Slower than a Walking Pigeon

[PostBus]

On the 4th March a letter posted from London, SW1 destined for Italy by International Signed For, an 18 gram letter, costing £6.18p. A week later it still had not arrived. I checked the Royal Mail tracking online and it had as still being processed for onward dispatch etc. I contacted Customer Services to be told that it had left Heathrow that morning, I mentioned that the online tracking had it as being processed. Checked again midday Friday, the 14th, and the latest update online had t as leaving the UK for Italy and not as Customer Service had stated earlier in the week. I rang up Customer Services again and I was put through to different departments to be told that there is no specified delivery time. I made it clear that it was unacceptable for a letter and a "Signed For" letter to languish in London for 10 days.

I think it is ludicrous that a letter should sit around for so long before its onward dispatch to Europe and the attitude from Royal Mail. It will be interesting to see when the letter arrives and in what condition. I recon once it's in the hands of the Italian postie, the speed of delivery will put the privatised Royal Mail to shame!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thank you for the story but why did you post it here. we work for Royal Mail, but this is not an official site of theirs and they won't respond to anything posted on here.

[PostBus]

I thought I would share it here and see if I would get any further information on this and if this is a common occurrence, especially since the run-up to and post privatisation. I was aware this is not an official channel of Royal Mail, but this forum is under the scrutiny of Royal Mail management and they will see this.
If Royal Mail think they can charge £6.18p for a signed for letter and try to absolve themselves from any responsibility they have another thing coming. Maximum bad publicity. I have lodged a complaint with Royal Mail and I will take it through all the stages and onto the ombudsman. The more complaints and rise in complaints due to poor service will reflect itself in the RM share price.

The Bob Crow quote on Tony Blair is precise and poignant.

[Mr Blonde]

.....from any responsibility they have another thing coming.....

I always thought it was another think coming?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://grammarist.com/usage/another-think-coming/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Another think coming

Another think coming is the original form of the colloquial phrase aimed at someone who has a mistaken view. It comes from the old comical expression, If that’s what you think, you’ve got another think coming.

Because think in the second part of the expression is (intentionally) ungrammatical, some people hear another thing coming and repeat it as such. Plus, another thing coming usually makes literal sense, so it’s now more common than another think coming.

The exact origins of another think coming are mysterious, but it appears to be an Americanism, and it does predate another thing coming in the sense expressing disagreement. It goes back at least a century. Here are a few old examples:

Having elected him republicans think they have some voice in the distribution of the spoils and there is where they have another think coming to them. [The Daily Argus (1897)]

Those who thought taxes high in the past will have another think coming in the future. [Clinton Mirror (1907)]

If this Good Will Campaign is not a close race then you have another think coming. [Steuben Farmers' Advocate (1925)]

The original phrase still appears occasionally—for example:

[A]nd if you think I’m spending too much time on this, you have another think coming. [Washington Post]

If you think Southern women are such dainty little things, so fragile and delicate, you’ve got another think coming. [Daily News Journal (article now offline)]

But another thing coming is now more common than the original. These examples were easier to find than the above ones:

Conservatives have another thing coming if they think they can improve their fortunes by changing the subject to the non-Medicare parts of their budget plan. [Center for American Progress]

If you think you can move to an isolated cabin on a high mountain for 30 years, validate yourself and come back “whole,” I’d say you had another thing coming. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

[DGP1]

If I'm not wrong then a Signed For wont get any updates until it gets delivered at the Italian end, chances are the letter is in Italy and they're processing it through their customs.