Right we start at the beginning of a typical late shift for me on backdoor.

The very first thing I do after I clock in is check the backdoor warehouse, is it tidy? Well kind of the chap on the morning shift has nothing to do with me much of the other staff at the store so enough said really. After picking up the odd four-sider cage of cardboard or plastic, my TL comes down to say hello, gives me the delivery schedule moans about the other next steps MM have given him also about any other issue within the store which has really nothing to what I'm doing anyway.

First delivery comes in despite it's 30 minutes early as planned but I'm not complaining, the driver has to back into the dark hole of our backdoor, it's not the easiest one to back into I tells you, only a glance at the yellow plates beside the shutter runner on the wall indicates how many times it's been struck by reversing trailers!

As this delivery comes in mixed up, it's the job of the backdoor staff to split it down into each isle or section of isle etc… whilst unloading the trailer from the tail-lift TL likes to have it split as we unload so it can make it easier later on, the driver takes his time whilst he un straps his cages from the trailer, TL curses at the driver under his breath to hurry up (at least I am still alive at this point!!) once after we've reloaded him with empty silvers we carry on with the split down, TL is called on to the checkout because they're (team-leaders) all multi-skilled, so I struggle with the split-down by myself.

After a certain time of the day I go for my lunch break, so I can let my TL do the rest of the split down, without being disturbed by passing I have to buy my lunch from the store ( the canteen stops serving food after I start my shift!!!!) I have my lunch in peace with a colleague of mine after he works his BWS & another colleague which I discuss VLH with!

When I come down from lunch the other grocery delivery which is expected hasn't turned up, TL goes for his last break as I pull up the delivery cages & some backstock out ready for the "drag-out" on to the shop floor ready for the night shift to work when they start their shift. As I try & get as many cages as I can up the top a phone call from my section manager asks how I am, "yes I am great, thanks (!)", after a bit of clearing up around the backdoor area of trays & dollies left around by the lazy produce & dairy staff, TL comes down asking where the delivery, I explain to him "it's not in as yet as you can see mate!" He rings up the DC concerned, it won't be in till another hour or so, apparently the M25 car park is pretty heavy tonight.

I go for my tea break after half an hour of doing the MU's on the shop floor, just to keep the time going before the delivery arrives. At this time the next grocery delivery still hasn't arrived TL asks me to ring the DC again asking the where the hell it is, I pretend I rung up as I know the guys at the transport office get frustrated with us stores constantly ringing them up about deliveries, which wouldn't be necessary if our Isotrack pager was to work,. MM keep saying it's been ordered bla bla!!

The fresh delivery arrives, TL moans that it's nearly his end of shift as he's expected to stay behind after both grocery deliveries have been split. The Polish driver for the fresh delivery starts to unload but has to negotiate his way round the load for the next store he's delivering to, TL moans it's taking to long tells the Pole he'll get the Russians on him under his breath if he don't hurry up. At this time my TL leaves me to it then he goes home, during this period certain members of staff from shop floor or checkouts help out with the drag out on the shop floor, certain managers help out as well but some don't as they suffer from back problems or they cannot be bothered as they "have other things to do". As this delivery has a split load I cannot re-load him with trays or RSU which then puts a burden on for the backdoor person next morning, but never mind I can't help it. I then put away the fresh delivery upstairs into the main chillers which are taken up by lifts which have a habit of opening their doors when loaded but this time they didn't.

About an hour before the end of my shift the night-shift begin their work, they moan about anything like the delivery isn't split properly, round this time the next delivery turns up the grocery one that got stuck on the M25, but the driver explained that the transport office were talking cobblers & that the load was originally loaded onto a trailer without a tail-lift whoops!! The cages are unloaded, night-shift have to take it straight up the shop floor un-split as MM moan because they reckon ain't got time to, which takes the pressure off me. Once I quickly tidied up the backdoor I give they keys to the night manager & have my last 15 minute tea-break by then the Robert Wiseman milk delivery arrives & I leave the nigh-shift to tip it ha ha ha!!! Well considering they've owed me time before hand they can deal with it.

As I get home, I switch on my PC log onto the net & contribute to VLH.

By P.E.