Should I accept a 'ticking off'

[Slipperman]

Got a call today from my manager (I'm currently on holiday).

A couple of weeks ago I 739d a packet, scanned it 'Not Delivered, Not Answered'. The customer has tried for redelivery and the packet can't be found and the customer has complained.

I know my van was empty at end of delivery that day as I was going on holiday the next day and always like to clear the can for the next driver.

Of course the packet could have been mislaid in the DO.. but it looks like I'm going to get a 'ticking off'.

So grin and bear it?

[clashcityrocker]

If you don't have form for this and you don't think you did it, then don't accept the blame for it.
11 times out of 10 the problem is in the office and not with the postman.

[newpostyco13]

if you did your job properly like we all do then dont it sounds like it was lost on return tell them that

[sorefeet17]

You would think that we should be able to scan our returns back in the office ourselves to stop this from happening, I know that they are supposed to be scanned back into the callers office but this does go wrong quite often in our office.
And if we could scan them before they they go into the callers office it would save a lot of wasted time and finger pointing.

[Slipperman]

You would think that we should be able to scan our returns back in the office ourselves to stop this from happening, I know that they are supposed to be scanned back into the callers office but this does go wrong quite often in our office.
And if we could scan them before they they go into the callers office it would save a lot of wasted time and finger pointing.

I agree, the scan would be confirmed by GPS as being in the DO and signs off the postie's responsibility for the packet.

[HTPostman]

Happened to me 3 times, each time I’ve gone into the callers office (with a lino watching) and found it sitting on the shelf.

I wouldn’t accept the ticking off and agree, a quick scan when we get back is something I’d expect to see introduced in the future.

[Haditup]

Certainly not acceptable phoning you whilst on annual leave and causing you distress.
Too many other reasons for loss.
Do not accept or sign the conduct sheet.

[twoloops]

You 739 it, brought it back to the office & left it where you are told to leave it, job done, accept nothing.

[yellowbelly]

You would think that we should be able to scan our returns back in the office ourselves to stop this from happening, I know that they are supposed to be scanned back into the callers office but this does go wrong quite often in our office.
And if we could scan them before they they go into the callers office it would save a lot of wasted time and finger pointing.

I agree, the scan would be confirmed by GPS as being in the DO and signs off the postie's responsibility for the packet.

You can scan them yourself. When I've worked in an office that has this system I always scan any tracked/Signed For/Specials back in myself.
Don't care if it takes five minutes.

'Indoor/Enquiry Office/Not Delivered/No answer'

When the callers office scan it again it's just another scan of the item, doesn't do any harm, but I've got a degree of proof that I
got it back to the office regardless of what happens to it after it's chucked in the york of returns from all the other
80 odd walks for the callers office to deal with often several hours later or even the next morning. Anything could happen
with the items between then.
.

[97gaz]

11 times out of 10 the problem is in the office and not with the postman.

That's not my experience. While some are the fault of the callers office system I found the majority were the fault of the person doing the duty. I found lost parcels everywhere. Specials left in-between the centre console and seats, packets behind and under the van seats, things in the glove box. On the overhead shelf on the old Fiats. I've found specials in bags under frames that haven't been used for days. A five day old special on top of a frame that didn't even leave the office despite the duty holder swearing blind he carded it. The bags were the first place to look for a missing signed for.

Two fairly common ones is staff leaving packets on the frame while they tidy up and sign out. Next day the packet is taken out by the float and delivered as it has no label on it. And there's the one where they card and scan as undelivered and Mrs Jones comes out saying she'll take it but it doesn't get another scan. Then the punter comes in with the card ranting and we check the barcode only to find they've already got it.

Then there's hybrid duties where the carded packets get thrown in with the afternoon collections. That used to happen a lot with some of the last vans in where the dispatch driver would help to empty the vans so he could get away on time.

I did two days a week in the callers office for ten years and I'd be lying if I said I didn't make mistakes occasionally but it got to the point where I could look at the initials on a card and know where to start looking for it.

And they all swore they had left it on the york outside the callers office.

[yubin282]

If you don't have form for this and you don't think you did it, then don't accept the blame for it.
11 times out of 10 the problem is in the office and not with the postman.

and the PHG never like to admit its their fault

[Woody Guthrie]

I have to agree with Clash here.
Almost always incorrectly filed under A for A Smith or Z for High Street.
95% of our "lost" items turn up somewhere in the locker, very few cases of genuine loss.
If you know in yourself that you've done everything by the book accept nothing.

[Slipperman]

You would think that we should be able to scan our returns back in the office ourselves to stop this from happening, I know that they are supposed to be scanned back into the callers office but this does go wrong quite often in our office.
And if we could scan them before they they go into the callers office it would save a lot of wasted time and finger pointing.

I agree, the scan would be confirmed by GPS as being in the DO and signs off the postie's responsibility for the packet.

You can scan them yourself. When I've worked in an office that has this system I always scan any tracked/Signed For/Specials back in myself.
Don't care if it takes five minutes.

'Indoor/Enquiry Office/Not Delivered/No answer'

When the callers office scan it again it's just another scan of the item, doesn't do any harm, but I've got a degree of proof that I
got it back to the office regardless of what happens to it after it's chucked in the york of returns from all the other
80 odd walks for the callers office to deal with often several hours later or even the next morning. Anything could happen
with the items between then.
.

It does seem to highlight that the RM processes aren't tight enough to track packets accurately enough. The weakest link in any process is people so the process should be robust enough to 'protect' and assist people who have to carry out the process. Where there are gaps, management will tend to fill them by assigning culpability thus ticking boxes for the higher ups.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

Do you not fill in a sheet that u hand in with your returns? I have been accused of misplacing then on several occasions however the sheet has saved me from a telling off. Returns at ours go back out to several post offices in towns we cover the next morning and the callers office are always chucking them into the wrong yorks.

[Slipperman]

Do you not fill in a sheet that u hand in with your returns? I have been accused of misplacing then on several occasions however the sheet has saved me from a telling off. Returns at ours go back out to several post offices in towns we cover the next morning and the callers office are always chucking them into the wrong yorks.

No. No paperwork. Packets just put into a series of Yorks, separated by tracks, signed fors and others, specials to the cage, number returned logged on sheet they were signed out on.