RCAs: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

[SnailMail2000]

RCAs...

If you could go back in time...what kind of advice would you give your new RCA self to make your first days, months, year easier?

 

For example, the best piece of advice I have received was "YOU ARE NOT ON CALL." I didn't know that for tooooo long!

 

[faceindawind]

Way back in the day you were ON CALL. 3-5 refusals, no answer SORRY CHARLIE your out the door. 

Since the new table of pay they have given a ton of leeway towards RCA'S not being available on demand. Must be because of the lack of applicants and the poor pay now offered. Any warm body beside management to get the mail out the door and on the route is good enough. 

 

[Ihatesnow]

Wow really, was not answering the phone deemed a refusal? Or just actually saying you can't come in? 

 

[trashistan]

Learn to not mark your parcels right away.

 

[MiddleOfNowhere]

<em>Wow really, was not answering the phone deemed a refusal? Or just actually saying you can’t come in? </em>

thats the way it was- and not 3 times a year, but 3 times total.  i refused work once, because of an accident injury, in 13 years.

had a sub a couple years back, that called in unavailable when scheduled, 3 times in her first 2 months.- she didn't last 4...

 

[btdtret]

Faceindawind -- "Way back in the day you were ON CALL. 3-5 refusals, no answer SORRY CHARLIE your out the door. "

--  That WAS a tough office!

--  What would I tell a new sub ( these days ):  You know, you'd probably make regular faster on the city side.  

 

[Gotrope]

Job oriented - don't mark your parcels. Figure out how to sequence them. Saves immense amounts of time.

Career wise - I wish I knew what a disadvantage being a full-time federal worker can be. Less pay, sub time doesn't count, and retirement is currently one third of the amount provided to state workers where I live.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I'd tell them you would have a better/faster chance of becoming regular if you go to the city side.

 

[Sherie]

<p style="text-align: left">That your regular was never trained to train you.  Kudos to you if you get a good one.  Adios to you if you get a bad one.

Who next to your case is RCA-friendly to answer your questions.

<p style="text-align: left">Where the bathrooms are. 

What to do when a customer leaves 2 quarters and a letter in the outgoing mail. What to do with a signed pink slip in the outgoing mail.  You know, those little pesky things that don't come up during your 3 days of training. 

That you are the red-headed stepchild of the USPS, and will forever be treated as such even as a regular.

What the little white sticky things (forward labels) are and how to read them. 

That you can take a break when you want to, without asking permission. 

<p style="text-align: left">ALSO: Look around your office.  Look at your seniority.  Do the math.  Sure one or two may go out with an injury, but if not, then what?  Are you looking at the prospect of a bunch of younger-than-yourself regulars having to retire before you can make regular? That's a no win for you.

Be very flexible. Don't take setting up the LLV as your regular does as gospel. 90% of the time it's inefficient and too time-consuming.  As you get to know your fellow co-workers you'll notice the ones who finish under evaluation every day; ask to see how they set up their LLV. They will be happy to show you.  And then LISTEN to them!!

When management says "You've been here 3 months, you should have this down by now", remind them that you only work one day a week which equals to about "10 days total".  

 

[indmorcoffee]

First I would say:  Are you sure there is absolutely nothing else out there you'd rather get paid to do?

If not, then the first thing I would tell 'me' is to not trust anyone, this is a dog eat dog job.  All you are is someone taking hours away from some workaholic senior sub.  Learn the ins and outs of your job on your own.  Keep an eye on the matrix and schedule (EVERYDAY) most managers are not trained on how to schedule subs and other subs won't correct it if its benefiting them.

City carriers are Golden.  If you want to be respected and coddled, or basically be treated like a human being, go CCA.

I know this job sucks but boy has it gotten worse lately.  They can't keep any subs anywhere.  I've been working at 5 different offices in the last 2 weeks, and have my first day off this coming Sunday.  Its gotten so bad in this state that they are taking the last RCAs to be hired (state wide) and sending them up to a 100 miles away from their home office to cover routes.

I will always believe that Substitutes should have their own craft, as in our own union.  Someone to fight for us.  Because from working at all these offices its the same thing happening over and over again.  The bad subs get away with everything and the good ones get worked to the point of total exhaustion.  And no one cares.

 

[asher78]

After 10 years as a sub...not of which will count towards me retirement when I finally make regular...I would tell my former self to take the clerk job rather than the rural or city carrier job. (It's actually something I'm still considering. I've finally gotten the aux route as mine, but even that doesn't count for anything, was a pay cut and I'm still the "whipping boy" as much, if not more than I was when I was "just" a sub.)