Dedication to quality

Ken Adewuyi has been the Customer Operations Manager at Hammersmith Delivery Office since June 2022.

The unit is doing well, and Ken credits the dedication of his team of around 50 colleagues with its success.

Ken says respectful relationships and honest conversations are the norm at Hammersmith – and stresses how important these things are in creating a stable and resilient operational climate.

‘I talk to my team about family, things going on in their life,’ says Ken. ‘And I don’t hide. I say “good morning” to everyone if I am on the floor and my door is always open. But yes of course – there are also specific things I expect from my team.

‘I believe that people want to do a good job, and to feel that they are needed.

‘Even when we clear – we need people. The message is always that you are needed here – we have asked for you to be here and you must come in on time.

‘If you have a problem at work, I need to know. If there are issues, my door is open.’

Hammersmith colleagues took peak in their stride and delivered for their customers.

‘We have made in roads from last year – and we need to stay optimistic,’ says Ken.

‘I think if a unit is going to be successful and provide excellent quality, standards and expectations need to be clear. People want to know what they are doing every day. You need a good resourcing plan – bums on seats definitely resolves quality! That comes at a cost, but if you have good quality, you can secure customers.’

Ken, who has worked for Royal Mail since 2010, puts a real emphasis on team in Hammersmith.

‘I plan in advance so if there are requests to swap days, 99 times out of a hundred I can accommodate them,’ he says. ‘Our sick absence is low – I believe because people have the confidence to speak to me about absence.

‘If I know about sick absence early on then I will move things around to accommodate it. That sort of open communication works well.

‘I certainly wouldn’t say I make the job ‘easy’ – because everyone needs a bit of a struggle, and to feel like they are accomplishing something.

‘But when people do accomplish something, I recognise it and let them know they are doing a good job. We have an awards ceremony here to celebrate success. It can be time consuming to arrange, but it is worth it.

‘I do let the guys know about any issues in Royal Mail as well. I am honest and when they have frustrations I take those on. I may not always 100% agree with them – but I do look to understand why they are frustrated.’