can anyone help me?

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 04 Sep 2016, 17:48

I am a new starter at RM and its been my third week in this job. However I seem to be very slow especially with my indoor prep work that I do just before going out on delivery. I have been put on a hct round since starting which is relatively straight forward and simple once im out delivering. But what takes the majority of my time is the indoor work, when I get into the office in the morning I already see my colleagues all tied up and ready to go whilst I have a bunch of packets and mail to get through and do redirects. somedays I dont get out till half ten or eleven and those are the days I end up going over my contracted hours. So I would appreciate it if any experienced posties on here can give me any hints and tips that will enable me to speed up and be as fast as my co workers.

ellzbellz · Post by **ellzbellz** » 04 Sep 2016, 17:56

Are you on a shared van route? If not, then don't worry TOO much. Quite a lot of posties go in before their start time anyway which is probably why they're getting out before you.
You'll be faster eventually and then it'll become mindnumbing.

datasaint · Post by **datasaint** » 04 Sep 2016, 18:16

Your speed will improve as you learn the frame. Focus on throwing off your sequenced mail a bit quicker as you can't go too wrong with that.

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 04 Sep 2016, 18:21

ellzbellz wrote:Are you on a shared van route? If not, then don't worry TOO much. Quite a lot of posties go in before their start time anyway which is probably why they're getting out before you.
You'll be faster eventually and then it'll become mindnumbing.

No I have been placed on a trolley duty by my dom who informed me that after about six weeks I will be put onto a shared van duty. is that more difficult compared to trolley duties? as I did do my current trolley duty using a van once and just had to work out of the van rather than trolley. And in my delivery office majority of the staff are FT posties so they usually start at 6:30 in the morning and do most of the sorting of their rounds and the PTers rounds. My round usually starts off with easy flats and apartments with postboxes all together on tge ground floor but ends with long streets and big estates that have plenty of mail and packets. I have an idea which i would like to try on one of the quiet days and that is to start where i would normally finish my walk and finish where i would normally start in all essense doing the difficult sections first and the easy ones at the end.

doorstepped · Post by **doorstepped** » 04 Sep 2016, 18:24

as you are a part timer ask your DOM to get the person throwing in your frame to throw in the IPS and not the mech.
this will speed you up quite a bit as it's easier for you to throw in.

your DOM of course should be making sure that you are doing only what you are supposed to do.

5.5hr duties should have all of their mail throw in leaving you to do your pkt's, redirections and bundle your walk.
6hr duties should have a small part of the IPS left to throw in.

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 04 Sep 2016, 18:26

norm wrote:Your speed will improve as you learn the frame. Focus on throwing off your sequenced mail a bit quicker as you can't go too wrong with that.

yes that is one part where I am trying to improve. I just cant seem to go at the pace as my other colleagues. When they do it, it looks very easy, simple and fast, whilst with me its slow as im trying to find the address on the frame

salomon2 · Post by **salomon2** » 04 Sep 2016, 18:32

What hours are you on, pt rounds are normally thrown in by the full timers, you should be out of the office In less than an hour with practice.

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 04 Sep 2016, 18:38

doorstepped wrote:as you are a part timer ask your DOM to get the person throwing in your frame to throw in the IPS and not the mech.
this will speed you up quite a bit as it's easier for you to throw in.

your DOM of course should be making sure that you are doing only what you are supposed to do.

5.5hr duties should have all of their mail throw in leaving you to do your pkt's, redirections and bundle your walk.
6hr duties should have a small part of the IPS left to throw in.

Exactly what I was thinking when I joined. As im contracted to 25 hours per week, 5 hours per day, you would have thought I would only have packets, redirects and bundling up to do. But when I arrive in the office im usually doing a box of mail, packets, redirects and then before I bundle up I get handed even more mail/packets from other posties. so doing that all takes me over 10 when everyone would be out of my office. i know if i get out before 10 i will finish early or on time but if its after 10 then i have noticed the majority of the time i go over my hours

Jpro747 · Post by **Jpro747** » 04 Sep 2016, 20:57

Ask for further training if you feel you aren't quick enough, or ask a colleague who knows the round, they might tell you a better way of doing it. Mailsort should be pretty straightforward if it comes in sequence to the frame. You'll get to know where adresses are the longer you do it.

I have to say this sounds like a classic case of the round not being fully prepped by the full timers as it should be for when you come in. Ask DOM what you are expected to do and what time you should be leaving the offce. Let them know If you feel it's too much to do in the time.

You are quite within your rights to refuse to work overtime if you do not wish to work past your contracted hours. You have to inform your DOM at the earliest opportunity if you think you will be going over and ask them what they want you to do, be it leave some mail/packets behind, or take it all out bring back what you can't deliver. I advise that you have a witness while you tell them i.e. Union rep or trustworthy colleague.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 04 Sep 2016, 21:22

"when I get into the office in the morning I already see my colleagues all tied up and ready to go"

well doesnt take a genius to work out why youre behind does it ?!
I think its just a classic case of a new starter being given insufficient training plus the fact that you wont know the frame well enough to get it ready as fast as a regular anyway. Add to that the fact that you start off at a disadvantage everyday. I dont know why your delivery isnt pretty much ready to go when you arrive. Maybe speak to a union rep about what your role is supposed to be when you arrive everyday and if you are supposed to be prepping in the majority of the mail or if its supposed to be ready.

Nondescript · Post by **Nondescript** » 04 Sep 2016, 21:25

You've stated that you see others tied down when you go into the office to start your shift, so there's the problem right there. Bring that little fact to the attention of your manager. If he's a decent sort, he'll try and get it sorted by having more indoor work done for you, but if he's the default Royal Mail scumbag he'll just be hoping that you feel pressurised into coming in earlier and working for free.

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 04 Sep 2016, 22:26

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll have a word with the dom tomorrow about that and see what his view is. I know if i just have packets and re directions to do then i can bundle up before 10 as i have managed to do that once and surprisingly that was the time the guy that usually prepares my frame was taking his rest day so someone else prepared my frame.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 05 Sep 2016, 13:24

abzo wrote:
norm wrote:Your speed will improve as you learn the frame. Focus on throwing off your sequenced mail a bit quicker as you can't go too wrong with that.
yes that is one part where I am trying to improve. I just cant seem to go at the pace as my other colleagues. When they do it, it looks very easy, simple and fast, whilst with me its slow as im trying to find the address on the frame

After 3 weeks you won't be. It takes on average 6 - 8 weeks to get up to speed. When you get on to the Vans it will be easier as you should be working in a team of 2 and if you and they work together it can be fairly hassle free,

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 05 Sep 2016, 16:12

Today i had the same again, a box full of sequenced mail which goes in frame order and then another box of mail that was not in frame order. But i managed to do that all in 15 mins in previous weeks it took me 25 - 30 mins to do them. so i am happy with that and i enquired this with the lino and the guy doing my frame and they both said since I am new it would be beneficial to me to get to learn some indoor sorting by doing it myself as they mentioned in the future if i am made to FT then i would be expected to do that, they also mentioned how the DO is working at full stretch since many people are long term sick or on holiday so the guy sorting my frame has to do mines, his one and another posties. So i guess for the time being i'll be doing some of that sorting when i get to the DO in the morning. But if its anything like today then i don't really mind as i feel i have increased my speed in doing these sorts.

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 05 Sep 2016, 16:18

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:
abzo wrote:
norm wrote:Your speed will improve as you learn the frame. Focus on throwing off your sequenced mail a bit quicker as you can't go too wrong with that.
yes that is one part where I am trying to improve. I just cant seem to go at the pace as my other colleagues. When they do it, it looks very easy, simple and fast, whilst with me its slow as im trying to find the address on the frame

After 3 weeks you won't be. It takes on average 6 - 8 weeks to get up to speed. When you get on to the Vans it will be easier as you should be working in a team of 2 and if you and they work together it can be fairly hassle free,

Generally most of the posties in my DO are okay so im sure if there is two of us working together then we can be done a lot quicker. And as for my round i think its best done by HCT rather than a van as its close to my DO and finding parking spaces around the delivery location just takes time as i came to know when i did it once from a van.with a HCT you can park anywhere