Lowestoft: Has one person managed to book an interview slot

[jaym]

Lowestoft: Has even one person managed to book an interview slot ?

Hi, I've been trying practically non stop to book an interview slot for the Christmas Work at Lowestoft since 30th September since receiving my book an interview request email (and subsequent reminders). Unfortunately there just are no slots up or any evidence of any slots ever being up and taken. Now mine and everybody else's status has reverted back to "application received" so we cant even access the slots page any more.

I have repeatedly tried ringing Angard with no success as they just fob you off with a pre prepared speech every time and never ring you back. Ive tried emailing them but they just fob you off with the "10 frequently asked questions" reply email every time. I have also visited Lowestoft Job centre now on several occasions as they advertised the original vacancies to see if they could help . But on speaking to the advisors dealing with it I am always told that though they have had a non stop stream of disgruntled applicants in (none of which can book an interview slot for Lowestoft), so far not a single person has managed it. In fact until I brought in the Angard phone numbers I found on this site the Job centre advisors could find no way of contacting Angard either.

My question is has anybody actually managed to book an interview slot at Lowestoft for the Christmas work and if so just how did you pull off this truly astounding super human feat???

[fusspot]

Hi there, have you had any joy with regards to your Lowestoft application. I attended an interview there as a casual on Oct 10 and still have recieved no word. I also went to Norwich for the Christmas casual only to be told there were no placements after a 25mile trip. Not bad considering I first applied in July eh? I'm just hoping that your news may be somewhat better.

[jaym]

Did you apply via Angard or via Royal Mail? As I was wondering if your application was via a different site as myself and everyone I know applied via Angard in early September when the jobs were first advertised on the jobcentre directgov network, which makes me wonder as you applied in July you may have found the vacancy somewhere else? We received our first "book an interview request" email on 30th September but nobody else so far has been able to book a Lowestoft interview slot as none seem to ever be put up

Originally when we applying and looked on the jobs available menu for the Lowestoft location there were jobs such as foot delivery but also Mail sorter and a choice of 3 shifts which came as quite a surprise to us as we never new they had mail sorters or night shifts at Lowestoft? and also came as a surprise to Lowestoft sorting office who didn't know they had ever had nights or mail sorters either. Which makes me wonder if Norwich may be relocating its Horshan St Faiths operation to Lowestoft over Christmas as it would make sense as it was originally based at Lowestoft at Christmas but was moved in error by Royal Mail head office with no local consultation to Horsham St Faiths when some Royal Mail real estate became vacant there. This was a big mistake because Norwich already struggled to get enough seasonal staff for its Mail centre operations as it was without opening up Horsham St Faiths as well. Horsham St Faiths is also impossible to get to for most shifts by public transport and the old Lowestoft seasonal operation was one of the most successful for its size that Royal Mail had and was never short of applicants.

Sorry to hear Norwich mucked you about, I've done this work at Norwich Mail Centre before, and the recruiters used try a ruse to fill up Horsham St. Faiths first (because is difficult to fill as I said its miles out of Norwich and most shifts are inaccessible by public transport). They would call all the Norwich Mail Centre applicants in then tell everyone all the Norwich Mail centre jobs are taken they will have to go on a waiting list....the only jobs they have are at Horsham St. Faiths (to see if anyone is fooled and panicked into filling up Horsham St. Faiths first) I always held out said "just stick me on the Norwich Mail Centre waiting list then"....strangely about 3 weeks later you always got a phone call telling you someone has dropped out and a vacancy has come up at Norwich Mail Centre and when you turn up for interview you find that the the room is packed full of all the people who were at you original Norwich Mail Centre interview who refused Horsham St. Faiths, Which if the recruiters explanation is to be believed means about 25 other people all dropped out in unison before they had even started their first day to create all these unexpected vacancies. Did they offer you Horsham St. Faiths or didn't they have any vacancies in Norwich at all?

[jaym]

WHOOPS!!!

My above reply should start with this paragraph I missed off

Hi fusspot,
Thanks for the info, and congratulations as I nor anybody else I can find has as yet has even been able to get so far as being able to book an interview slot for Lowestoft. So you actually managing it is a real achievement in itself.

[fusspot]

Hi Jaym,
Thanks for your reply, it was very imformative. It seems to explain why any time I mention Lowestoft or Great Yarmouth they lose train of thought.
This morning I got a text to see if I would do a night shift in Norwich. Neither of which I had selected as an option as Norwich is 30 miles away. Not impressed.
However this afternoon an email arrived to my great suprise, with an invitation of work on Monday for a moring shift.
Hopefully its a sign that things are begining to move for everyone, and we can all have some Christmas cheer.

[jaym]

Hi Jaym,
Thanks for your reply, it was very imformative. It seems to explain why any time I mention Lowestoft or Great Yarmouth they lose train of thought.
This morning I got a text to see if I would do a night shift in Norwich. Neither of which I had selected as an option as Norwich is 30 miles away. Not impressed.
However this afternoon an email arrived to my great suprise, with an invitation of work on Monday for a moring shift.
Hopefully its a sign that things are begining to move for everyone, and we can all have some Christmas cheer.

Congratulations fusspot that's great news I'm made up for you. If you're from around Lowestoft, Lowestoft is a far better bet then Norwich. Especialy as Norwich seems to start earlier in the Xmas season when the xmas mail flow hasn't picked up much yet. Which means chances are first week you you will run out of mail and get sent home after just a couple of hours work, thats not great if your from Norwich but worse still if you've come all the way from Lowestoft, especialy if you came on the train from nearby thorpe road station as no trains run untill about 6.00am. I got so fed up with this happening in the past I left Norwich off as my list of options this year

Are you sorting or out on deliveries at Lowestoft ? either way you've done realy well just getting in there especialy with a start so early in the xmas season.