Mis-delivery (third strike and you're out?)

Dave74 · Post by **Dave74** » 20 Feb 2016, 16:53

Afternoon everyone,

I have a concern and was wondering if anyone could shed some light or give me some advice.

Firstly, I am been a part-time postman in London now for nearly a year and so far I am enjoying it. However, we have a new Guv and managing crew and they really are tightening up everything. For example, last week I mis-delivered a letter (normal one) and I was called into the office and made to sign a form that I had there and then been coached in mis-deliveries. I have been told that I get two more chances and one the third strike I could be out of the job. I explained that the frame was laid out for me and that I put the right number through the door but the wrong street. Manager said that it was my problem. I take great care in delivering and I am worried because I know that more mis deliveries will occur. Obviously not common but through human error. So, it is true that on the third strike I could be out?

DB1100 · Post by **DB1100** » 20 Feb 2016, 17:01

I've never heard this rule,I think its most likely bollox,but see your union rep and tell him whats been said to you and see if he can help,if you aren't in the union, join,because sooner or later you will need them.

Dave74 · Post by **Dave74** » 20 Feb 2016, 17:06

I've been in the Union since day one. Ok mate, will talk to him. thanks.

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 20 Feb 2016, 17:11

Bollocks get your rep involved.
They've basically said you will be given stages and a dismissal even though at every stage they need to be inmpartial

Dave74 · Post by **Dave74** » 20 Feb 2016, 17:23

Ok thanks peeps. Will talk to him on Monday. Have a good weekend :)

Post by **Fatboyslim** » 20 Feb 2016, 19:16

Oddly enough - we had a WTL session a week ago. On an entirely different subject.

Deputy manager (may I add - who is a bully) said exactly the same thing. Three strikes and you are dismissed. We just laughed at him, and told him he is talking bollocks.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 20 Feb 2016, 19:25

It's madness that the managers can equate the 3 Cs their coaches are on about into a 3 strikes policy.

It's the Counsel, Coach and Conduct crap - nothing to do with dismissal. Also it's extremely unlikely that anyone would be conducted after only 3 misdeliveries unless of course it was a repeat one in a very short period of time.

Post by **trythat** » 20 Feb 2016, 19:47

Dave74 wrote:Afternoon everyone,

I have a concern and was wondering if anyone could shed some light or give me some advice.

Firstly, I am been a part-time postman in London now for nearly a year and so far I am enjoying it. However, we have a new Guv and managing crew and they really are tightening up everything. For example, last week I mis-delivered a letter (normal one) and I was called into the office and made to sign a form that I had there and then been coached in mis-deliveries. I have been told that I get two more chances and one the third strike I could be out of the job. I explained that the frame was laid out for me and that I put the right number through the door but the wrong street. Manager said that it was my problem. I take great care in delivering and I am worried because I know that more mis deliveries will occur. Obviously not common but through human error. So, it is true that on the third strike I could be out?

This is outright bullying! I hate it, when managers resort to this type of crap. When I was a rep I found it was a regular thing having to tell managers where they were going wrong and that bullying would not be tolerated in any forms.

Did you have any coaching? I know it's straight forward and we all know how to deliver, but RM and CWU bought these rules in, so even if you have no workplace coaches then a manager should be giving you some coaching, plus the person who threw the delivery off.

As other have said, nowhere does it say you should be dismissed on a third strike, again bullying crap. Ask your rep to ask your DOM to show you the agreement in black and white where it says this.

Perhaps your rep should be bringing up mistakes the management team make when he has their SI meeting each week, works both ways as I used to tell our managers.

korky · Post by **korky** » 20 Feb 2016, 20:50

no amount of bollokings & coaching will ever cut out human errors, it happens, you lose concentration for 30 seconds and bump, its in next doors.
fatigue is a major factor too, of course this is bull to a manager

Dave74 · Post by **Dave74** » 20 Feb 2016, 22:28

Once again, thanks people. When I got called to the office, the manager gave me a 5min briefing or should I say coaching on mis-deliveries and then made me sign a form stating that I have been coached.

KevinK · Post by **KevinK** » 21 Feb 2016, 02:18

I've only been in this job a few months and very rarely do the sorting. Different people are putting the duty up every day and I take a number of missorts back every day (and nothing ever gets said about this even when I point them out). I posted a couple a while back on a week when I was loaded with cold and got a telling off then coaching, and I know there have been mis-deliveries on my days off because people have come out of their houses and given me letters back from these days. However, since full timers and managers and anyone who is willing to start at whatever time they are told the day before don't make mistakes in Royal Mail, I go to work each day worrying about whether I'm going to get sacked. What joy it is to work in a dying industry.

postie1975 · Post by **postie1975** » 21 Feb 2016, 09:55

everyone makes mistakes out on delivery they cant do nothing about miss delivery it happens we're not robots if they conduct coded everyone there be no postmen left.
stick together this is another prime example of bullying from senior management

GT85 · Post by **GT85** » 21 Feb 2016, 12:32

Problem is you're the one that put it through the wrong door so you're the one that gets the grief. All the people that have missorted it before it got into the frame are forgotten about. It wasn't until a customer came out one day with a letter I had just delivered that was for the right address but completely the wrong town

that it dawned on me that I never actually check the full address I just look for the house number and the first couple of letters of the road name.

Don't worry about it too much, some customers like to kick off at the smallest thing and it gives the bosses the opportunity to give the postie a hard time. Misdelivery is just one of those things that happens now and again, get into the habit of flick checking your bundle at the doorstep and it's a good idea to have carry a few P6543 misdelivery cards in your bag for when you realise you've made a mistake.

Post by **eastie** » 21 Feb 2016, 13:15

complaints are another grey area .
I had a complaint last week about putting a p739 through without knocking.
I questioned the DOM as it was over a week ago and said " how do you know its me ( I knew it wasn't me ) as on P/L there are 2 of us and it could have been my partner (driver) with a large parcel"
Secondly and this is what usually happens nine time out of 10 is that the driver comes with a large parcel and knocks on the door with no answer and leaves a docket.
The walker then delivers the mail to the same address later on and the recipient is now up and sees the postman deliver the mail and the p739 which was from earlier and then presumes that the walker has posted through the p739 as well without knocking.
They don't come out every time and just love to complain.
in the 3 years I have been doing P/L this has happened numerous times with people coming out and abusing until you tell them to look at the time of the P739.

toomuchcoke · Post by **toomuchcoke** » 21 Feb 2016, 13:22

GT85 wrote:Misdelivery is just one of those things that happens now and again, get into the habit of flick checking your bundle at the doorstep and it's a good idea to have carry a few P6543 misdelivery cards in your bag for when you realise you've made a mistake.

If you do the sorting, or at least the tying up, then if you know there are particular problem areas then it can be worth your time checking before starting tying up. There's a round in my office which has $THING Drive and $THING Place next to each other, and I have been known

to make the occasional mis-sort between the two. As a result I tend to check both streets fully before tying them up, they're both only 10 houses or so long so it doesn't take too long. Wouldn't do it for the entire round obviously, but those two streets are the case where I'm both (a) most likely to mis-sort and (b) not notice whilst delivering.