being coached

[spiderj]

The first thing should be counselling - to make you aware there has been a complaint and to see of there are/were any problems.
Only if there is a repeat offence should the coaching become necessary.
There might be problems with the frame - if the mail for 265A is being delivered to 265 because 265A isn't on the frame for example.
There might be a question of fatigue - is the meal relief being taken? Are measures being taken to avoid dehydration etc?

It makes perfect sense for a business to try and eliminate mistakes quite simply because mistakes cost money.

MH has got it spot on. The essence of the new workplace coach system is to get to the root cause of a problem. Misdelivery is a problem, it's the most common cause of complaints about the service and costs the business a lot of money. If there was a way of reducing the incidents of misdelivery we could save some of that money. You can't find out why problems happen in individual circumstances and try to put them right unless you investigate the reasons.
This is part of what workplace coaches are supposed to be doing. Instead of being grilled by a manager threatening conduct and finger pointing colleagues are supposed to be 'interviewed' in an open, honest and transparent way by a fellow colleague trained to follow a set procedure (The WTTP form is designed to find out WHY the problem occured and lead to measures we can take to try and avoid it happening again if possible). If it's a problem on the frame it can be sorted out. How many us have seen streets with similar names, Willard Close, Willard Place, Willard Street and Willard Avenue for example close together on the frame and on the ground and getting mixed up every other day with similar numbers running together 6,4,2,on one street running into 2,4,6,on the next and no number on one of the number 4's? Rather than just bollock the postie and threaten conduct there might be several ways of reducing occurences of misdelivery in this particular case but you'll never find a solution if you don't understand the problem.
Those of you continually bitching about workplace coaches taking the money for nothing don't understand what the coaches have been trained to do under world class mail methods. Unfortunately most managers don't know either so coaches are not given the time to do what they are supposed to be doing.
Believe it or not Royal Mail has, and is, making a significant investment in the work place coach programme. They aren't narks or lazy Tw@s taking money for nothing, or most aren't anyway. They are in the system to help make the business more efficient by trying to make us more effective. The ones that have undergone the latest world class mail training know what they are meant to be used for, they just aren't given the opportunity. In this case one is being used properly and you never know, someone might learn something.

So the union is back into world class mail?

At ours the coaches act like another tier of management

[tansorboy]

When the £35 weekly allowance is doubled next year, the coaches will be the managers, and the managers will be out of work. That is the plan.

[motherhubbard]

In what way does it cost the business (a lot of) money?

Because we have to employ people to listen to the public complaining about the errors.
They then have to take the time (and time is money) to send a report to the relevant DOM.
He then spends time (and time is money) finding out who is responsible for the error and why.
And that is before we get into the realm of compensation.

Some mistakes are just that - genuine mistakes. We have always had them and always will.
But some are due to systemic failures within the organisation and some are due to poor training.

If nobody tells you that flat 4a is up the steps and flat 4b is round the back you will continue to make the same mistake.
If I lived in flat 4b and every time it wasn't my regular postman my mail went missing, I'd be a bit peeved.

[fishtank]

Because we have to employ people to listen to the public complaining about the errors.
They then have to take the time (and time is money) to send a report to the relevant DOM.
He then spends time (and time is money) finding out who is responsible for the error and why.

That's a self generating cost, In most cases there is no need to send the report to the Dom etc,etc, the call centre side is self financing through the call charges.

If nobody tells you that flat 4a is up the steps and flat 4b is round the back you will continue to make the same mistake.
If I lived in flat 4b and every time it wasn't my regular postman my mail went missing, I'd be a bit peeved.

1. In my experience the coach would be the last to know that flat 4b was around the back.

2. What did we do before coaches?, we spoke to the duty holder who would know that flat 4b was around the back.

3. All this is simply information sharing, not coaching and a long way from what is being described by the OP with TWTTP and associated bollocks.

4 Methinks some coaches get a whiff of power and think they're managers.

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

Totally agree. Funny yesterday had someone rush out with a misdelivered letter telling me he has sight problems and even he could see it was the wrong road (but the right number). Pointed out politely that we don't read the address on each mail item but flick through to ensure the right numbers are together 'in the interests of actually getting the mail delivered'. But, he said, 'it might be something important'. Obviously what I would have liked to say at that point was that he should express his views to senior management about quality of delivery suffering due to their decisions on how rounds are put together and the consequent time and workload pressures on post persons. But I was in too much of a hurry.......

[Panto mode]
Oh yes we do (check the number and address is correct on each letter) by "filtering" mail while stationary)!
[/panto mode]

I make plenty of sorting mistakes (especially "right number wrong road" missorts), but I find these missorts while filtering, so they get endorsed and taken back to the depot.

Filtering properly while stationary takes time, the more pieces of mail the next address has, the longer it will take to filter check the mail before heading to the next address. If you have mail for 1500 addresses and it only takes you 1 second per address to filter correctly (while wearing your Superman/ woman outfit), that is 1500 seconds i.e. 25 minutes delivery time simply standing still filtering.

It is how we are supposed to deliver, but sadly many OPGs try and filter while walking (risking an accident, because they cannot filter and see where they are going).

[motherhubbard]

1. In my experience the coach would be the last to know that flat 4b was around the back.

2. What did we do before coaches?, we spoke to the duty holder who would know that flat 4b was around the back.

So if there is a recurrent complaint from flat 4b, you need someone to establish what the problem is and find a solution.
Knowing where to find the relevant information is more important than actually knowing the answer yourself.

Why pay a manger's salary for that when you can pay a WPC £35/week?

Is it true that the WPC money is to be doubled or is that unfounded rumour?

[Dorset Plodder]

Is it true that the WPC money is to be doubled or is that unfounded rumour?

I sincerely hope it is a rumour! Our WPC does bugger all for the money already, it would really add insult to injury if they doubled the amount of "Do nothing" payment!

[greengiant]

In what way does it cost the business (a lot of) money?

Because we have to employ people to listen to the public complaining about the errors.
They then have to take the time (and time is money) to send a report to the relevant DOM.
He then spends time (and time is money) finding out who is responsible for the error and why.
And that is before we get into the realm of compensation.

Some mistakes are just that - genuine mistakes. We have always had them and always will.
But some are due to systemic failures within the organisation and some are due to poor training.

If nobody tells you that flat 4a is up the steps and flat 4b is round the back you will continue to make the same mistake.
If I lived in flat 4b and every time it wasn't my regular postman my mail went missing, I'd be a bit peeved.

The again some customers don't help the situation by not bothering to put door numbers up! E.G. 2 flats round the back and upstairs, both are say, number 2, but if they don't bother putting 2A and 2B up, then how is a non regular postie supposed to know which one is which!

[dubdaz]

Nearly everytime the LM approaches me with a complaint sheet,when the date of the complaint is checked its when I've been on leave.They then take it no further as the record keeping in our office of who covered what walk on any any given day is non existent.Royal mails master plan of flexible working,lapsing all over the shop, will inevitably lead to a much higher level of mis deliveries and therefore complaints.I cant see how bullying the workforce is going to stop it,none of us make mistakes on purpose.