Residents had to play post man in long running mail mix up

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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RESIDENTS are having to play postman after a mix up of addresses saw them getting each other's mail, but not their own.

Residents at Clementine Court in The Wheatridge, Abbeydale, are finally hoping to see the back of a postal mix-up which has been going on for months.

Clementine Court used to be number 48, The Wheatridge, but was turned into separate blocks of 10 flats each.

The blocks were called 1 and 2, and the flat numbers went from 1 to 20.

But mail addressed to block 1 or 2 was being given to flat 1 or 2 instead, or to houses number 1 to 20 in The Wheatridge.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: "My neighbour kept getting my post and was putting it through my letter box.

"It didn't inconvenience me, but I did think it was unfair on her."

Another resident, who also wanted to be remain anonymous, said: "A house in The Wheatridge was receiving all my post.

"There was all this palaver.

"I started taking the lift to take the post to everyone else.

"But then I thought I couldn't keep doing it and gave it to the concierge instead.

"It was pretty bad over Christmas."

Residents contacted Councillor Andrew Gravells, who represents the area, and asked for his help.

He is hoping a change in official address will solve the problem and is waiting for the company managing the site to agree.

He said: "I was initially contacted by a couple of residents who were concerned about the confusion over the numbering of the apartments here, so I immediately contacted the city council.

"It looks like the confusion comes from having 1 and 2 Clementine Court, reflecting the two separate buildings, with flat numbers running from 1 though to 20 across the two buildings.

"The simplest way to resolve this would be to drop the 1 and 2 and just use the flat number, and Clementine Court.

"I have put this suggestion to the company which manages the site and I am waiting to hear back from them.

"The city council were very swift to act, once I'd drawn their attention to the problem."

[Post Off]

A similar thing is happening in the area I work in, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were happening all around the country too.

Instead of blocks (although that's what they are physically), we have 2 (or is it 1 or 3) road names of the same name; 1 Something-or-other with its flat numbers running from 1 to say 20, followed by 2 or 3 individual flats (again of the same road name), and then, only to be followed yet again by the same named road as twice before, but this time as 7 Something-or-other, and with about the same amount of flats running also from 1 to say, 20. I mean, how fugging stupid is that!

Someone viewing this might not see it as an issue, until they realise that the majority peeps living on these new developments will keep on getting incorrectly addressed mail like, 7 Something-or-other without the actual flat number, until something or someone comes up with a more 'global' approach to this numbering, method madness.

[POSTMAN]

We have this as well at our place,there are flats and they are in blocks all numbered.
We kill off s**t loads because the address is wrong,not because we deliver it wrong.
You won't be suprised to know that a lot of our customers don't even know their own address properly.

So is it flat 1 block 7 or flat 7 block 1.

[tonyv1954]

Residents in my area of Middleton,Manchester have had problems like this for the last couple of years.Mail correctly addressed ,but incorrectly delivered.Sometimes it has not only been a case as for example no.1 being delivered to either nos. 11 or 111 ,but even the wrong streets.

Residents in my area have blamed the practises of employing temps/agency staff/short and part time contracts etc. I swear to God this is true I have even had a postie asking me ,did I know where such and such a place was.It was the NEXT street by the way,hardly inspires you with any confidence of EVER receiving your mail.I used to be firmly against any plans to privatise Royal Mail,but things have become so bad around here,with security and reliability of mail ,that frankly a private Company could hardly do any worse.They could also be open to legal action,something which at present as customers in many cases we are denied the opportunity to launch a civil or criminal prosecution.

[andy2007]

And THAT'S exactly the reaction The Government and higher level RM Management have been after for the last several years. They've been getting rid of long service Posties, and merging Mail Centres. Which leads to 2 problems:
First: Mail has to travel much further to be processed, and there's less room to cope with it, when we're particularly busy (just look at what happened this Christmas!).
Second: The lack of permanent Posties, means that we have to regularly use inexperienced Agency or Casual staff, who don't get proper training (not their fault. They should recieve proper training).

There are also problems with new "modern" working practices, which have backfired drastically.

I know this may look like some kind of conspiracy theory. But just look at the facts:
1) Until the first attempts at Privatisation, The Royal Mail was efficient. We recieved our letters early in the morning, First Class Letters arrived within 24 hours, etc..
2) Every year, we hear about RM's plans to "modernise". Which is followed by further degridation of the service.
3) Every time that happens. The Press runs stories about Posties not pulling their weight.
4) Steady increase in the use of inexperienced, and poorly trained Posties.

We've tried to stop the decline on several occasions. But all the Press reports, is that we're fighting for more money! Because every time we have pay negotiations, they demand changes in working practices, at the same time. So they can have "evidence" to back up the propoganda. Quite frankly, it's a loosing battle. But not one we're willing to back down from. Most of us are determined to preserve as much of the remnants of our once great service, for as long as possible.