Have I got the laziest postman in the world?

spor7y

MrB wrote:

An item which was standing since May would have been long gone even if it were carded.

Clearly you cannot see the forest for all the trees.
The item from May was NOT carded, and the only reason it was still in the depot was because the woman at the sorting office recognised my name and held on to it.
A colleague's mother at work has encountered the same poor service from RM and considering she is an exam marker the company's failing could have dire consequences,
I suggest you use your energy into sorting out the shambolic operations at the RM rather than blaming people like myself who have no choice but to use this chocolate teapot.
Roll on 2006 when their monopoly ends.
BTW I have filed an official complaint for the RM p**s poor service.

MrB_2

Now the forest has become clearer, I will offer you my apologies. There is a lazy so n so working at your local DO, unfortunatly it is the woman that you have mentioned. The item in question should have put back into circulation for re delivery instead of being held onto, or at very least she should have issued a P739 card stating that there were several packets/parcels waiting for collection or redelivery. To hold onto your mail for this long can be classified as Willful Delay and against RM's conduct of delivery.
I actually welcome the end of the monoply that RM has had for too long, but please dont be fooled that you will recieve a better service straight away. I foresee a very turbulant next few years due to it, where the biggest loser of all will be the customer. I also reccomend that you forward your complaint to Postcomm, this way you willnot be brushed aside with a standard 'Whoops, sorry' letter

Pennywise

It's not the fact the RM make mistakes that is the problem. Everyone and every organisation will make mistakes. The problem with RM is that they seem to always accuse the customer of being wrong, instead of just saying sorry and solving the problem.

soolin

Pennywise wrote:

It's not the fact the RM make mistakes that is the problem. Everyone and every organisation will make mistakes. The problem with RM is that they seem to always accuse the customer of being wrong, instead of just saying sorry and solving the problem.

Actually I did get an apology and compensation from RM just before last Christmas. They admitted to me that some thefts at a sorting office had occured and they admitted responsibility.

Soo

Pennywise

MrB wrote:

as when they sort the mail in the mornings, they tend to lookout for addresses on parcels that they have attempted delivery for earlier that week. If they find something to a same address that they have carded, they check in the office to see whether the previous item has been collected, if not, more often than not, they will put the second item with it, without issuing another card, the theory being that the customer has to collect the first item, so to save a journey, they can collect the second item.

I find that absolutely shocking and inexcusable. Whoever sent such items have paid for them to be delivered and they are possibly urgent. Whether or not the postman "thinks" that the recipient may not be in, delivery should still be attempted - that's the service that has been paid for.

But it does explain why a couple of weeks ago on the Monday I got a "while you were out" card for a parcel (I was expecting it and it wasn't urgent so I thought I'd leave it a few days to collect as the sorting office is miles away). On that same Monday, a client told me they were sending some urgent paperwork by recorded delivery first class, so I expected it to come on Tuesday (I was in all day), postman came, nothing. Then I expected it on Wednesday (I was in all day), postman came, nothing. Then client tracked it online and was quite annoyed that "delivery had been attempted and a card left" - blamed me for not being in when I promised I would be!

It's a bit of a big assumption that because someone isn't in one day, they aren't going to be in on other days. It also explains why, up to the "changes" last year, the sorting office usually had only a small box of "to be collected" items and there was rarely anyone at the desk waiting to collect, but now has a huge stack of boxes and there is usually a queue of people!

MrB_2

I quite agree with you on that score Pennywise. The fact that many people now work from home does tend to pass over the heads of many posties, and I cannot defend that sort of action. Again, I urge you to complain to Postcomm, Royal Mail's regulator so that this sort of thing can begin to be stamped out.

Jo4

We normally have a postman but about once a week we have a postwoman. The postman arrives by 1pm and leaves half of the mail hanging out of the letter box which is on the roadside, should be very handy for him. He hops all parcels of the front door whether they are marked fragile or not. If he needs a signature he signs it himself but I do not know if he is signing my name or his own!?

The postwoman arrives by 10am places all mail into the postbox so it is not obvious if we have collected it or not. If she has any parcels she knocks the door politely and hands me parcels and letters. If she needs a signature for any item of mail she asks for it. While at the door she always makes a conversation. If I am not there she will leave any parcels not needing a signature in a shed out the back of the house and letters out of sight in the postbox. If she needs a signature she will leave a note explaining that the parcel has been returned to depot as it requires a signature and it can be collected at the post office 5 hours after the time wrote on the note which she has left. When I get note and know that I am going to be in the following day I phone sorting office and they put the parcel into the post to be delivered the next day.

I just wish I had the postwoman very day!!

MrB_2

Hi Jo4. You have given examples of what a postie should and should not be. Unfortunatly, the bad example is your postman, who delivers 5 days a week. He should be reported straight away to his line manager in the first instance, as what he is doing is termed as 'doorstepping', a practice which costs Royal mail millions of pounds each year and as for not correctly posting your mail, this why we have such a bad name, anyone can come along, pull the mail from your letterbox and have an insight to your life, your finances, everything. The postlady is floating cover, she has to deliver to 5 different walks per week, covering 5 posties days off and probably has less seniority than most in her DO. Ask her next time you see her for a P739 FIB card which will have your local Delivery Office's telephone number and also ask her for her line managers name, and let them know whats going on, several times if need be, as you deserve better service than what you have been receiving.

Jo4

MrB wrote:

Hi Jo4. You have given examples of what a postie should and should not be. Unfortunatly, the bad example is your postman, who delivers 5 days a week. He should be reported straight away to his line manager in the first instance, as what he is doing is termed as 'doorstepping', a practice which costs Royal mail millions of pounds each year and as for not correctly posting your mail, this why we have such a bad name, anyone can come along, pull the mail from your letterbox and have an insight to your life, your finances, everything. The postlady is floating cover, she has to deliver to 5 different walks per week, covering 5 posties days off and probably has less seniority than most in her DO. Ask her next time you see her for a P739 FIB card which will have your local Delivery Office's telephone number and also ask her for her line managers name, and let them know whats going on, several times if need be, as you deserve better service than what you have been receiving.

I would not like to get anyone into trouble! I didn't mention that I also get neighbours mail and mail that should be delivered about 5 miles from here, no similarity in the first 2 lines in the address. Although must admit this only happens when the postman delivers.

I placed an order online for over £300 which was supposed to arrive next day recorded delivery. Since I knew this I waited patiently for the postman. I watched him on my CCTV, he got out of the van, opened the back door of the van, took out my parcel and slammed the back door shut, walked towards my front door, hopped the parcel off it and then knocked the knocker as he was turning. I went straight to the door, was there in 10 seconds, he had got into his van and took off. I got speaking to him a few days later and said to him about the parcel needing a signature he told me he signed it himself. I wonder whose name he is signing, as parcels which should have been here a long time ago (ie January 2005) have still not arrived nor have there replacements?? I do not think companies are believing me when I tell them their parcel has not arrived so I just do not bother telling them anymore.

branney

spor7y wrote:

Has anyone else had this problem?

same thing here. except he usually brings the card round the day after he tries to deliver - ie he only fills the cards in when he gets back to the sorting office with undelivered mail.

so if i am not in on a friday, i get the card on saturday, usually after the sorting office has closed. i then can't pick up until the following saturday - total time 9 days assuming the item was posted on the thursday!

one 'lost' item. turned up a month later, when i had already bought a replacement. at least royal mail had compensated me for that one before they found it!