Former Essex postman reveals exactly what it's like to work for Royal Mail during Christmas

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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From working in the freezing cold to receiving tips from customers, being a postman is a busy job at Christmas

A former Essex postman has described exactly what a Royal Mail worker goes through during the busiest time of the year.

Whether it is Christmas presents being ordered and posted or a load of Christmas cards being sent to loved ones that live far away, the amount of mail that is dealt with by postal staff over the festive period is mind-blowing.


However, once the mail arrives at various delivery offices around town, it is then down to the local postmen and women to sort the mail, prepare their rounds and then head out on the streets for hours to deliver the mail through your door.

One former postman, who worked in one of Essex’s busiest delivery offices for over 20 years, explained how the Christmas pressure for staff can usually depend on the way the delivery office is managed.

“The Christmas pressure normally starts around two weeks before Christmas – although the busy period builds up from around the time that the kids go back to school in September," he explained.

“From that time, work always got busier and busier as the months went on.

“All the posties plough through the work as they approach it, but the working day is normally governed by the budget that Royal Mail sets itself as it tells you how long you work or how much overtime you can accumulate.

“Good managers can set the tone for a successful Christmas at Royal Mail, just as much as bad managers can hamper the overall mood of the office.

“Over the years, I’ve had both styles of manager and I think that their attitude is what makes a Christmas clearance of mail most important.”

At this time of year, thousands of postmen and women across the country are braving the cold, wet and icy conditions for hours on end to ensure that everyone has their mail delivered on time.

Despite the years of working in darkness using torchlight to read addresses, suffering countless colds and fevers, along with cuts and bruises from paper cuts on freezing cold skin, the postie admitted that the reaction of the customers out on their round made it all worth it.

“The best part of the Christmas pressure was when you finally got out on delivery after hours of indoor sorting and prepping your rounds,” continued the former Royal Mail worker.

“You’re probably around an hour or two late out, but you see more of your customers at this time of year and that’s when you find out how much they appreciate you.

“The weather doesn’t really bother posties over the Christmas period because it is cold at that time of the year anyway, but the driving rain and snow, as well as ice, can impact on deliveries – although most posties just want to get out on delivery to their customers as that is a priority.

“Looking after the public is the most important thing and the reaction from the customers when you’ve been delivering to them in bad weather is worth the effort every time.”

Over Christmas, the postman revealed how his customers regularly used to tip him with cash and other presents as a way of showing their appreciation.

“I’ve had chocolates, cards, biscuits, wine, beers and money all brought out to me on a regular basis over the Christmas pressure period and the longer you stayed on your round, the more you’d get each Christmas as you got to know the people that lived there more.

“I think that those posties, including myself, that made a point of going out of our way to connect with our customers with their post found that they were more grateful at Christmas and would show that by giving you gifts for your hard work and thoughtfulness throughout the year."

After 22 years in the postman, who didn't want to be named, has now left his job at Royal Mail, but looks back fondly on his days as a postie.

“I don’t miss working in the cold weather, but I do miss the job and the contact with my customers on a daily basis,” he added.

“The work at Christmas is hard and very tiring, but the thanks from the customers was always there and is what made all my hard work and effort worthwhile.

“I still see my customers after around three years after leaving and they always say hello to me and ask me how I’ve been doing.

“Looking back, I think it is that, in my mind, what made my time as an Essex postman very worthwhile.”

[deltaforce]

The best part of the pressure for me, is going home in the car afterwards. Walking around the streets for Six hours I could do without. But that's just me. Been in the job too long and planning to retire in the next few years.

[sean38]

I too have worked for royal mail for 30 years Essex area. And I would say this year was the worst Christmas I have ever had. Lack of support from managers and a couldn't careless attitude. My delivery over Christmas was so big due to walk loses in our office that I couldn't complete my delivery in the time allotted. The instruction that me and my colleges were given were that if we run out of time to return to the office with the work and that some0ne would throw it back into our frames over night, as the weeks went by the work just built up so some customers mail was delayed for 3 days. When we challenged the manager about this being a bad service he told us its not a service any longer its a business. So it seems to me since royal mail has been privatised the customer will always come 2nd to the profit royal mail expect from eroding the so called service away.