Post and Go

[PostalOfficer]

Is it just at Rourke's Drift BO that have trouble with this infernal machine?

It doesn't seem capable of working for two days together without one of the little "attention required" lights coming on.

A couple of customers buy a stamp and the "change low" warning comes on.

Anything less than half a roll of labels left? Another light comes on. And when you've put a new roll of labels, don't forget to go through another 5 layers of menus to tell the machine the printer is loaded. I have never known a printer that doesn't know automatically that it has paper loaded!

As a bit of a computer expert I find the number of menus mind boggling for what should be a simple piece of kit to be maintained by non-technical folk.

Of course if you're busy serving on the counter and don't attend to it's needs, there's always the helpful monday morning phone call from some back room operative to tell us it's not working. Hell, I'll just knock off the counter, leave the 3 remaining clerks to fend off the queue, push past the queue and stand there with the phone for 20-30 minutes trying to get it working.

And as I'm 6' tall, don't you think there would have been a better place to put the sharp metallic coin chute that protrudes downwards below the raised "bonnet" at a height of 5'11"? The first time that smacks me in the scalp, it's going in the accident book and I'm off home for a few days to recover. You have been warned.

Heck, I even hate it more than the Quote & Buy computer which seemed to have been programmed by someone who couldn't have got a GCSE in computer studies. What a plonker I felt when I couldn't even get an additional driver added to a quote.

Sorry, I'm ranting again

[PostalOfficer]

So I've struggled for a year keeping the thing running. 3-letter acronym writes saying we're not putting enough mail through it and that he will not accept "machine broken" as an excuse. It seemed like a pretty good excuse as that's exactly what it is most of the time!

After all that, the WTL film this week says that some offices have had problems with P&G. They're replacing wiring looms (maybe they could have tested the machines before dumping them on the front line staff) and providing training (it's only 18 months late).

Why do they always fob us off, tell us we're stupid and much later acknowledge something doesn't work? Why not ask somebody on the front line, assume that maybe they know what they're talking about and get problems sorted. Don't imagine posts like this will ever get into the 'Post Office Story'.

[onlyanother30years]

Our post and machines are no trouble with 43% of mails processed through 2 machines.

Customers prefer them to the bee chewing sour faced s**** "serving" on the counter.

[PostalOfficer]

Our post and machines are no trouble with 43% of mails processed through 2 machines.

Wow! I'm honestly impressed. I think we got a 'monday morning job', although having said that nearly every component has been replaced on it so it's virtually an new machine. Main problem at the moment is the printers stopping and reporting 'out of paper' when when filled with a nearly new roll and the counter reset. Some weeks it breaks down so frequently that nobody has the confidence to direct customers to it.

Erm, I don't suppose you could spare one of your machines?

I gather that the 'big chiefs' have now recognised there is a problem with some machines and there is a programme of replacing the wiring looms. Knowing our luck the repair will probably b----r up your machines