General guidelines

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 10 Dec 2007, 17:48

On the street

... Always wait for mail to be posted to your address: never ask a postman to give you mail items, as mail is only posted to addresses and never to individuals.

Gates

... gates that only open from the inside: these in some cases prevent an address from being accessed
... gates are easier to operate where it is clear (a) which section of a gate it is that opens, (b) which direction it opens in and (c) how the catch works

Walkways

... paving stones covered over with slippery substances: old paving stones which have gained a 'green' colour should be cleaned until the normal colour of the paving can be seen: this prevents the paving becoming slippery in wet weather conditions.
... shallow steps: these should be avoided at addresses wherever possible, as they encourage tripping and falling: build full steps wherever possible.
... keep steps clear of ice in Winter, by using salt (not hot water), to make walkways safe to walk on. Apply more salt if ice reforms

Hanging baskets, trees and bushes

... Placing these items sensibly (well above average head height and not obscuring access to address makes access to an address safe and easy.

Grilles

... These should be designed to facilitate a mail delivery, which involves (a) holding a bundle of letters (b) using the index finger to open the letterbox flap and (c) posting a letter or letterbox-sized parcel, through the letterbox.

Doors

... doors without numbers: Large, bright and/or contrasting numbers placed centrally at the top of a main door greatly help mail delivery
... through-houses in a row of back-to-back terraces: if your address was formerly a back-to-back terrace, you can do the following: 1. notify us that your house is a through-terrace and 2. alter the number on the front of your property to show two house numbers, e.g. 25-27

Notices

... 'Please deliver to such-and-such address if I am out' etc.: for the safety of your mail, we do not act on messages placed on doors.

Dogs

... clean away dog excrement and urine regularly
... Make us aware there is a dog at the address where you live and keep the dog restrained: fitting an external (secure) letterbox to a perimeter fence or gate to enable us to deliver mail safely

Letterboxes!

... brushes make it more difficult (in some cases, very difficult) to push anything through the letterbox
... curved, metal plates on the backs of letterboxes: these make posting mail extremely difficult
... very small letterboxes: these don't take most mail that items sent to your address: mail may require several folds before it will fit through a small letterbox: it is desirable to receive most mail without folds, especially greetings cards!
... letterboxes with loose hinges make mail delivery easier
... letterboxes placed high on a door which is at the top of a steep flight of steps, with a top step on normal (shallow width): it is difficult to post mail while balancing on the top step, with a bundle of mail in one hand, levering the letterbox open with one finger and pushing the mail items through the letterbox while the other hand
... letterboxes at the bottom of a door: these make carrying a mail bag while holding a large bundle of letters and posting with my right awkward
... 'junk mail': Postmen deliver leaflets and promotional materials on behalf of Royal Mail customers and this material is treated as first class mail.

General:

... Maintain gates, gardens and letterboxes: these are open to the weather and if checked and maintained regularly will assist mail delivery
... Not at this address: If you find mail sent to your address is for a previous occupant, write a note saying so on the mail items and put them back into a street postbox
... Timings for deliveries: By Law, a delivery must be made once every day (not including Sundays) but it can arrive any time during the day.
... Using good housekeeping and the rules found in the Health and Safety at Work Act in the places where you live will make your address and area safer for you, your family, neighbours and mail delivery.

Thanks for following these guidelines!

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 10 Dec 2007, 17:57

Getting used to the job then majeed

for the laughs it gave

for the post

well every postie knows what this is for.

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 10 Dec 2007, 17:59

(Gawd bless 'em!)

Stormproof · Post by **Stormproof** » 10 Dec 2007, 18:35

We thought you had disappeared(got lost out on delivery), how have you found the job?(apart from your post obviously)
Welcome to the world of being a postie

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 10 Dec 2007, 18:50

k66yla wrote:We thought you had disappeared(got lost out on delivery), how have you found the job?(apart from your post obviously)
Welcome to the world of being a postie

Nice to hear that you missed me.

I desisted from posting anything, as I've signed a confidentiality agreement to the effect that I will not divulge any of the workings of Royal Mail to anyone outside of it. But that still leaves room for people outside of Royal Mail and how they behave. I love the job and the people. Generally, the customers are nice: I was just getting some gripes off of my chest. Apart from that, It's great: a weird job: part-administrative, part manual. Inside, you're a manager in a team of managers, working to a tight schedule, while outside, you're a sole agent: you're essentially in-charge and freer to be more creative with how you get the work done - the pressure is still there to get the work done, though, even outside!

You spend so much time concentrating on the letters, the weather doesn't seem to matter that much, whether it is cracking the paving stones with the heat, or the rain is coming down like stair rods, or your finger ends are freezing off.

Also, one second's mistake in the sorting process can mean half-an-hour's time outside on the walk! Amazing! Everything must be right in every detail before you go out to your walk, otherwise, time is the victim: and you must still ensure that your customers get the service they have paid for by your ensuring that you deliver their items, at any cost!

The 'rotating days off' (with Sundays as a universal day off) is something they should have in all workplaces: it makes life more interesting, I guess: especially when you get a Saturday off one week and a Monday the next (by virtue of rotation: this is what they call 'a long weekend', i.e. Saturday, Sunday and Monday: great!

And when you're done - you're done: home, James! Until tomorrow....

There were a few interesting dynamics which I seem to have noticed (some mentioned in the post above):

1. The duality of perceptions in the postman-customer relationship
2. 'On-the-job' training (mentoring process); the steep learning curve; perceptions of mentor and trainee
3. Symbolism of "the postman" and "Royal Mail"
4. The latent 'skill set'
5. Incongruence of organisational hierarchy, as against contemporary, peer, business structures
6. The postman as a witness and effector of social standards

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 10 Dec 2007, 18:55

In only a few weeks, you have realised how difficult this job is and how badly we are treated by both management and the general public. But a very funny post

(and I hope you get to enjoy your couple of days off at Christmas to recover)

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 10 Dec 2007, 19:03

k66yla wrote:We thought you had disappeared(got lost out on delivery), how have you found the job?(apart from your post obviously)
Welcome to the world of being a postie

What happened was, that while out on delivery, at the end of the walk, I got sent back to the DO in a pink pouch but then I got stuck behind another letter in the pouch, and ever since, I've been going around in circles

. The guys in the PBO saved the day when someone spotted what had actually been going on and fished me out and... here I am! Yay! Meanwhile, I anticipate that the ongoing saga of what happened will be a long-term feature of our WTLL meetings in the canteen!

saru · Post by **saru** » 10 Dec 2007, 19:26

Oh Majeed, you've obviously had a steep learning curve. Glad you're enjoying it.

By the way, just wait until you're standing on someone's doorstep wanting a signature & they ask you what is it/where's it from/what's in the packet? Answer: I don't know, I didn't f*cking order it, just sign!

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 10 Dec 2007, 19:30

saru wrote:Oh Majeed, you've obviously had a steep learning curve. Glad you're enjoying it.

By the way, just wait until you're standing on someone's doorstep wanting a signature & they ask you what is it/where's it from/what's in the packet? Answer: I don't know, I didn't f*cking order it, just sign!

You forgot the look that goes with the question, you know the one, it's like you stubbed out your ciggy on their nephews forehead

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 10 Dec 2007, 19:31

saru wrote:Oh Majeed, you've obviously had a steep learning curve. Glad you're enjoying it.

By the way, just wait until you're standing on someone's doorstep wanting a signature & they ask you what is it/where's it from/what's in the packet? Answer: I don't know, I didn't f*cking order it, just sign!

You know? I never thought of that? But then, I assume that any normal person would understand that the postman does not know anything about the package and just wants the signature.

And have you noticed how many people don't seem to know the difference between the words, "print" and "sign"?

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 10 Dec 2007, 19:33

BELIAL wrote:
saru wrote:Oh Majeed, you've obviously had a steep learning curve. Glad you're enjoying it.

By the way, just wait until you're standing on someone's doorstep wanting a signature & they ask you what is it/where's it from/what's in the packet? Answer: I don't know, I didn't f*cking order it, just sign!
You forgot the look that goes with the question, you know the one, it's like you stubbed out your ciggy on their nephews forehead

I know: if you point out 'the obvious' to them, they get really annoyed!

Post by **POSTMAN** » 10 Dec 2007, 21:34

I desisted from posting anything, as I've signed a confidentiality agreement to the effect that I will not divulge any of the workings of Royal Mail to anyone outside of it.

L Tommo · Post by **L Tommo** » 10 Dec 2007, 22:09

Im sorry if i come across as a Scientist in a lab... Looking at the lab rat But Majeed mate.. I love the way you made the opening post on here back when you first came.. Now the break in post because of your Signing the BLUE forms... Now you come back... And im so glad you see just a few of the things posties go thru... IE gates with minds of there own and Owners with no mind at all... Stupid questions and idiot screws... Well i think they are...

Now you in such a short time have come along way. But as everybody knows we are always learning.. This job.. Especially the Delivery is a baptism of fire... Sink or swim... How are your feet and back doing??? I hope the walk trainner didnt give you such a hard time... I walked trained and some people just never got to grips even with tying up the walks.. Or doing there bag drops on there own after 2 weeks... There is so much more than the Public know what we do in the job.. I hoipe you tell and bore all your mates and family about what you do and how different it is from what you first thought,,, I did...

GOOD LUCK AND KEEP US INFORMED MATE...

OUT

Post by **baldrick** » 11 Dec 2007, 08:29

Hi Majeed

Glad to see you survived your first weeks. I thought you might have jacked in the job as so many do during their first couple of weeks. Stick with it mate. Things can only get better (where have I heard that before?!)

majeed · Post by **majeed** » 11 Dec 2007, 09:52

L Tommo wrote:Im sorry if i come across as a Scientist in a lab... Looking at the lab rat But Majeed mate.. I love the way you made the opening post on here back when you first came.. Now the break in post because of your Signing the BLUE forms... Now you come back... And im so glad you see just a few of the things posties go thru... IE gates with minds of there own and Owners with no mind at all... Stupid questions and idiot screws... Well i think they are...

Now you in such a short time have come along way. But as everybody knows we are always learning.. This job.. Especially the Delivery is a baptism of fire... Sink or swim... How are your feet and back doing??? I hope the walk trainner didnt give you such a hard time... I walked trained and some people just never got to grips even with tying up the walks.. Or doing there bag drops on there own after 2 weeks... There is so much more than the Public know what we do in the job.. I hoipe you tell and bore all your mates and family about what you do and how different it is from what you first thought,,, I did...

GOOD LUCK AND KEEP US INFORMED MATE...

OUT

Everyone at the delivery office has been very supportive: this is the type of job that you can only learn by 'doing': even now, everyone keeps asking me how I am doing and if everything is okay. If I have any questions, I get the answers and direction that I need. My walk mentors are friendly and always there if I need 'Help with any little thing': my feet have got used to my work boots. Still, the main thing is making sure the address matches the letterbox that the letter is being pushed through, as this is ultimately what the customer expects. All-in-all:

ROYALMAILCHAT

General guidelines

Did you know? A postman cannot hand mail to people on the street or in gardens?

General guidelines

Welcome back Majeed!