Royal Mail can no longer be trusted

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/ ... 016750.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Late last year I made myself enemy No 1 with Royal Mail by naming it the worst company in Britain. I was bombarded with letters from angry posties accusing me of all sorts, the politest of which was that I was Peter Mandelson’s stooge. My only consolation was that I probably didn’t have to suffer all of the abuse sent to me because Royal Mail loses so much post.

But after being rounded on, I decided that the time had come to put the company to the test.

On Friday last week the Times Money team sent 100 birthday cards to 14 different addresses across the country to discover how many of them would arrive and how long they would take.

We sent half of the cards 1st-class, and the rest 2nd-second class to destinations including Penzance, Edinburgh and Lincolnshire. To make the test a little more interesting we also included a National Lottery scratchcard worth £1 in each card. Half of the envelopes were sealed and half were left unsealed, but with the sleeve firmly tucked in. The idea was to see whether any of the scratchcards would go missing.

The results of this investigation are quite appalling. They suggest that my criticism was more than justified and that Royal Mail simply cannot be trusted.

Of the 100 letters sent, only 93 arrived with their scratchcards. Three letters did not arrive at all.

While this is a small number to go missing in absolute terms, in relative terms it is an astonishing failure and suggests that millions of letters are not being delivered each month and that millions more are being opened and rifled through.

Of course, it was far from a scientific survey because the sample size was simply too small to be reliable. It may have simply been bad luck with the scratchcards that failed to arrive, all falling into the hands of only one dishonest postie.

However, a more likely explanation is that theft is endemic within Royal Mail and that a small minority of staff are routinely opening post that they think may yield some booty — such as brightly coloured birthday card envelopes.

Sadly, Royal Mail refuses even to acknowledge that there might be a problem. When confronted with my figures, the company would only say that it has a “zero tolerance” policy to any form of dishonesty and that it does its “upmost” to ensure the safety of all post.

However, the company did not even ask for the addresses where the post or scratchcards in our investigation failed to turn up — hardly indicative of a company doing everything possible to investigate theft.

From the outside, it would appear that managers at Royal Mail are unwilling or unable to confront the problem of dishonest or lazy staff — and that is simply not good enough.

The unions also have to accept some responsibility. Insiders at Royal Mail say that management’s failure to act is in part rooted in a fear of implementing any measures that might be perceived as unfairly targeting the innocent majority of staff. With such a restive union, managers are worried about triggering further industrial action. But on such an important issue management and unions should work together for the good of customers and the long-term future of the business. Part of the problem is that there is a culture of contempt for customers among both staff and managers. In such an environment, bad practice can quickly grow to dangerous levels.

An undercover investigation into Royal Mail to be shown on Channel 4 on Monday evening is set to show the full extent of the company’s failure. Two reporters who went undercover as agency workers found antiquated systems, lax security, poorly trained staff and defective equipment. They also uncovered allegations of theft. The worst part is that a similar investigation by Channel 4 in 2004 uncovered the same failings.

The one bright spot for the Royal Mail from our investigation is that the post that did actually arrive was mostly on time. All bar two of the 1st-class letters arrived the next day, including cards sent from London to Penzance and Edinburgh. All the 2nd-class post took two working days to arrive, except for two letters that actually arrived a day early. However, this good service is effectively meaningless if the company cannot be trusted.

Many people are rightly fond of the postal service and many know, like and trust their local postie. But this reserve of affection will soon evaporate if Royal Mail does not improve, and fast.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-storie ... -22022447/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TV show says post system is 'abysmal'

Outgoing Royal Mail chief Adam Crozier is leaving the company with theft and abuse rife among staff, according to an undercover documentary.

Channel 4's Dispatches programme will reveal its shocking findings on Monday night after sending two reporters to work as postmen for two months over Christmas.

Joe Ward says he was already delivering letters before criminal checks were made. He filmed staff abandoning parcels in gardens, throwing fragile packages on the floor and leaving trolleys unlocked.

A depot manager says workers steal cash from cards - but there was no inquiry.

Another boss, who is rude to a person with a complaint, says: "They are lying. The customer always lies."

Staff also say posties are taken on even if they can't speak English. The film in Brixton and Tooting in South London flies in the face of claims last week that new ITV boss Crozier had done a "remarkable job".

Mr Ward said: "What I saw seemed pretty abysmal. I think I'll be sticking to email from now on."

Royal Mail insisted the reporters were vetted and said the documentary was an "inaccurate and distorted portrayal".

The programme is on Channel 4 on Monday at 8pm.

[POSTMAN GATTUSO]

oh you can say what u want but other people are called bullies and harrassing freedom of speach yeah right.the blue terrier yeah right

[TrueBlueTerrier]

oh you can say what u want but other people are called bullies and harrassing freedom of speach yeah right.the blue terrier yeah right

What ???????

[smokerjim]

oh you can say what u want but other people are called bullies and harrassing freedom of speach yeah right.the blue terrier yeah right

What ???????

I have a passable understanding of the ancient dialect of the Glesca keelie - but even I'm stumped.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

oh you can say what u want but other people are called bullies and harrassing freedom of speach yeah right.the blue terrier yeah right

What ???????

I have a passable understanding of the ancient dialect of the Glesca keelie - but even I'm stumped.

Worked it out he is pissed off with me because I warned him for calling someone one an "Arse Licker". I guess he thinks the rules don't apply to him, and that Freedom of Speech also includes the right to abuse people with a different opinion. I also think he might have mistaken me as the author of the news article, rather than just the person who posted in on RMC.

[clashcityrocker]

In the same way people often think if their mail is delayed/damaged/stolen it is the fault of the humble postie who delivers to them.
Perhaps they could consider the management of the organisation and not the workers.
If RM is not to be trusted it ain't our fault.

[shadow]

You know that pisses me off trying to say that theft is rife in RM. I am in no doubt that there are theives but the amount of letters and cards that I end up delivering that are open due to being either opened or ripped by the sorting machines they go through are quite high. I know we are supposed to put them in the sorry bags but half the time I don't find them until I'm out on delivery as I don't do the sorting. The guy that sent these scratch cards has no right in assuming that they have been stolen because if you don't see the envelope they fell out of how are you supposed to match them up. How would he like to be called a theif, knowing he hasn't done anything wrong. HOW DARE HE! I take this as an insult.

[smokerjim]

In the same way people often think if their mail is delayed/damaged/stolen it is the fault of the humble postie who delivers to them.
Perhaps they could consider the management of the organisation and not the workers.
If RM is not to be trusted it ain't our fault.

By that reasoning, we shouldn't go to the union to go to RM for a pay rise - just make a bee line for a set of molegrips & your DOM ( assuming he wasn't castrated by the spine-ectomy ) :evilsmile:

Shadow, he dares because he is a "national journalist" ( from the latin Nationum for country-wide, Journo for storywriter and of course Liesteratinum for lying bastid, that can be bothered to check his facts, when he can just make it up to fit the story his editor and Tory loving owner wants, so he can slope off to the pub for 5 or 6 hours )

Classical eduation - you can't beat it!

[pickaname]

Cant wait for the dispatches investigation into corruption in commercial television.

[G O Root]

God i'm sick of this. " Millions of letters are not being delivered each month". Has this idiot ever seen millions of letters, and where do they all go? . I'm sick of pompous gits like this telling us were all thieves or were lazy. Get of your lazy arse and try the job, instead of spouting crap. Why the hell does everyone seem to have it in for us?.

[smokerjim]

Cant wait for the dispatches investigation into corruption in commercial television.

Just a wee bit close to home for their liking, I'd reckon ( Big Brother phone voting scandal, anyone? )

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Cant wait for the dispatches investigation into corruption in commercial television.

Just a wee bit close to home for their liking, I'd reckon ( Big Brother phone voting scandal, anyone? )

Blue Peter guests
Blue Peter Voting
actually I cant be bothered listing them as someone else already has http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6915136.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[steven100]

As postman

Question "Do you as trust Royal Mail"????

[smokerjim]

Cant wait for the dispatches investigation into corruption in commercial television.

Just a wee bit close to home for their liking, I'd reckon ( Big Brother phone voting scandal, anyone? )

Blue Peter guests
Blue Peter Voting
actually I cant be bothered listing them as someone else already has http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6915136.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dispatches is actually Channel 4, BBC is public service tv ( and don't forget, they done us proud with Panorama last year ).