Ended up in tears today cos I'm stressing :-((((

Interested-seeker · Post by **Interested-seeker** » 29 Jun 2017, 21:18

I understand. I am fairly new. At my most stressful point, I walked out and said that I quit. I came back the next day after the manager rang me. I enjoy the job, but I wish that staff were treated with more respect.

Clared · Post by **Clared** » 29 Jun 2017, 21:21

yellowbelly wrote:Kazzy, stick with it, it honestly does get easier, I'm only two years in and I remember having one particularly horrendous day when
I started, partly me being a newbie but managers put too much on to me and it was way past being dark when I got back to the
office.

Even now I'll put a bundle in the wrong place in a bag or trolley, forget a packet till I'm about 5 doors past, forget to
do my redirections (especially when they've dwindled down to a handful) until I've started
bundling up and I get a nagging in the back of my mind saying 'You've forgotten something....what is it......lightbulb moment'
and think to myself 'You flipping numpty!' but over time these sort of things happen less and less as you gain experience.

You are already showing your mettle by telling DOM/rep at the beginning of shift that you don't think you'll be able to complete.
I've seen posties with years and years of experience who don't feel able to stand up to management in this way.

Keep going. It will get better. There are plenty of good days too when the sun is shining, customers smile and say 'Thanks Postie!',
you make the little old lady's day by saying hello because you're probably the only human interaction
she'll have today, you get offered a glass of squash, a Christmas card (bonus with a fiver in it) and a mince pie, the kids
(not the annoying ones) say 'Thanks Postman Pat!' as you hand the letters over to them.

Stick with it!!! You're not alone - especially on these boards - don't be afraid to ask questions/vent your frustrations
on here, there's loads of fantastic postie posters on here.

Agree there is, I love coming on this forum it helped me through my early weeks n months at RM

Angwyn · Post by **Angwyn** » 30 Jun 2017, 16:13

Really hope today was better for you

Post by **wacko74** » 30 Jun 2017, 16:32

Can only echo what other have said, whilst your Manager and Rep haven't been massively helpful it seems like most of the pressure you're under is actually coming from yourself, setting yourself too high standards, it is a difficult job, no two ways about it and someone as new as yourself isn't going to be up to speed what ever your Manager says or expects.

It's not like other 'unskilled' jobs where a new starter can be up to speed in half a day or less... there's so much involved in this job I reckon any new starter is looking at a minimum 3-6 months before they can start to feel relaxed and comfortable in the job

Post by **Judgee** » 30 Jun 2017, 20:01

It's always darkest before the dawn!

mickeymacca · Post by **mickeymacca** » 01 Jul 2017, 18:16

Judgee wrote:It's always darkest before the dawn!

'I can see no way, I can see no way, I'm always dragging that LWT around'

Charliecat · Post by **Charliecat** » 26 Jan 2018, 08:16

Misskazzyb are you still doing the job? Your post sounds just like me! I started 2 weeks ago and wonder if I've made a huge mistake. My feet and legs and fingers hurt bad. My coach has no patience and I end up jogging the round as he says I'm too slow. I forget a parcel and have to run back down a street to post as I'm too scared to tell him I forgot. I left my pda on a bin and had to go back. I am not sure what to do if a parcel won't scan as my coach rolls his eyes and tells me he's already told me . Therefor I'm afraid to ask again! I make mistakes if I can't find flats in old buildings and probably post wrong letters all because I don't want to take them back because he'll moan and say he's shown me the flats twice. Little does he realise all the old Victorian mansions look the same when you have to concentrate on everything else. I am hoping to get a round with someone who doesn't push me so hard or one by myself so I can take care and do it right as right now I have not even got time to fiddle putting my pen back In my pocket and I haven't got a pda holder so that's a fiddle and I have no bags and have to use plastic boxes so the parcels aren't contained . Aargh just hoping there's light at the end

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 26 Jan 2018, 08:53

You need to be more assertive with your coach Charlie and don't let him bully you into feeling stressed. It's mostly the stress that's causing the mistakes. It doesn't matter how many times he rolls his eyes he's a coach, he's getting paid to coach and if he doesn't want to coach tell him to hand the money back.

Your will hurt for a few weeks but your body will get used to it. Every thing else will click into place, you're not slow you're just inexperienced, everybody is when they start.

Join the union.

Post by **POSTMAN** » 26 Jan 2018, 13:54

The training on and of the job is dismal, while it's right we need to look at workloads, B&H and all the other bits, this also seriously need to be looked at.
Actually, that's a lot of 'looking at' to do isn't it?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 26 Jan 2018, 15:11

Every office should have a half walk.
You can't seriously expect somebody to immediately go to a 4 hour delivery span. Where are the H&S reps?
You need to build up confidence and stamina.

When not being used for a new entrant then it can be used for rehab/ or as a potential overtime opportunity.
And if there is no particular need for it on any given week it should be offered to the person who had the idea for it in the first place.

korky · Post by **korky** » 26 Jan 2018, 15:58

Charliecat wrote:Misskazzyb are you still doing the job? Your post sounds just like me! I started 2 weeks ago and wonder if I've made a huge mistake. My feet and legs and fingers hurt bad. My coach has no patience and I end up jogging the round as he says I'm too slow. I forget a parcel and have to run back down a street to post as I'm too scared to tell him I forgot. I left my pda on a bin and had to go back. I am not sure what to do if a parcel won't scan as my coach rolls his eyes and tells me he's already told me . Therefor I'm afraid to ask again! I make mistakes if I can't find flats in old buildings and probably post wrong letters all because I don't want to take them back because he'll moan and say he's shown me the flats twice. Little does he realise all the old Victorian mansions look the same when you have to concentrate on everything else. I am hoping to get a round with someone who doesn't push me so hard or one by myself so I can take care and do it right as right now I have not even got time to fiddle putting my pen back In my pocket and I haven't got a pda holder so that's a fiddle and I have no bags and have to use plastic boxes so the parcels aren't contained . Aargh just hoping there's light at the end

sounds like you've got a right tool of a coach who's probably pi55ed off with having earning a bit of their extra £1900 a year job,
rushing and fretting about trying to keep up will only lead to more mistakes, take a chilled approach and tell him to do one, saying that, you're lucky to get any sort of training these days!
feet/legs will get better in time, then worse along with your back

make sure you're wearing decent shoes too

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 26 Jan 2018, 16:04

clashcityrocker wrote:Every office should have a half walk

We used to have two cadet walks back in the days when we employed children.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 26 Jan 2018, 16:37

fishtank wrote:
clashcityrocker wrote:Every office should have a half walk
We used to have two cadet walks back in the days when we employed children.

Don't think that is a fair comment everybody need's to learn but years ago anyone could do any walk guess the people who set these walks up should do one at least instead of pissing about watching porn all day!

FinishOnTime · Post by **FinishOnTime** » 26 Jan 2018, 16:42

The weird thing is in Royal Mail (outdoor) overtime is generally seen as a pain in the arse which people feel they have to do. If management changed the culture it may become something that people wanted to do.

Very few people like flat weeks.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 26 Jan 2018, 16:53

FinishOnTime wrote:The weird thing is in Royal Mail (outdoor) overtime is generally seen as a pain in the arse which people feel they have to do. If management changed the culture it may become something that people wanted to do.

Very few people like flat weeks.

That is the nub the CULTURE of the vultures that pick the meat of our bones by lapsing and non payment of overtime and stealing day's off us all too feather their own nest's and Pension's as all managers bonuses are pensionable!