34theletterbetweenB&D Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Not to discuss the whys and wherefores, but simply to get a sampling from other folks here. I still use the post regularly in weekly exchanges with friends and family (and in case you haven't guessed these are folks from before internet who aren't going to drop the quill pen and take up this infernal contraption). Following some phone chat over the past couple of days on another matter, several of these folk (liberally dispersed around the UK) share my perception that every now and then there is a random weekday with no delivery in their area. They, like me, have spoken to immediate neighbours and found that indeed no-one has a had a delivery on that day, nor seen a postal worker about their round at the usual time. As folk of a certain age their routines are pretty unvarying and they notice everyone else's routines too... Anyone else? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
industrial Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Is it a case that there is not enough postmen in that area to cover for the normals one day off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 We had a letter from the postal management recently letting us know about "improved services" in our area. We did notice after that the mail arrived at different times of day and at first we had a lot of different postmen but it does seem to have settled down again to the same man. I did wonder if there were some days that mail wasn't delivered but I thought I (and the dog) was just imagining it. Stuff big enough to need the van comes quite early still though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Where I work now has a policy of sending most letters by second class, particularly at weekends. We find it gets there just as quick as....first class! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Where I work now has a policy of sending most letters by second class, particularly at weekends. We find it gets there just as quick as....first class! This seems true, I ordered a few sheets of brass, ebay buy it now 9am Monday morning, told it had been dispatched second class, it arrived Tuesday morning covered with 2nd class stamp details. I do think there are staff issues across royal mail. I live on a new housing estate of around 700 properties, we have 1 main postie, she can be seen on the estate at 7-8am I tend to get my post at about 4-5pm, she does the entire estate. I live in Lichfield one of the smallest cities in the UK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 Our delivery system has changed lately. The local office used to have 4 vans, and most of the posties used bikes. The bikes have gone, the posties now hunt in pairs and there are 14 vans. I fail to see how that gives us a better service, as we now rarely get our delivery before noon when we used to get it before 10am. When our regular is on his rest day we get all sorts of strangers delivering, and they usually spend half of their time wandering around the estate trying to find the addresses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 .....I do think there are staff issues across royal mail. I live on a new housing estate of around 700 properties, we have 1 main postie, she can be seen on the estate at 7-8am I tend to get my post at about 4-5pm, she does the entire estate. I live in Lichfield one of the smallest cities in the UK. Getting the most out of minimum resources = maximising profit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkie_pudd Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 As some say its down to location and local office, excluding sign for stuff. Say 1 route is short of cover but only has like 30 letters, but 2 other routes are way overloaded and near to each other. if cover is found for the lesser bulk route then the 3 staff will split the work load of the 2 overloaded routes for that 1 day. Because where i live with the street layout and house numbers - example 1 road cresents over 2 other roads and both ends are cul de sacs, so looks like 3 smaller roads, hence is a postal training route. A regular postie will pick the route up and normal service is between 10am - 11am. if it is a trainee then post can be anytime up to 8pm. The 1 good thing after many years of protests all residents know mail may be missed for a day or 2 to cover shortage or overload elsewhere, sign for goods are treated urgent and guaranted before 10am anywhere from UK. plus all post is treated 1st class. its local thing that helps the PO staff get the job done and make all their STUPID HO figures and we get abait the odd times a 1st class service. win win. but as always theirs murphys & sods law to throw a spanner lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2012 Delivery by Postie using either bike or van used to be around about eleven o'clock, sometimes earlier. Since the "service enhancements" where van and bike has now been replaced by one man and a push along trolley contraption, we usually get no deliveries whatsoever on Monday's, Saturdays are rare as well. Parcels still arrive seperately in a van as they don't fit in the new fangled trolley and can arrive any time randomly up to seven at night whilst a different postie delivers between eleven and three if you are lucky the letters, junk and small parcels. My reliable sources inform me that since they went over to the push along trolley the number of Posties going off sick with injuries has skyrocketed and some Posties are now having to do three rounds to cover it all, hence my six o'clock in the evening delivery the other day. It's a mess... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2012 Our delivery system has changed lately. The local office used to have 4 vans, and most of the posties used bikes. The bikes have gone, the posties now hunt in pairs and there are 14 vans. I fail to see how that gives us a better service, as we now rarely get our delivery before noon when we used to get it before 10am. When our regular is on his rest day we get all sorts of strangers delivering, and they usually spend half of their time wandering around the estate trying to find the addresses. The deliver system described is called a shared van deliver, depending on the area where you live the deliver staff could have up to 1200 letter boxes to go to in about 31/2 hours, Somehow "RM" think the system that they have developed is environmental friendly. It is not."RM" has decided that they will be doing away with bikes as it was to costly to maintain the bikes. I shall be watching this thread with interest. Terry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 We never seem to have the same postie twice or delivery at the same time. Except on Saturdays. Its always before 9am. Then again with all of our bills now handled electronically, and family all on email/Facebook we get very little post anymore. Sometimes we go a whole week without getting anything other than takeaway leaflets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2012 We used to get our post about 08.30 and Paul the postman was always there, cheery, and prompt - knew all the locals, and the hidey holes as well as other issues - in fact, when we moved in, I checked with him the best position for the letter box to suit him and his colleagues. The Paul got sick, and had to move to light duties, and the 08.30 post started to get later. Some days, nothing would arrive - I recall the day that I was waiting for Trains 4U to deliver a loco shaped box to me by tracked delivery, and it didn't arrive - it was put on a van, and the man in the van went home sick and his van was ferried back to the depot including the post for the entire area. We got no post that day. We then got a letter advising of the new delivery arrangements, and now a van can arrive anytime but normally no earlier than 13.00 (yesterday it was 14.30) and anybody can do the delivery. As a result, my post now sometimes comes through the door via the caerfully arranged letter box. but just as often gets dumped into an unsecure, unlocked, and not watherproof box outside which is meant for newspapers, and is clearly marked as such. This, however, is progress. Also now, tracked mail seems to go out on the same van as the regular post, and the post person is meant to deliver the special delivery items, then start on the normal rounds - this often does not happen, and I was left with a timed special (13.00 guaranteed) on which delivery was not attenpted until 14.20 - but hey, the Royal Mail website showed it as signed and delivered at 12.25 ie inside guaranteed time. Then I did raise Cain with them, that delivery person has not been round our way since. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2012 Delivery by Postie using either bike or van used to be around about eleven o'clock, sometimes earlier. Since the "service enhancements" where van and bike has now been replaced by one man and a push along trolley contraption, we usually get no deliveries whatsoever on Monday's, Saturdays are rare as well. Parcels still arrive seperately in a van as they don't fit in the new fangled trolley and can arrive any time randomly up to seven at night whilst a different postie delivers between eleven and three if you are lucky the letters, junk and small parcels. My reliable sources inform me that since they went over to the push along trolley the number of Posties going off sick with injuries has skyrocketed and some Posties are now having to do three rounds to cover it all, hence my six o'clock in the evening delivery the other day. It's a mess... That is true as I use a HTC (high capacity truck) and I slipped in the recent snowy conditions, which I reported but was then promptly got told off, for not taken more care in the conditions. Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2012 I live in a rural village, postie is a nice lady who uses a pushbike and I can expect her to arrive here most mornings around 10-11am regular as clockwork. There are a few satelite villages around us, our post office does them too, including a counter service one day a week in one or two of them in the respective village hall. The people use the service often enough for our office to do road vehicle taxing, and its a traditional post office, not combined to a newsagent, sweet shop or similar. I have to say for both sending and receiving they provide a brilliant service for in real terms, a small price. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Or postal service is pretty good and normally comes about the same time(ish) every day - Particularly when the regular chap is on the job. We are quite near the local PDO and I believe the Senior Hands get the choice of their walks, so we get them The rest of the area is either student occupied terraces* or large houses with looooong drives so it makes sense for them to come round our way. * The "student" bit matters to Postie 'cos they don't have front letter boxes, so what should be an easy walk suddenly get a whole lot longer! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2012 And as if by magic, the postie appears, 11:02, she waved back btw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 haha so did ours just as I was reading PMP's post ( not literally reading his post of course!!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted March 9, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2012 We've had the same postie for several years & he normally delivers just after 10.00 AM Monday to Saturday. If it won't fit in letterbox he always leaves it in designated place and is always cheerful. If he has days off or hols his substitutes seem almost as good but not quite as early. All in all I think that we still get a superb "old fashioned" service but I suspect that in other parts of the country this does not apply. I would also add that in twenty eight years at this address I've only ever had one item (a credit card) go astray & the perpetrator was caught & prosecuted. I hope my good fortune continues! Regards Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 At least you get door to door delivery. Many years ago (15+) Canada Post went to what they call Super Mailboxes for all new developments (and some others), leading to the situation where I have to walk down the street to get my mail out of my compartment in the Super Mailbox, while my parents still get mail delivered to their door. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Where I work now has a policy of sending most letters by second class, particularly at weekends. We find it gets there just as quick as....first class! I read somewhere recently that the PO is being accused of giving the same service to first and second class mail when posted at weekends. I find that Internet purchases usually turn up within 36 hours when GPO is used, but days later when carriers (which I avoid). The other advantage is that the Post Office is easy to get to for undelivered packets etc. whereas the carriers are miles out of town on some remote industrial estates. I know we avoid politics, but how could a system that required delivery to every address in the country be improved by "competition". Our small domestic road has a numerous deliveries from all sorts of different companies. Hcan that be more efficient or cheaper than one van .... ? Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 We have a newish postie on our deliveries and the time has steadily drifted to later in the day. He regularly has to deliver parcels or collect a signature from us. After taking up some of his valuable time for a natter - we discussed such things as 'you were out' cards when there is always someone in and the days when everything came at once. After admitting that it happens but shouldn't we both came to the conclusion it was on "days off", or should that be "off days". I think the delivery guys get the rough end of the deal especially with the "commercial junk mail deliveries" and the "lost/missing/delayed" somewhere along the sorting route. We now regularly pass the time of day and he knows there is always a cuppa if he feels able to take a pause. Always has a smile and I guess he is happy just to see another person as he visits all these anonymous boxes. But he doesn't pat the dogs and is overly cautious of them. I still think most of the problems lie in the sorting offices rather than the guy/gal who turns up on the doorstep. Though the 'you were out' card still really bugs me. It should read "I didn't have room in my bag for all your post today, and I couldn't be bothered with the time it takes to ring your doorbell, I'm in a hurry" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 It would be laughable if it wasnt so bl**dy typical of this country that we get used to crap so readily. Have we all forgotten that for many decades it was normal for the post to arrive around 7am with a second delivery mid morning. My postie comes just before the 1pm deadline if he has a special Delivery for me, before going down town for his dinner. The rest of the mail is delivered in the afternoon. Today it was 14.20hrs. As for 1st and 2nd class letters, I was told years ago that the postmen clear their bins on a Friday.....Best time to send use up those 2nd class stamps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 At least you get door to door delivery. Many years ago (15+) Canada Post went to what they call Super Mailboxes for all new developments (and some others), leading to the situation wher I have to walk down the street to get my mail out of my compartment in the Super Mailbox, while my parents still get mail delivered to their door. Adrian Our super Mail Box is over two miles away - quite a hike when the temperature is minus whatever and the streets are covered with snow... So to those of you who still get a warm fuzzy postal service - I hope Canada is not the shape of things to come for you Oh and those parcels from Liverpool? - I have to drive six miles to a post office in a supermarket to pick them up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
industrial Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 When we first moved here the post came about 11.30 as we are last but one on the round. With the first reorganisation it went to about 14.00 and drifted to 15.00. Yes when our last dog was young dad took him for his morning walks and if there was the right post man on he had our post in the cab with him so gave it to dad. Please can somebody tell me what second delivery was as I think we only had it once here. One day the post man delivered to us and some post that should have come wasn't there and the phone was just to be picked up to report the legal documents hadn't come by the latest date when we saw the post man reversing back with the letter which we had to sign for as he had forgotten it. At the previous address it was 6.00 delivery as we were the first one on the round. It will always be a van for us as the root covers 2 villages and a lot of other areas as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Accord Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Around here, the mails tend to never arrive before 0900 and have been as late as 1730! I live about 600 yards away from a large post office, yet in my area if a parcel has to be delivered and you're out, then you get the usual card directing you to attend the out of town sorting office to collect said parcel - said sorting office is 3 miles away! Whatever happened to depositing parcels at the nearest PO? The present and future generations will probably be in awe that pre mobile telephones/email/internet/widespread home phones, that "back in the day" we had two, sometimes three deliveries a day, with the first post being circa 0700. They'll probably be astounded that it was possible to receive a letter in the morning, write and post a reply straight away, the recipient (if local-ish) would receive said letter with the second post, and if they chose to write a further letter you'd receive it in the last post late afternoon. It's just so typically British and so very said that over a century ago, a nationally important public service like the Royal Mail delivered a far superior service than what we have today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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