Royal Mail / Postman: Enough is Enough!

Takoda

Volcano wrote: »

And there are politer ways to request further information from people. Ultimately the OP will provide as much/little information as they want and that is what we base our advice on. If that advice is subsequently wrong, then it is an issue for the OP, not us.

Totally agree! Great post!

Takoda

Firefox1975 wrote: »

Scott - thanks for that - didn;t know it! :-)

Volcano - what is the point of giving useless advice? the Op wants a constructive response - we will give it - but in return we should be allowed the FULL details. And I wasn't rude in asking TBH I got sick of everyone just agreeing with the initial story which was clouded with her initial emotions and references to her husband.

I believe both parties should "bend" in a disagreement. There appear to be faults on both sides of this particular issue.

Sometimes a bit of sympathy/empathy helps an OP as much as cold hard advice.

No - the PO is providing a service. The WAY they are currently providing it does not suit the OP. I do not have her circumstances but I would not want a postie banging on my windows! In fact I don't want anyone to bang on my windows at all - ever!

There is no 'useless advice'. Everyone who has posted a suggestion has tried to help.

The OP doesn't come across like an idiot from the style of her writing so why are you deeming her incapable of choosing a suitable answer from the range of suggestions offered?

Volcano

Firefox1975 wrote: »

Volcano - what is the point of giving useless advice?

For the same reason we support a losing team, are shunned by the attractive girl/boy at the bar and take a job we end up hating. We rarely know every finite detail in advance and have to make decisions and actions based on the information we do have.

And I wasn't rude in asking TBH I got sick of everyone just agreeing with the initial story which was clouded with her initial emotions and references to her husband.

It wasn't rude to ask, it was the way you asked it that was rude.

LemonGrove

Volcano wrote: »

For the same reason we support a losing team, are shunned by the attractive girl/boy at the bar and take a job we end up hating. We rarely know every finite detail in advance and have to make decisions and actions based on the information we do have.

It wasn't rude to ask, it was the way you asked it that was rude.

:T is all I can say to that.

GoldFool

Firefox1975 wrote: »

Right finally we have further information as to why this is happening!

You are obviosuly receiving a lot of mail (whether or not you personally consider it a lot fair enough)

Postman knows he has more than a handful of "items" to deliver to you, and if as you say they are "products" for testing they are not always coming in a small white envelope.

So, he maybe "cannot" deliver them through your letterbox without damaging them and then obviously there will be solid proof he isn;t doing his job so instead he is attempting to get your attention to collect the "items" in person, at the door.

You also state your self that it would be "difficult" for you to collect the items from a post office?

Can you please make your mind up? what do you actually want?

if you cannot answer the door when he calls and you also do not wish to go and collect your post AND you complain if he attempts to deliver items that shouldn't be bent anyway. Just how the hell does the postman win this one? without putting you on a golden plinth in front of his other 500 customers?!?

If he attempts to deliver - rings the bell (that doesn;t work) and wanders off down the street whistling then you will complain that he made no attempt or did not do everything in his power to "deliver" the mail anyway.

I bet the Postman is as frustrated as you are with this one!

Items delivered are usually lipsticks and mascara in a jiffy bag, anything larger comes with the (perfectly polite) van delivery. In numerous cases they do fit through the letter box (I've tried), he just can't be bothered to do it when he knows I'm right there.

He doesn't need to just not deliver them; he needs to leave a card offering a collection 24 hours later. The point I was making is that I have to turnaround reviews quickly and I cannot go and get all post just once a week. If there is an item I can collect 24 hours later, that's fine, but I can't have seven day gaps between postal collections. I hope you understand the difference.

24 hour delay = fine

Potential six day delay = not fine. (If an item were to be 'delivered' to the sorting office on Monday afternoon, I may be collecting on Monday mornings - once a week - and that means I'd miss it until the next week. The question I was asking is; could I collect more frequently? I could go daily if necessary, but I've been told sorting offices don't like this.)

What do I want? Oh, just a simple service (which he is being paid for... some of the responses on this thread almost give the impression this postman is doing it out of the goodness of his own heart). He rings the doorbell (which does work, as I said, only he seems to have a problem with it). He rings it again. He waits for a few seconds. If I'm not there, he writes out a little card and posts it. I can then go and collect it 24 hours later like I do with larger packages, delivered by van, that I miss. That's all I want.


What don't I want? Continual hammering on my windows, the front door and ringing of the doorbell while he bellows "postman" or "delivery". That I don't want. Call me crazy.

You may find a blog called Unnecessary Quotes useful, by the way.

For other questions said by the more reasonable section of MSE...

He cannot leave it at the back, as we technically do not have one. We have two housing blocks, six and eight on our road. The back faces onto the residents' car park and the front (number six, us) faces onto the front of the road. If he did leave it out the back, he'd be leaving at the doors of number eight. And, as someone said, I don't think postmen are allowed to just abandon it.

I have had no problems with any other section of the Royal Mail, it is just this guy. We occasionally have other postmen, who do leave cards and don't hammer on windows, and all is fine.

I appreciate the advice, but honestly, this forum is coloured by people who are seemingly determined to find problems where there is nothing but innocent frustration. Would these people have preferred I go out and scream at the postman to stop it, or shut up totally when my emails to the Royal Mail were ignored? I do wonder what the responses would have been if it had been a private company doing this...

On topic (if this ever really remained so as a thread), I have now telephoned the Royal Mail and registered a complaint. We shall see.

custardy

you can collect from the delivery office every day if you like
it makes no difference

GoldFool

custardy wrote: »

you can collect from the delivery office every day if you like
it makes no difference

Someone at the delivery office told me differently, said they prefer for customers to only come at most twice a week. They only open until 12:30pm and he referenced this as a reason. I just believed him :cool:

custardy

what they 'prefer' and whats convenient to you are two different things

SpammyTheSpammer

Since there seems to be a problem with the volume of post, both for you and your neighbours, get a bigger letterbox. That way, postie can shove it all though the door and will not need to ring/knock etc. Try looking in B&Q or Wickes, they do some nice big letter boxes slots that much bigger the size of the normal ones.

You will get your post on the delivery day and postie will not need to disturb you with items that do not fit through the flap.

This will make you, your neighbours and the postman's life easier. Do it now.

PS
We would all be interested to see a copy of the complaint that you sent to the PO and any reply from them!

tbw

SpammyTheSpammer wrote: »

Since there seems to be a problem with the volume of post, both for you and your neighbours, get a bigger letterbox. That way, postie can shove it all though the door and will not need to ring/knock etc. Try looking in B&Q or Wickes, they do some nice big letter boxes slots that much bigger the size of the normal ones.

You will get your post on the delivery day and postie will not need to disturb you with items that do not fit through the flap.

This will make you, your neighbours and the postman's life easier. Do it now.

PS
We would all be interested to see a copy of the complaint that you sent to the PO and any reply from them!

Bearing in mind that the OP has said that her packages(as opposed to ordinary letters) are usually smallish jiffy bags which WILL fit through her normal letter box. She says that the postman generally does not put them through the letter box - appearing to prefer to knock her up ! So, if he really is the a**** prat that he appears, she could install a letter box the size of the Black Hole of Calcutta and it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

The OP appears to be a reasonable lady who wants a quiet life, a proper service from Royal Mail and a postman who takes some pride in his work. What she has got is an aggravating prat who appears to take some perverse delight in being awkward. She has my sympathy - its impossible to use reason or common sense with such people, they are locked in their own narrow mindset. I reckon she will have to escalate her complaints to senior level before anything is resolved.