Non delivery of items

[Carmel]

Me too, im waiting on DVD's that i ordered 3 weeks ago and still no sign i got some post this morning after another annoying walkout from the PO but i wish they would resolve it and QUICK. Their postal service is rubbish without adding to it. I use a courrier service's now if i need to send things out to patient's as its the only way i can gaurantee delivery but it works out a lot more expensive.

[orpheum]

Quite frankly it is not worth ordering anything that has to be delivered by post at the present time.I used to have an office in North London.I so dispaired of receiving post before lunchtime that i arranged to collect the post from the sorting office on my way into the office each morning.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by Carmel ...walkout from the PO but i wish they would resolve it and QUICK.

I've heard... though it could be rubbish and its third hand anyway... that part of the modernisation the PO wants to introduce is that Postmen only know on each Saturday whether or not they'll be working each next week since they'll be having contracts without specified hours. If that is the case (and I can't see how it would hope to be worked... so I wonder about the accuracy of my sources source)... then all Postmen would be treated like temps which would only reduce the poor level of service we consumers already receive even further - pride in their work being completely irradicated.

One thing that is accurate is that from at least the 1980's... the PO treats its staff like rubbish.

Please know that I am not in favour of the strikes... but I know that in the past the Post Office management themselves have placed Postmen into positions where they had no choice but to strike. In the 1980s management even punished the Postmen in my office who did not go out on strike (because a closed office is cheaper than one which has most of its postmen on strike). I was one of the Postmen who didn't go on strike that day... I was kicked by my collegues who were on strike... and made to work overtime for no money whatsoever by the management as punishment under threat of the sack (they knew the Union would not protect us).

[smudge]

Unfortunately what you say (about short notice) is workable - some sectors (i.e. Agriculture) only know the evening before if agency labour is needed the next day. The mobile 'phone makes these systems even more workable nowadays.

Smudge

[Wolfgang]

They should hire schoolboys to deliver them like they do with newspapers. They could be paid 10% of stamp price on all their deliveries. That way they would have to get them out before they go to school so we would all get our mail early.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by smudge Unfortunately what you say (about short notice) is workable - some sectors (i.e. Agriculture) only know the evening before if agency labour is needed the next day. The mobile 'phone makes these systems even more workable nowadays.

The thing is, some weeks the Postmen will not have any work... apparently... I don't know whether they'll have no pay for no work or some sort of reduced retainer or whatever. I don't see how such an idea would work... I think a bit of chinese whispers has entered into the communication line!

Postmen are not agency labour.

[batman]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang They should hire schoolboys to deliver them like they do with newspapers. They could be paid 10% of stamp price on all their deliveries. That way they would have to get them out before they go to school so we would all get our mail early.

Schoolkids delivering a few newspapers is one thing, but to give them the responsibilty of caring for people's mail, which often involves important documentation and items of value, is too much.

Bats.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by batman Schoolkids delivering a few newspapers is one thing, but to give them the responsibilty of caring for people's mail, which often involves important documentation and items of value, is too much.

The Royal Mail already hires Temps... I don't think there is much difference between the attitude towards mail one can expect from a Temp and what one can expect from a child... neither have as much investment into the job as an employee (and the employees often have precious little).

There is no pride attached to the job any longer.

[batman]

Originally Posted by Aaryk Noctivagus The Royal Mail already hires Temps... I don't think there is much difference between the attitude towards mail one can expect from a Temp and what one can expect from a child... neither have as much investment into the job as an employee (and the employees often have precious little). There is no pride attached to the job any longer.

Perhaps I didn't make my meaning clear enough.

What I was trying to say was that I do not think children should be put in a position where they have to undertake responsibilities that should be carried out by adults, whether they be Temps or F/T staff, even though the kids could probably do a better job than most adult Temps, who tend not to give a toss about the quality of service they provide.

With regard to pride in their jobs, our local postman is great and has great pride in his job. He is always polite, courteous and helpful. When I have spoken to him re missing packages etc he is always apologetic and tries to find our stuff when he goes back to the sorting office. He has succeeded a couple of times.

He may be an exception, because his predecessor was a useless twat!

Bats.

[Pip]

Thought I'd add to the rant as in the last few months Royal Mail have lost three packages that I have sent and four that I have been due to receive! I tend to send items by Recorded Delivery or Special Delivery now - costs more, but if the items have some value it's worth it - I've not had a 'to be signed for' item lost.. yet!

I blame privatisation - I was a postie myself in the early 1970s and everything was run pretty strictly then and was the better for it (of course, there was always the rogue postie such as the one who tipped his mail down a drain rather than deliver it - but they were soon caught out!). Security of the mail was highest priority and we were trained to provide the best service possible. Sure doesn't look that way these days! As everyone is saying, the problem of "lost" (= stolen) items is getting worse - and nothing is being done about it.

Come on Gordon Brown, renationalise the Post Office - and while your at it, do the same with the railways, electricity, gas, water, telephones, health services, etc. Let's get back to public service being the raison d'etre, not private profits.

OK, Pip has squeaked!

[Dave Edwards]

Guys

I've read every post in this thread, and i don't know what any of you are actually complaining about.
Try living over here in convict land and relying on Australia Post.
They are a monopoly full of thieves.
A fact to which a senior Australia Post person admitted to me privately.

It's a damn nightmare !!