Are Jewsons always like this?

[Graeme]

In message , Graeme writes

Whoops! That should read NOT by the local etc.

[Owain]

Can you not agree 24-hour opening, then close due to staff shortages when there isn't a demand and the staff have gone home?

Owain

[Graeme]

Notta chance. The PO have to agree the opening hours, and I must then stick to those hours, except in case of dire emergency. Even then, I must phone the PO and tell them.

One of the reasons is that some benefit cheques, and other transactions, are specific to one office only, so, if my office closes, even for an hour, another, nearby, office must be authorised to accept my transactions.

[Owain]

It's like something out of communist Russia isn't it...

Owain

[Andy Hall]

Oh good grief...... are they still using cheques?

[Andy Hall]

No it's worse. At least in Russia one can use "commissions" to achieve the required result.

[Graeme]

In message , Andy Hall writes

In theory, no. In practice, yes - there are still people that no longer have a benefit/pension book, but refuse to apply for a card account, and do not have (or will not divulge) bank account details. Cheques are also used for occasional emergency payments, I think. Sorry to be vague

- I only cash 'em; knowing why they were issued is not my business.

[Graeme]

No argument there :-)

I agree, one hundred per cent.

You will be delighted to know that Royal Mail has a non redundancy policy, which is probably why they employ so many brain dead incompetents. You would not believe the c*ck ups that are made. Publications are delayed, then scrapped, then reissued. Stock and stores arrive late, if at all, and are then invariably incorrect. I could go on all night.

Probably my explanation - sorry. Assume my opening hours are 9 to

17.30. This means I must, without fail, unlock the door at 9, and lock it again at 17.30 - not 08.55 and 17.25, or 17.35. However, if I feel that it would be advantageous to close at, say, 18.00, then I can apply to do so, and permission will probably be granted. However, that means I must ALWAYS stay open until 18.00 - I cannot chop and change to suit myself, my customers or anyone else.

The final collection time is dependant upon distance from the main sorting office. We are 50 miles away. Final collection from the next office west from here is 15.00 - we are 16.00 and the next office east is 17.00. The time gets later as the collection driver approaches the main sorting office, bearing in mind that he is stopping and starting all the time, and going north and south, as well as west, to visit other smaller POs, and empty rural boxes.

People here do not regard a final collection at 16.00 as inconvenient, probably because they realise we are 50 miles out of town, and four o'clock has been final collection time here for as long as anyone can remember. Actually, I shouldn't say final collection - it is the only collection! Royal Mail used to collect at 10.30, too, but that stopped about three years ago - I'm still waiting for Royal Mail to tell me that the 10.30 collection will cease ...

[Andy Hall]

Then I really feel very sorry for people like my postie who shows up and does a good job but then gets frustrated when he realises that he has zero influence on getting his organisation to work properly.

No I understood the explanation completely and had pieced together what it all meant. What doesn't make sense is the inflexible policy and the poor means to change it.

Well it hasn't. They are just a bit early for the following day.