Going Postal
Sorry. Couldn't resist the dreadful local newspaper-worthy title.
Anonymous is wondering:
" If anyone else has experienced postal problems lately in the Greenwich area?
We've had lots and lots of items go astray over the past few weeks (and indeed over the past few years) some of which were rather important.
It's also difficult to ascertain just how much isn't being delivered when you've not actually posted it. Anyone else have the same problem?"
The Phantom replies:
Join the queue, Anon. My mail over the last six months or so has gone from poor to appalling. I've regularly had letters for my next door neighbours (both sides,) letters for my house number in two neighbouring streets, and even totally random mail for different areas of Greenwich. Sometimes it's entire batches of mail, not just single letters. It's clearly been happening the other way round, too, as I get people putting my mail through my door, or even knocking, to let me know it's arrived (and have a moan at the same time.)
I used to have a lovely postie - I knew his name and chatted whenever we met. He gave a great service - to the point where he actually deserved a Christmas box. He got moved because, he told me, that they don't like postmen to get too friendly with customers. Presumably because they'd get to know where people live and actually deliver to the right house - or, heaven help them, stop to chat and add five minutes to the round. Could it be Health & Safety - if the postie actually knows his clients he might stop to help an old lady up the path, slip himself and get a work-related injury? I have no idea - but I bet it's something mad like that.
The latest wheeze seems to be writing out the "while you were out..." forms whilst still in the depot and popping them through the letterbox, saving the bother of having to actually carry a parcel to the door. This has happened to me several times when I was actually in - and once when I was right behind the door, so I KNOW the guy didn't knock, but just walked up and slipped the note through.
Annoyingly, that time, I merely noted that mail had arrived and didn't see the 'while you were out" form or I'd have run down the road and called his bluff. I ended up trekking to the sorting office three times in one week - twice being for someone else as they are just never home when the sorting office is actually open.
No, Anon, it's not just you. It's a rubbish 'service.' And don't even get me started on the post office in Woolwich Road...
Bah.
Anonymous is wondering:
" If anyone else has experienced postal problems lately in the Greenwich area?
We've had lots and lots of items go astray over the past few weeks (and indeed over the past few years) some of which were rather important.
It's also difficult to ascertain just how much isn't being delivered when you've not actually posted it. Anyone else have the same problem?"
The Phantom replies:
Join the queue, Anon. My mail over the last six months or so has gone from poor to appalling. I've regularly had letters for my next door neighbours (both sides,) letters for my house number in two neighbouring streets, and even totally random mail for different areas of Greenwich. Sometimes it's entire batches of mail, not just single letters. It's clearly been happening the other way round, too, as I get people putting my mail through my door, or even knocking, to let me know it's arrived (and have a moan at the same time.)
I used to have a lovely postie - I knew his name and chatted whenever we met. He gave a great service - to the point where he actually deserved a Christmas box. He got moved because, he told me, that they don't like postmen to get too friendly with customers. Presumably because they'd get to know where people live and actually deliver to the right house - or, heaven help them, stop to chat and add five minutes to the round. Could it be Health & Safety - if the postie actually knows his clients he might stop to help an old lady up the path, slip himself and get a work-related injury? I have no idea - but I bet it's something mad like that.
The latest wheeze seems to be writing out the "while you were out..." forms whilst still in the depot and popping them through the letterbox, saving the bother of having to actually carry a parcel to the door. This has happened to me several times when I was actually in - and once when I was right behind the door, so I KNOW the guy didn't knock, but just walked up and slipped the note through.
Annoyingly, that time, I merely noted that mail had arrived and didn't see the 'while you were out" form or I'd have run down the road and called his bluff. I ended up trekking to the sorting office three times in one week - twice being for someone else as they are just never home when the sorting office is actually open.
No, Anon, it's not just you. It's a rubbish 'service.' And don't even get me started on the post office in Woolwich Road...
Bah.
Labels: Post Office, Services
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
17:05
22 Comments:
I'm doing this anonymously, because it's libellous, but on more than 1 occasion I have been overcharged by the shop in the post office (not the post office itself)on Trafalgar Road.
Once it wasn't even subtle. I asked for 8 of something (stamps I think) and the amount quoted wasn't even a round number. But I only realised that outside the shop. Needless to say, I have not been back since.
We have also been getting loads of post for people who have the same house number, but who live in a different road - once we got the same letter twice. If it weren't for the fact that nearly all my post is bills, I'd be quite angry.
Its not just Royal Mail, or whatever they are called these days, that provide a poor service. One of the myriad of private carriers recently deposited a valuable book order in my green topped bin.
It was Duzzie (emptying) Day!
As luck had it I saw the card and retrieved the package.
Perhaps there was no need to worry as I assume that the Duzzies would not have taken a cardboard package from the wrong sort of bin in any event.
We have the same troubles. Post for the wrong numbers... check. Post for the wrong streets... check. Cards for 'while you were out' when we are actually at home... check. To be fair to Greenwich we have exactly the same troubles far away in Westminster - so it is a global problem.
It isn't just Royal Mail (true) I've had Couriers claim that they have tried to deliver when I've been sitting waiting for them too.
the service is getting worse, which is saying something. not long ago i went to pick up something which they had yet again failed to ring for even though we were in the house and when going to pick it up found another package from weeks ago for me which hadn't even been attempted to deliver.
We regularly get post for random people in the street and what's worse we've been flagged by delivery companies as people who are in during the day so they make us the first point of call for everyone's packages in the street which annoys me no end.
I haven't had much luck with good old Royal Mail...I was waiting for a package from NZ, kept phoning the post office as NZ end said it had been delivered. Was told there was nothing at the post office, kept going into check and they then told me as I hadn't been in to collect they had sent it back. They must have sent it back by row boat as it took almost 3 months to get back to NZ. All in all my parcel had a round the world trip and it only took 6 months to finally reach me. Luckily for me it wasn't perishables...
Yep, its a crap service. Our mail usually arrives around 2pm! The postlady is the most uncommunicative person I have ever met, weve had her for 3 years, I say hello a few times a week but never get a reply , I may give up and just ignore her. We all love it on our street when she goes on holiday and we get some "normal" posties.
And yes, all the same complaints as everyone else.
Oh lord don't get me started...
If I'm expecting something now that's "too big for you letter box" I selotape a notice to my day saying "Please continue knocking - I AM IN"
This does seem to help as since I've started doing this the stealth cards saying "sorry you were out" have lessened!
My day?! I mean Door obviously!
(can you edit posts on this thing?)
I received a while you were out notice when i was stood just inside the door. When i asked the post woman if i could have the package she said it had been returned to the system. What your bag? Wither way no i couldnt have it. Usual complaints from me, 50% of the mail i receive is for a different address. I have all my bills etc delieverd to the office now.
I'm just echoing what everyone else has said, but our post has gotten demonstrably worse since they reassigned our fantastic postman who had been on the route for several years. I am awaiting my US election ballot, which should have been here a month ago (with my husband's, which DID get here) and I have now given it up for lost.
Some days we don't even get any mail, which makes me think that the postman couldn't be bothered to stop by. It's all very disappointing.
I am going to buck the trend and disagree here. I don't know my postman or woman but I rarely get mail for anyone else and everything seems to arrive here on time.
I heard the post office on Woolwich Road is closing?
Do try and make the effort to put in an official complaint about poor service (I seem to remember you can do this via the website). It probably won't solve the problem, but you might get a free book of stamps.
Anon - I have had the same experience buying stamps in a newsagents. I would have challenged it except I couldn't remember how much a first class stamp should cost and didn't work it out till later!
Woolwich Road PO has already closed.
As for overcharging - well - I have a pal who's on active service abroad and qualifies for free postage through the Armed Services Post. When I took my latest care package into a certain post office near me, I told them it was for the special free delivery. They told me that I'd have to pay - £6.75. I said, no - it was the special freebie post. They said, no, I had to pay. I said a third time that it was free and they backed down and admitted that yes, it was.
Hmmm. £6.75 for a free parcel? How does that work, then?
My post has improved 100% in the last couple of years, it used to be 2pm delivery but now it's before 10am. I know the parcel van postie, he's lovely, always waits for me to open the door as I'm always in my nighty or changing a nappy, I haven't had a "while you where out" unless I was in years. Could it be up to the post person and not Royal Mail? I do feel really lucky as it hasn't always been like this but I can't fault a thing.
Deptford Dame - it's not unusual I find for newsagents to charge a markup on stamps. Don't know if you're allowed to do that or if only some places are allowed to sell them, but I've been in many newsagents where they have gone to buy them some place else as a convenience for their own customers and then add a bit on per stamp.
Postal services in Greenwich and Charlton haven't been right since the two sorting offices (Greenwich Park Street and Lansdowne Lane) were merged into one (on Horn Lane) in about 2001 - posties simply don't know their rounds anymore, and the managers don't care.
Complain and complain again, though - you'll get loads of free stamps at least...
Benedict, I wonder if you live near me-I have the very same, rude Postwoman. I've tried everything just to get her to communicate with me...alas, nothing works.
This morning, or rather lunchtime, I was upstairs working on the laptop and I heard the post being shoved through the letterbox...so I got up and went down the stairs (I like post!). We have windows in our door and I could still see the 'friendly' Postie there...and then she sticks a Whilst You Were Out Card through.
What???? I'm not that old, or deaf...I'm nearly thirty-but come on, and I'm certainly not OUT. I opened the door to see her heading off up the path. After a couple of "Oi's" she turned round and came back tutting and mumbling about that she HAD knocked on the door.
Hmmmm, not my door anyway. Grrrrr!
We had 2 parcels posted from Play.com that never turned up. Thankfully Play are nice people and resend (or in our case refund) when things do go missing but it does make you wonder (or not) where they go?
We had our whole streets post dumped in our apartment building lobby a few months ago. I rang Royal Mail to complain and asked them to advise me how this could happen but they never got back to me. I regularly have to re post incorrectly posted mail, and the amount of parcels of mine that have gone missing is just shameful.
This is something I am looking to investigate in the paper The Docklands. Would anyone be able to call or email me with more details so I can give actual addresses and postcodes to the Royal Mail please?
With talk of Saturday services being cut too it is certainly a hot topic.
Thanks
Marina
Marina.Thomas@archant.co.uk
020 7791 7777.
I have been in contact with the Royal Mail over this but need some more specific details.Has anyone actually made a complaint to Royal mail over this? If so, I would need a reference number to tell them so they can investigate further.
I also need an idea of postcodes/street addresses.
Thanks.
Until recently our postie (on the Meridian Estate) was terrible - he'd turn up sometime after lunch and could often be seen sitting outside the Wetherspoons with his bag of post in the morning.
One day he knocked on the door to deliver a parcel and when I answered the stench of beer made me quite light headed!
I haven't seen him for a while though and the chap we have now sometimes even delivers before midday.
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