Complaints and the three C's

[camelelf]

Had someone complain about a misdelivery and now on the first of the 'three c's'.
Only my first complaint in my nine months at RM so not too worried but are we seriously expected to not misdeliver? It must happen all the time in every single office.

Is there any official documentation on this procedure? I could only find information on conduct action being taken on serious offences (delay of mail, theft etc)

[Boydieboydie]

Erm, yes. Funnily enough, the idea is to put the letters through the address written on the front of them. What do you expect when you pay for a letter to be sent?

[Chewster]

Well, we're obviously meant to put it through the right door, but yes misdelivery happens all the time. I have had one official complaint about it but I know I've done it a lot more than that. Most people are relatively decent and wouldn't bother complaining, but there are some out there who just love an excuse to do it. Or to chase you down the street with the letter, when they could have just popped it next door WHICH THEY PASSED on the way to moan to you. But hey, they're the customers, it's their right to complain I suppose. I've never heard of anyone being pulled up on misdelivery.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Erm, yes. Funnily enough, the idea is to put the letters through the address written on the front of them. What do you expect when you pay for a letter to be sent?

RM would probably get 100% perfection in delivery if they didn't expect 100% commitment, 100% effort at 100% of the time with only 80% of the resources and 120% of a reasonable workload and an idiotic attitude that scanning every parcel and walking from 1 delivery point, to a neighbour and back doesn't take any extra time.

[DocketLefty]

Well, we're obviously meant to put it through the right door, but yes misdelivery happens all the time. I have had one official complaint about it but I know I've done it a lot more than that. Most people are relatively decent and wouldn't bother complaining, but there are some out there who just love an excuse to do it. Or to chase you down the street with the letter, when they could have just popped it next door WHICH THEY PASSED on the way to moan to you. But hey, they're the customers, it's their right to complain I suppose. I've never heard of anyone being pulled up on misdelivery.

Take a bit of extra care, slow down and do everything by the book.

[greengiant]

I wonder if lapsed walks get a higher % of misdelivery especially when it seems to be random walks which get lapsed?

[crazyshrew]

I wonder if lapsed walks get a higher % of misdelivery especially when it seems to be random walks which get lapsed?

Also given the lack of care given by whoever is tasked to prep it. I tend to find lapsed and OT rounds always have a much higher percentage of missorts than a round prepped by someone who is supposed to be delivering it (of course there are exceptions to that rule)

[camelelf]

Erm, yes. Funnily enough, the idea is to put the letters through the address written on the front of them. What do you expect when you pay for a letter to be sent?

I had a meal at a restaurant with a friend a couple of weekends ago and we were charged for an extra starter which we didn't order. Why couldn't the woman who took our order ring up the receipt correctly? After all she'd written down what we had ordered.
Probably because everyone makes mistakes in every line of work.

I assume you would have made a fuss and kicked off about her charging you more, but most of us aren't actually robots.

[motherhubbard]

are we seriously expected to not misdeliver?

Any business will want to minimize the cost of complaints.
If someone has misdelivered it is only natural for someone to ask why,
It might be they don't know flat D is at the side of the house and isn't properly marked on the frame. (for example)
Then steps can be taken to remedy the situation and attempt to minimize complaints to that address.

[crazyshrew]

are we seriously expected to not misdeliver?

Any business will want to minimize the cost of complaints.
If someone has misdelivered it is only natural for someone to ask why,
It might be they don't know flat D is at the side of the house and isn't properly marked on the frame. (for example)
Then steps can be taken to remedy the situation and attempt to minimize complaints to that address.

Exactly, I think there are actually several different types of misdelivery complaints...

• The one-off/occasional complaint: should be put down to a simple mistake, just one of those things that unfortunately happens. Maybe just give the duty holder a heads up

• Numerous and frequent complaints on the same duty; would reasonably warrant questions being asked of the duty holder (or day off cover) and there apparent lack of care.

• Repeat complaints from one particular address; would suggest that there is possibly an issue with either the address or the way the mail is addressed e.g flat number/letter not clear on the door or not included in the address on the envelope OR like Motherhubbard says, a frame issue. Maybe flat D is actually to the rear but access is 20 doors down via the rear access alley, in which case that's where it should be on the frame.

Our High Street round is littered with Motherhubbards example which is why it's the only town round wich warrants any sort of training.

We also have a duty where No. 2 Whatever drive and No2 Whatever close are right next to each other physically and on the frame - there is a card in with redirections to double check all mail before tieing up - simple measure to help try to get things right.

Out of interest does any office actually have any of those apology cards for when you know you've made a misdelivery? I saw some once, would be much easier than scrawling out a hand written note.

[datasaint]

I was told by my rep not to sign anything to do with the 3 C's as it's not officially recognised by the union ...

[Chewster]

Yes we've got those white cards, I keep forgetting to grab some though lol. I've not misdelivered to my knowledge) in quite a while, but I did make one monumental mistake a couple of weeks ago... The frame for my lapsing isn't in order at all, so some parts of the street had D2Ds, some didn't. I think it was something like, there were D2Ds for 2, 4, 6, 8, then none down to 34, then they started again at 37. I went to number 10 and made the silly mistake of just grabbing from the next d2d, so I went and put half the bloody street's mail into one house! Nobody was in so I had no option but to write a grovelling note, no complaint thankfully, but I think I might have been in for a fair bollocking if they did decide to complain.

[rubberbond]

Erm, yes. Funnily enough, the idea is to put the letters through the address written on the front of them. What do you expect when you pay for a letter to be sent?

RM would probably get 100% perfection in delivery if they didn't expect 100% commitment, 100% effort at 100% of the time with only 80% of the resources and 120% of a reasonable workload and an idiotic attitude that scanning every parcel and walking from 1 delivery point, to a neighbour and back doesn't take any extra time.

That is a very good point,as a reserve, I do not deliver to neighbour,as I do not know who gets on with whom,far more straightforward to p739,complain all you like,it's still at my discretion,having seen people sacked for items going missing after neighbours deny all knowledge,I am extra cautious

[Surreypostie]

I misdeliver now and then, generally I know I have done it as soon as I let go of the bloody thing. I tell you why, you walk around on autopilot, you go to the same houses day in day out doing exactly the same thing. One day you have nothing for number 73, as you are walking up to number 73 in a dream you pop the letters for number 75 through while thinking to yourself, how unusual I have nothing for 73, then you wake up.

[Jpro747]

The best thing you can do is go back to the address, knock on the door and explain what happened, be apologetic and they usually understand and don't take the matter any further. If no answer then put a misdelivery card through.