My first three days at Royal Mai

[EssexMail]

My first three days at Royal Mail…

Day 1. I arrive at the yard and taken to see a DOM. The DOM says everyone is busy (I totally get that, its the Christmas rush period) and he takes me to a frame. So within 15 minutes of arriving Im placing the days flyers in their slots and given two boxs of sorted mail to also put in the frame. After quickly completing this, I am then given more boxes of letters, however these are unsorted so spend the next hour trying to place mail into the right slots by street/number! Someone then comes over to replace me and Im moved to a different frame to start the process again. This time Im also given a box of envelopes that relate to forwarded mail and around five/six sacks of various size packets/packages etc. This I do alone, having to ask the fab postie next to me any questions as I don't want to get it wrong! He initially thinks Im a casual. After an hour or so another guy arrives and helps me finish the frame. He bundles it up to take out. Im then told they will find me something to do in the office as they dont have anyone to show me how to deliver mail. Five minutes later Im told Im going out delivering mail. So with another new-ish guy from another office we head out with a driver in a van. I have to say the postie/driver was amazing! polite, friendly and he knew everything about every location we went to. He gave us both bundles of letters, pointed us in the right direction and said where we were to meet him when we finished. We repeated this exercise over the next few hours. Its not brain surgery but when you find yourself on your first day figuring out what barcodes are just the shops, which are RM and should be added to a card? signed for? Takes a bit to start with. We headed back to the yard when finished. I was tired but what an eye opener!

Day 2. I was put straight on the frame I had finished on the previous day. As before I started with the flyers, sorted mail and then cracked into the unsorted. Another guy from another office then joined me to help. He was only in his third week and had only done deliveries with two experienced posties at his DO, never any prepping (apologies if I get some of the terms wrong). So now Im teaching him! I was much better/quicker than my first day and remembered where some roads were. The other guy was brilliant and together we worked hard prepping the frame. Its actually quite hard two people doing this as you keep getting in the way of each other searching for roads and numbers! Anyway, we percevered and worked on.

Day 2 - Part 2. We are then asked to bundle up the frame and take it out! We obviously thought, are you kidding! Looked at each other but kept going. The DOM then comes over and says can't we go any quicker! My counterpart replies that we are going as fast as we can. We are of course amazed by this. So finally we have bundled everything up apart from the top row and a half of the frame. We were told by a postie this route is usually split in half and done by two posties so we would be doing more than half the complete route. So with a five minute call on the phone from a postie who had done the round before and a print out of a map with five road names on it as we had no idea where we were going, off we went with a trolly! We found that because we did not know the route and where to start and stop bundles, when we got to a road we had bundles back to front and we were also hunting for houses and roads. Well Im sure your getting the idea. Anyway, we didn't give up until we were done and three hours after I should have finished. Not sure how we did it but the guy I was with was brilliant and as determined as me to finish the job. PS I forgot to say, a postie did actually walk past us at one point and asked why we were delivering with a trolly. He said the route we were on was too hilly and should be done by a van!

Day 3. I get in and start on the same frame as previously. Im on top of it now and completed the frame/walk at pretty much the same time as the others and completely on my own. I did nearly forget the redirections but the day before we had put them together in "roads" so this time it only took me 15minutes to sort. I was very pleased with myself! Im then asked to take the walk out alone! And also do it tomorrow as well. I said I could/would as long as someone came out with me today and showed me the walk/route. It niggled the management but they gave in and an experienced postie came over. Wow, he bundled the route up in a VERY different way to how we had tried the previous day and clearly knew where the roads were and where they split and the house number where they split so making delivery easier. Off we went to the same location as the previous day, in a van. Again what an eye opener, In the right place in the street, with the right bundle, in the right order I did my streets easily and confidently. My time was up (so to speak) and the postie drove me back to the office. It was then the DOMS told me my shift times and days would be changed… The highs and lows of three days!

[datasaint]

Well done for sticking at it. Perseverance is the key.

If you're ever on an unfamiliar frame, when it comes to tying up sometimes it's best to tie it up as it is, that's how the planner set it out, so you know it'll work. Yes it might not be the quickest way of doing it, but once you start rearranging the route you can often end up wasting more time in confusion.

I also like to label the bundles that make up a loop 1A, 1B, 1C etc, then 2A, 2B, 2C for the next loop and so on. That way you're never stood outside wondering which bundle is next. I find using those grey trays is quicker/easier than bagging up as well, one loop per tray, you don't need labels and you can easily see what's in the van.

[greengiant]

Well done, it does get easier!

As mentioned start numbering your bundles. Another good tip I got shown was put the first few calls of the next street onto the back of the first one E.g. if your first street is Acacia Road (ending at #29, Bananaman's house ), then your next street is Letsby Avenue, put the first three calls for the Letsby Avenue after 29 Acacia Road. That way your letters will show you that you head onto Letsby Avenue after Acacia Road.

Also, if you're turning letters for packets, mark on the letter what they look like / and what they are, e.g. Brown Flat for brown flat packet, red poly for red poly packet. Makes it easier to look for them in your trolley.

Good luck, and it does get easier / quicker in time. Best advise is not to rush, take your time.

[bustedflush]

Says it all. They bemoan the fact 8/9 inductees won't stay 6 months, and the stress you've been put through shows why.
Well done anyway! It demonstrates that due to overloads of work and shortage of staff that whatever theoretical support/training procedures are put in place by RM or the CWU to assist new starters the practicalities invariably mean 'dumped in the sh*t' is the real modus operandi.

I hope you claimed overtime for the 3 hours or any other hours you went over.

Good luck and I hope they keep you on one walk for a time so you get confidence and the comfort of familiarity so you finish quicker and have less stress.

[rusty nails]

"Im then told they will find me something to do in the office as they dont have anyone to show me how to deliver mail. Five minutes later Im told Im going out delivering mail."



Typical Royal Mail.

[krussel]

As others have said "Well Done" for sticking with it.

I can still rem the sense of panic and the feeling in my stomach when I was first put out on a delivery on my own. In truth you have started very much in the deep end this close to Christmas.
The mail is going to get a lot busier over the next couple of weeks with less "mech sorted" and more mixed letters. If you can hang on for the next 6 weeks or so things will get easier again.

Your confidence out on the delivery will improve and you will find that your delivery speed also increases as the weeks wear on. Always ask fellow posties "is this right" etc as some managers will take advantage like sending you out on a van walk with a trolley.

Finally I would advise you to join the CWU and find out who your office rep is.

Best of luck.

[dave72]

If you're ever on an unfamiliar frame, when it comes to tying up sometimes it's best to tie it up as it is, that's how the planner set it out, so you know it'll work. Yes it might not be the quickest way of doing it, but once you start rearranging the route you can often end up wasting more time in confusion.
.

That is if the fittings have been changed, ours are still setup to single rounds (now p&l) and have only been asking for 2 years to change them

Planners?

[EssexMail]

Thanks all :)

I was told that the frame Im on is wrong and that the "planners?" should have been back in 9months ago to change the walk.

Have to admit the DOM has really stressed me out, its nothing to do with the work and hope my post indicates Im up for it and have very good work ethics. But from another post, they want after three days to change my shift and times. It took me 9months to get the job I wanted and RM seem to have ruined it in three days!

[Burghboy]

Thanks all :)

I was told that the frame Im on is wrong and that the "planners?" should have been back in 9months ago to change the walk.

Have to admit the DOM has really stressed me out, its nothing to do with the work and hope my post indicates Im up for it and have very good work ethics. But from another post, they want after three days to change my shift and times. It took me 9months to get the job I wanted and RM seem to have ruined it in three days!

You will quickly realise 90% of the gaffers in Royal Mail think we are here to make their jobs easier when in fact they should be working to make our jobs easier to ensure the best possible service to the customers. Why the company is going downhill rapidly.

[bustedflush]

Thanks all :)

I was told that the frame Im on is wrong and that the "planners?" should have been back in 9months ago to change the walk.

Have to admit the DOM has really stressed me out, its nothing to do with the work and hope my post indicates Im up for it and have very good work ethics. But from another post, they want after three days to change my shift and times. It took me 9months to get the job I wanted and RM seem to have ruined it in three days!

That IS bad - it usually takes them 2-4 weeks to ruin it. Perhaps they ruin it quicker at Christmas.

[Dorset Plodder]

Well Done EM Good effort. If you can stick it out over Christmas then you'll probably stay in the job. Even the most experienced posties get stressed out at Christmas! Often because a lot of them have a fairly easy ride all year and it's only at Christmas that they actually break into a sweat!

Think probably we should have a starters guide on here? Congratulations of getting on here so early it'll make your life a lot easier when it comes to trying to wade through the management Bullshit!

Tips in no particular order, take em or leave em:
Number Bundles (Very Good Tip)....... Put 739s (Red Cards) in to indicate parcels (handy if you forget them or run out).... Write on bundles to jog your memory (P = Parcels later in loop (can include house No.) PDA = take scanner (if your off on a long loop) D= Dog (don't enter if it's loose) etc.........Ask a Regular Postie if there's an "Idiots Guide" for the walk (Reserves often have a written guide of how to Bundle & Deliver different duties)...... If appropriate (LWT) use one bag for mail, one for small packets, write the house number and road on the visible end of packets in Marker Pen (No need to dig around in bag)

I'm sure you'll get more advice and tips. If you see a good idea Nick It! It'll get easier....... Just work to your hours and make sure you get any overtime authorised. If you do work it make sure you get paid for it! Good luck

[mickeymacca]

P739s to indicate parcels, great tip gonna use that.......