"The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him." Proverbs 18:17

OutHereSomewhere said:

Slightly related. Walmart...least our local one...has these motorized scooter/shopping cart things. It's supposed to be so handicapped people can shop...fine. But, just about every single time I go into Walmart, I see people using them that are obviously not handicapped in any way. They're, apparently, just too lazy to walk around the store...and more than one of them looks like they could use all the exercise they can get.

The customer in question here reminds me of those people.

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WONDERing WOMAN said:

in front of her mailbox
2nd pic is the same but with the date stamp

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WONDERing WOMAN said:

Today, my supervisor left me a note, "Deliver this package and all the mails in the mailbox to the door. Thanks."
Then he had a form in an envelop for the customer. I'm guessing it's about the Customer Hardship request or something.
This was the result of a 30-minute phone call he had with one of my most difficult customers yesterday.
The directive seems reasonable EXCEPT that he didn't bother to ask me my version of the story.
He acted based ONLY on what the customer told him.

Let's do backtracking for a bit as doing so is essential to the story.
When I took on the route, I asked the former carrier what to expect from it. She said it's a pretty nice route but she's giving it up because of its length. She wanted fewer hours and thus bid on a smaller route. I was excited and happy until she said, "Oh, but there's a couple of customers that are a huge PITA!" That didn't scare me a bit because I know that there is no such thing as a perfect route and that one should take not just the good things that go with every job, but also the bad.
I didn't realize it was this bad. Apparently, "huge PITA" was an understatement.

During the first few months taking in the route, the customer and I spoke and right away, she had a long line of complaints about the former carrier. She said that she's inconsiderate and lazy. Then she proceeded on telling me how sick she is. She had a surgery, her husband (who used to do everything) died and she is always too weak to go to the mailbox to get her mails. I don't feel good listening to people berating other people; but I was respectful and patient and heard her out. And while I was warned about her manipulative ways, I still took pity on her (she just lost her husband and had a surgery) and said I would take all her mails to the door on weekends. I did it for months, especially in the winter. Then in one of our talks, I asked her when was her surgery. She replied, "2008". When did your husband die? "2010." Then I ask how old she is, "52". Then I noticed she is not weak; she just thinks she is. I stopped coming to the door. She got mad and called me a liar. "You said you are going to bring my mails to the door!" I replied, "You need to talk to my supervisor and put in a request for door delivery due to physical hardship." She was told the same thing by the former carrier. She might have called all the supervisors and got told the same thing, too. My theory is that she couldn't get a doctor's note because she doesn't have an illness.

I get to the door for packages that won't fit in the mailbox and I take with me the mails for that day. She doesn't want just that; she wants all the other mails, too, in the mailbox from previous days/weeks.

Then last Autumn, things got worse- the bushes on her driveway were overgrown and her pile of firewood were everywhere - making it difficult for me to get in and out of her driveway. I left her PS form 4056, then a 2nd notice after a week. As expected, she didn't do anything about it. I then started holding her mails after 14 days. She was mad when I didn't deliver her package. Then after a week or so, seeing that I was not budging, she had someone helped her trim the bushes. She marched to my vehicle, mad, asking for the package. I said I didn't know she was going to finally trim the bushes that day and said I will bring it tomorrow. She didn't want that - she still insisted that I should always take her mails to the door. I said, "talk to my boss and get a doctor's note !" She yelled, "you promised you will go to my door, you LYING BITCH!" I said, "I won't let you talk to me that way!" and left. My vehicle has a dash cam and everything was captured. I have been keeping that clip just in case I would need it.

Last Saturday, she had a package that would have fit easily in the mailbox had she emptied it. The mailbox was overflowing. I left a 3849.
Yesterday (Monday), she talked to my supervisor. I don't know what she told him but today I got that note from him. Not only was I told to redeliver the package (that would fit in the mailbox) but also take all the mails (and a package) in the mailbox and bring it to the door.

Before I left to deliver, I asked (and insisted) my boss to speak with me about it. I went, "what did she tell you? Don't you want to hear my version of the story?"
He listened to me but still insisted to take everything to the door.
I did as I was told, much to my disappointment.

And because I do not wish to see her for a possible verbal altercation, I did everything on the street - put all the mails and packages in a bag - so I could just drop the bag and go, leaving no room for her to verbally abuse me again.

Well, guess what - she was peeping through her window. I put the bag down on the porch and started to walk away.
She went, "you can't even put it on the bench !" (I put it next to the door so it would be closer for her to grab. I thought she would appreciate that, but NO)
I got pissed and retorted, "well, you can't even get them from your mailbox!" and continued to walk away.
She yelled, "you're a liar ! I'm calling your supervisor again. I spoke to him yesterday and told on you!"
I said "OK, call him." Then she just blabbered about how I write numbers on her packages.
(I write the numbers on the packages with a sharpie so I could read it better, then I write the case row number to easily monitor the deliveries. It's my system.)
I felt as though she was doing that provoke me to engage in a verbal altercation.

I went back the office and talked to my boss -
She already called him.
"Sir, with all due respect, why did you decide about what to do with it without asking my version of the story first?"
He said, " I did!"
I said, "Yes you did, but AFTER you already told her that all her mails will be delivered to the door today. Don't you think I should have been asked about my side of the story?
I think I have the right to be heard. Because like what I expected, she verbally abused me again. I can't keep subjecting myself to such humiliation. There is a huge difference between service and slavery. She wants me to be her slave."

The truth is, in a nutshell, he decided only based on what the customer told him.

QUESTIONS :
Could I grieve this? I feel as though the supervisor committed a Grave Abuse of Discretion.
How long will the Request for Hardship be approved?


Please please please HELP me with any information I would need. Thanks ! ?

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callofthewild said:

Keep that note.........also the thing I noticed........you didn't say anything about it being signed and dated. Also, is this a from now on order...to go to the door or just for that one day???

Write on your 4240 (time sheet) everyday you are required to do this extra duty.....you should get paid.....but until that is worked out you want to protect yourself in case you get hurt doing a service that isn't covered without it noted on the 4003 and a approved hardship.

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