postie : Sink or Swim

[cj_1985]

im just wondering...

have many of you had that moment or moments when you have been thrown in at the deep end to cover for a collegue on a walk... and you have not had to tie down the frame before.. or you dodnt know the best way to do so?


i had that today the... sink or swim feling and part of me is saying "i cant do this" but the rest is saying "I Will do this"

i guess im wondering if this is a normal part of the job or if its just me...

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No its normal - I got that feeling regularly when I was the cover man for my section.

[marie]

its normal - and if you're stuck, you just have to go ask someone who knows the walk for a bit of help.

[cj_1985]

i had this problem before but it was more to do with not being able to find the road names... so i took the advice from on here nd bought a pocket map book that i leave in my pouch.

but it isnt gonna tell you where each number is..

and the walk iv been on this week is f***ed up...

i mean you have say blogg street that had 40 adresses to deliver to...
you have 10 of those on one side of the road and the rest are all on the other side with so many on the front facing the road and the rest round the back side on facing each other and another bunch in pairs upstairs and the numbering doesnt make any sense.. nor is this "set up" reflected on the sorting frames... just the same old Odd numbers and even numbers...

[Pmn]

im just wondering...

have many of you had that moment or moments when you have been thrown in at the deep end to cover for a collegue on a walk... and you have not had to tie down the frame before.. or you dodnt know the best way to do so?


i had that today the... sink or swim feling and part of me is saying "i cant do this" but the rest is saying "I Will do this"

i guess im wondering if this is a normal part of the job or if its just me...

I did a walk for the first time on my own yesterday and I was quite confident about it having walked around it for a couple of days previous.... that is until it hit about 9.30 and just about everyone was out of the office and I was only just tying up!

Still, on the plus side I only had a couple of missorts that weren't thrown in so I just had to worry about following the numbers and getting around. I started off so slow but by the end I was getting in my rhythm and was only about half an hour over my time. Still, that was with a couple of days on the walk with someone else, I think it'll probably be a lot more when they stick me on a walk I don't know!

[smarterdarter]

We have walk logs, big books that the walk holder is supposed to keep up to date.
It has a map of the walk where to split and send bags, which drivers run they go on
and any hazzards etc etc we're not the only office with these are we?

Granted it's not an ideal solution if you've not done the walk before
but it should offer some help.

[cj_1985]

this is now the 3rd day iv been out on a solo walk and each day on a different walk...
i can handle the work its just as i think was mentioned.. the fact that im still tieing down the frame at 10.30 or later and everyone else is gone it puts alot of pressure on you/me .. and then because the frame isnt in the right order on certain streets you/im running back and forwards trying to find the numbers.

i mean i can handle the job now... i just im struggeling to get finished tieing down early enough, and get the deliveries done quick enough.. last thing i want is problems cos im not finishing my rounds till after 3pm...

[cj_1985]

We have walk logs, big books that the walk holder is supposed to keep up to date.
It has a map of the walk where to split and send bags, which drivers run they go on
and any hazzards etc etc we're not the only office with these are we?

Granted it's not an ideal solution if you've not done the walk before
but it should offer some help.

we have those books in our/my DO...
only thing is the maps are bloody useless... the road names are not very clear if they are there atol... this obviously isnt down to RMG.

but the walk logs if you follow them ... you end up walking for example...
up the right hand side of "Bloggs Road" delivering from say no.2 to 100
then you have to walk down the left hand side from no. 99 to 1
then you need to walk all the way back up to the end of the street (next to 99 and/or 100) to start on the next street...
its not much use as a beginner other than knowing how many adresses are on any specific road.
but atleast it gives you an idea of how to do it... even if the suggested route extends the walk time..

[TrueBlueTerrier]

We have walk logs, big books that the walk holder is supposed to keep up to date.
It has a map of the walk where to split and send bags, which drivers run they go on
and any hazzards etc etc we're not the only office with these are we?

Granted it's not an ideal solution if you've not done the walk before
but it should offer some help.

we have those books in our/my DO...
only thing is the maps are bloody useless... the road names are not very clear if they are there atol... this obviously isnt down to RMG.

but the walk logs if you follow them ... you end up walking for example...
up the right hand side of "Bloggs Road" delivering from say no.2 to 100
then you have to walk down the left hand side from no. 99 to 1
then you need to walk all the way back up to the end of the street (next to 99 and/or 100) to start on the next street...
its not much use as a beginner other than knowing how many adresses are on any specific road.
but atleast it gives you an idea of how to do it... even if the suggested route extends the walk time..

Blowing my own trumpet I know but when like this week when I am on leave, I ask my manager who is doing my walk while I am off and if they have not done it before I ask that I train them on it. If someone has done it before I do a quick 1 page guide on my computer to remind them how to walk and tie it up. Am I the only one.

I know it should be RMs job, but doing this helps out fellow workers so in this case going above and beyond I think its worth it.

[smarterdarter]

Funny that i said the same to my manager when i was off the other week
"who's covering my walk next week" to which he replied
"someone from another office i think" I couldn't train him
oh to be at a office with spare staff to train that would be bliss.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Funny that i said the same to my manager when i was off the other week
"who's covering my walk next week" to which he replied
"someone from another office i think" I couldn't train him
oh to be at a office with spare staff to train that would be bliss.

We have a good rep and within the area we are seen as a strong union office. 100% out 100% of the time last year . Also under the new rules of "Wont be asked to do a job without being trained for it" can't the other office lads refuse.

[smarterdarter]

I presume they are postmen from other offices and would be trained
I know if they asked me to go to another office to cover a walk
and i said i wasn't trained i'd be kicking my heels to the job center
such are things at our place.

Stay strong.

[POSTIEGIRL]

im just wondering...

have many of you had that moment or moments when you have been thrown in at the deep end to cover for a collegue on a walk... and you have not had to tie down the frame before.. or you dodnt know the best way to do so?


i had that today the... sink or swim feling and part of me is saying "i cant do this" but the rest is saying "I Will do this"

i guess im wondering if this is a normal part of the job or if its just me...

I'm not on the delivery side of things, but in Processing, its VERY NORMAL for this to happen, you are asked if you know certain roads a few minutes before despatch as they are up it, if you dont know it, you tell them so, and they still ask you to go and help them....its stupid! you just get in everyones way! Also, leave reserves get this all the time, they get no training, or have a miniscule amount and not given the job again for months when someone is on leave, and they are expected to remember the little bit of training they have had!! I have worked for Royal Mail for 8 years now, and its always been the same..... no wonder we are going down the pan!!! :cfo

[snoopy777]

quite right postiegirl we should send the senior men with the easiest walks on a differenet walk each day as they are the best posties in the office! let the new guys settle in more and let the old hand be more flexible. this will build a better work force. in the far east the senior man is the best at everythin in manufacturing companies. in royal mail we have the laziest folk at the senior postie level. people will bitch about this comment but look around your office and dispute it!

[DGP1]

Why should those posties with many years of service be penalised just because those new starts want an easy job, we've all done the crappy walks at the beginning and have thought we'll never get finished. I'm a reserve and I can get moved from duty to duty on a daily basis and I'd love to stay on a duty but unfortunatley those duties in my office seem to be kept for the new starts and then they stay there for years