POL: PAY 2010 & 2011 AND FUTURE OF THE CROWN OFFICE NETWORK

[jusmasel]

lol

[TrueBlueTerrier]

This thread in pictorial form

[billyhayes]

I can confirm... That IS us. The bloke on the right must be a subbie as he is wearing cheap Hi-Tec trainers..
Still, if you don't fight for youselves then getting paid just over the minimum wage is where they'll stay...

[PO1]

The skills that I think I possess are the knowledge firstly gained from 7 weeks training initially which covered every aspect of the job and the expansion of that knowledge base over decades in the job. The problem with subbies is they’re only as good as the sub postmaster/mistress that runs them as they are responsible for training the staff below them and keeping them up to date with any changes. Training can therefore be done on a limited basis and is only as good as the sub postmaster/mistress’s own knowledge. This means they can vary from the excellent to frankly quite abysmal.

Hardly a week goes by without one of the local ones by us not shutting for one reason or another and lately we had one shut up shop from Friday to Monday we were told because his daughter was in a beauty contest (I kid you not)! In his defence it probably wouldn’t have been noticed by his customers as he picks and chooses when he opens anyway… and nothing gets done about it.

A perfect example presented itself yesterday with a telephone call from one of my local subbies:
Sub “I’ve got a customer in wanting to know how to get an E111.”
Me “An EHIC.”
Sub “A What?”
Me “A European Health Insurance Card. It replaced the E111 a while ago. We haven’t been able to get hold of any of the forms from stores for a while so we’ve been giving out the phone number and web address to anyone who asks about them (gave the details).”
Sub “I think I saw an icon on the screen somewhere, I think”
Me “Yeah, we can check the form for the customer once they have filled it out if they would like us to and then send it off for a fee of £2.04”
Sub “Do we?”
And yes, it’s supposed to supply the check and send service in that branch.
Enough said.

As if that wasn’t bad enough we had a customer today complaining about being overcharged for small packets he was sending to Canada telling us that the sub postmaster used a pricing in proportion template to show him they had to go letter rate!

On top of that we had yet another phone call from another subbie wanting help on how to process a child’s renewal passport application (again they do provide this service, allegedly).

So yes, I do think we deserve what we are paid for the job, because quite simply the service provided is better. I do get the impression that a lot of the time the service provided by our local subbies is based on the income factor for what’s being asked for. If there isn’t enough in it, they don’t want to know. All they’ve done since I’ve been in the job is caused our office grief. This may not be typical of all but I can only speak from our experience.

[subbie]

Hi PO 1

Rather than exchange horror stories about Crown Office staff attitudes to customers versus Sub Office product knowledge, I think perhaps what would be a good idea is a Job Swap.

A group of Postal Officers spend some time working with a Postmaster, and we will show you how we have to operate, (and run a business)
and a group of Postmasters can come and work in a Crown and see how you guys have to operate. ( we might be able to help with ideas as to how to get you into profit)

How about it Richard, can you organise that?

Subbie

[PO1]

Our attitude towards customers is to always provide the best service we can even in these troubled times. Subbie, allow me to ask, how many of your staff are on the minimum wage so you can maximise your profits?

[billyhayes]

...what would be a good idea is a Job Swap.

...we might be able to help with ideas as to how to get you into profit.
Subbie

Good lord NO.

Get me on the counter for about £6 an hour??? Begone you foul peasants.
Equally, if someone was to pay YOU £10.52 an hour, you wouldn't know what to do with it!!
Probably blow the lot on wine and wenches... (I know, I do)...

[subbie]

I am the only one on the minimum wage in my office, I have one assistant and my wife to help run the office, they both receive a greater hourly rate than I.

May I ask if anyone in your Branch would (in their own time) drive 4 miles each week to ensure a little old lady gets her pension?
Leave their secure area to help a confused person inputting their pin number, have enough local knowledge to notice that Fred has'nt been in for his pension and go and check on him.

Keep their branch open even though they are seriously ill, because you do not want to let folk down, go without a holiday for years because there are no reliefs to take over the branch.

Defend the PO stock and cash against bandits, get beaten, knifed, shot at, shot, and still be held liable for the loss,

I could go on sonny, but the above is normality for the average subbie, I do not call this being "skilled" I call this dedicated professionalism.

You wont recognise any of this, because you live in your pink coiffured world, and you want MORE !

Oh and I've done your job, so I have seen both sides, and I know which side has dragged this company down, with a little help from self serving POL execs.

Grow up, and see which way the tide is turning.

Subbie

[billyhayes]

Wow, all that happened in one day!!!????

You should be on at least £7 an hour, no less.

With you all the way brothers.....

[BELIAL]

I call this dedicated professionalism.

Shot ;stabbed,working on your deathbed all for the minimum wage and proud of it I'd call it something else , but whatever , piss poor life really you must admit

[onlyanother30years]

Once upon a time there was a man call Joe Public who went to visit his local Subbie.

Hello Subbie I would like to renew my Photo on my Driving Licence please

Sorry replies the Subbie you must go to a Crown Office where skilled people work

Ok , then maybe you can check and send my passport application

Sorry replies the Subbie you must go to a Crown Office where skilled people work

ok then maybe you can change up my Brazil money from my holiday please

Sorry replies the Subbie you must go to a Crown Office where skilled people work

Well what exactly do you provide asks Joe Public

We pay benefits, sell stamps and send letters, also we have Baked Beans on special offer 4 cans only £6

oh good you send letters, I need to send 200 dollars to Australia to my grandson

that will be 97p or have it registered so your money is insured

I will send by registered please

sorry we have run out of labels , you must go to a Crown Office where skilled people work

next day at Crown Office where skilled people work

Joe public renews his driving licence, sends his passport and changes his money, thens asks to send the dollars to Australia

Sorry says the skilled worker, you cannot send money by post to Australia.

joe public replies

But my subbie said you could

At this point the skilled worker puts his head in his hands muttering under his breath

no subbie no

THE END

[billyhayes]

I think we have a winner for best screenplay at this years Oscars people. Nice one 30years.

In the sequal it starts with Granny Public who usually frequents a sub, but on this occasion popped into a crown. Bless.

She gets her pension, pays her bills, etc etc and when she has the money counted to her, she frowns and asks of the skilled crownie, "Is this right? Theres £10 more here than there is every other week when I go to my local post office"

The skilled crownie then goes through the receipt step by step with granny.

"I can assure you that it is right." Our heroic and intrepid crownie states.

"So it is!" granny replies. "why do you think it is less at my local?"

What happens next is up to you folks!!

Submit your ending to;

FREEPOST
Thesubbieisatealeaf
Any street
Any town

[PO1]

Subbie, in response to your reply we have on numerous occasions in my office driven home some of our elderly/frail customers who have needed assistance.

Assisting the confused customers with a pin number on the public side is a daily occurrence. In fact trying to get them off the card and on to a green giro is a regular habit of mine with the powers that be. Nobody seems to recognise that someone who was compos mentis at 50 might not be at 60-100!

I too have worked for many months on end all over the area (when overtime wasn’t a dirty word) just to try and make ends meet.

As for defending the place we ALL face those daily dangers and yes they’d try and pin it on us too.

I too could go on and on (and you’re not my dad) but believe me my office is far from a “pink coiffured world”. It’s changed a lot from when you were working in one and not for the better I hasten to add.

We’ve all been let down by a succession of governments (who know we are a service and tell the electorate such and provide £1.34b to prop it up) as well as POL execs who are only interested in lining their own pockets.

The failings in the Post Office network are out of mine and your control. If they were, we would not be in the mess we are in.

[obiwanknobe]

It seems easy to see what the problem is with the crowns but finding the answer is
remarkably difficult.

For the sake of argument lets say counter staff are being paid appropriately at the moment
and yet the office still loses money.

So how can the office be turned around to profitability.

Increase sales volume? Reduced Back Office Costs? Reduce front office staffing?

Or ... increase sales margin.

There needs to be a National Audit Office enquiry into the method of cost allocation
used by POL to attribute Cost of Sales to products.

If the true/revised cost of products were known then sales promotions could target
the more profitable items. It could be that Crown Office losses are in fact attributable
to unacceptable POL infrastructure operating costs.

I think POL are overly obsessed with selling uncompetitive financial products to people
who come into a post office to post a letter. The simplest of premises suggests that
someone who buys a stamp to post a letter will soon have 1 envelope less. Why not try
and sell them an envelope rather than travel insurance? Crown offices without a
productive retail section is totally bizarre given the footfall the attract. Why are
WH Smith so interested in taking them on.

So come on CWU - find out the cost structure of PO products, get a good retail offering
in place and dare I suggest remove the threat of strike action in order to work together
in finding a long term solution to the problem.

[billyhayes]

The force is strong with you Obi-Wan.