What a legend

‘Everyone thinks you’re great’ said one customer in Ormskirk, West Lancashire, about her local postman, Steve Inglis. After speaking to Steve’s manager, Jonothon Yapp, we couldn’t agree more.

‘Steve is our local, regular postman and delivers our business post in a Royal Mail van from Monday through to Saturday,’ said the customer, who wished to remain anonymous. ‘He has always proved very reliable, trustworthy, friendly and chatty if he has the time, (or we happen to be about when he arrives).

‘He is ultra-professional, charismatic, and always drives carefully in a difficult rural area up the tracks, along narrow, windy, wet and muddy minor roads. He is cheerful, helpful and always takes care to post and/or deliver our important business and personal mail properly and ensures we receive parcels our too.

‘Thankyou Steve for being so good at your job and for making the whole experience enjoyable. You look like you take great pride in your work and make a difference to everyone's day in this area. Everyone thinks you are great!’

It turns out that this isn’t the first time Steve has impressed one of his customers as last year, he was awarded a coveted ‘Borough Shield’ by Mayor of West Lancashire, Noel Delaney, for saving the life of an old lady in Lathom.

Steve had been working his usual round when he noticed that one of his customer’s milk was still on her doorstep. After going to investigate, he found the 84-year-old pensioner in her back garden. She had spent the entire night on her patio floor in the cold and heavy rain having fallen the previous night when going to fetch her handbag from her car.

After Steve dialled 999 he took the lady into her house and waited with her until an ambulance arrived. The customer spent the next week in Southport Hospital suffering with dehydration, hypothermia and very low blood pressure. The lady’s daughter wrote in to Royal Mail thanking Steve for his ‘extraordinary act of kindness,’ stating that if it wasn’t for his quick thinking, ‘I do not think she would have survived.’

Ormskirk delivery line manager, Jonothon Yapp, said: ‘Steve is a career postman who is also one of my workplace coaches. He takes enormous pride in his job, and will always go the extra mile to ensure his customers receive the best possible service.

‘As a workplace coach, Steve is an excellent example of the kind of attitude and conduct that I think all colleagues should aspire to, to meet the expectations of both the business and our customers.

‘I regularly use Steve’s conduct and performance both indoor and out on delivery and collection as a benchmark for other colleagues. His tireless work as a workplace coach has a really positive impact on our unit. It’s fantastic that his work has been recognised by his customers – I can’t say I’m surprised!’

When he was shown his customer’s compliment, Steve said: ‘I can honestly say that I am so pleased to be complimented from not only my manager, but from my customers too.

‘Being appreciated is important and it keeps me motivated to do the job to the best of my ability and keep my customers happy.

‘My customers will often compliment me, but for one of them to sit down and give up their time to let someone else know I’m doing a good job really means a lot to me.’