In December, parcels are bustling at La Poste: when postmen turn into Christmas elves

En décembre, 6 000 colis par jour sont livrés en Lozère, au lieu de 4 000 habituellement. MIDI LIBRE – Lola Pesquié

December is a busy time for La Poste agents, who turn into real Christmas elves. The number of parcels doubles. Between adaptability, organization and versatility, the mechanism must be well-oiled. A behind-the-scenes visit with those who contribute, among other things, to the success of everyone's Christmas.

188 Christmas elves are in Lozère. They can sometimes be seen in the streets, in yellow and blue… These elves are our postmen. For them, December is a very busy time. And no matter whether it's snowing, raining or windy, they have to deliver all the gifts on time!

From 5:15 in the morning until 6:00 a.m., letters and parcels from Lozère arrive in the production room on the La Poste site in Mende. It measures 250 m2 and is divided into two parts: one for parcels and the other for letters. Normally, 4,000 parcels are distributed every day throughout the department. During this period, it is rather 6,000 parcels “easy”, as Olivier Guillemin, the director of the establishment, testifies. He has known La Poste for almost 29 years and is now a specialist in the company. In Mende, the volume goes from 800 parcels to 1,800, or even 2,000.

La Poste agents do everything they can to ensure that packages arrive on time and at the right address. MIDI LIBRE – Lola Pesquié

Olivier Guillemin explains that since Black Friday, the flow has been continuously high. The period of high activity extends until the beginning of February, with the end of the sales. And before the sales, there is the time for returning packages, after Christmas.

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Longer days

From 6 am, the parcels are distributed between six other main sites in the department, and nine secondary sites. The Mende postmen, once the handling is finished, load their parcels into the vehicles and leave for their round, between 9 am and 10 am. There are 30 postmen in Mende and on the attached sites, Saint-Amans and Villefort. They deliver to relay points and to homes. Most agents work from 7:15 am to 2 pm normally, but at the moment, the round can last until 3 pm.

The company is committed to the working conditions of all agents, throughout the year. For Christmas, since the days are longer, the postmen have something to eat during the rounds: chocolate bars, compotes… The company also offers them a Christmas package, with Lozère products. “It's simple, but very appreciated”, says Olivier Guillemin.

Certainly, the period is busy and requires more logistics, but everyone affirms that there is “no stress”. “We are used to it and we are organized. It is a job that we prepare from the summer. Everything is calculated and measured, like in a beehive.” In Lozère, fifteen people have been recruited.

The package is scanned at each stage to allow the recipient to track it. MIDI LIBRE – Lola Pesquié

A festive period

If the period is festive for everyone, it is also festive in the premises of La Poste. “There is a lot of mutual aid, good humor, everyone participates in everything,says Olivier Guillemin. It's an important period for La Poste and for customers. On December 24, we don't want any more parcels. Everything has to be delivered for Santa Claus…”

Guillaume Monty loads his sack. MIDI LIBRE – Lola Pesquié

Guillaume Monty has been working at La Poste for nine years and has been an operational manager for four years. He quickly realized that La Poste is a company where it is possible to advance “if you have the will to invest yourself. This job has many facets, everyone can find what suits them. The company itself is constantly evolving. That's what's fun, it avoids routine.”

During his tour, Guillaume Monty, like the other postmen, must also collect letters addressed to Santa Claus in the yellow mailboxes, before sending them to Libourne. There, sixty people have been assigned to answer the letters coming from all over France. The elves have their work cut out for them.