Customers opening the door as you post. (Petty gripes)

norris9 · Post by **norris9** » 19 Apr 2019, 12:15

This is a petty gripe, but these customers that open the door when you are posting letters through their letterbox - they annoy me. And they are pretty common it seems, it happens a lot.

They do it to try to help....but it does not help at all, as you are going for the final push - they pull the door away from you with the letters stuck halfway through.

One guy did it the other day, I just turned around and walked off and Left him to sort it out. Why can't these people just leave you in peace to push the letters through.

Anyone else get annoyed by this? or have any little gripes of their own?

I suppose people that still use tiny letterboxes from the 1920's are of an inconvenience too.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 19 Apr 2019, 12:59

ive got one customer whos letterbox is about half the width of a regular sized letter and not particularly deep either. When theyre birthday comes around or xmas all their cards are completely bent and mangled, youd think theyd buy an outside letter box or something but no... this has gone on for years.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 19 Apr 2019, 13:43

Postie45 wrote:ive got one customer whos letterbox is about half the width of a regular sized letter and not particularly deep either. When theyre birthday comes around or xmas all their cards are completely bent and mangled, youd think theyd buy an outside letter box or something but no... this has gone on for years.

Why not just 739 them?

PostmanBitesDog · Post by **PostmanBitesDog** » 19 Apr 2019, 13:56

norris9 wrote:...customers that open the door when you are posting letters through their letterbox
Anyone else get annoyed by this? Or have any little gripes of their own?

Yeah, it's a bit of a nuisance for me, too. Of course, if the mail is too large or cumbersome to slide through the letter slot, then it's helpful when they open the door. But if the letters are going through fine, then all they're doing is pulling the door away as they open it while we're slipping the mail through.

I'm not too bothered by it most times, but I do have a gripe about customers who can't find their door keys when we're delivering a large item or Signed For item.

Barely audible voice of customer on the other side of their door: "One minute while I look for my keys!"
Five minutes later: "Still searching for my keys! Please wait, I won't be long!"

And there's also the gripe about customers who open an upstairs window after they hear us knocking on the door. "Just a minute while I come downstairs to sign for the parcel."
Five minutes later: "Just need to put on my slippers. Will be downstairs soon!"

PostmanBitesDog · Post by **PostmanBitesDog** » 19 Apr 2019, 14:08

Postie45 wrote:ive got one customer whos letterbox is about half the width of a regular sized letter and not particularly deep either. When theyre birthday comes around or xmas all their cards are completely bent and mangled, youd think theyd buy an outside letter box or something but no... this has gone on for years.

I know what you mean, Postie45.

Nowadays residents should consider investing in larger boxes to accommodate today's common size envelopes, including A4 size letters, Please Do Not Bend envelopes, and of course small and medium size parcels. If customers are willing to spend money online for such things as gifts, clothing or other items, why not spend some of that shopping money on a larger letterbox; even one that can be bolted on to a wall or gate?

norris9 · Post by **norris9** » 19 Apr 2019, 15:36

PostmanBitesDog wrote:Yeah, it's a bit of a nuisance for me, too. Of course, if the mail is too large or cumbersome to slide through the letter slot, then it's helpful when they open the door. But if the letters are going through fine, then all they're doing is pulling the door away as they open it while we're slipping the mail through.

By all means open the door when we are coming up the driveway - if you want, but don't open the door when we are mid job. It's especially annoying when their letterbox is at the bottom of their door and you are crouched down pushing letters and magazines through and they open the door and they are there looking down on you and you are there staring at their feet.... great, you just didn't help whatsoever and now I feel like a pleb while you look down on me and look at me as I struggle to get back to my feet with this heavy bag on my shoulder.

PostmanBitesDog · Post by **PostmanBitesDog** » 19 Apr 2019, 15:46

norris9 wrote:
PostmanBitesDog wrote:Yeah, it's a bit of a nuisance for me, too. Of course, if the mail is too large or cumbersome to slide through the letter slot, then it's helpful when they open the door. But if the letters are going through fine, then all they're doing is pulling the door away as they open it while we're slipping the mail through.
It's especially annoying when their letterbox is at the bottom of their door and you are crouched down pushing letters and magazines through and they open the door and they are there looking down on you and you are there staring at their feet.... great, you just didn't help whatsoever and now I feel like a pleb while you look down on me and look at me as I struggle to get back to my feet with this heavy bag on my shoulder.

I hate those low-level letterboxes. I understand that due to a high number of postie back injuries there's a new bill introduced to parliament that bans new houses from having them, but the legislation is not retroactive, so older properties can still use them. The legislation is based on a European Union standard regarding the minimum height for letterboxes. Thank EU.

Low-Level Letterboxes Set To Be Banned In 'Victory' For Posties:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47457758

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 19 Apr 2019, 16:40

SpacePhoenix wrote:
Postie45 wrote:ive got one customer whos letterbox is about half the width of a regular sized letter and not particularly deep either. When theyre birthday comes around or xmas all their cards are completely bent and mangled, youd think theyd buy an outside letter box or something but no... this has gone on for years.
Why not just 739 them?

the customer seems to be happy with it as theyve done nothing about it for years. Personally I would have got a bigger letterbox or box on wall, but its up to them. The gripe I guess is knowing that they are getting their items in less than good condition which seems a shame.

Jpro747 · Post by **Jpro747** » 19 Apr 2019, 16:57

This annoys me as well - when the door isn’t quite on the catch and go to push the mail through and end up pushing the door open (and nearly falling through it)!

Sledge4211 · Post by **Sledge4211** » 19 Apr 2019, 17:04

Postie45 wrote:ive got one customer whos letterbox is about half the width of a regular sized letter and not particularly deep either. When theyre birthday comes around or xmas all their cards are completely bent and mangled, youd think theyd buy an outside letter box or something but no... this has gone on for years.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. It pisses me off to the core and it’s the usual customers as well. I don’t understand why some of them can’t wait until it’s pushed through. I’ve done it for years also, I know they say thank you (well most of them) when they open the door. I had one customer years ago every time I go to there house they would always say the same thing every time, I know we offer service and that, but some customers really do take the biscuit!!!!

PostmanBitesDog · Post by **PostmanBitesDog** » 19 Apr 2019, 17:32

When I'm in a good mood I like to play a game of Now You See It, Now You Don't.

If a customer is on the other side of the door and they're ready to grab the letters as I slide them through the slot, I suddenly pull them back again and laugh. It's even funnier when we're fighting a Tug of War.

kingdazzler · Post by **kingdazzler** » 01 Jun 2019, 21:06

the size of peoples letter boxes annoys me. most of the small packets don't fit in the slimline boxes and even some of the wall mail boxes have a small poxy opening. my last parcel today said "letter box size" on it. did it fit? did it hell. carted it round in my HCT just to have to 739 it and take it back.

bmccoll · Post by **bmccoll** » 01 Jun 2019, 21:32

My pet gripe is when you rap the door and the punter is running around and can't find their keys. Who the hell doesn't know where their keys are! Today I rapped a door and two kids were talking through the letterbox: "we are looking for the keys" Rapped again. "dad's coming". Waited a few secs the I went off and delivered a few packets across the road. "Postie, do you have something for me". In a minute mate. I then delivered to the rest of the street. Then sorted my bag for my next loop and sorted out my no entries. All the time I glanced over and saw his fizzing face, what a sight, I nearly burst out laughning. Before going back to him I sat in the van and 'remembered' to fill out my log book before eventually giving him his packet. He was standing at his door for about 10 mins. He's one of the usuals who does this. Pr**k

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 01 Jun 2019, 23:16

Customers who try and keep their dog at bay with their leg and the door halfway open then you need them to sign for a large parcel or try to pass it to them and it doesnt fit through the gap they have created and all you can think about is 'that dog is going to get me why couldnt you have put it in another room before opening the door'

Yeah that one

FirstPost · Post by **FirstPost** » 02 Jun 2019, 07:58

post boxes that are hard to push letters through - lots of postboxes that are easy to push it through from our side but the flap on the other side is very tough