Lions become Lambs

[billyhayes]

Just thought I'd share something that I feel has certainly happened over the past couple of months...

Where has the sense of humour, the camaraderie gone from the post office forums?

Come to think of it, where have all the people gone to, from the post office forums?

We used to come on here and shoot the breeze with each other on all sorts of subjects; work related or not, serious or nonsense.

Now it seems that it has become increasingly frequented by our blue shirts cousins, (and a good thing too otherwise a tumbleweed may blow through!), in response to many posts, be it a serious subject or not.

The 'old timers', (I would consider that to be those that have been on RMC 3 years or more), still frequent here as the visit is clearly shown, but the fewer and fewer comments/posts made smack of what I would call 'fence sitting' and even, I would say, carefully worded self-censoring.

I put it to you, that this has all stemmed since certain members 'outed' themselves to certain others on here.
It seems a self imposed stifling of sharing ones opinion so as not to upset newer members of these forums.

Looking through some members older posts, there has been a glaring change of behaviour, language etc.

Are these people reading and re-reading their posts before pressing the send button? Ensuring that it contains nothing that will upset others.
Fear of reprisal? Something else?

Allow me to illustrate in the lowest common denominator:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wikisaurus:sycophant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BELIAL]

"we are not afraid"or maybe ,we are very fearful ,or maybe I'm barkering up the wrong tree

[Mrwhippy]

Just thought I'd share something that I feel has certainly happened over the past couple of months...
I put it to you, that this has all stemmed since certain members 'outed' themselves to certain others on here.
It seems a self imposed stifling of sharing ones opinion so as not to upset newer members of these forums.

Very true Billy, since outing or becoming best friends with you know who, their posts lack any punch, they more resemble you know whos propaganda machine.

It just shows you how clever at people manipualation you know who is, and what a good job he's doing.

BUGGER!!! you no who even got me licking his ar*e

[The BFO]

I cannot argue with that at all. I revealed my identity in good faith to Mr Barker and asked some questions in the hope that he would engage which would perhaps lead to an ensuing conversation that would help us all. He chose to ignore me, which is his prerogative of course, but now I am known I need to be careful about what I say.
Whilst I have views, I am not prepared to put the future wellbeing of my family at risk, for what in the grander scheme of life is relative trivia.

[billyhayes]

Understood. Then register another username with a different email address.

I knew this would happen.

WTF people!? This is NOT North Korea.

[kathleen1]

I honestly think Billy people are just fed up with the uncertainty about their jobs, sales, bullying managers etc....and are fearful of any reprisal from management i think POL have worn us all out by playing mind games all the time.It does wear you out when its everyday sometimes i even give up myself because my brain is weary, especially being a mum of two children i try and switch off when i come home but believe me its very difficult.I am very lucky because my office is male dominated and they really do look out for me and support me all the time in my job, our office is a great laugh and to be honest the manager is alright too.He comes out of his office now and again but we just ignore him, he is too weak and afraid of confrontation to do anything about us- it's great.

[andy2007]

Then those who "outed"themselves just need to do as Billyhayes suggested, and create a new username, with a different Email address. There are plenty of sites which allow you to set up a free Email address. It would be a shame if people didn't feel they could discuss the issues properly. That is of course, the whole point of RMC.

[The BFO]

Understood. Then register another username with a different email address.

I knew this would happen.

WTF people!? This is NOT North Korea.

Of course it’s not ‘North Korea’ – but I do think some of the posts here fall into the category of ‘bringing the business into disrepute’ and as such could lead to difficulties. This forum is accessible to anyone with internet access, including customers.

I have considered creating a new Username, but I like to think my writing style is a little distinctive (criticism for arrogance welcome!), and actually why should I hide? I have opinions, which may be misguided, but so long as I am not personally offensive, and do not stray into the aforementioned area of ‘disrepute’, then I think for the time being at least I shall remain as I am.

Anyway, two customers today:

Customer One. Throws his Passport under the screen.
Him: ‘Can I draw some money out mate?’
Me: ‘Do you have an account with us sir?’
Him: ‘What mate?’
Me: ‘Do you have any sort of account that allows you to withdraw money at Post Offices?’
Him: ‘Dunno mate, you normally you give me a card’
Me: ‘Ah, do you have a Post Office Card Account, with a purple card?’
Him: ‘Yeah, that’s right’
Me: ‘Do you have the card with you?’
Him: ‘No’
Me: ‘Where is the card now?’
Him: ‘I haven’t got it mate’

At this point I gave up, gave him the telephone number for Customer Services, and didn’t see him again.

Customer Two.
A regular who holds his card all the time whilst inputting his PIN number.
Him; ‘Cav a balance?’ To which I respond; ‘Certainly – pop your card into the machine please’ He then commences his normal routine of placing his card in the machine and entering his PIN whilst holding his card with his free hand. I print the balance and hand it to him, which he then throws to one side. I decide this is making the place look untidy and ask him to give it to me if he doesn’t want it. This he does, after looking rather angry and confused, and then asks for £20. ‘Ok’, I say, ‘Put your card into the machine again please’ and then, ‘please put your number in again.’ Once again we go through the holding the card whilst entering the PIN routine, only this time, you’ve guessed it, ‘The Customer has Cancelled the Transaction’. I then ask him to try again, at which point he starts to get agitated, and I suggest to him that perhaps it would be a good idea if he takes his hand away from the card whilst he enters his number, which fortunately works. Unfortunately, he has by now decided that I am, in his words, and I quote, ‘A w****r’. As he starts to get near the door I shout ‘Sir’, he ignores me, I try again, ‘Sir’, his pace slows, and something in his brain stirs, he turns, and I say, ‘You’ve left you card in the machine’.

Happy days…

[billyhayes]

You made one small mistake. The card should have been destroyed the moment they walk away from the counter. Ops 20 says so.

Disrepute you say? Not a single thing any of us here say could further bring the post office down.

This once great company has been abused, desecrated, eviscerated, raped, plundered and pillaged by wave upon wave of self serving senior managers.

If there's one thing you can be assured of from me, I will not hold back, I will not tread carefully and I will not go quietly into the night.

[BELIAL]

Do you have bad thoughts? Do your thoughts contradict the good thoughts, if so they are bad thoughts .all those suspected of incorrect thinking will be assisted with re-education or in extreme cases reorientation ,any thoughts of North Korea will be permanently expunged

[BELIAL]

You made one small mistake. The card should have been destroyed the moment they walk away from the counter. Ops 20 says so.

Disrepute you say? Not a single thing any of us here say could further bring the post office down.

This once great company has been abused, desecrated, eviscerated, raped, plundered and pillaged by wave upon wave of self serving senior managers.

If there's one thing you can be assure of from me, I will not hold back, I will not tread carefully and I will not go quietly into the night.

Hint ,just don't mention the mafia

[kathleen1]

I am very disappointed with the post by BFO, i can't believe you didn't give him a referral sheet to apply for a postoffice mortgage, no wonder our business is in ruin,if only the counter staff would have more conversations.......you should be ashamed to wear that uniform, hang your head in shame.

[onlyanother30years]

Looks like Dicky Boy played the good cop bad cop a treat leaving Paulapoos to be the evil stepmother.

People that outed themselves only did so to make it a better place for all of us, for that they should be applauded and not preyed on due to their loyalty by management.

Whats disgusting is the way that people were lured out by false promises by rwbarker to answer questions and to now having sleepless nights over past posts.

It seems that management have turned the most loyal hardworking PO's against them which I thought I would never see, and now as a result at my office it's like a circus where we all perform the sales talk only when the ringmaster is in earshot, all the rest of the time it's easy street .

[The BFO]

we all perform the sales talk only when the ringmaster is in earshot

Absolutely - if staff had been effectively managed and motivated then a lot more than 172 would have voted against strike action. It is a sign of very poor morale, and means people only ‘perform’ whilst directly observed – not good from a management perspective.

[The BFO]

I am very disappointed with the post by BFO, i can't believe you didn't give him a referral sheet to apply for a postoffice mortgage, no wonder our business is in ruin,if only the counter staff would have more conversations.......you should be ashamed to wear that uniform, hang your head in shame.

I served him again today. I am sorry to say my Sales Conversation went all to hell as I was distracted by the large blob of mucus which threatened to drop at any moment from his moustache.