Customer Instructions

[Indy]

I'm increasingly getting to a customers door and finding a piece of paper stuck to it saying things like " Postie please deliver my parcel to number 41" or "If signature required please sign and post" "Leave parcel behind pot plant" or the MOST common "Please call 0754 XXXX and I'll come back ASAP". Have to admit on most occasions I ignore them especially the last one.... cheeky buggers!

Had a bit of a one-sided argument (she wanted an argument but I wouldn't play ball) with a woman this morning after I was left instruction to deliver a too big for the letter box packet to a door half way up the street. I 739'd it but she saw it bulging out out my pouch.

What do others do?

[POSTMAN]

Protocol is to ignore the notes,it's a conduct issue otherwise.

[dodger162]

Ignore the notes. If something goes wrong they will deny the notes and you will get the blame. P739 if there's no answer unless it's Safeplace

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

Comply with RM protocol, cover your own back.

Signing on behalf of a customer? Not on your nelly!

Delivering packet to another adress on the road? Only if that specific request has been written on the item by the sender (presumeably doing this with a Recorded is a no go, SD are only insured against the delivery address on delivery so they are a non-starter), or your depot is officially involved in the RM neighbours trial.

Phone them to say you have a parcel? Perhaps on the day hell freezes over and RM issue us with phones and even then they must return home within 60 seconds on your arrival at their doorstep!

After a rare WTL meeting over 18 months ago on this subject, I've abandonned all informal arrangements, some of which had existed on the walk for years.

[Himaggen]

I'm sick of the amount of times I've suggested at a high enough level that Royal Mail displays posters informing mail recipients of the rules regarding these kinds issue in their Callers Offices.

Lets be honest, it will cost the Company very little and exactly match its target audience, (who are likely to be stood around and bored for long enough to read it).

I see no reason why other issues such as, keep your dogs/cats away from the door, check your delivery point is fit for purpose, consider other people who need access to your door etc. cannot be placed there too.

[TeeferTiger]

Does RM want you to leave the items in these places? No. Could you lose your job if you did leave it in one of these places and something happened to it/it got nicked? Possibly. So, should you disregard them and inform anyone who moans at you to contact your manager as it was them who said not to leave anything anywhere? Yes.

[smelly_cat_lady]

Ignore the notes, if they're not in, P739, that's the rule. Afterall, how do you know the person who lives there left that note? Nah, don't risk it, it will be your head on the block.

If the customer insists then tell them to write a letter to your DOM with delivery instructions, giving you permission to leave parcels in a safe place and stating that they take full responsibility if anything goes missing. Surprisingly, few people bother........

[Tank]

The sender is the customer not the recipient at the end of the day! So we do what the sender wants, which is to get signatures of the recipient and deliver it in a safe manner etc!!

[clashcityrocker]

Last week I had 2 such instructions. (Leave Amazon packet in blue bin type)
I didn't follow them and when I did see the people involved they denied leaving any such notes.

IB?
Chancer?

[Indy]

The sender is the customer not the recipient at the end of the day! So we do what the sender wants, which is to get signatures of the recipient and deliver it in a safe manner etc!!

As an answer to all.... I generally agree but a number of times its led to a huge amount of verbal abuse 1 attempt to relieve me of an item I'd 739'd but more worryingly a customer/person hell bent on 'getting you back' i.e. some pretty vicious complaints where I'm not sure RM wouldn't 'do' the OPG as the easiest way out.

I had one customer who the only contact I had was via this sort of thing.... within 3 contacts I'd had an outrageous complaint made against me to Postcom.

[RedBagMan]

Got this today (FYI - me a floater covering a walk where the regular guy jacked it in a couple of weeks ago so ...). tbh I'd done the walk before over several months - and I DO remember there being a re-direct on the names in question - obviously that re-direct has now lapsed ...



Any thoughts ?? I'm tempted to send a personal letter (filling them in with official info wot I know) and copy same to my DOM (with a copy of above) ...

Certainly one way to p*ss off a postie I feel ...

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

Got this today (FYI - me a floater covering a walk where the regular guy jacked it in a couple of weeks ago so ...). tbh I'd done the walk before over several months - and I DO remember there being a re-direct on the names in question - obviously that re-direct has now lapsed ...



Any thoughts ?? I'm tempted to send a personal letter (filling them in with official info wot I know) and copy same to my DOM (with a copy of above) ...

Certainly one way to p*ss off a postie I feel ...

If you know official redirections have taken place before bundling up, you deliver everything to the address written on the item. It is then upto people at the delivery point to endorse any mail not meant for them eg. "moved oct 2007" and then put said mail into the postbox. Simples.

[smelly_cat_lady]

Ignore the notes, they aren't official. What if you make a mistake and redirect the wrong letter for the wrong person? Don't get involved, just do your job and leave the fall out to the managers, that's what they get paid for.

[fishtank]

Any thoughts ??

You shouldn't let a 3 year old loose with a pen.
They tend to draw all over the walls.

[patpat856]

todays cracker,a large recorded packet which had written on it' if out leave in wood shed.' luckily they were in .