Testing of rounds

[robbertwhitton]

Have rounds been tested lately when it’s clear it too big to complete by doing it properly,or are they content to pay overtime if you go over,the computer wizardry is far from perfect,and guess they are content to highlight it’s just you that finds the round a problem,because your doing it properly,safely and securely,

[Jpro747]

The last time they tested a round at our place was on a slack Tuesday in August

They know full well the rounds are too big but won’t admit it. They want you to either a) go over to complete or b) rush round to complete on time/early

[sorefeet17]

Is round testing a thing anymore now that pda actuals dictate all?
I know that things can be distorted by postie not doing job correctly, but if your actuals show route not possible in time why not try to use that data in your favour.
On a side note I wonder if RM ever look at the data and see that some posties never have to use a neighbour or bring a packet back, whereas others seem to have to bring packets back because of no one in

[Cucumber]

Testing runs invariably means moving work from an over capacity run onto one with capacity.
They won't test runs these days as even many of the 'easier/quicker' ones will be a product of different ways of working due to covid. Many staff will be working above their hours, and many working under their hours by virtue of starting in the street, cars on delivery (but not carrying mail, honest ) and job and finish. It's a mutually beneficial system for many at the moment and RM aren't going to rock the boat by giving extra work to people who are using OMV or getting a bus to first delivery point because another run was tested 'over'. They start doing that and all deals are off.
I do like it though when you inform a manager you won't be able to complete and they try and dispute that. If i'm in the mood to do OT i'll tell them I will be over (which amazingly almost always dissolves the argument we had just been having about not having the time!). If they still stick to their 'I don't think you have too much work' mantra (very, very rarely these days) then I'll cut off.

[Postie45]

ive heard talk of "testing rounds" for 20 years and never seen it once actually happen.
The true test is what gets done over a span of time, if a delivery fails by 2 hours everyday then yes maybe thats when theyll look at it. If someone is happy to do the 2 hours OT everyday then theres less chance anything will happen unless a manager gets annoyed at his budget.
However from my experience most of the people who claim their delivery is too long will moan to colleagues but also -

come in early and prep "to get ahead"
wont take any breaks
run around and work generally at a rushed pace
finish 20 mins over still but wont book it as its "only" 20 mins.

Then theres the other half of people who moan their delivery is too long which means 1 day a month theyll go over their time by 20 minutes and the rest of the time theyre finishing 45 mins early everyday.

[Woody Guthrie]

The only true test of the length of deliveries in an office is a repick.

Watch the fight with the senior posties over the easiest duties.

Watch the posties who moan all year about their duties strangely pick the same duty.

Watch the faces of the posties with the last couple of picks contemplate just staying as a reserve.

That's basically how you tell the real length of your duties.

[Bobby39]

Our gaffer has been saying for 3 years there will be a revision of rounds. The difference in our office is laughable.
Guy took 2 hours to do a town round the other day as day off cover. Even the usual postie gets it done in just over 3 hours and they are horrendously slow. Worst thing is they still spend most days moaning. Part of a strong crew of 'hard done bys' who do my head in.

[mjd24]

The only true test of the length of deliveries in an office is a repick.

Watch the fight with the senior posties over the easiest duties.

Watch the posties who moan all year about their duties strangely pick the same duty.

Watch the faces of the posties with the last couple of picks contemplate just staying as a reserve.

That's basically how you tell the real length of your duties.

Get all the reserves and managers round a table for half an hour and you’ll soon sort out what walks need adding to and what need something taken off.

Its not rocket science, the reserves are the only unbiased people in the office and theyre the ones who are doing different walks each day/week.

Always baffled me that management dont utilise the reserves more and try and even out the jobs.

[Acca Dacca]

The only true test of the length of deliveries in an office is a repick.

Watch the fight with the senior posties over the easiest duties.

Watch the posties who moan all year about their duties strangely pick the same duty.

Watch the faces of the posties with the last couple of picks contemplate just staying as a reserve.

That's basically how you tell the real length of your duties.

Get all the reserves and managers round a table for half an hour and you’ll soon sort out what walks need adding to and what need something taken off.

Its not rocket science, the reserves are the only unbiased people in the office and theyre the ones who are doing different walks each day/week.

Always baffled me that management dont utilise the reserves more and try and even out the jobs.

Yeah good idea, get fellow colleagues to decide who or what gets more work added to them

What could possibly go wrong?

[ArthurPewty]

Yeah good idea, get fellow colleagues to decide who or what gets more work added to them

What could possibly go wrong?
[/quote]

Worried mate?
I tell you what could go right. The people with p*** easy rounds might do their fair share, and lets face it, it couldn't get more wrong than the current joke of massively unequal delivery spans between rounds in most DO's up and down the country

[General Mannerheim]

The only true test of the length of deliveries in an office is a repick.

Watch the fight with the senior posties over the easiest duties.

Watch the posties who moan all year about their duties strangely pick the same duty.

Watch the faces of the posties with the last couple of picks contemplate just staying as a reserve.

That's basically how you tell the real length of your duties.

I couldn't have put it any better myself.
The facts are when they do get the planners in to do a revision or actually test a few walks they just do what ever the f**k they like as they won't be doing the shitshow it inevitably turns out to be, and then move on to the next shitshow, your rep will probably sign it off as by the time they f****d every walk up in the joint and heard all the f***ing moaning from the usual suspects they'd sign over their own granny for a quiet life.

[DGH]

The only true test of the length of deliveries in an office is a repick.

Watch the fight with the senior posties over the easiest duties.

Watch the posties who moan all year about their duties strangely pick the same duty.

Watch the faces of the posties with the last couple of picks contemplate just staying as a reserve.

That's basically how you tell the real length of your duties.

Absolutely this.

You do get the odd lunatic picking a crap job for some objectively silly reason, but it's far and away the best guide.

[Manboat]

Sometimes it’s better the devil you know also sometimes people don’t jump to rounds they know are easier as they don’t wanna give up their annual tips or know that everyone knows them on their current round and at least if they get caught short no one would grass them up

[Postie45]

Absolutely this.

You do get the odd lunatic picking a crap job for some objectively silly reason, but it's far and away the best guide.

Right, I know one pair who do a really beast of a duty and they have great seniority, they like their customers and they get decent xmas tips, but eff that for doing that duty all year !

[mickeymacca]

A completely outlandish suggestion, but why is it necessary to attach a postie to a duty permanently?(save for those with physically specific reasons)
A flexible, highly trained (stop laughing) workforce is one that can do any duty in the office. Why not move everyone on to the frame to your right after a week, permanent rotation, no more arguments about inequality of rounds, reserves getting stiffed etc. etc.

In my previous employ, you were paid an enhanced rate for every extra machine you could operate, the enthusiasm for learning was unsurprisingly high amongst all employees. In RM you have some who have only delivered to the same patch for decades, well that's fine but they are not as skilled as those who know 20 or 30 + deliveries and maybe that should be reflected in the pay rate. I'm sure the intransigence of a few would alter if the opportunity to earn a few extra shekels per hour were on offer.


...and no I haven't thought it through....