Feeling Invisible

I asked for some time of 3 months in advance as our company now request you give 4 weeks notice before you request time off so they can get staff in and train them up or find suitable cover for your route. The best thing about my company is even though we are technically self employed with contracts it that they will sort cover for you and not expect you to find cover yourself (which is really very handy as I hardly know anyone else who drives for the company).

So I asked for a few days around my birthday off and they now say that if you do not hear after a week of sending your form in assume it's failed. That was 3 weeks ago, other managers in the depot have said no one books that weekend off as people favour the following weekend being it's a bank holiday and yet I my manager has refused my day off it seems. Also I feel a spot of favouritism is going on in the ranks as there is one woman that over christmas got a week off even though she dropped it on their laps last thing and we were all told no one could take time off in that time period. She has again dropped it in their laps last thing this weekend and yet I'm not allowed even though there are two people who will cover me.

I was really sick with vertigo during January, very dizzy and unable to drive but I feel like this is being held against me and I had already reduced myself down to one post code by then which doesn't have many parcels but still I have been refused........not happy.

Considering I have many customers who praise my customer service skills and my no nonsense approach when parcels go missing. I go back to the customer and deal with them myself and often find ther is no proof to back up their issue. I thus save lots of hassle time with the customers/company. I have even had customers accuse me of not delivering parcels and I have seen them standing in their hallways. Which soon shuts them up when I say 'well whats that then?' pointing to to parcel with the yodel barcode on.

So customer's please do not assume you can pull the wool over courier's eyes if like me they will investigate the issue. We are not stupid and wise to your tricks....