Collecting Mail from Customers (Not Businesses)

[Dorset Plodder]

I know the goal posts are always moving in this business but have there been any developments concerning "Taking" mail off people on their doorsteps?

Had a rather heated discussion with the DOM , concerning taking mail from the public. I was always told NOT to do it. Tell them to use the nearest Postbox. I was also told that if emptying that Postbox and someone offered me a handful on mail, I was the tell them to place it in the sack. The reason being, if their letter goes missing the first they say is, "I gave it to Postman X" and then the finger is firmly pointed at you.

DOM: You can take stamped mail from the public if you're on a rural (this guy wasn't lives on an estate 300m from a Postbox and runs a business from home). Thought they had to pay for a Business Collection? Dom: You can collect Business mail if it's got a stamp on. To add insult to injury he said, "Don't forget to knock on that bloke's door and collect the mail"! WTF?

[rubberbond]

I know the goal posts are always moving in this business but have there been any developments concerning "Taking" mail off people on their doorsteps?

Had a rather heated discussion with the DOM , concerning taking mail from the public. I was always told NOT to do it. Tell them to use the nearest Postbox. I was also told that if emptying that Postbox and someone offered me a handful on mail, I was the tell them to place it in the sack. The reason being, if their letter goes missing the first they say is, "I gave it to Postman X" and then the finger is firmly pointed at you.

DOM: You can take stamped mail from the public if you're on a rural (this guy wasn't lives on an estate 300m from a Postbox and runs a business from home). Thought they had to pay for a Business Collection? Dom: You can collect Business mail if it's got a stamp on. To add insult to injury he said, "Don't forget to knock on that bloke's door and collect the mail"! WTF?

Why tell him? Collecting a letter of someone is no big deal, it used to be part of the service when we had time,but they don't want us to,do that. Customers,like postmen are a nuisance to Royal Mail.

[pod25]

There are some aspects of this job that some people take far too seriously. Just take the sodding mail, its no big deal and keeps you in there good books for Xmas !!

[Jpro747]

I don't mind taking it, especially as there are quite a few elderly folk on my round who can't walk or drive to the nearest postbox.

[glenfiddich]

i used to collect the post from a garage every day got a nice £50 xmas box
sadly that part of my delivery was taken off me in our p+l revision

[Dorset Plodder]

Thanks for your thoughts lads, didn't tell the DOM, he'd been out training a new guy on the Duty and I presume this customer had come out and told him I wouldn't take his wad of Business Letters, whereas the "Old" Postie used to. I don't object to taking the odd letter from an Old Biddy, especially when they can't get out. I was just annoyed that I was being told to knock on this guy's door to pick his mail up.

I don't really take this kind of thing too seriously Pod, I just find it rich being told how to do my job by a DOM who only ever goes out on a Delivery when he's forced to. Been out a few times this year in the Sunny weather (accompanying other Posties) and that's all we ever hear about in WTL....Now he's a Bloody Expert!

[Deadly]

If it's is a business (even home based) he shouldn't be getting a free collection, it doesn't matter if it's one letter or a hundred.

[redneck]

It's a slippery slope taking mail from people, next thing you know you are next to a box for posting it and, hang on, didn't I have a couple of miss sorts somewhere, oh yes, here they are and bingo, willful delay is committed.

Or the other one is I'll put it in the side pocket of the bag and two weeks later up it pops when you are looking for dockets.

We should not be handling mail for posting unless on an official duty that requires it. Simple answer is you can't do it and if they don't like it, tough.

[kirstyx]

on my old hct duty one of my bags drops is in a oap home and they have a wicker basket for them to put their mail for the postie to collect, i was told during training that i had to collect from there as it is part of the agreement to use the property as a bag drop.

[Postie45]

There are some aspects of this job that some people take far too seriously. Just take the sodding mail, its no big deal and keeps you in there good books for Xmas !!

i can understand this attitude, however doing things the right way(according to official RM guidlines) is what we should be aiming to do. When we dont do things this way it opens us up for conduct code, if there is a rule about not taking personal mail (im not aware of it, but I trust the OP is correct) then we should not take it.