I was connecting a PC up to my new TV & had my hands a bit full when the dog started barking, “ahh the posties here with my goodies for this bank holiday weekend” thought I. Not wanting to drop £500’s worth of Sony (not)smart TV I took my time in carefully placing it on the floor, only to catch a glimpse of the postie doing a Linford Christie down the drive (a real knees touching chin, full blown run) & one of their red outcards fluttering slowly to the floor.
By the time I’d got the dog locked away & opened the door he’d long gone. I paid £7.50 for next day delivery & all I got was an outcard + the chance to drive 4 miles to collect my goodies on Tuesday.
The parcelforce guy in my area is a ■■■■■■, never rings the doorbell just a gentle knock and youve got 30 seconds to get to the door or hes gone. Once he didnt leave a card, the second time he did but he didnt take the parcel to the depot he dumped it at the local post office.
There is 2 royal mail people who deliver here, the man he is sound, patient, polite, will put things through catflap if not in and they fit and hidden behind the bin… the woman however shes rude, gives you 30 seconds like the parcelforce guy and forces things through the letterbox.
The worst delivery people are hermes, some budget ■■■■■■■■■ of a delivery company that employ owner drivers which usually consist of some old overweight biddy in a clapped out old Fiesta that turns up about 8pm in a foul mood with your parcel looking like its been bounced down the M1 motorway
Our neighbour has parcels delivered in a “clapped out Fiesta” by a rough grumpy git. Heard the other day that parcels have gone missing/been nicked. I reckon they were “delivered” when she was out and left in a convenient waste receptacle around the corner. Or sold on Ebay.
I am lucky & have a great postman, if he doesn’t see my car there he takes it to my neighbour if it needs signing for , who is very happy to help, knowing I work all hours. Or herings the door bell numerous times & if no answer he’s taken it to the neighbours.
Parcel delivers are the not so helpful I find.
I get all my stuff sent to the missus’ place of work as they have a mail receiving room, even her presents. This is because I long ago realised that these guys can rarely be relied upon. I suppose it’s because they have a zillion drops a day and if they had to wait an extra minute at each one they would never get home. At least that is what they would have you believe, whether it is true or not, who knows.
Any “self employed” staff are paid per drop. You ain’t in, and they ain’t hanging about.
Down with “Self Employed” I say! They only exist because governments are too bone idle to actually create any REAL jobs in our own economy that are not open to Jonny come latelys from outside getting in on grandfather rights that have long since expired for the rest of us…
Once we’ve got delivery staff who might get sacked from a cushy full time job if they “upset the customers”, you’ll see a better service. Until then, the boot is going to continue to be on the wrong foot.
Winseer:
Any “self employed” staff are paid per drop. You ain’t in, and they ain’t hanging about.
Down with “Self Employed” I say! They only exist because governments are too bone idle to actually create any REAL jobs in our own economy that are not open to Jonny come latelys from outside getting in on grandfather rights that have long since expired for the rest of us…
Once we’ve got delivery staff who might get sacked from a cushy full time job if they “upset the customers”, you’ll see a better service. Until then, the boot is going to continue to be on the wrong foot.
Do you mean like ODs? That should go down well on here.
My postman’s brilliant. He knows I often work nights so gives me extra time to answer the door if the cars on the drive. Plus he delivers my wage slips so he knows who I work for.
F-reds:
I get all my stuff sent to the missus’ place of work as they have a mail receiving room, even her presents. This is because I long ago realised that these guys can rarely be relied upon. I suppose it’s because they have a zillion drops a day and if they had to wait an extra minute at each one they would never get home. At least that is what they would have you believe, whether it is true or not, who knows.
I imagine it probably is & I sympathise with them to an extent. However I think it’s inevitable certain shenanigans go on because I think we all know as drivers the corners some people will cut to get the job done.
Your right to have stuff delivered to a workplace though. It must drive parcel companies mad being whined about & having their drivers time wasted by people who work office hours Monday - Friday, have stuff delivered to their home address and wonder why they never get their stuff delivered
Our postie will generally leave things with a neighbour…anyone else tried collect+. I’ve done that a few times and (until something goes pearshaped) it seems a no brained. Most of the shops around here that do it are spar which is handy because their open till 10/11pm
The staff of the Royal Mail and Oxford United are very alike;
They both get paid to kick objects around aimlessly for several hours and find all manner of excuses when things go wrong.
Muckaway:
The staff of the Royal Mail and Oxford United are very alike;
They both get paid to kick objects around aimlessly for several hours and find all manner of excuses when things go wrong.
lol very true just insert any team but the posties will be a constant
Often get whinged at when on multi drop parcels.
Mainly as the firm I work for has just 1 rule.
It goes through the address door and know where else.
Then again most items I drop are 40kg plus and I get paid to out card as we charge the customer for every failed drop if they dont organise the time for us.
Winseer:
Any “self employed” staff are paid per drop. You ain’t in, and they ain’t hanging about.
Down with “Self Employed” I say! They only exist because governments are too bone idle to actually create any REAL jobs in our own economy that are not open to Jonny come latelys from outside getting in on grandfather rights that have long since expired for the rest of us…
Once we’ve got delivery staff who might get sacked from a cushy full time job if they “upset the customers”, you’ll see a better service. Until then, the boot is going to continue to be on the wrong foot.
Being sacked for just upsetting the customer? That’s very harsh. I was on delivery for over 19 years and have always tried my best, some people you can never please.
When I first started I had 2 bags maximum on the first delivery with a few bundles on the second. Just before I moved over to network, I had a minimum of 9 bags a day. The job now is an extremely physical one and I don’t miss it at all. Most Postmen are ■■■■■■ by the time they reach 50.
KarlM:
Our postie will generally leave things with a neighbour…
Thing is I bet a lot of people wouldn’t be comfortable with their belongings being left with neighbours, not everyone has a good relationship with them. If I was a parcel guy I wouldn’t be comfortable doing it unless the customer specified it on the delivery instructions.
I’ve had parcels left behind the wheelie bin at the side of the house a few times & a note put through the door informing me so. I’ve always been happy with that. But then I suppose I could be an ■■■■■■■■ and claim it wasn’t there if i wanted.
Don’t confuse delivering letters with running around in a puddle jumper delivering for parcel farce. Even then, it has to be said that they have got to be the “least bad”. It’s already on video record that you can expect your stuff to be chucked over fences, left in dustbins, left out in the pouring rain, and even left with a neighbour you don’t get on with (sold on Ebay as already said above!)
Hermes are the worst? - I can’t speak for them, as I’ve never had anything delivered to me by them, let alone worked for them.
As for the OD argument - When are you folk going to start realising that you’re being used! Are you still getting a “day pay” rate for what used to be 4-8 hours work, but is now 12-15 as a norm, and over 15 hours when in a puddle jumper with no tacho? - Or is it 50p per drop, and on a good length of hours, you might expect to do 200-300 drops on a round? Whoopee. £150 a day self employed for double-digit hours… You can get that on PAYE without all the hassle of renting/running a van, insurances, etc. Then you’ve got to pay employer’s stamp as well as your own, and when things go wrong - it’s not the firm’s fault but yours - 'cos you’re self employed! I see a lot of OD van drivers running around like blue arsed flies, but not earning enough wad to do things in life we used to take for granted - like getting married, buying a house, putting your kids through university, or even having kids at all come to that. There must be easier ways to earn a grand a week that’s for sure.
Sure, you’ll easily beat a grand a week, but is it worth it for all that hassle?
In a perfect world, we’ll eventually get a grand a week for 35-40 hours - none of this “sailing close to the legal wind” bull regarding having to constantly avoid VOSA just to stay alive in the work one does…
I get all my stuff delivered to the local convenience store then I get a text message telling me it’s there and I can stroll round and get it at my, err…, convenience. They are open until 10pm so it’s very handy. Very rarely order from any company that doesn’t offer this service which is why most of my goodies come from Amazon or Wiggle.
There must be easier ways to earn a grand a week that’s for sure.