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From: timandagi
Sent: Mon 01/04/2013 7:
To: Paula Vennell
Subject: Mail Segregation Problem
Dear Ms Vennels
My apologies for sending the previous email under the draft title I had saved it as.
A lack of attention to detail on my part!
Kind regards
Tim
Subject: FW: ggg
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2013 08:38:53 +0000
Dear Ms Vennells
There is an important point later on in this email, but I hope you take the time to read and consider the entire message and
understand that I have the overall interests of POL and the SPMR community at heart.
Putting the NT debate to one side for the moment ....
In January of this year I sold my other business, which included a PO, after an unexpected delay of over 2 years and this has now
freed up much needed cash flow and capital. During this last two years I was obliged to work behind the PO counter in our office
in Duns where my wife is the SPMR. For two years I have been exposed to the frustrations of working within your organisation,
dealing with the lack of attention to detail, the annoying mistakes, and more than anything the overall acceptance of mediocrity in
situations where it would be easier, simpler and financially beneficial to change methods and practices.
With my background I am not perhaps your typical counter assistant. I have an inquisitive mind. I do tend to spot things that
others miss. I take very little at face value yet I look for the good before the bad. I seldom criticise without considering
the possible resolutions to a problem and I continue to think of innovative ideas of how to make a positive difference to the
environment in which I work and live. n
Over the last 2 years I have brought to your attention and for the benefit of POL some errors and insights that you have acted
upon. I have highlighted issues surrounding the travel companies Minoan and Traveltext and gone to some trouble to research
their background before doing so. _I have sought out the correct person to engage with (not an easy task within POL) about
errors on Horizon and assisted them in their enquiries to the point of resolution.
I have pointed out to you a serious and embarassing mistake in the Postshop and presumably saved the company some money,
without acknowledgement. There remains another problem on that particular website but as it does no harm to SPMRs I have
no need to highlight it.
I have persevered for two years to reach the point today that has ultimately inspired this letter to you, to have Game Licences
removed from Horizon (it was finally acknowledged in Branch Focus). _This effort included multiple emails to various POL staff,
including Ms Huggins, for whom I found the correct individual in the Scottish Executive to speak to confirm their withdrawal.
Nothing happened so I reverted to a FO! request which it appears finally made the difference.
I continue to fight to have Branch Finder rectified. You wouldn't believe the incompetence involved. There is a long
and personal story here and sadly the person who motivated me to do something about it died two weeks ago but I will continue
the struggle. I My FOI request to get the data necessary to do this is being denied - unbelievable really as I_ am trying to assist
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POL.
However, all that be as it may, you may see me not as someone trying to make POL a better company but as _a protagonist of
NT. Yes, I have voiced my concerns about the long term effects of NT but paradoxically I was one of the first converts to the PO
Local format back in 2006 and have done so again in our current office. I have offered thoughts to you on alternatives and I have
gone out of my way to engage with your company at a senior level to discuss my views as I believe they are shared by the
majority of SPMRs. This included an expensive trip to meet with Sue which obviously did not have any effect whatsoever. I
feel now that the problems with NT will resolve themselves, not to your liking perhaps but mainly due to external factors outwith
your control. My contribution to that particular debate is at an end.
Having concluded the sale of my previous PO I am now in a position to revert to my original business plan and that is to start a
new business from the proceeds. This will no doubt take up my time and energy and you will probably be thankful not to hear
anymore from me, but I may suspend that activity for a year.
I have resigned from the CWU and was never part of the NFSP. I am looking forward to moving on. But before I do....
Today we received yet another pamphlet on Mails Integrity and Mail Segregation. This has been promulgated for over a year
now and STILL IT IS WRONG. It contains an error by exclusion. My information comes from talking to the Branch Standards
team and confirming it with it with Royal Mail contacts as well as other SPMRs. _I even have a print out somewhere of the
screen used by RMG to capture this error. _ It is possible, that this problem has been resolved internally with RMG but I doubt it
as only last week I heard from an SPMR who was affected by this.
It is this type of lack of attention to detail that annoys me so much about POL. There is so much good about the company. I
have often expressed it like this: POL is a company full of talented and caring individuals but collectively they constantly fall
short of the competence they are capable of. I There is so much potential to improve but if your staff remain incapable of
responding to the need to fix the smaller problem areas then the bigger projects will be even more difficult to complete
successfully. These small problems don't go away they grow in size and new smaller problems come along to fill their void.
I would love the opportunity to make a difference to POL and the SPMR community by tackling these problems. Identify, classify
and fix. Put my knowledge, experience and ability to good use for one year. With your personal backing I guarantee you
would see impressive results both financially and more importantly motivationally for your colleagues.
If you would consider my offer then before committing yourself why not come and spend a day or two at our office and I will
show you what it is really like to run a sub post office. What we have to put up with and some of the more serious
problems that lie under the surface just waiting to catch you out when you least expect it.
Finally, I have clearly and deliberately not told you what the error is in Mail Segregation. _ Is it the place for a counter clerk ina
small market town in Southern Scotland to do so? Am! the only one that has noticed? Well apparently I was the only one
that noticed the Game Licence issue, the Bureau Rates problem and identified the source of the pinpad error. So perhaps I am
right with this one as well.
The easiest option for you is to ask me and I will tell you. The more pragmatic approach would be to task your people to identify
the problem and analyse why it wasn't spotted in the first place. What you will find is that the problem is known about at a lower
level but there is a failure in your management structure to channel that problem through to a level where it's importance is
understood and rectification is a matter of course. Sorting that underlying problem will clearly be of major benefit in resolving
similar issues.
Should you not wish to take me up on my offer, I understand. I wish you luck with your vision and of course with my wife still
involved I will keep a weather eye on your progress as I move on to new pastures.
Happy Easter and with the kindest regards
Tim McCormack
PS I should point out that my correspondence with Sue regarding the Game Licences was covered by Barbara in Sue's
absence who did a wonderful job and as a further aside in all my life I have never been greeted with a friendlier smile than by
Barbara when we visited Old St last year. It has stayed in my memory ever since.
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