Receptionist Accused of Stealing Parcel

patman99

When I mentioned a shared folder on the network, I was of course referring to JJJ's employers network.
If they are a multi-site company then there is a good chance each site will be linked to a central IT system as this makes IT admin much easier.
By having a shared folder called 'Procedures', this makes it easy for each individual site to access. A single point of information is also easier to maintain as procedures get created and updated.

It should be easy enough to create a parcel/s received log in Excel (or Calc if using LibreOffice) and print-off batches of 10 as and when required. The same program can be used to create a signing-in/out sheet as well.

Once my website is functioning, I will upload some templates that can be downloaded.

Jerryjerryjerry

poet123 wrote: »

So, are you saying that a delivery postman would refuse to accept a parcel marked return to sender or arrange for its collection, ditto a courier? If so, I find that appalling and not at all customer friendly. If that is the case then the Receptionist would have to visit a PO and hand over the parcel. Or ring the courier and ask for a collection.

If neither of those scenarios are possible then I can see why so many parcels go astray, they are probably sitting in offices all across the country waiting to be collected by a service industry that is not doing a proper job. Is there no point marking a parcel "return to sender" then?

The receptionist finishes work at 6.00 pm. Even if there was a post office that hadn't been shut down permanently on her bus route, it certainly wouldn't be open after 6.00 pm. That's if the receptionist was willing to do such favours in her time!

I'm not a door mat. I would NOT start carrying around large packages in sacks - walking to bus stops and finding ways to get the parcels back to the sender in my high heels in the rain, in my SPARE time for ANYBODY!

Far easier and more practical to return the parcel if I can't quickly locate the recipient at the front desk at time of delivery.

Once the parcel has been signed for by me, that's it. If a parcel came by DHL or UPS or something, I'm sure the post office wont accept it as return to sender unless I paid.

Incidentally, there are two parcels under my desk that have been here since I started work here four months ago. The rest just get taken away by the cleaners and wot not. Parcels, if uncollected, tend to stay here or get stolen in the end.

poet123

Jerryjerryjerry wrote: »

The receptionist finishes work at 6.00 pm. Even if there was a post office that hadn't been shut down permanently on her bus route, it certainly wouldn't be open after 6.00 pm. That's if the receptionist was willing to do such favours in her time!

I'm not a door mat. I would NOT start carrying around large packages in sacks - walking to bus stops and finding ways to get the parcels back to the sender in my high heels in the rain, in my SPARE time for ANYBODY!

Far easier and more practical to return the parcel if I can't quickly locate the recipient at the front desk at time of delivery.

Once the parcel has been signed for by me, that's it. If a parcel came by DHL or UPS or something, I'm sure the post office wont accept it as return to sender unless I paid.

Incidentally, there are two parcels under my desk that have been here since I started work here four months ago. The rest just get taken away by the cleaners and wot not. Parcels, if uncollected, tend to stay here or get stolen in the end.

Obviously, it would be done in works time. Someone must cover your lunch/loo breaks? add a extra ten minutes on for when the need arises, which will not be so often.

And what is "far easier" for the Receptionist is not always totally compatible with the demands of customer service.;)

MrsAtobe

JJJ, I would also suggest to your manager that a lockable cabinet be put somewhere in or close to Reception. Our receptionists have one, and that way they know that a package won't be stolen if the desk isn't manned. We also have to sign for any packages, personal or not.

I'd also ask him what to do about the parcels that are under your desk, four months is way too long for them to be there.

Savvy_Sue

poet123 wrote: »

So, are you saying that a delivery postman would refuse to accept a parcel marked return to sender or arrange for its collection, ditto a courier? If so, I find that appalling and not at all customer friendly. If that is the case then the Receptionist would have to visit a PO and hand over the parcel. Or ring the courier and ask for a collection.

If neither of those scenarios are possible then I can see why so many parcels go astray, they are probably sitting in offices all across the country waiting to be collected by a service industry that is not doing a proper job. Is there no point marking a parcel "return to sender" then?

poet, I am with custardy on this one. You may feel that the courier companies are offering a poor level of customer service, but honestly that is the way it goes: when I've had to get faulty items replaced then two couriers are usually involved, one to deliver the new item and one to collect the old one.

poet123 wrote: »

Obviously, it would be done in works time. Someone must cover your lunch/loo breaks? add a extra ten minutes on for when the need arises, which will not be so often.

And you're assuming that there's a post office within a five minute walk. Where I work, it's a mile there and a mile back. That's another 40 minutes plus queuing time, which at lunchtime is usually quite long, so an extra hour someone has to cover for.

Sometimes my boss and I drive there with a heap of small change to pay in. That takes almost as long by the time we've found parking etc.

The days when there was a PO within easy reach of us all are long gone!

poet123 wrote: »

And what is "far easier" for the Receptionist is not always totally compatible with the demands of customer service.;)

But generally, if the receptionist has good systems in place, it works well for everyone. Systems make life easier for everyone, IMO, even though some people resist them or are allergic to the idea!

tyllwyd

I'm self-employed and I've had a few times when clients have sent parcels to the wrong address. The parcel that got turned away at the door went back to the courier company, tracked, and when I realised it was missing I phoned up and it could be returned to the sender. The two that were accepted and signed for at the doorstep were a nightmare to track down when I realised that they were missing. Accepting a parcel when you aren't 100% sure of who it is for can cause a lot more problems than just turning it away.

Jerryjerryjerry

tyllwyd wrote: »

I'm self-employed and I've had a few times when clients have sent parcels to the wrong address. The parcel that got turned away at the door went back to the courier company, tracked, and when I realised it was missing I phoned up and it could be returned to the sender. The two that were accepted and signed for at the doorstep were a nightmare to track down when I realised that they were missing. Accepting a parcel when you aren't 100% sure of who it is for can cause a lot more problems than just turning it away.

Thanks for this post. After a lot of consideration, I've decided to apply for other jobs. I've got an interview this week and I'm hoping to leave this job as soon as I possibly can because it really sucks.

Thanks to all who replied.

smileylondongal

It doesn't hurt to apply at all, so good luck!

scheming_gypsy

poet123 wrote: »

Requests become policies if they are set out and circulated by those who have the authority to do so. Presumably, the OP has a boss who wants his employee to be the most efficient and productive he can be? If so, all those suggestions would bring that about, if he doesn't act on them and have them enshrined as company policy then the OP can still make the requests and provided they are couched properly and politely people have no recourse if they do not follow them.



.

That's correct, requests do become policy but there are still 15 companies in the building and company A doesn't make policies for company H

poet123

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

That's correct, requests do become policy but there are still 15 companies in the building and company A doesn't make policies for company H

They do if company A is the building management company. They would be responsible for all incoming people and items and their policies would reflect that.