I'm a postie ask me anything

[Postieonthego]

In light of the two recent thread - postman being a checker fcuker - and - how many parcel are too many. What do you want to ask a postie?

There's the Brooking case at the moment where a postal worker stole, over the space of 18 months, £50,000, so I'm not going to say it doesn't happen, but I don't have an idea on how widespread it is.

You've said it yourself but NEVER SENT CASH THROUGH THE POST. I'd also urge people to put a return address on the back of an envelope, especially with Christmas cards, but really on everything. You may have the address slightly wrong, the recipient may have moved or lost your address to return a card. And items get damaged.

Firstly is the block clearly marked so postie knows he is in Blue Mansions rather than Red Mansions. There are a number of 'courts' where I deliver and the signage is so poor it took me weeks to work them out

Are there letterboxes in the foyer to post letters into or is it the individual flat doors? If individual doors and the postie is leaving stuff in the foyer contact the sorting office and 'complain'.

When letters for other blocks are left on the shelf the postie probably believes he has already done his job and is not going to pick those letters up and have another go, even if he notices them. Again speak to the sorting office.

I am sorry this is happening to you.

Do you know which parcels are medical cannabis?

I've never known someone intentionally deliver to the wrong address for fun.
How strange. I know people deliver to the wrong address as they can't work out what street they are in, but this is by mistake.

In the past I have knocked/chapped on a door and said, "where am I!". Which is met by really helpful or bewildered people. Where I am there are a number of new estates by an array of builders. One of our managers went to the show homes and was given a tour and a map of each estate - which the postie doing that area now has.

Royal Mail investigations are always drawn out processes. Does the postie need training - and here I need to say training is minimal. Mostly it is the postie working out where to go, or is it a one off mistake. If you have a number of posties, it is also proving it is always Bob and not Fred or Joe.

In a world where customer service is king, I often think Royal Mail managers didn't get the memo. I have sorted out complaints/issues for younger staff members, completely off my own bat or as a team in a local area we have worked issues out together.

I am sorry that this was your experience of Royal Mail.

Always more relaxed with those parcels.

Thank you.
Yes, all the blocks have the names clearly on the outside doors & there are numbered letterboxes in the foyer.

I will complain, I think. I always redeliver but I don’t know how much post for our block ends up elsewhere.

Who, the postie or the recipient?

Sorry I missed this one.
I think Mrs Heahter McCarty, 17 Main Street, Scotland is my all-time favourite.
But we did give it a go.
When it came to me it already had written in various postie handwriting not Kilmarnock, not Aberdeen, not Glasgow etc.
I do wonder if she ever got her card.

The postie.
Also those packages are delivered to the same people on a regular basis, it doesn't take MI-5 to work out what's happening.
Also we delver a lot of coffee, so that's a nice smell in the van and a lot of candles and infuser type items.

It doesn't have to be a 'I want that postie sacked!'
It can be a 'We have this issue, how can management and the postie/s sort it out?'.

and never do this.

Ah cool.

I get it delivered and always feel a bit uncomfortable signing for it. Like he knows.

Illogical, I know.

Brilliant!

In the nicest possible way it's not the postie's business. You may ge the odd jokey comment, but just relax

@Postieonthego yes, it was completely bizarre. I can only assume he derived some secret glee from deliberately delivering to the wrong streets but right number? This was across maybe 6 or 7 streets in a smallish area. When I started knocking on doors and asking other people if they’d recently noticed their post being for the wrong address (but right number) you could see light dawning for everyone. I’ve certainly never known anything like it. Perhaps he thought nobody would ever notice…

I don't understand as he would obviously get found out, eventually. Unless he wanted to 'be let go'.

Has anybody opened the door starkers?

Another odd thing I had a few times is getting a delivery confirmation email with the wrong photo - so I’m in Flat 23 & I get a pic meant for Flat 5, & presumably vice versa.

The package is always there so I assume that’s just postie getting them mixed up, since it’s the same postcode & the addresses are almost identical. I mentioned that in the feedback last time & it hasn’t happened since so I assume someone had a word.

Are you allowed to drink on shift, OP? Not alcohol obviously but I mean can you carry a bottle of water? It's such hot, thirsty and exhausting work in summer.

How old are you, OP? Are you fit as a fiddle?

Thanks for this thread - really lovely.

No. but a few times in very skimpy outfits.

It could be just getting mixed up, but it should be the photo is taken as the delivery happens. The camera on a PDA is not great. photos taken after dark are pretty appalling.

Drink yes. Although not alcohol as you mentioned,
The offer of a drink especially in a resealable bottle is always welcome.
Water, especially in summer is strongly advised, but you can become dehydrated at anytime. 22,000 to 25,000 steps a day is standard.

I'm in my late 50s. I am now once again a 32 waist. Was 38 when I had an office job.
The knees know all about those letterboxes below waist height.

I have another one. A friend’s partner is a postie because he’s a passionate fell runner (I think he still holds the 3 peaks record) and it fits in with his daily runs. I know two others who were studying for PhDs at the same time as working as postmen and women. Then there’s you, of course, who previously worked in an office. Do you see a range of skill sets and personalities and reasons for choosing to do the job you do?

Yes absolutely, some have done it all their lives. Some worked in offices for years and wanted to do something completely different. A few people from the forces. Some who worked in a casino that closed down in Covid and a few who worked in retail. One who is a singer waiting to be discovered.

I worked in education in London very high pressure, working into the night etc. I moved to coastal Scotland and wanted to do something that was less stressful.