The Post Office - an anti-rant

[TheLemming]

It's the girlfriend's birthday tomorrow and she's wanted a ring of a certain design for a very long time. Years in fact.

I arranged for one to be made after a coincidental chat online with a jeweller (amazing the people you bump into randomly lol). He posted it out and it arrived at her house on Saturday...

This is where the cockup starts...

He'd addressed it to my name, at her house. Her Dad takes one look at the parcel (addressed with my initial rather than first name otherwise I'd hope he'd have spotted it. I've only been seeing his daughter for 5 sodding years and he doesnt know my surname?!?!) and decides he's not signing for it as there's nobody by that name there.

That afternoon we discover what's happened and call the local sorting office. After endless calls the phone is answered. After a long wait, we're told that there is no sign of the parcel and that it might have already been returned to the sender (no way of checking) or that it might have vanished into thin air and we'd have to wait till Monday morning when the postman was back in work to find out what had happened to it.

So of course I'm resigned to the traditional "never getting hold of the guy you spoke to, never hearing back from anyone about anything etc" routine.

But fast forward to today and everything changes.

I got a call at half seven this morning from the guy I spoke to on Saturday, who's first job today was to find the postman, find the parcel, call me and arrange for it to be re-delivered today with a note explaining what had happened!

Good god, everyone I've ever had to deal with in royal mail from postmen to sorting office staff to post office counters etc has been a total waste of oxygen. Mouthbreathing jobsworths the lot of em I thought.

Apart from one bloke. Sean at the Kiln Farm sorting office - you sir are a lifesaver

[hidetheelephants]

Glad it was all sorted out, posties aren't all useless. As I remember, if it was Special Delivery(posh sunday name for what was Registered post) it's kept at the delivery office for collection for 7 days then RTS. Recorded delivery is kept for a month(I think) then RTS.

[HRG.]

That was actually the Royal Mail delivering good service, not the Post Office

The GF is a Post Office manager, god knows how many times I've had it drilled into me.

[Jonny671]

Some are a waste of a human being.. Some aren't too bad really!

If you think about the whole postal system its very impressive imo.. That it gets posted at a random postbox somewhere, picked up and delivered right to the persons front door.

[TheLemming]

Just had a text, it's been delivered If that present wasnt there for her birthday.... *shudder*

It's too horrible to even think about.
An epic attack of "The Mental" would be the least of my worries...

[Flying Toilet]

Sean at Kiln Farm has done similar for me before. Decent chap who actually wants to help the customer rather than hide behind that bloody screen there.

[fido]

hidetheelephants said:

Special Delivery(posh sunday name for what was Registered post)

it's more like a premier registered service so they can eek more £££ from you .. i often use 1st class registered post, despite the Till Monkey trying their best to flog me SD .. if i wanted you Special Delivery i'd ask for it you chump.

[g4ry13]

Thanks, you just reminded me to go complain to my local sorting office - I almost forgot.

[TheLemming]

g4ry13 said:

Thanks, you just reminded me to go complain to my local sorting office - I almost forgot.

Hmm they were very confused when I rang to say thanks, spoke to two people who didnt seem to grasp that I wasnt going to shout at anyone and wanted to express my gratitude... Had to call back and sound like I was making a complaint to get management on the phone!

[g4ry13]

TheLemming said:

g4ry13 said:

Thanks, you just reminded me to go complain to my local sorting office - I almost forgot.

Hmm they were very confused when I rang to say thanks, spoke to two people who didnt seem to grasp that I wasnt going to shout at anyone and wanted to express my gratitude... Had to call back and sound like I was making a complaint to get management on the phone!

Well I just got in the bad books of my postman. That will learn him to not put recorded delivery letters through without a signature.

[elster]

That really is great news.

You managed to find someone at Royal Mail who can do their job.

This is definitely a worthy post as it is a rarity.

[bazking69]

It's always good when one person restorers your faith in a system that is usually as helpful as an ashtray in a Ducati.

I'd write a letter to his boss praising him personally; going the extra mile to resolve an issue that they could otherwise sweep under the carpet merits praise IMO.

[TheLemming]

bazking69 said:

It's always good when one person restorers your faith in a system that is usually as helpful as an ashtray in a Ducati.

I'd write a letter to his boss praising him personally; going the extra mile to resolve an issue that they could otherwise sweep under the carpet merits praise IMO.

I didnt quite go that far but I did manage to speak to the depot manager and deliver some fulsome praise.

I've spent far too long working in customer facing roles so if someone does do something like that for me, I make damn sure the most senior management I can get my hands on knows about it.