Customers signature on PDA

[Sledge4211]

This has probably been a thread in the past but I apologise in advanced if it has! But who else is sick and tired with the amount of customers that can’t sign on are “supposedly super tech savvy reliable” PDA?!

The Royal Mail introduced us to this new handheld scanner that is meant to capture customers signatures more “accurately and easier” but I just find them a pain in the arse throughout the day!

Mainly elderly customers who “rest” there hand on the screen while trying to sign - 9/10 it doesn’t work! I can’t be bothered every time to keep saying to a lot of customers like a patronising toad “Hold the sylus (pen) upright without your hand touching the main interface of the screen and sign your life away inside the middle square box”

I always get the odd groan or “That doesn’t look anything like my signature” type of comment.

Another thing is the PDA are useless in heavy rain/ they will stop working altogether or just keep rebooting! Surely they must of tested these before launch? Or not!!

Why did the Royal Mail choose such a device in the first place? When i receive parcels from other delivery companies in the past I don’t think I have ever had a problem with signing on there wizkid devices.

Also when the sides of the PDA touch or press against something the contrast/brightness tab pops up and is hard to erase that! I’ve even had that when a customer is trying to sign and I’m trying to autocorrect the issue in front of the customer trying to remain calm and professional at the same time but thinking in my head “oh not again this bloody machine!!” So frustrating!!

What is the way forward? How can Royal Mail tackle these issues?

[Gasman11]

Try the PDA holster as the casing prevents most people from touching the screen with their flailing fingers, still get the odd one or two mind with droopy digits that manage too though.

[Postie45]

ive dealt with many other companies making deliveries who use the exact same PDA as us.
Of course when signing the signature looks nothing like my own, theyre just not the same as writing on paper, the tech isnt really there quite yet.
I dont see any chance of them being upgraded anytime soon, theyre relatively new still and were a large investment

[Celgar]

The software on the PDAs has been crashing for ages now and they don't need the rain for it to happen.
Regarding hands on screens it's just the way it is.

[norris9]

When does the signature not looking like the recipients signature become a problem?...

I'd guess when people claim they didn't sign for something....it's used as some sort of proof that the Postie may have signed himself or signed to a neighbour by accident?...

But if so, not sure how you can 100% prove the Postie signed for it himself, the customer might simply have forgotten they signed for it, especially if old. Do they keep a record of people's signatures so that if something is delivered to the wrong address then they can work out which address it was delivered to?

I am not sure of the importance of needing to have a clear signature. I just literally do a squiggle when I sign these things.

[chickenwittle]

I always tell customers to sign using their finger , I’ve ripped the pen off it’s useless.

[Celgar]

When does the signature not looking like the recipients signature become a problem?...

I'd guess when people claim they didn't sign for something....it's used as some sort of proof that the Postie may have signed himself or signed to a neighbour by accident?...

But if so, not sure how you can 100% prove the Postie signed for it himself, the customer might simply have forgotten they signed for it, especially if old. Do they keep a record of people's signatures so that if something is delivered to the wrong address then they can work out which address it was delivered to?

I am not sure of the importance of needing to have a clear signature. I just literally do a squiggle when I sign these things.

RM can check the GPS to see when the item was accepted and this will be the information used rather than if the signature looks like a spider. The PDA gives variable results sometimes depending on how clean the screen is and a finger often gives better results than the plastic stylus. Raindrops completely ruin any chance of a worthwhile signature.
In short always try to press the final submit button at the doorstep and you have covered yourself if there are queries later on.

[yubin282]

I always tell customers to sign using their finger , I’ve ripped the pen off it’s useless.

i hate the PDA's without pens, i can't use it if wear my gloves (which i always do) and half the customers fingers leave a nice dirty stain on the screen.

[Postie45]

Do they keep a record of people's signatures so that if something is delivered to the wrong address then they can work out which address it was delivered to?

no this would be a severe breach of data protection

[norris9]

When I switch on the PDA to scan something, 30% of the time it won't scroll up, it's annoying as hell, you're in the speed zone on your walk then the PDA trolls you, you have to press the power button on and off and try again. Usually it works first time after doing so.

[koolishy67]

I took of stick from my PDA.

[ripio]

I always tell customers to sign using their finger , I’ve ripped the pen off it’s useless.

i hate the PDA's without pens, i can't use it if wear my gloves (which i always do) and half the customers fingers leave a nice dirty stain on the screen.

Nearly all our pda's have long since lost their styluses and their wrist straps, the lack of the strap results in a difficult juggling exercise when you have a bundle of mail, a packet, the pda and some letters all in your hands at the same time on a doorstep.
No sign of getting new straps or styluses.

[postmanzach]

Couldn’t thumbprint be used like modern iPhones. Signature doesn’t prove anything really.

[joewyan]

Couldn’t thumbprint be used like modern iPhones. Signature doesn’t prove anything really.

Not until there is a database of everyone’s thumbprints!