It's amazing how many questions there can be with one transaction

The ones I hate most are the ones that hang up just after they've paid - especially if they say something about how they can't pack when they're on the phone,