A postman is being investigated after allegedly referring to a customer as a “c***” in a delivery letter due to a “misguided animosity since he felt her dog bit him.”
Suzannah Ashton was taken aback when she noticed the foul-mouthed surname that a Royal Mail postman appeared to type in the ‘signature’ box after failing to hand over the delivery to her.
Ms Ashton placed an order for £72 worth of clothing from Sparkles Boutique last month, but when she didn’t receive the package or a ‘something for you’ card, she phoned the company.
Sheryl Flint, the owner of the boutique, looked through her emails to find a ‘proof of delivery’ notification on May 13 that included the scanned location and a postman’s ‘signature.’
It appeared that the postal worker tapped the 53-year-old PA’s surname into the handheld device using a pejorative word designed to cause significant offence.
Ms Ashton believes the postman holds a grudge against her because he mistakenly thinks her dog bit him in April – but she says it was someone else’s pet.
Royal Mail said they were ‘sorry for any offence, distress and inconvenience caused’ and confirmed they were investigating the incident.
Ms Ashton, from south west London, said: ‘It’s disgusting and incredibly insulting. At the end of the day they’re meant to be Royal Mail.
‘They work in the Queen’s name, the clue’s in the name – Royal Mail.
‘At Royal Mail they have those little handheld things that they put the surname in. It’s meant to be my name, he’s put my surname as ‘c***’.
‘I was out at the time, I wasn’t aware of any parcel being left. I contacted Sheryl and she said “it’s been delivered here’s the details”.
‘I didn’t see the “c***” at the beginning, all I was looking for was the signature.
‘I told her “that’s not my signature” then she said “have you not seen [the name]?”.
Ms Ashton made a complaint to the local sorting office but claims she has yet to receive a written apology from the Royal Mail.
She said: ‘A dog bit him about six weeks ago, [but] he’s got the wrong person.
‘We live in little purpose-built blocks and we’ve got private gardens at the back.
‘We were all sitting out in the garden, our private space, and the postman in question shouldn’t have been out in the garden.
‘To come out of one block and go into another block via the gardens is our private property.
‘The [previous] postman we had went through the correct way, he wouldn’t have dreamed of coming out in our gardens to save ten paces.
‘I’ve got a dog, but it wasn’t my dog that actually bit him.’
She continued: ‘I’d ordered £72-worth of clothing. I’m a fashion addict, I bought two blouses, two bardot tops and a jumpsuit.
‘I went to the sorting office and I asked [a staff member] where the parcel was and he said they tried to deliver it but he never put a red slip through my door.
‘My parcel is still missing, they don’t know where it is.
‘It’s unacceptable. It’s just disgraceful and unacceptable. You shouldn’t go round calling your customers c****.’
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: ‘Royal Mail expects the highest standards from our people at all times. We have commenced an investigation, which will determine whether any further action, including disciplinary action, might be taken.
‘We are sorry for any offence, distress and inconvenience caused, and have been in contact with the customers involved to apologise.’