The mailing
A recurring theme in this blog as well as many others (yes, I mean some of you listed over there on the right hand side) is fretting about the state of manners in the world today. People are just so rude we complain, wringing our hands and feeling generally exasperated.
Well, I’ve had my comeuppance this week.
Our mailing house at work has screwed up royally, sending out our latest missive to the wrong names at the right addresses. Now because all the recipients on this list have signed up to receive the mailing, are expecting it, have received it for years and could probably guess what it was from the envelope, I hoped that most of them would recognise that there had simply been a stuff up and open it anyway.
But no.
We’ve been besieged by calls from people asking what they should do. In response, I carefully explain the problem to them, stress that as usual there is nothing personal inside and that they should feel free to open it anyway. ‘But it’s not addressed to me!’ they say, ‘It’s not right, it’s impolite to open someone else’s mail’.
Grrr.
Just when I want people to rude and impolite, they’re not.
Typical.
Tags: annoying people, marketing moments
January 14th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I think there’s still at the back of lots of people’s minds that it’s an offence to tamper with the Royal Mail. I’m sure that explains it.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:48 am
What lovely old-fashioned sensibilities. That warms my heart.
Last time I opened a piece of mail that wasn’t addressed to me, it contained a catalogue advertising specialist films, one of which was called ‘Cock Farm’. That’ll learn me.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
It’s an offence to tamper with Royal Mail? Well, I break the law routinely then…
I think the polite reluctance is mostly coming from older people. The recipients of my age have just called and said that there’s been a problem, but they opened it anyway. No, need to coax them to commit an offence!
‘Cock Farm’ – sounds like an amusing story about some chickens scratching about outside on a lovely summery day…
January 14th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
There is nowt like folk for letting you down !!!!!.
Cock Farm – chortle !.
January 15th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
I’m trying not to think about planting cocks in fresh manure…
Anyway, the only but of mis-directed mail we’ve had of note got us all in a tizzy as it contained a cheque and a note thanking the intended recipient for the juveniles. We took it to the police thinking we might be about to crack a pedo ring but it turned out to have been an order for some baby Iguanas.
Oh, and yes I am back and plan to get my arse in gear on the first Canada report tomorrow.
January 15th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
i’d imagine ‘ol Carl has got that film somewhere if you’re still tempted ISBW… :-)
5 Centres has beat me to it… I was going to say that too, it is indeed an offence to open up mail not adressed to you – not sure how theya ctually find out you did it, but I have often been known to scrawl “not know at this address” on an envelope thats been delivered to Mr Smith here at Piley Towers.
P
January 16th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Carl, you’ll be relieved to know that I haven’t entirely been let down. One person, rather than writing ‘Not known at this address’ as normal people do, on his returned envelope went for:
I HAVE LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS FOR OVER 25 YEARS. IF YOU OR ANY OTHER COMPANIES OR ROYAL MAIL SEND ME ANY MORE MAIL NOT ADDRESSED TO ME PERSONALLY IT IS GOING IN THE BIN AND I MEAN IT!!!!!
Clearly a bit uptight…
Ah, baby iguanas Simon! Was there any evidence of the former reptilian inhabitants when you moved into your house? And were the police bothered that you’d broken the law by opening the mail?
I really wouldn’t have thought people would be that bothered about opening the mail, Piley, even if it isn’t addressed to them, when they could clearly see what it was. e.g. the season brochure that they requested.