New Starts Breakng Every Rule

[SimonSays]

We've had numerous new starts over the last six months or so. We have a new Assistant DOM(PHG) who frankly was the worst possible choice. Lazy, cutting corners and rule breaking are her modus operandi. So all these new starts were being "trained" by her. So here we are today with several new-ish colleagues who still haven't even been taught the basics of delivery, the do's and don't's, who have never seen even a single training video, and who have all been told by her that it's prefectly fine to doorstep parcels, sign for Recorded & Special Deliveries, etc, etc! And to top it off, we have a new manager, who started just before her, who doesn't care. Any and all reports of rule breaking are ignored. So we have an office where half the postmen do the job correctly and the other half who do whatever the hell they like. Our office, once one of the top performing D.O.s in the country is now an absolute joke. Standards and practices are out the window.

And I suspect that our D.O. isn't alone in this problem.

Any ideas on how to combat this would be greatly appreciated.

Simon,
Midlands

[DiamondSmiles]

You are not paid enough to worry about this, is my advise. You just carry on doing things the way you know is right. It's not your problem if others are not doing things correctly.

[rubberbond]

I suggest it’s not your problem if you do the job correctly, if others want to cut corners, which I see all the time with new starts then that’s up to them.

[henrilloydps3gl]

I have a idea. Put new starters on the same terms, not less per hour for walking the same amounts, expecting door to doors to be done perfectly when you don't get paid for them but your colleague does (delivery supplement) not having a break when your colleague does because your not paid to do so. No wonder naturally standards might slip not that they should but that's human nature. Never known a company to expect standards to be the same with a two tier workforce. It's going to always backfire

[kazardaimenu]

Glad the workplace coach is earning their corn

[Playmail]

I have a idea. Put new starters on the same terms, not less per hour for walking the same amounts, expecting door to doors to be done perfectly when you don't get paid for them but your colleague does (delivery supplement) not having a break when your colleague does because your not paid to do so. No wonder naturally standards might slip not that they should but that's human nature. Never known a company to expect standards to be the same with a two tier workforce. It's going to always backfire

well said

[Mr Rush]

As was told to me in not dissimilar circumstances, concern yourself only with doing your own job correctly. In vain, I've warned many now-former colleagues they're handing management all the rope they need. Bad habits seem to die hard.

[Smoothbackground]

We've had numerous new starts over the last six months or so. We have a new Assistant DOM(PHG) who frankly was the worst possible choice. Lazy, cutting corners and rule breaking are her modus operandi. So all these new starts were being "trained" by her. So here we are today with several new-ish colleagues who still haven't even been taught the basics of delivery, the do's and don't's, who have never seen even a single training video, and who have all been told by her that it's prefectly fine to doorstep parcels, sign for Recorded & Special Deliveries, etc, etc! And to top it off, we have a new manager, who started just before her, who doesn't care. Any and all reports of rule breaking are ignored. So we have an office where half the postmen do the job correctly and the other half who do whatever the hell they like. Our office, once one of the top performing D.O.s in the country is now an absolute joke. Standards and practices are out the window.

And I suspect that our D.O. isn't alone in this problem.

Any ideas on how to combat this would be greatly appreciated.

Simon,
Midlands

Sounds like a very serious issue — if true. But some sweeping assertions in what you say, so let’s unpick it a bit.

How do you know for fact that they haven’t seen a single training video? And if they are signing for Specials their POD photos will surely give this away - there will be no open door visible. This could be easily proved or disproved. And do you have photos of doorstepped packets to share with the upper echelons? Given your anxiety about the breaking of every rule in the book, I presume you’re retrieving any such doorstepped parcels, leaving a P739, bringing them back to the DO and booking them in so integrity of mail packets is preserved? Or are you just leaving them on doorsteps having become so concerned? (That could be neglect of duty on your part btw.)

Or – and forgive me if I’m barking up the wrong tree, but let us not beat about the bush - is this a case of sour grapes on your part about the wonderful new receuirs? As has been happening elsewhere, have you been pulled up by management for your own possibly slack delivery figures (eg drop count/work volume, first-time delivery success) and been told, “Oh, but all our new recruits deliver twice as much as you do, and Roger, our best new recruit, delivers three times as much as you do each day”?

You should definitely take it to top bananas if you have evidence of them breaking every rule in the book.

[Acca Dacca]

We've had numerous new starts over the last six months or so. We have a new Assistant DOM(PHG) who frankly was the worst possible choice. Lazy, cutting corners and rule breaking are her modus operandi. So all these new starts were being "trained" by her. So here we are today with several new-ish colleagues who still haven't even been taught the basics of delivery, the do's and don't's, who have never seen even a single training video, and who have all been told by her that it's prefectly fine to doorstep parcels, sign for Recorded & Special Deliveries, etc, etc! And to top it off, we have a new manager, who started just before her, who doesn't care. Any and all reports of rule breaking are ignored. So we have an office where half the postmen do the job correctly and the other half who do whatever the hell they like. Our office, once one of the top performing D.O.s in the country is now an absolute joke. Standards and practices are out the window.

And I suspect that our D.O. isn't alone in this problem.

Any ideas on how to combat this would be greatly appreciated.

Simon,
Midlands

Sounds like a very serious issue — if true. But some sweeping assertions in what you say, so let’s unpick it a bit.

How do you know for fact that they haven’t seen a single training video? And if they are signing for Specials their POD photos will surely give this away - there will be no open door visible. This could be easily proved or disproved. And do you have photos of doorstepped packets to share with the upper echelons? Given your anxiety about the breaking of every rule in the book, I presume you’re retrieving any such doorstepped parcels, leaving a P739, bringing them back to the DO and booking them in so integrity of mail packets is preserved? Or are you just leaving them on doorsteps having become so concerned? (That could be neglect of duty on your part btw.)

Or – and forgive me if I’m barking up the wrong tree, but let us not beat about the bush - is this a case of sour grapes on your part about the wonderful new receuirs? As has been happening elsewhere, have you been pulled up by management for your own possibly slack delivery figures (eg drop count/work volume, first-time delivery success) and been told, “Oh, but all our new recruits deliver twice as much as you do, and Roger, our best new recruit, delivers three times as much as you do each day”?

You should definitely take it to top bananas if you have evidence of them breaking every rule in the book.

Well we cant all make ''mid 20 parcel drops an hour at a comfortable pace'' whilst claiming to try up to 10 neighbours if someone isnt in like you do

[LouBarlow]

I have a idea. Put new starters on the same terms, not less per hour for walking the same amounts, expecting door to doors to be done perfectly when you don't get paid for them but your colleague does (delivery supplement) not having a break when your colleague does because your not paid to do so. No wonder naturally standards might slip not that they should but that's human nature. Never known a company to expect standards to be the same with a two tier workforce. It's going to always backfire

Spot on.

[Smoothbackground]

We've had numerous new starts over the last six months or so. We have a new Assistant DOM(PHG) who frankly was the worst possible choice. Lazy, cutting corners and rule breaking are her modus operandi. So all these new starts were being "trained" by her. So here we are today with several new-ish colleagues who still haven't even been taught the basics of delivery, the do's and don't's, who have never seen even a single training video, and who have all been told by her that it's prefectly fine to doorstep parcels, sign for Recorded & Special Deliveries, etc, etc! And to top it off, we have a new manager, who started just before her, who doesn't care. Any and all reports of rule breaking are ignored. So we have an office where half the postmen do the job correctly and the other half who do whatever the hell they like. Our office, once one of the top performing D.O.s in the country is now an absolute joke. Standards and practices are out the window.

And I suspect that our D.O. isn't alone in this problem.

Any ideas on how to combat this would be greatly appreciated.

Simon,
Midlands

Sounds like a very serious issue — if true. But some sweeping assertions in what you say, so let’s unpick it a bit.

How do you know for fact that they haven’t seen a single training video? And if they are signing for Specials their POD photos will surely give this away - there will be no open door visible. This could be easily proved or disproved. And do you have photos of doorstepped packets to share with the upper echelons? Given your anxiety about the breaking of every rule in the book, I presume you’re retrieving any such doorstepped parcels, leaving a P739, bringing them back to the DO and booking them in so integrity of mail packets is preserved? Or are you just leaving them on doorsteps having become so concerned? (That could be neglect of duty on your part btw.)

Or – and forgive me if I’m barking up the wrong tree, but let us not beat about the bush - is this a case of sour grapes on your part about the wonderful new receuirs? As has been happening elsewhere, have you been pulled up by management for your own possibly slack delivery figures (eg drop count/work volume, first-time delivery success) and been told, “Oh, but all our new recruits deliver twice as much as you do, and Roger, our best new recruit, delivers three times as much as you do each day”?

You should definitely take it to top bananas if you have evidence of them breaking every rule in the book.

Well we cant all make ''mid 20 parcel drops an hour at a comfortable pace'' whilst claiming to try up to 10 neighbours if someone isnt in like you do

No “claim” about it, mate - as my PDA stats bear it all out. There is enough time built into the route planning for you to successfully deliver, first time, even if the odd packet needs you to try a neighbour or two.

But you’re dragging us off topic. Going back to poor Simon’s awful dilemma, I am suggesting he takes his evidence of “breaking every rule in the book” to the big bananas - if, of course, he has any such evidence. Is that bad advice?

[ted_e_bear]

Regarding the above question there's no point "Simon" even going to the banana at the very top, however high he goes in the banana hierarchy it will simply get cascaded down to the one that hangs directly above the office banana, the com who will probably be his mate, the conversation will go along the lines of "we've had a complaint from Simon at your office that you're not doing your job properly can you sort it out"

Simon then gets a target attached to his back and nothing changes.

[Smoothbackground]

Regarding the above question there's no point "Simon" even going to the banana at the very top, however high he goes in the banana hierarchy it will simply get cascaded down to the one that hangs directly above the office banana, the com who will probably be his mate, the conversation will go along the lines of "we've had a complaint from Simon at your office that you're not doing your job properly can you sort it out"

Simon then gets a target attached to his back and nothing changes.

Or maybe, just maybe, Simon doesn’t have any evidence to back up his wild claims?

We are being led to believe there is an entire cohort of new starters at his office (and, by inference, elsewhere in RM) fraudulently signing for specials, recorded, tracked with signature etc. RM’s investigations team would be all over such an allegation - regardless of whether the area manager is friendly with the COM/DOM - and it would only be cascaded down to his DOM in the event there was no evidence of “breaking every rule in the book” found.

[postslippete]

Any ideas on how to combat this would be greatly appreciated.

It's above our pay grade Simon. If a new DOM has trained them up and they are all doorstepping stuff and taking shortcuts I'm sure they will get found out via customer complaints and PDA actuals. The spotlight is often on offices that are continually failing.

[heraldmoth]

Any ideas on how to combat this would be greatly appreciated.

It's above our pay grade Simon. If a new DOM has trained them up and they are all doorstepping stuff and taking shortcuts I'm sure they will get found out via customer complaints and PDA actuals. The spotlight is often on offices that are continually failing.

Just let it run it’s course and make sure you don’t become collateral. Do your job and go home, the days of giving a stuff have gone