Who said the royal mail wouldnt investigate?

downfader

Does anyone remember my video of the postman going through the red light?

Well I actually got a good response from them. A guy just knocked my door (yes, they did figure out where I live ) and said he was the guy in charge of the cycle fleet locally.

He said he couldnt figure out who it was but it wasnt one of their lads (different bike to what they've just been issued with). Turns out all their lads have been talked to about the dangers of it. I reitterated my point about the corner where he was sat being a place where busses and lorries cut the corner and that its his safety I was concerned with.

He seemed to agree with me, and had even tried to work out where the guy would have been sat in relation to traffic (he'd printed off google earth). TBH I dont know what I wrote as I was feeling a bit unwell that week. :oops:

Just need to post an update to the video so that people on youtube know if they view it.

Surf-Matt

The Royal Mail, just like the NHS have been nothing but brilliant in my experience.

Always pleased when a courier used Parcel Force, always get a bit of chat from the local postman (who really likes our dog) and can't really fault them.

Lots of bad press, but I think they rock. Shame the local PO is having to shut down though

downfader

Funnily enough I too compare it to the NHS (after having worked there for sometime). The guy has gone out of his way to try and sort it out. 8)

Lots of our local POs are destined to close apparently. Those in the know: always the old dears you encounter in them.

alfablue

Good to hear people praising 2 of our best national institutions, it makes a change!

nwallace

POs aren't really run by Royal Mail though, they belong to Post Office Counters or Consignia as they briefly decided to be known by.

Post Office closures and relocations are unfortunately the result of changed patterns of life/work. I work in Dundee, only on Saturdays am I in Wormit when the PO is open. If I have a packet delivered when no one is in (any time other than summer, mum's a teacher) then it goes to the Post Town (Newport-On-Tay) post office. Not Kirckaldy, Glenrtohes, Dundee etc etc. Unfortuantely the PO I have used when at work is Being closed. To be honest it could have been a reasonable shop with a PO Counter. But they only did post office stuff. One Closer to work is staying open so I will just use that when needed, I actually thought it was a smaller PO turns out its the main one for Dundee's west end.

The NHS get pelters for being Crap, yet the only coverage I have ever seen for private hospitals has been:
1) Fernbrae in Dundee when a surgeon screwed up a nose job and the patient was rushed to Ninewells and died.

2) The hospital in Clydebank now known as NHS Golden Juibilee when it went bankrupt.

I should probably start slagging of the BBC for having a stock photo of Ninewells which is very much out of date. :P

alfablue

Post Offices struggle to make an income. I had a guilt provoking experience recently, I bought and printed my post online (saves time at the counter) for a special delivery item, took it to the PO and the postmaster pointed out that he made no money out of it. I had presumed they would get a fee for handling it (and it takes about a minute to process the item) but no. I won't do that again!

downfader

alfablue wrote:

Post Offices struggle to make an income. I had a guilt provoking experience recently, I bought and printed my post online (saves time at the counter) for a special delivery item, took it to the PO and the postmaster pointed out that he made no money out of it. I had presumed they would get a fee for handling it (and it takes about a minute to process the item) but no. I won't do that again!

A big plus one to that! I know i sometimes have to wait 40 minutes to post a large item, but I know that it will 99% of the time be looked after. I have not had such great experience with some couriers sadly.

POs aren't really run by Royal Mail though, they belong to Post Office Counters or Consignia as they briefly decided to be known by.

Post Office closures and relocations are unfortunately the result of changed patterns of life/work. I work in Dundee, only on Saturdays am I in Wormit when the PO is open. If I have a packet delivered when no one is in (any time other than summer, mum's a teacher) then it goes to the Post Town (Newport-On-Tay) post office. Not Kirckaldy, Glenrtohes, Dundee etc etc. Unfortuantely the PO I have used when at work is Being closed. To be honest it could have been a reasonable shop with a PO Counter. But they only did post office stuff. One Closer to work is staying open so I will just use that when needed, I actually thought it was a smaller PO turns out its the main one for Dundee's west end.

The NHS get pelters for being Crap, yet the only coverage I have ever seen for private hospitals has been:
1) Fernbrae in Dundee when a surgeon screwed up a nose job and the patient was rushed to Ninewells and died.

2) The hospital in Clydebank now known as NHS Golden Juibilee when it went bankrupt.

I should probably start slagging of the BBC for having a stock photo of Ninewells which is very much out of date

Cheers for the clarification! You're quite right.

Yes, having worked in hospital catering you tend to hear about private botch ups. I have been told that everyone who was private who had a heart attack in the past 5 years has just been referred to our hospital locally. It was a consultant cardiologist who told me this (whilst attending to my father no less - who has since fully recovered )

Oh and incase you wonder. Those stories you heard about boxes in A&E with items/souveniers removed from a person's person is actually true.

nwallace

Hospital Catering eh?

How is it the kitchens manage to make the food in the Staff and Visitor canteens so much better than that delivered to patients :P

woodford2barbican

nwallace wrote:

Hospital Catering eh?

How is it the kitchens manage to make the food in the Staff and Visitor canteens so much better than that delivered to patients :P

Perhaps because the food in the canteen does not need to be hand delivered and kep warm in hot plates....?

Luckily I have not needed to experience this.....

downfader

woodford2barbican wrote:

nwallace wrote:

Hospital Catering eh?

How is it the kitchens manage to make the food in the Staff and Visitor canteens so much better than that delivered to patients :P

Perhaps because the food in the canteen does not need to be hand delivered and kep warm in hot plates....?

Luckily I have not needed to experience this.....

You've hit the nail on the head there. The heated trollies we use now are better, but any food thats left on storage for a time goes a bit manky imo. Its the same food as in the canteen too.

Right, off to work!

karl j

Hi there DF, i think it was possibly me being a little skeptical about the response i thought you'd receive. Though i am a little unsure of the "not one of ours" comment it's good to see you've got a response you're pleased with.

cheers

karl j

As regards hospital catering, (how did a cycling postie turn into hospital catering ?), after having 3 weeks in Addenbrookes last July and a week in the Norfolk & Norwich this January, i reckon it was good wholesome and healthy food, and at the right temperature / on clean plates etc. Certainly no complaints from me.

alfablue

On hospital catering, I had a 7 week stay after breaking my pelvis (fell off my bike - see it is about cycling). I managed to get an internet connection in my single room (I was studying for an online course at the time). I am a veggie, and the menus didn't indicate what was veggie or not (for example, people assume dishes with cheese are veggie, because they don't know that its only veggie if it has veggie rennet). The choice was also limited, and meant jacket spud for me most days. I used my laptop to email the catering manager, he arranged to meet me in my room and he bought the NHS menu book with him, he agreed to investigate all ingredients and mark the menus with a V by the veggie dishes, he let me suggest several dishes from the NHS menu book, and he said the special order chef would cook me whatever I wanted, and she would shop in Sainsbury's for me if necessary!!!

Bloody fantastic response!

And I was quite chuffed that I had a part in changing the whole system for future veggies.

ChrisLS

...some marketing type should get hold of some ideas about postmen/women, they are the Royal Mails biggest asset and need promoting and advertising...

dirk_van_gently

ChrisLS wrote:

...some marketing type should get hold of some ideas about postmen/women, they are the Royal Mails biggest asset and need promoting and advertising...

In the words of Joanie Mitchell, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone".
All our local posties are great chaps and chapesses. I have had stuff delivered to me where the sender has got the address incomprehensibly wrong, and it has still reached me. It is that kind of service that makes you feel warm and fuzzy towards the Posties and the PO.
Sadly it seems that the powers that be seemed determined to undermine that kind of service because it doesn't show up on a spreadsheet or a chart, and because there has been a campaign of bad press by the media, who seemed to be working in cahoots with big business's that wish to cream off the profitable sections of the Royal Mail.

Surf-Matt

Indeed - I'd happily pay a %age of my taxes to support the PO, NOT to prop up ailing banks, pay stupid MPs expenses and to waste on funding 25 year defunct PPP contracts :evil: :evil:

I trust the PO with postages and parcels - I DON'T trust City Link, TNT, etc - they have a poor service, are much more inflexible and have naff all depots if you commit the "crime" of being out when they try and deliver - with the PO, this is always at a set time, with couriers, it can be any time.

downfader

Surf-Matt wrote:

Indeed - I'd happily pay a %age of my taxes to support the PO, NOT to prop up ailing banks, pay stupid MPs expenses and to waste on funding 25 year defunct PPP contracts :evil: :evil:

I trust the PO with postages and parcels - I DON'T trust City Link, TNT, etc - they have a poor service, are much more inflexible and have naff all depots if you commit the "crime" of being out when they try and deliver - with the PO, this is always at a set time, with couriers, it can be any time.

This is my issue with couriers. They often say they'll be there on a date and then you'll pop to the loo to find a card when you come back. Then there are some couriers who seem happy to sling the fragile stuff around - they've been caught doing it at work when they deliver there. Also caught the DHL man driving the van with his mobile pressed to his ear and a fag in the other hand. :roll:

SamWise72

Our actual postman is great. The guys who come in the van with parcels are not. I don't know why, but they will just arrive, write a card and put it through the door without knocking to see if there's anyone in! Why? More than once I've opened the door by chance to find a scabby individual there writing a "You weren't in when we tried to deliver" card. That pisses me off no end.

alfablue

SamWise72 wrote:

Our actual postman is great. The guys who come in the van with parcels are not. I don't know why, but they will just arrive, write a card and put it through the door without knocking to see if there's anyone in! Why? More than once I've opened the door by chance to find a scabby individual there writing a "You weren't in when we tried to deliver" card. That pisses me off no end.

I suggest you tell the sorting office, I am sure they will give the driver some feedback.

cee

alfablue wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

Our actual postman is great. The guys who come in the van with parcels are not. I don't know why, but they will just arrive, write a card and put it through the door without knocking to see if there's anyone in! Why? More than once I've opened the door by chance to find a scabby individual there writing a "You weren't in when we tried to deliver" card. That pisses me off no end.

I suggest you tell the sorting office, I am sure they will give the driver some feedback.

I am afraid that this seems to be common practice. I was waiting for a parcel. The red card of doom came through the letterbox, so I opened the door and asked why he didin't knock. He said i didn't think you were in!

So I said..well I am..can I have my parcel now please? He didn't even have it with him! Just a card for me to collect it the next day! Its not even as if it was big...a jiffy bag that would fit through a letter box!

Not happy......I should coco.

alfablue

cee wrote:

alfablue wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

Our actual postman is great. The guys who come in the van with parcels are not. I don't know why, but they will just arrive, write a card and put it through the door without knocking to see if there's anyone in! Why? More than once I've opened the door by chance to find a scabby individual there writing a "You weren't in when we tried to deliver" card. That pisses me off no end.

I suggest you tell the sorting office, I am sure they will give the driver some feedback.

I am afraid that this seems to be common practice. I was waiting for a parcel. The red card of doom came through the letterbox, so I opened the door and asked why he didin't knock. He said i didn't think you were in!

So I said..well I am..can I have my parcel now please? He didn't even have it with him! Just a card for me to collect it the next day! Its not even as if it was big...a jiffy bag that would fit through a letter box!

Not happy......I should coco.

This is bad! But I am a firm believer in complaining - how can we expect things to change if we just put up and shut up?

dirk_van_gently

SamWise72 wrote:

but they will just arrive, write a card and put it through the door without knocking to see if there's anyone in! Why?

I too have seen this, but not from a Postie but one of the other couriers, City Link I think it was.
I saw the van arrive, so went to open the door, he hadn't knocked, but was in the process of writing the card.
"You didn't knock or ring the bell!"
"I didn't think anyone was in" Pathetic
"That's why you have to knock or ring the bell!" tres sarcasticly
"Harrumph!! Sign here please".

Why do they do it? because they are all under too much pressure, to get round. Well that's my 0.0002p on the subject.

Bikerbaboon

well roaly mail never knock at my door when they have a parcle for my as

1) i get it sent to work as i will always be ther when they are delivering it

2) anyhting that is addressed to go to my proparty that is too big for the letter box gets retained at the local sorting office and i just get the card through.

i do it that way as then i dont have to wait hte 48 hours to pick up hte post. speeds everything up and saves the poor posties back.

Surf-Matt

The thing with Royal Mail parcels is that there is always a sorting office nearby.

Down here nr Truro, it's 3 miles away (actually just over the river so about 1/2 miles by boat!) so it's not hassle to pick something up - I missed a delivery this morning - because I was surfing! Will pick it up shortly.

But City Link and most of the others have a nearest depot in Plymouth - 1.5 hours drive away!!!

Now Wiggle have switched to City Link, I refuse to use them any more. They really are the worst of the lot.

Our local postman is friendly and very punctual - same with the Parcel Force guy (played with our dog for a few mins last week when delivering a stereo - I unpacked it to check it was okay -really nice bloke - he also reversed all the way up our 1 in 3 150 yard long drive in a big van - serious skill!).

dirk_van_gently

Surf-Matt wrote:

Now Wiggle have switched to City Link, I refuse to use them any more. They really are the worst of the lot..

+1
Nearest depot 40miles away, rude obnoxious staff with the collective IQ of a gnat.

nwallace

downfader wrote:

You've hit the nail on the head there. The heated trollies we use now are better, but any food thats left on storage for a time goes a bit manky imo. Its the same food as in the canteen too.

Had always suspected so, it can't be good for it to be packed into little tubs and then loaded into a trolley, then wait till all other trolleys are loaded, then wait for the Bagnall to turn up (incidentally what job do i need to apply for to get a shot of a bagnall? It's my back up plan should I find my self i a position covered by the 0 redundancy policy.) then be dragged to the door for the wards, wait to be pushed in, then wait to be distributed.

See back on topic, Royal Mail Deliveries, be cause er like the mail it's delivered in the hospital by hospital staff. um.

downfader

alfablue wrote:

cee wrote:

alfablue wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

Our actual postman is great. The guys who come in the van with parcels are not. I don't know why, but they will just arrive, write a card and put it through the door without knocking to see if there's anyone in! Why? More than once I've opened the door by chance to find a scabby individual there writing a "You weren't in when we tried to deliver" card. That pisses me off no end.

I suggest you tell the sorting office, I am sure they will give the driver some feedback.

I am afraid that this seems to be common practice. I was waiting for a parcel. The red card of doom came through the letterbox, so I opened the door and asked why he didin't knock. He said i didn't think you were in!

So I said..well I am..can I have my parcel now please? He didn't even have it with him! Just a card for me to collect it the next day! Its not even as if it was big...a jiffy bag that would fit through a letter box!

Not happy......I should coco.

This is bad! But I am a firm believer in complaining - how can we expect things to change if we just put up and shut up?

We had the very same problem for a while last year (our usual postie left and guys were filling in). A quick email and it was sorted. Hasnt happened since.. there again we do have a regular postie again.

stuaff

Surf-Matt wrote:

Now Wiggle have switched to City Link, I refuse to use them any more. They really are the worst of the lot.

Wiggle use both Royal Mail and City Link- I think City Link get the heavier packages, so who handles it depends on what you order. I've only ordered from them four or five times, once it's been City Link who handled it, all the rest via RM.

vivelesalpes

I work for Royal Snail and they'll always investigate complaints if they are put through there 0845 helpline no. or e-mail via there website.

Surf-Matt

StuAff wrote:

Surf-Matt wrote:

Now Wiggle have switched to City Link, I refuse to use them any more. They really are the worst of the lot.

Wiggle use both Royal Mail and City Link- I think City Link get the heavier packages, so who handles it depends on what you order. I've only ordered from them four or five times, once it's been City Link who handled it, all the rest via RM.

Interesting - didn't know they also used RM. Still puts me off using them though.