amateur Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 After returning from holiday, we've been wading through the mountain of post and found a red non-delivery card. "Did you set it up so that undeliverable post goes to the neighbours?" says my wife. "Certainly did, the form had space for 3, so I filled in 3" "So who's it with?" "He didn't fill in the house number, but he did tick the neighbour box " So I knock on 3 doors, nobody has any knowledge of the parcel. This morning I take a 10 mile round-trip drive to the sorting office, where the parcel is divied up. "Why didn't your guy leave it with a neighbour?" "Have you filled in the form?" "Of course" General shrugging of shoulders by the blokes standing around behind the counter. When I arrived home, parking the car, the "Ginger Whinger" (hair colour and attitude) postie turns up and thrusts today's post at me with a snarl. "Whilst we were away, why didn't you leave this parcel with a neighbour?" "They weren't in" "What, all three of them?" "I haven't got time to go to all of them. It is a complimentary service" "Do you understand the meaning of complimentary" By then he was halfway up our small street. Roll on full privatisation of the Post Office, and the inevitable cull of the dead-wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLuke Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 "I haven't got time to go to all of them. It is a complimentary service" "Do you understand the meaning of complimentary" I'm no postman but I do think he has a point here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) For years where we used to live we were on the 'spare' round or the training round or something of the sort. We never had a regular postman or a regular time. Sometimes you wouldn't get anything for days, then you would get a bundle. Its still better than what my mate gets in South Carolina. He has to drive into the nearest town to pick up his post mail Edited July 1, 2015 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Does anyone really think privatisation will improve the postal service? I have a sneaky feeling that we'll see new postmen on zero hours contracts, longer rounds, more difficulty accessing parcels at depots. Add to that the eventual cessation of deliveries to remote or outlying areas and a reduction to 2 or 3 deliveries per week and a huge increase in costs to the consumer to produce bigger profits and dividends for the investors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted July 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 I'm no postman but I do think he has a point here Why have a form to fill in which includes alternatives, if the individual postie can choose to ignore it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Does anyone really think privatisation will improve the postal service? I have a sneaky feeling that we'll see new postmen on zero hours contracts, longer rounds, more difficulty accessing parcels at depots. Add to that the eventual cessation of deliveries to remote or outlying areas and a reduction to 2 or 3 deliveries per week and a huge increase in costs to the consumer to produce bigger profits and dividends for the investors. Yes, simply because it will either sink or swim! Plenty of competition and one or more of the existing companies will rise to the challenge and offer a fair delivery service for a fair price and as said the dead wood will be out of a job. We are fortunate to have a great postwoman at our home address and a good service at work. Staff who realise they have a job to do and expectations to meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLuke Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Why have a form to fill in which includes alternatives, if the individual postie can choose to ignore it? I think if they genuinely try one they can't be expected to try two other alternatives for every house especially given how much online shopping is done these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted July 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 I think if they genuinely try one they can't be expected to try two other alternatives for every house especially given how much online shopping is done these days The on-line shopping couriers do - I've frequently taken in parcels for the neighbours halfway up the street. No, he's just a lazy ginger whinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 I guess that we are lucky-I know, by name, all of our posties and I cannot fault them-might help that we give them access to our Loo and a cold drink if they are out in the sun-they go the extra mile as a way of thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Yes, simply because it will either sink or swim! Plenty of competition and one or more of the existing companies will rise to the challenge and offer a fair delivery service for a fair price and as said the dead wood will be out of a job. We are fortunate to have a great postwoman at our home address and a good service at work. Staff who realise they have a job to do and expectations to meet. Some will be better I agree, but as I said, the outlying areas, Highlands and Islands will suffer. As always with privatisation the cream will be skimmed off and the difficult areas will be dumped or made to pay a premium. Your postwoman might not be as keen when her hours are increased, pension cut and she finds out you supported the takeover. Ever tried to get your letters out of a gully grating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalahari Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 The privatised companies don't have to offer a nationwide delivery service. If they did, they wouldn't exist! David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangon Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 I was going out the door last week and the postman walked up and gave me a few letters. I just set them on the side in the hall and then got into my car and dropped the boy to school. When I got back i saw my Mrs arguing with the postie , I was walking towards his van and I saw her chuck the letters at him into his van and he drove off. What the hell was that about I said. She said they weren't our letters and he was refusing to take them back as we'd accepted them. My missus is very polite and kind and rarely loses it, She saw him getting into the van a few doors away and went to give him the letters back He said "there your letters' She said "no there not" He said yes they are She said "same address completely different post code and wrong name so there not mine He said, well its your adress She said THEY ARE NOT MY LETTERS He Said Well you have accepted them so they are technically yours. Mrs Exasperated, THEY ARE NOT MY LETTERS" He said well i don't want them, youll have to leave them into the post office" To which my mild mannered Mrs, chucked the letters at him and walked off and he sped away like a ****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 The privatised companies don't have to offer a nationwide delivery service. If they did, they wouldn't exist! David. Exactly! Good deliveries in major cities with good rail and road links, everyone else will lose out because of cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 They certainly don,t have to buy their own rubber bands, ours has the letters for the four local houses held neatly in a bundle, he then removes band,drops it wherever his is standing (usually in my drive) & delivers letters, I wonder how many young birds & that rarity now a hedgehog choke on these bits of discarded rubber? I may round them up one day & take to main P/O. (the band not the dead bodies!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Exactly! Good deliveries in major cities with good rail and road links, everyone else will lose out because of cost. Why should I subsidise somebody living on a remote island? They get the better views, I get cheaper post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KFC Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Does anyone really think privatisation will improve the postal service? I have a sneaky feeling that we'll see new postmen on zero hours contracts, longer rounds, more difficulty accessing parcels at depots. Add to that the eventual cessation of deliveries to remote or outlying areas and a reduction to 2 or 3 deliveries per week and a huge increase in costs to the consumer to produce bigger profits and dividends for the investors. I suspect that once it's fully privatised then we'll have to pay £50 a year for a mail box in a sorting centre which we will have to go to in order to collect our mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Some will be better I agree, but as I said, the outlying areas, Highlands and Islands will suffer. As always with privatisation the cream will be skimmed off and the difficult areas will be dumped or made to pay a premium. Your postwoman might not be as keen when her hours are increased, pension cut and she finds out you supported the takeover. Ever tried to get your letters out of a gully grating? She is of a similar opinion! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Why should I subsidise somebody living on a remote island? They get the better views, I get cheaper post. So if your Electricity supplier said you were going to have to pay double for your electric because you are further from the power station than someone in Exmoor you would be happy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 So if your Electricity supplier said you were going to have to pay double for your electric because you are further from the power station than someone in Exmoor you would be happy? It's a market economy. If it bothered me that much I would move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalahari Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Right, so you would move to where you didn't have a job? Sorry but I have always found the vast majority of posties very reasonable people. We all have bad days and there are some people who just assume that they require perfection in all there services. Wonder how long they would keep their job if judged by the same standards? David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern01 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 My post lady actually told me she has a phobia about dogs and if my gate is shut and the dogs may be in the garden she will not deliver. I think she is in the wrong job Never the less I fitted a mail box on the outside of my garden wall as I like reading junk mail and getting bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 A distant uncle of mine was a postman all his life, he bought his own 3 bed semi in a London suburb, raised a family and retired on a pension. You won't see a postman today being able to do that. Same as bus drivers and similar jobs, they have all been dragged down to rock bottom wages and living on top up benefits. The post box at the end of my road only gets emptied once a day now at 5pm, it used to be about four times a day years ago.I strongly suspect we don't get a delivery every day, we didn't yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clakk Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 weve gone from 2 delivery,s a day to 1 anywhere between 10 and 2 ,no set time and missed delivery collection used to be 4 hours later from the sorting office.now thats gone to next day only.when its fully privatised god help us . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I like our postman, great guy always as helpful as he can be. Happily collects postcards and our letters to go in the post such from our guests, unofficial collection point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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