Filling out P739 cards before going out on delivery

[glass joe]

I start on time and take both my breaks and fill the p739 cards for recorded and specials just find it easier

[BernardBresslaw]

I think the most packets I came back with last week was 4, so why on earth would you bother?

Wow, I regularly 739 4 in a single bag. One day last week we took back 23 739'd packets, 17 of those were from my loops. And yes, I knock for every one! The only 739 cards I ever write out beforehand are those for the houses that get stuff every day and are never in, and only then if I have spare time in the morning.

Perhaps it is because I cover 3 rural deliveries...or they might just be easy rounds

I always find people in, or they tend to arrange decent safe places to leave packets, when in more rural areas.

[Biker Mouse]

I think the most packets I came back with last week was 4, so why on earth would you bother?

Wow, I regularly 739 4 in a single bag. One day last week we took back 23 739'd packets, 17 of those were from my loops. And yes, I knock for every one! The only 739 cards I ever write out beforehand are those for the houses that get stuff every day and are never in, and only then if I have spare time in the morning.

Perhaps it is because I cover 3 rural deliveries...or they might just be easy rounds

I always find people in, or they tend to arrange decent safe places to leave packets, when in more rural areas.

Dangerous! One complaint and you're history!

[BernardBresslaw]

I think the most packets I came back with last week was 4, so why on earth would you bother?

Wow, I regularly 739 4 in a single bag. One day last week we took back 23 739'd packets, 17 of those were from my loops. And yes, I knock for every one! The only 739 cards I ever write out beforehand are those for the houses that get stuff every day and are never in, and only then if I have spare time in the morning.

Perhaps it is because I cover 3 rural deliveries...or they might just be easy rounds

I always find people in, or they tend to arrange decent safe places to leave packets, when in more rural areas.

Dangerous! One complaint and you're history!

I always thought that was an option on the 739s? I'm not talking on doorsteps, more garden sheds and stuff.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Official Safe Drops for tracked items are fine. Notes on doors or an undocumented arrangement with the resident aren't.

[BernardBresslaw]

If a customer asks me to leave parcels in their garage or in a shed, I don't have any problem with doing as they ask. Obviously I would never do it for recorded/specials or anything requiring a signature. So you guys are honestly saying you wouldn't leave a parcel in a porch either? Leaving in a garage or shed in the back garden, seems no different to me - if it comes back to bite me on my arse, then so be it, but ultimately I try to respect my customers wishes.

Even when I was trained on the rounds, I was told safe-places to leave parcels - is it a recent change to 'tracked only' as it never said that on the 739s before. If anything, leaving in a safe place, is more reliable than leaving with a neighbour IMO.

[Biker Mouse]

If a customer asks me to leave parcels in their garage or in a shed, I don't have any problem with doing as they ask. Obviously I would never do it for recorded/specials or anything requiring a signature. So you guys are honestly saying you wouldn't leave a parcel in a porch either? Leaving in a garage or shed in the back garden, seems no different to me - if it comes back to bite me on my arse, then so be it, but ultimately I try to respect my customers wishes.

Even when I was trained on the rounds, I was told safe-places to leave parcels - is it a recent change to 'tracked only' as it never said that on the 739s before. If anything, leaving in a safe place, is more reliable than leaving with a neighbour IMO.

The customer is the sender not the recipient. You are dicing with a P45, the homeowners who ask you to leave in an unofficial safe place won't employ you when it goes wrong! And a porch is certainly not a safe place. The bloke who trained you was just cutting corners, as you are. Tracked items have always been able to be left in a safeplace, but only if it states where on the address label.

[UnhappyGremlin]

If a customer asks me to leave parcels in their garage or in a shed, I don't have any problem with doing as they ask. Obviously I would never do it for recorded/specials or anything requiring a signature. So you guys are honestly saying you wouldn't leave a parcel in a porch either? Leaving in a garage or shed in the back garden, seems no different to me - if it comes back to bite me on my arse, then so be it, but ultimately I try to respect my customers wishes.

Even when I was trained on the rounds, I was told safe-places to leave parcels - is it a recent change to 'tracked only' as it never said that on the 739s before. If anything, leaving in a safe place, is more reliable than leaving with a neighbour IMO.

I used to years ago. But with the culture of management now and targeting (particularly FT) job losses, it is very risky. If it goes wrong, you'd pay the price.
If a house you deliver to puts a note on the door, ignore it. If they speak to you about it, have them write a letter granting permission and send it to your line manager/DOM, and if they say leave them where the customer wants, in writing, fine, the letter can be kept in the walk log and produced in the event of a complaint.

[BernardBresslaw]

If a customer asks me to leave parcels in their garage or in a shed, I don't have any problem with doing as they ask. Obviously I would never do it for recorded/specials or anything requiring a signature. So you guys are honestly saying you wouldn't leave a parcel in a porch either? Leaving in a garage or shed in the back garden, seems no different to me - if it comes back to bite me on my arse, then so be it, but ultimately I try to respect my customers wishes.

Even when I was trained on the rounds, I was told safe-places to leave parcels - is it a recent change to 'tracked only' as it never said that on the 739s before. If anything, leaving in a safe place, is more reliable than leaving with a neighbour IMO.

The customer is the sender not the recipient. You are dicing with a P45, the homeowners who ask you to leave in an unofficial safe place won't employ you when it goes wrong! And a porch is certainly not a safe place. The bloke who trained you was just cutting corners, as you are. Tracked items have always been able to be left in a safeplace, but only if it states where on the address label.

It's not cutting corners - it takes me longer to walk into someone's garden to their safeplace, than it does to write a 739 out and post it through. I ask again, how long ago did this change to 'tracked only' as I still have old cards with that wording missing? I even remember having laminates with safe-places for packets outlined on them, a few years back.

Does anyone actually know of anyone being fired for this then? It's very different to leaving a parcel in full view on a doorstep, to leaving one in a closed shed/out-house. If a customer complained that their parcel went missing after leaving it with a neighbour, how would it be any different?

If someone could provide some RM policy on the matter, rather than hearsay and conjecture, that would also be useful.

[bigcol]

It's not cutting corners - it takes me longer to walk into someone's garden to their safeplace, than it does to write a 739 out and post it through. I ask again, how long ago did this change to 'tracked only' as I still have old cards with that wording missing? I even remember having laminates with safe-places for packets outlined on them, a few years back.

Does anyone actually know of anyone being fired for this then? It's very different to leaving a parcel in full view on a doorstep, to leaving one in a closed shed/out-house. If a customer complained that their parcel went missing after leaving it with a neighbour, how would it be any different?

If someone could provide some RM policy on the matter, rather than hearsay and conjecture, that would also be useful.

It hasn't changed, it has always been Tracked only, whatever it says on the 739.

Leaving it with a neighbour is in the senders contract so you should be OK. Leaving it unsecured somewhere else is not and they can throw the book at you.

[OnAFlyer]

Customers can nominate an official safe place and inform customer services. Anything not requiring a signature can then be left in that safe place, not just tracked.

Unfortunately virtually nobody bothers, we have 1 official safe place in 1300-odd houses, so that's the only address we ever leave anything for.

[Himaggen]

it takes me longer to walk into someone's garden to their safeplace, than it does to write a 739 out and post it through

Even if their safeplace was the greenhouse, you would also have to correctly complete a P739 ticking the 'in your official Safeplace' before posting it. Please also note the word official.

Customers can nominate an official safe place and inform customer services. Anything not requiring a signature can then be left in that safe place, not just tracked.

Please remember that if you determine the official Safeplace to be unsafe do not leave the item there. There was however an instruction contrary to this where the customer, BT, was happy to simply ship a replacement out for every reported case of 'not in my Safeplace', with no supposed reflection on the courier.

[janitor]

One of our guys had a tracked with if out safe place, with the safe place highlighted in fluorescent yellow, so he safe placed it and 739d it with safe place ticked. Customer phoned to ask where it had been left, as they couldn't remember where they picked as safe place, they were out of luck as he couldn't either. They found it after contacting the sender.

[fishtank]

I don't get "safe places" at all.
If you can place it there someone can obviously take it from there rendering the use of the word "safe" inappropriate.
Unless it's one of those secure box things.

[Danelectro]

Is it against RM rules to do this ? If so please inform us. If we have time to do it what is the problem ?

yes it is against Royal Mail 'rules',there should be a correct procedure poster on view in your office but of course these posters are really just a window into a parallel universe where posties weigh their bags and dont read mail while walking.. the lieing,the witch and the dog peg