RMCtv : Simon Thomson working in a DO over xmas : Cobham DO, Guildford DO & a secret location

[POSTMAN]

Simon Thomson
I have three full delivery days planned - Cobham DO, Guildford DO & a secret location....
Also this week, I will be doing an unannounced Health & Safety visit to one of our operations - it is important we are keeping everyone safe.


Team - time for everyone to help out....

Dear Simon

We are fast approaching our busiest time ofthe year. From Black Friday right through to returns
in January, our peak period can make or break our customers’ trust our service. And, wth the
increasing shift towards online shopping that accelerated during Covid-19, this year our peak
Volumes are arriving ear than ever before, seven days a week.

Christmas volunteering by non-operational colleagues is always an important part of the Royal
Mail calendar, and this year is no different, It is a time when we work together to maintain a great
service and deliver the best possible quality in order to win that all important trust at the
doorstep.

It is only fair that we make best use of your time to positively impact customer service, which is
‘why we are specifically asking for support in our delivery units to assist with afternoon and
‘Sunday parcel deliveries. As some of our units are particularly challenged by absence and high
vacancy rates, we will try to direct volunteers to those sites - so that you make a difference,

‘We would lke volunteers to attend for five days (running Monday to Sunday) during the period
30 November to 24 December. Alternatively, as the operation currently needs most support on
‘Sundays, we would greatly appreciate any commitment to working several Sundays instead.

Carrying out afternoon parcel delivery work will mean that you wil ikely be needed during the
afternoon. This will involve parcel deliveries in a van, where you will ikely buddy up with a
colleague. Your contact point below will confirm when and where we would ike you to attend,
Hopefully aftemoon delivery work will also help you to structure your day so you are free to meet
the responsibilities of your normal role (which we appreciate doesn't stop).

The five day attendance is much easier to manage forthe local unit and we would really
appreciate your wilingness to accommodate this. However, if you would like to volunteer for
‘more days than this please tell us when you book your slots.

| would also like to assure you that all of our operational sites are Covid safe and secure and
have a Coronavirus Risk Assessment in place which is regularly reviewed to ensure a safe
‘working environment

In order to volunteer for supporting in delivery this Christmas please do contact the local events
planner for your area (list below) to arrange your time and help us to deliver a great Christmas
for our team and our customers.

Thank you for your support and for making a diference:

neena.jpg

[SpacePhoenix]

Christmas volunteering by non-operational colleagues is always an important part of the Royal
Mail calendar, and this year is no different

During Xmas pressure, apart from critical non-operational stuff like HR, ALL non-operational staff will be on the floor helping out

[norris9]

"We are fast approaching our busiest time of the year. From Black Friday right through to returns
in January, our peak period can make or break our customers’ trust our service."

My customers already realise we aren't delivering everyday.... I tell them it's because Royal Mail are failing to recruit and is in turn wearing us down.

If you really cared about customers trust you would not have under-recruited for the past 5 months..... 5 months without running a proper 6 day service! every week pretty much every delivery having at least 1 failure!!!!

It's no good trying to boost our motivation.... you need to do your job and recruit instead of making us take out double or triple mail which kills our motivation and destroys our bodies!

[cockneyrebel]

Guilford DO sitting quite high in the 100 depots in the mire !!
No 38 what are the odds lot of help put in there before Mr Thompson appears for the day !!!!!!!!
But lets be honest Easier to put the depots on here who are not in trouble !!!!!
Will not be a very long list will it ????

[yellowbelly]

This will involve parcel deliveries in a van, where you will ikely buddy up with a colleague.

What exactly is the point of 'buddying up' to deliver parcels? Paying two people to do one person's job - ludicrous!

[POSTMAN]

you would not have under-recruited for the past 5 months

5 months? Try the last 5 years PLUS ! or so, for years there have been bits and bob of recruitment freezes, that is what we are in the mess we are in.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:12 pm
theres a recruitment freeze on just now anyway

[clashcityrocker]

This will involve parcel deliveries in a van, where you will likely buddy up with a colleague.

What exactly is the point of 'buddying up' to deliver parcels? Paying two people to do one person's job - ludicrous!

It depends.
If parking is an issue the driver can stop much closer to the drop and let the "buddy" deliver it.
Less fatigue and better camaraderie mean higher productivity.

I once did this with someone who loaded the van with what they thought we would manage by 6pm if we were lucky.
We finished them by 4pm and went back for another load.

[HTPostman]

This will involve parcel deliveries in a van, where you will likely buddy up with a colleague.

What exactly is the point of 'buddying up' to deliver parcels? Paying two people to do one person's job - ludicrous!

It depends.
If parking is an issue the driver can stop much closer to the drop and let the "buddy" deliver it.
Less fatigue and better camaraderie mean higher productivity.

I once did this with someone who loaded the van with what they thought we would manage by 6pm if we were lucky.
We finished them by 4pm and went back for another load.

Fully agree. It can work really well, all depends on who you’re working with. I once did this kind of shift with a really organised guy, as I drove to the house he’d have a quick glance at which neighbours had lights on or cars in the drive, so he knew which to attempt if no answer. I’d simply drive, then turn the van round while he delivered. If I was ahead, I’d keep a check on the parcels in the back, keeping them ordered. Likewise if I was delivering the parcel he’d be in the back keeping things tidy or he’d have the next parcel out walking up the street to deliver it. We were very organised, had a laugh and were productive.

I’ve also worked with some who sit in the passenger seat scrolling through Facebook then when you reach a house say ‘it’s your side mate’ or they decide it’s a good opportunity to have a 10 minute phone call with their friend about plans for Saturday night, leaving you to do all the work.

As for Simon I wonder if he’ll be on a comfy duty just doing an hour or two working from a nicely cleaned just been professionally valeted van. Or will he be doing 3 days Mail on a badly organised frame, pressured to complete by a manager working from a badly dented van with one of the doors not working....oh and it needs fuel and the regen doing too.

[SpacePhoenix]

I wonder if the "unannounced Health & Safety visit" will truly be "unannounced" or if the relevant DOM/MCM/RDC manager will somehow get wind of he date and time

[WASD]

I'm all for doubled up parcel routes if we can reduce postie loads in half, because the cost of two people delivering parcels is insanely high. Local knowledge trumps two guys following a sat nav.

[yubin282]

Make sure he does the d2d's

[oypostie]

Hopefully Simon will be doing an afternoon shift so he can see how easy it is delivering in the dark

[iHateD2Ds]

| would also like to assure you that all of our operational sites are Covid safe and secure and
have a Coronavirus Risk Assessment in place which is regularly reviewed to ensure a safe
‘working environment

That made me chuckle

[mjd24]

| would also like to assure you that all of our operational sites are Covid safe and secure and
have a Coronavirus Risk Assessment in place which is regularly reviewed to ensure a safe
‘working environment

That made me chuckle

Me too. Takes some nerv for them to write that.

[POSTMAN]

This will involve parcel deliveries in a van, where you will likely buddy up with a colleague.

What exactly is the point of 'buddying up' to deliver parcels? Paying two people to do one person's job - ludicrous!

It depends.
If parking is an issue the driver can stop much closer to the drop and let the "buddy" deliver it.
Less fatigue and better camaraderie mean higher productivity.

I once did this with someone who loaded the van with what they thought we would manage by 6pm if we were lucky.
We finished them by 4pm and went back for another load.

I've always found that doing s**t on my own and not doing it with some suit who wants brownie points or is forced to do it a lot easier.