To think that Royal Mail are SHIT.

[happybubblebrain]

That's all I need to say. Please share your stories.

I wasn't rude or shouty at all. I was in a state of disbelief. Last time I checked it is a basic human right that people have a right to their own mail. The customer next to me overhearing said "so what's the point of ID then?"

It's not easy to sort out, because I'm never in. I'm always out working. And I have no idea if they are going to redeliver or just keep/bin my parcel. And if they do leave a card this time, it's another long journey to the sorting office with my child (I don't have a car) to stand in a freezing cold queue for an hour.

Tulip at my PO, we are happy to accept old bank notes, we also will give out change and accept change for notes as long as it is properly counted into money bags. It is actually the individual Post Office's decision as to whether they do this or not, they are under no obligation to, but my boss likes us to do it, we are only a small sub office and we like to keep the customers happy.

It does get incredibly hard when all we get day in day out is comments about how shit Royal Mail and the PO are. I am always friendly and polite, and I enjoy my job. In fact, I was sworn at by a customer when I told him that a stamp was 60p and he said he "couldn't wait until the PO gets shut down." I'm sorry, but I personally do not set the prices of stamps, I'm just trying to do my job. This is my livelihood, it's what I do to support my son. Re queues, well at this time of year there are bound to be, and most of our customers are little old men and ladies who like to have a chat and can't move as fast as they used to. I understand it gets frustrating, but you can't really tell them to fuck off.

Generally I like the royal mail and my usual postie is lovely (and weirdly shares the same name as my DH!). But the guy who delivered a parcel today was a full on twat- didn't knock but just shoved a 'sorry you were out' card through the letterbox, I got to the door just before he was about to drive away and he waved at me to cross the road to get it from him. Being housebound and on crutches (and still in my pjs) I just stood there mouthing sorry, he eventually came over to give it to me and told me I was a fucking lazy cow and blew his cigarette smoke in my face

Generally though I think they do a good job, and most are really friendly and helpful. Our local post office staff are especially lovely.

My postie is a lad I went to school with, if I am not in he takes my parcels to my mum's around the corner. He isn't supposed to but he does because he knows I can't get to the delivery office very easily as it is out of town with no visitor parking.
He is fab, if he ever moves I will be stuck.

Ours are lovely.

The other day I got home to find the dreaded card. It had a note on to say that if I phoned [mobile number] before 1pm they'd drop it back to me. I did so and they were round in 10 minutes.

The last guy even drove to the main post office to get a parcel for me that had been returned there. I didn't ask - he offered. Mind you it was just before Christmas and he knew I usually gave a tip but he would have got it anyway. He was really sweet and I even miss his habit of lighting a fag as he started our road and breathing out a great lungful of smoke into our hall as he put the post through the letterbox so the whole house would mysteriously smell of fags for 5 minutes, and I'd think "WTF? Oh! Post has arrived."

We have hardly ever had to go to the main post office (which TBH would not be much of an inconvenience anyway as DH works close by) because of their ingenuity in leaving parcels in various places.

I do help them out a lot though by taking in loads of parcels for neighbours, so maybe that's why they are so nice to me.

I am a huge fan of the Royal Mail. We have never had any problems and posties go out of their way to deliver things safely. The sorting office is also grand - usually busy but very cheery.
A nationwide and reliable service is to be celebrated and cherished.

I think it depends on the postie. My last postie was brilliant but I've moved house and my current postie is so bad I've considered going down the reporting to police route as RM policies are so out of date and they have such awful customer service that I think it may be the only way to sort it - or I have to spend the test of my time living here having my post sent to a families members address just so I get it. In my case they have admitted my postie is "wrong", "lazy", and "not doing his job". And one person at the sorting office called him "shit". But they will only apologise, and not DO anything.

So, yeah, Royal Mail ARE shit. But they also have some great staff (like my ex-postie) but its ruined by the "shit" staff and the organisational policy.

Update on my lost parcel. I went in this morning and explained it to the woman working at the sorting office she had a look and couldn't find it or explain why it had been signed for. 5 people were looking for it in the end and they found it. I might have squeaked with happiness. I'm so sleepy pleased.

Being housebound and on crutches (and still in my pjs) I just stood there mouthing sorry, he eventually came over to give it to me and told me I was a fucking lazy cow and blew his cigarette smoke in my face

I'd complain about that, if it were me (and point out that the service I usually received was great.)

Seasicksal maybe you should see how much ID the temps need to bring in and fill out there are crb checked but hey why dont you just call my and dp bloody theives how fucking rude are you

Plus on days the temps get min wage on nights its 6:58 and we get less breaks than the perm staff

There are cameras above you with managers watching you sort I am not denying it happens but to clump everyone together is not right !!!

Get things delivered to work. Then you are there to collect them.

Oh, so no, YANBU! (Forgot where I was!)

Any company with so many inconsistencies in staff and service is definitely shit.

The Royal Mail round here is shockingly disorganised. Half the time we never get our post (then get a double-load the next day) and the village along hasn't had any post for 4 days at this point. At this time of year too!!

They need to employ more staff and have them trained properly. The cost of a first class stamp is astronomical as it is, you'd think they could actually get it delivered when it's meant to be. I'd be a bit miffed if I wasn't recieving the service I'd paid for.

Get things delivered to work.

If your company allows it. It's been pointed out at ours that the mail room staff are not employed to deal with everyone's personal deliveries.

Yodel left a food hamper on my doorstep and it was stolen in minutes. Royal Mail have never left a any package on my doorstep. YABU.

Happy bubble what has happened? It is a big organisation and it seems you may have been unlucky as most folk including me have had a very good experience albeit and increasingly expensive one.

Never ever had an issue with Royal Mail and all postmen have always been nice and polite.
If you have a problem with them then complain to the company.

I think it depends who your local driver is. Our Hermes lady is great. I luffs her. If she happens to arrive before 8am she won't knock unless she sees a light on. She's learned Devil Dog's name and knows if she calls "Scruff, where's your raggy rope?" through the letter box he will absolutely crack up and get my attention no matter where I am in the house, she only does this if I don't answer after a few minutes. She is always on time.

Our regular postie is great too, but not as nice as the Hermes lady. The Royal Mail van driver around here, I despise. He knocked me out of bed at 7:20am this morning, after working until 1am I was not impressed. He constantly sounds like he is trying to come through the door, rather than just knocking on it and quite often posts "Sorry we missed you" cards through the door without even knocking. I am fully convinced he does not even have most of the parcels with him. I try to avoid Royal Mail whenever possible.

IME, YABU.

Our current postman is wonderful, as was the regular postman for our previous address (in a different county). My parents' last postwoman was also brilliant right up until she retired (in yet another county), and her replacements have all been lovely so far too.

Things our lovely postfolk have done, beyond their official responsibilities:

• Offered to collect any post for us, to save us the walk to the postbox;
• Phoned to ask if it's ok to leave parcels in the communal hallway, and hidden them under the mat;
• Brought treats for every dog on their rounds;
• Stopped to exchange pleasantries even when the weather is horrible;
• Always done their best to leave parcels with trustworthy neighbours when we're out .

Any company with so many inconsistencies in staff and service is definitely shit.

There aren't many companies having 200,000 employees in over a thousand offices operating across the whole of the UK, for a start. Some inconsistencies are bound to creep in.

Because they don't ring the bell sometimes and put a card through anyway, with a post office collection point which is literally impossible to get to without a car, or a difficult process of re-delivery.

Also very very expensive! (but all couriers are).

Our regular postman is really sound, but previously I've had a right faff on to get something sent in the post.

Starsandunicorns I didn't specifically call your husband a thief. I am sure that there are some Christmas temps that don't steal. But in my experience an awful lot of them must do. Whenever we have family birthdays/occasions in the 9 months of the year after Christmas everything arrives fine. As soon as the Christmas temps come on then stuff starts going missing.

Royal Mail are not managing the risk of having temporary staff effectively. You have to prove your ID for any job, and having a CRB only weeds out habitual criminals.

There might be cameras on the sorting room floor but there are none when they are out on their rounds.

Temporary staff are always a risk because they do not have the incentive of needing to keep the job as a reason not to be involved with anything dodgy.

You can have a big a hissy fit as you like but it doesn't change the fact that temporary staff are much, much more likely to be involved with theft or fraud and that risk is not being managed effectively by Royal Mail.

Never had a problem with them! Never any stolen parcels, unlike city link however!

Well it's been two weeks since I ordered a new debit card and I'm still waiting. I've had 2 letters posted over the last 2 weeks when normally I get 2 a day. One of those was a bill dated 25th November which needed paying pretty sharpish. I know it's Christmas and it's busy but this is really unacceptable and I need that bloody debit card! Grrrrr

They are rubbish around here, had obviously from the outside cards opened then put in bags stating they were opened due to customs check - posted 40 Miles away in the same country, loads of healthy start vouchers stolen, at least twice a week I get all my neighbours post and they get ours, could be either side so not the same mistake, when I complained to royal mail they told me they couldn't look into anything as my address doesn't exist!!??