A dressing down for Royal Mail

[johnnyp]

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/ ... ticle.html
ROYAL Mail has apologised to a Derby family who said their New Year celebrations were marred by a post problem.
Pete Boam claimed he spent £20 on a fancy dress costume for a party on New Year's Eve, only to find he could not collect it in time for the event.
He had ordered the outfit for his girlfriend from an internet seller but received a card from his postman two days before New Year's Eve, saying he had been unable to deliver the package due to its size.
The card asked Mr Boam, 22, to leave 48 hours before collecting the parcel from the Royal Mail office on Midland Road.
But when he went to pick it up on New Year's Eve at 1.45pm, he found the office was closed.
A handwritten notice on the door told him that the office shut at noon.
Mr Boam, of Daventry Close, Mickleover, said the card had stated the office was open from 8.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays, with the exception of public and bank holidays.
He said: "I was pretty annoyed because New Year's Eve isn't a bank holiday and I didn't think it would be a problem.
"Half a dozen other people were also standing outside the office, unable to collect their parcels and they looked unhappy too.
"We had to improvise my girlfriend's costume in the end with things we already had.
"I think I'll be able to send the costume back when I finally manage to get hold of it, which is good as it is useless now, but that's not really the point."
Mr Boam said he had bought a Mexican bandit outfit but his girlfriend managed to create a cowgirl costume at the last minute using borrowed clothes from her friends.
Royal Mail has confirmed that is has looked into the matter following the Evening Telegraph's inquiry and that the office closed earlier than it should have done.
A spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately the office at Midland Road closed at 12.30pm on New Year's Eve instead of at the advertised time.
"We would like to apologise to customers who were unable to collect items of mail and for any inconvenience caused by this unscheduled early closure."
Mr Boam was taken to the Royal Mail office by his father, Chris, 52, who said this was not the first time the family had problems with Royal Mail over the Christmas period.
Chris Boam, also of Daventry Close, said: "My mother received a card from the postman telling her a letter could not be delivered due to insufficient postage on it.
"She returned the card the postman gave her with the money to cover the charges but, days later, the same card was returned to her.
"I went in person to the Midland Road office to collect the item and the staff admitted they had been at fault by returning the card.
"I think that's as close as I got to an apology."
Chris Boam described both incidents as a "shambles".
He said: "The postal service is becoming a joke.
"It seems to be stuck in the last century."
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[smokerjim]

Do these customers work New Year's Eve? Do they work a full day on New Year's Eve? Do they work at least as hard on New Year's Eve as they do any other working day? With the exception of the leisure and entertainment industry ( pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants, etc ), I would expect the answer to be NO! So surely, it's no great leap of imagination for them to check in advance ( 48hrs is a lot of advance ), is it? And if they trust the information on the card ( that applies to a normal day ) & they lose out, why can't they just admit they didn't think of what New Year's Eve means to other workers, say "Silly me!" & move on! Is it obligatory now for idiots to be consoled and backed up by the media - even though these are the same idiots that cause the compulsory H&S the same media castigates!!!!

[/rant]

[fmrPOSTIE]

I disagree, if the card said the callers office would be open then it should have been open. It's bad enough trying to pick up items during the day with RMs crappy opening hours. Can someone please tell me why callers offices can't stay open during the evening?

And why should postman slope off early, members of the public expect the office to be open. You don't see police, fire railway workers dissapearibg early. Comes with the job. TypicalRM!

[DGP1]

I disagree, if the card said the callers office would be open then it should have been open. It's bad enough trying to pick up items during the day with RMs crappy opening hours. Can someone please tell me why callers offices can't stay open during the evening?

And why should postman slope off early, members of the public expect the office to be open. You don't see police, fire railway workers dissapearibg early. Comes with the job. TypicalRM!

It's the responsibility of management to provide cover, it's no good blaming the posties.

[smokerjim]

I disagree, if the card said the callers office would be open then it should have been open. It's bad enough trying to pick up items during the day with RMs crappy opening hours. Can someone please tell me why callers offices can't stay open during the evening?

And why should postman slope off early, members of the public expect the office to be open. You don't see police, fire railway workers dissapearibg early. Comes with the job. TypicalRM!

It's the responsibility of management to provide cover, it's no good blaming the posties.

Is it possible that the Xmas 739s weren't issued in that area? So people might not realise that hours could be different over the Xmas period - but they should be thinking that anyway because every job I've done ( and I've had a few, in a few different industries ) was either NYE off or if you had to work NYE, it was an early knock off ( with the exception of bar work....but that comes with the job ).

However, fmrPOSTIE, I will concede, in those sectors where I had to deal direct with the public, there was clear notification, in good time about any change in hours - but would you concede that such action is something you would expect a manager to authorise? Would you further concede that when it comes to complaints, it usually takes place in the caller's office & if a manager doesn't want to, they will not go near the complainer.

[smokerjim]

I disagree, if the card said the callers office would be open then it should have been open. It's bad enough trying to pick up items during the day with RMs crappy opening hours. Can someone please tell me why callers offices can't stay open during the evening?

And why should postman slope off early, members of the public expect the office to be open. You don't see police, fire railway workers dissapearibg early. Comes with the job. TypicalRM!

It's the responsibility of management to provide cover, it's no good blaming the posties.

Is it possible that the Xmas 739s weren't issued in that area? So people might not realise that hours could be different over the Xmas period - but they should be thinking that anyway because every job I've done ( and I've had a few, in a few different industries ) was either NYE off or if you had to work NYE, it was an early knock off ( with the exception of bar work....but that comes with the job ).

However, fmrPOSTIE, I will concede, in those sectors where I had to deal direct with the public, there was clear notification, in good time about any change in hours - but would you concede that such action is something you would expect a manager to authorise? Would you further concede that when it comes to complaints, it usually takes place in the caller's office & if a manager doesn't want to, they will not go near the complainer.

Just read your latest reply & I see you're on the same wavelength

[fmrPOSTIE]

I agree that Management would have authorized this, probably. When I say posties I mean postal workers generally, sorry. But what males me laugh is RM didn't even bother to offer an explanation as to why the CO closed early. Which leads me to think that it was done for underhand reasons, such as "oh nobodies coming through the door now, I think we'll shut up shop early".

[smokerjim]

I agree that Management would have authorized this, probably. When I say posties I mean postal workers generally, sorry. But what males me laugh is RM didn't even bother to offer an explanation as to why the CO closed early. Which leads me to think that it was done for underhand reasons, such as "oh nobodies coming through the door now, I think we'll shut up shop early".

Even that would need a manager's permission.....but knowing the managers' attitudes to the earlier starts ( for sorting, with no Christmas Pressure night shift ), and later finishes, I can understand the possibility & while most might do the job properly, it only takes one or two to think "Bugger this for a game of soldiers" & you have local papers kicking up a fuss & maybe a damning article in a National paper

[bexhil palace]

I disagree, if the card said the callers office would be open then it should have been open. It's bad enough trying to pick up items during the day with RMs crappy opening hours. Can someone please tell me why callers offices can't stay open during the evening?

And why should postman slope off early, members of the public expect the office to be open. You don't see police, fire railway workers dissapearibg early. Comes with the job. TypicalRM!

Fair comment, but why if we are expected to work to our time, do managers bugger off early?

[smokerjim]

I disagree, if the card said the callers office would be open then it should have been open. It's bad enough trying to pick up items during the day with RMs crappy opening hours. Can someone please tell me why callers offices can't stay open during the evening?

And why should postman slope off early, members of the public expect the office to be open. You don't see police, fire railway workers dissapearibg early. Comes with the job. TypicalRM!

Fair comment, but why if we are expected to work to our time, do managers bugger off early?

[POSTMAN]

If our manager had told us to close the callers office extra early then we would of said bollox,it's not right.
Much like they wanted us to 739 a bulk crap mailing we had,we said bollox to that as well.

[smokerjim]

If our manager had told us to close the callers office extra early then we would of said bollox,it's not right.
Much like they wanted us to 739 a bulk crap mailing we had,we said bollox to that as well.

Just how much facetious irony do you think you can sneak past us? I weren't born yesterday ( if I was I would be a DOM )