Tipping RCA's During the Holiday's

[Beanut]

Remind them it is the holidays. Hours will shift dramatically after Xmas. In a small office, they could get the hours they hope for.

I have told him. He’s worried about being sent to other offices later on…he’s heard the POOM on daily telecom DEMANDING any RCAs not work need to be sent to an office needing help.

In January the vacant H route will be filled after the district listing. I know a carrier who is definitely bidding on it. He would be happy just running the AUX.

But I want my Saturdays off. I haven’t had a Saturday off since October. And prior to that I was only getting 1 a month

 

[DB.Cooper]

That's actually how many got their jobs back. Mgmt would confront them leaving with unopened letters from customers. You can only be complicit if you know what they gave you.

I always just left mine in my POV and never took them into the PO.... not trying to be sneaky, just was always really busy at that time of year.... obviously, had someone opened a card and said look at that there's some cash in there, I'd have said, well, by golly you're right, I'll have to give that back to them.... LOL....

 

[DB.Cooper]

That's actually how many got their jobs back. Mgmt would confront them leaving with unopened letters from customers. You can only be complicit if you know what they gave you.

Also, in small boondock towns.... many rurals are friends and family with many on their routes.... so, is it a mailman gift, or a friend or family gift???? Seems to me there are some gray areas....

I recall by the time I got home; I was usually tired.... and still had to go thru the cards and gifts and write thank you cards to return.... by the time Christmas arrived, I was really glad it was over....

 

[BusinessClosed]

For me it depends on the effort they put in. If I come back to a disaster every time I’m off with people complaining, mail and packages brought back, and the phone ringing off the hook about my route from the previous day all day long, they’re getting very little. That was the case with my previous sub. I gave him a card with $20 in it. My new sub busts his behind and does a great job, so he’s getting a good chunk of change.

 

[Morty]

What is your office dynamic? We can’t seem to keep a sub. I’d love to know if I could grieve for a PTF position. We have a k route and H route and an Aux.

We’ve had 2 RCAs for less than a month and one quit today, the other is considering quitting. 1st on was going to end up fired anyway (he was terrible). But 2nd one has only been here 4 days and is very promising but doesn’t want to work over 40 hrs. He already has 40 hrs in 4 days. He talked with me today and said this job might not be for him.

The rca we got is a freak. He wants to work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. The ptf thing, I'm the local and I said we want a ptf, pm says OK, we both sign a settlement and bada bing, bada boom it's posted next week. No 120 day letter either.

As far as office dynamics, I'm there lol. None of us set the bar high, in fact we set it so low it's like an episode of Seinfeld when Jerry carried Newmans route. The service a sub provides is too good.

 

[Worve]

Customers leave stuff in the boxes for other friends to pick up often out our way. ONLY a card with the specific instructions to carrier would be touched. It's not unusual to have to remove two or three items in the box, place the mail in, and return the items to the box for the customer.

Ticked off a few customers by taking such items after repeatedly leaving notes explaining they can’t do that. Postage due ended it once and for all. Sorry not sorry when I can’t even fit the days mail for days on end because someone else dropped something off is not ok. Same customers called and complained they didn’t get mail each of those days .

 

[oi veh.]

For me it depends on the effort they put in. If I come back to a disaster every time I’m off with people complaining, mail and packages brought back, and the phone ringing off the hook about my route from the previous day all day long, they’re getting very little. That was the case with my previous sub. I gave him a card with $20 in it. My new sub busts his behind and does a great job, so he’s getting a good chunk of change.

exactly my philosophy - except nothing from me.

i do not reward mediocrity nor incompetence.

my old sub was rewarded handsomely. haven't had a sub since she left and the one who RUNS (not carries, RUNS) the route when i am off is absolutely abysmal.

 

[Packager]

What is your office dynamic? We can’t seem to keep a sub. I’d love to know if I could grieve for a PTF position. We have a k route and H route and an Aux.

Would need a minimum of 2 K routes for the PTF string.

 

[Worve]

Would need a minimum of 2 K routes for the PTF string.

Depending on management/union it can be circumvented, I know of one office 1k and 2js has a Ptf. When regs need time off they agree to work relief day(s). They are formula as well maybe that’s the deciding factor . Js are rotating Saturdays as well which basically means 2 days a week for Ptf.

Imo it’s always worth a shot talking to management and filling out 120 day letter. Worse case nothing changes best case scenario it creates PTF position once grieved.

 

[nickiegirl62]

I tip my main sub for the year $100 and offload a few Starbucks cards also. When I had two subs splitting the duties I gave $50 each. Most of the food goes to the clerks, who are outright exceptional in our office my route is in.

I offered a brief "standup" to RCA's outlining rules for collection and process for subs on routes in our offices, so that they were certain to only take anything that was meant for the postal carrier, not their neighbor, and to annotate the name and address on any gift so that the regular could offer thanks to the giver when they returned. Also to be careful in pickup of outgoing mail, as sometimes a gift card is within that group -- if it's dumped in dispatch they'll never see it again. With continuous new RCA's many who've never been through Peak it's good info and a refresher for other newer ones too.

We have tried explaining to newest sub who is helping run parcels that when she opens boxes to put packages in them that “ to the mail lady” gifts do not mean her but she takes them anyway.

 

[Old Fart]

We have tried explaining to newest sub who is helping run parcels that when she opens boxes to put packages in them that “ to the mail lady” gifts do not mean her but she takes them anyway.

I would have a talk with her (ahem) and then with the PM. She knows she's stealing from you, Call her out on it. In front of others if needed,

 

[oi veh.]

We have tried explaining to newest sub who is helping run parcels that when she opens boxes to put packages in them that “ to the mail lady” gifts do not mean her but she takes them anyway.

I would have a talk with her (ahem) and then with the PM. She knows she's stealing from you, Call her out on it. In front of others if needed,

i would make it real simple.

if it doesn't have your name on it sub, it's not yours.

 

[Beanut]

Depending on management/union it can be circumvented, I know of one office 1k and 2js has a Ptf. When regs need time off they agree to work relief day(s). They are formula as well maybe that’s the deciding factor . Js are rotating Saturdays as well which basically means 2 days a week for Ptf.

Imo it’s always worth a shot talking to management and filling out 120 day letter. Worse case nothing changes best case scenario it creates PTF position once grieved.

I completed my 120 day letter yesterday and left it on the OICs desk.

 

[Worve]

I completed my 120 day letter yesterday and left it on the OICs desk.

Nice keep track of when it expires then grieve it. All we can really do is create that paper trail showing management is not doing their job fully.

 

[K]

I gave my new sub $200 last year. This is my first real sub since I made regular(I had one for 5 years or so but that one would do things just to screw me over((and over)) This year, I'm giving them all my xmas stuff, I'm VERY thankful they are my sub.

 

[Gyros6875]

I do for the ones that run my route and give parcel help. We have an RCA holding down an AUX so I don't give them anything since they have never done my route once. And they will get everything from their route of course.

 

[stillfirstclass]

i wo

I remember reading on a city side site (maybe PEN?) at one time about a city side peep who delivered some high-rise luxury apartments in Chicago, and he hauled in about $10k in tips every year... js.... that'd be a nice little bonus....

i worked with a lady, she retired jan 1 but last day dec 22,... she bragged she got 9,600 in Christmas and retirement cash, that didn't include any value to sweets or cards... yes she was an excellent carrier and gorgeous to look at and be with to boot

 

[DB.Cooper]

i worked with a lady, she retired jan 1 but last day dec 22,... she bragged she got 9,600 in Christmas and retirement cash, that didn't include any value to sweets or cards... yes she was an excellent carrier and gorgeous to look at and be with to boot

Yeah, I think it varies widely by area.... I've never heard anybody around here making any big noise about tips and gifts.... maybe, apparently... they look at it differently in some areas....

I think it's a bit ironic that USPS prints on the back of the paystubs.... "from our customers".... but then they don't want us to accept anything directly from the customers... and, they're okay with paying bonuses to mngt geeks that most customers wouldn't give a nickel to....

 

[RammerJammer]

I have known carriers that delivered greeting cards and envelopes to customers weeks before Christmas eliciting tips. Then sometimes even when they were off would drive around their route looking for flags up to collect their booty. Now those were the ones that would have a beef with a sub they thought might have “stolen” their “tips”. A carrier awhile back even got a new refrigerator from some sympathetic victim.

 

[Gotrope]

I remember reading on a city side site (maybe PEN?) at one time about a city side peep who delivered some high-rise luxury apartments in Chicago, and he hauled in about $10k in tips every year... js.... that'd be a nice little bonus....

I'd hate to even estimate what the doorman at our condo takes in. But, he does keep us abreast of necessary issues going on in the building. He also will go take care of stuff for the unit when we aren't around. Deliveries, signing, turn off the water...in the shower. Spouse was in a hurry that day