Flats dilemma.

[DICK43]

On my loop I have many inaccessible flats, these have the letterboxes in the lobby so no walking up stairs, not a problem!, but, the trade buttons are never on because of theft and therefor I stand outside ringing all the flats hoping someone will be kind enough to let me in to deliver their mail. My dilemma is that my partner has no flats and finishes his loop a lot quicker than me simply because I`m having to wait for people to answer and let me in, I have said to him that we should take it in turns each week to do this loop, and he said fine, but he won't stand ringing people to get in the flats, he would no access the lot every day and take it back!, so now I feel I still have to take this loop, unless I want a fitting full of mail, what`s the Union or Royal Mail`s take on this? and should I be spending precious time attempting delivery?....

[Kings Norton]

No Access it everyday let build up in your office so it takes you longer to get out and bag up tell the manager everyday you NEED a key or a fob its their problem. People get very aggressive in flats ringing or buzzing them especially Saturday mornings.

[fluffysnow]

bring it back the residents will soon get fed up late bills parcels etc.wouldnt worry about it.Just put note on mail no access.

[krussel]

They turned off the trade button, its their problem.

The amount of times this sort of thing happens where people just forget about the mail access. Another thing is people fitting new wooden front doors or porches and then not bothering to fit a letter box.

[Judgee]

Next time you have to buzz to get in try asking them to sort out the timelocks to something more sensible. Give them a couple of weeks to sort it and if they don't just timelock the bundles and bring it back without buzzing. You have to give them a reasonable chance to get it sorted but if they won't do it voluntarily at least you tried and maybe going without thier mail for a while will help them see the light!

[Himaggen]

If it is not possible to deliver an item or P739 card to a building where access is governed by a controlled entry system (such as time locks), a completed P739 card must be attached to the item, the item and P739 returned to the delivery office and a P4306 label added to the item.
You must attempt to deliver the item on each following working day (maximum 18-day period). On every occasion, the item must be taken out with the completed P739 card. If it can’t be delivered, you don’t have to complete a further P739 for every delivery attempt of the same item, but the P4306 label must be updated each day.
If and when the item can be delivered, the P739 card must be taken off the item, returned to the delivery office and destroyed.

[N1-22postman]

Tell your manager to get you a universal fob from the housing association who manages the flats.Putting no access stickers on the mail and bringing it back to the office will spur your dom into quicker action.

[korky]

i thought after 3 failed attempts you can kill it off?

[OnAFlyer]

Tell your manager to get you a universal fob from the housing association who manages the flats.Putting no access stickers on the mail and bringing it back to the office will spur your dom into quicker action.

They're not always housing association, some of mine are private and the timelocks are a lottery despite leaving notes for them to sort it out. If I'm feeling charitable I'll buzz the first flat in the bundle, but usually if the door is locked I just endorse it and take it back.

Don't stand there ringing every flat.

[barrowc]

There was a minor update to this in the September 2013 Courier but only with regard to attendance call items:

All under control

Previous letters to Courier, including those in July/August and September 2012, together with other staff feedback, have prompted a change in our processes for delivering to Controlled Entry properties. If postmen or women couldn’t gain access to deliver an attendance call item because of a Controlled Entry panel and there was no letterbox outside, the previous policy was to return each item to the delivery office and endorse it with a P4306 label. Items would then be taken on delivery, for up to 18 days, in an attempt to make delivery. This was causing excessive and unnecessary weight on delivery as well as potentially undermining the efficiency of the delivery routes.

Andy Chatburn, new product resolution manager, says: ‘We were taking attendance call items out every day for 18 days until we could either deliver them, contact the customer to arrange an alternative delivery or gain access to the building at the time our postman or woman was in attendance. This was leading to customer complaints and meant excessive volumes of attendance call items being repeatedly taken out by our people every day.

‘We have listened to concerns from our staff, and the letters in Courier have helped to drive this change.

‘Following a change to the Operational Procedures, the process was updated to remove the need to continue to attempt delivery of attendance call items after their first attempt due to a Controlled Entry System.

‘Staff should fully complete a P739 card, and take the P4306-endorsed attendance call item and card to the enquiry office. We must still attempt to deliver the addressee’s mail plus the P739 card until we can gain access or notify the addressee. It has also reduced the amount of mail we need to take out each day knowing we probably can’t deliver it.

‘While this doesn’t make it a perfect system, every little improvement helps.

‘A trial in Glasgow and Bethnal Green is looking at other Controlled Entry improvement activities, and we are going to trial a new Controlled Entry P739 card to see if that improves customer satisfaction and makes things easier for our staff.’

Watch this space!

http://www.myroyalmail.com/sites/defaul ... EDITED.pdf

[OnAFlyer]

^^^Thats what I've always done, taking a packet out 18 times is plainly stupid. If the person doesn't answer an intercom then they're not in and they get a 739 when I next get access, if it's flats without intercoms then I'll try for a couple of days before carding it.

[faha]

I think the building authorities should have latter boxes fix on the wall by the entry gate. It is easier for a post person to deliver a post, this system will also save their time and energy,
In Denmark it is law that letter boxes should not be fixed more than 1 meter higher from ground, and almost in all the flats the letter boxes are on the ground level by the main entrance.