Sleaford residents complain of a second class service

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Sleaford residents complain of a second class service from Royal Mail

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A group of Sleaford residents have complained that the Royal Mail is delivering their post too late.

High levels of staff sickness among Royal Mail staff have been blamed for the late arrival of letters.

Harry Baker, 72, of Claremont Park, has lodged a complaint on behalf of a group of his neighbours.

He said: "I have complained to Royal Mail's customer services team and have received no response. On Thursday I spoke to one of the posties, it said she was a manager on her uniform, and she said there was nothing she could do about it because she was short of staff on her team."

Mr Baker claims she told him it could be as long as six weeks before he sees an improvement to the service as they were in the process of recruiting, but had to go through a lengthy testing and training process before they could begin.

Mr Baker said: "That's no good to us, and it's not our problem, we are entitled to receive our post by 3pm, sometimes it's as late as 6pm if it arrives at all."

Mr Baker believes the majority of the Lincoln Road area of Sleaford is being affected.

He added: "Royal Mail is continuing to raise the charges for postage and I believe it's now failing to deliver at all. I look forward to seeing postal staff in the colours of TNT as it just couldn't get any worse."

Mitzi Lunn, 75, who lives on Claremont Park, she said: "I've had important mail such as credit cards delivered to Lincoln Road instead of my address.

"All mail is important – there must be a contingency plans for extra staff to be drafted in from elsewhere when they are short of staff. Why should people pay for a service to have something delivered by a specific date if they are not receiving it?"

Brian Ridge, 66, also of Claremont Park, said: "Over the last month or so the post has been erratic, we had no mail at all on Thursday.

"We've been expecting some letters and we don't know whether the post has been or not, but since Mr Baker has complained it's been coming more regularly and at a more reasonable time."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Mail has been delivered every day from the Sleaford delivery office.

"We have been later on some days delivering mail to customers, this has been caused by an unusually high level of sick absence in the office. This situation has now improved."

She said the level of staff on long-term sickness absence meant they had to recruit staff to compensate.

"We apologise if this has caused inconvenience to our customers if mail has arrived later in the day. Royal Mail's licence doesn't specify a time deliveries need to be completed by as long as mail is delivered the next working day after posting. Royal Mail always tries to deliver by 3pm."

If residents believe they have not received their mail on time, they can contact Royal Mail on 03457 740740.

[noggin1969]

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Mail has been delivered every day from the Sleaford delivery office.

"We have been later on some days delivering mail to customers, this has been caused by an unusually high level of sick absence in the office. This situation has now improved."

[5plusbonusball]

He should be told be told his street is on a collapsed duty !! Fooked about no end.

[Lincox]

High Levels of Sick Absence. This is probably happening nationwide and is an indicator that walks are too long and are causing immeasurable damage to delivery staff and that the Park and Loop System together with it,s delivery methods was never given the amount of testing for health and safety that it should have been and is a sad indictment of the new philosophy and cosy understanding that exists between Royal Mail and the CWU.

[houseoflords]

Lengthy training? Didn't think New recruits recieved any, welcome to the Newly Privatised Royal Mail, it will only get worse.

[clashcityrocker]

High Levels of Sick Absence. This is probably happening nationwide and is an indicator that walks are too long and are causing immeasurable damage to delivery staff .

Or it might just be there is a flu bug going around.

[The_Wax_Man]

"..The Way Forward.."

[Lincox]

High Levels of Sick Absence. This is probably happening nationwide and is an indicator that walks are too long and are causing immeasurable damage to delivery staff .

Or it might just be there is a flu bug going around.

Could be Clash but would you not have thought that Royal Mail have sufficient experience of flu bugs that they are able to resource these without the public having to amount an outcry in the media. These comments are because people have been experiencing bad service for weeks, not just a short term nee jerk reaction. Why would Royal Mail want to recruit new staff over a six week period just for an outbreak of flu.

[wannabeek]

To be fair, what can the company do if nobody local is willing to work overtime? I've been to an office over 50 miles away now on overtime to cover a small leftover part of a round, simply because there wasn't a soul closer who would/could take it out. All very well saying recruit more bodies, but that does take time - my own position was overdue to be filled in the office and done as quickly as possible and still took more than 6 weeks from interview to first day.

[noggin1969]

Maybe it could have been a dodgy revision , a succession of acting DOM's , all of whom have strangely taken EVR

[oypostie]

To be fair, what can the company do if nobody local is willing to work overtime?

Recruit some staff

I suspect that like us all these days they have unfilled vacancies

[pod25]

From what I have heard, it was indeed a very poor revision. Some loops were taking over 1 hour 20 minutes to complete.
Hardly any of the duties could be completed and no one was prepared to do any over time due to sheer exhaustion.
That coupled with poor management, nearly the entire office has become militant.

The previous manager is currently on suspension for failing to report over 250 packets not being delivered.

Sleaford is indeed a complete mess.

But that is what I've been told

[Lincox]

Sounds like Lincolnshire in general has been fckd.