In the weeks before Christmas, Anne Zimmermann works every day at the Christmas detective office at Posten’s premises in Oslo.
Every year several hundred parcels appear with missing addresses. It is these packages that the Christmas detective is mainly responsible for.
Zimmermann must get the gifts to the right owner.
– We open the packages, and then there are often “to and from” notes on them. We then take pictures which we post on our website, and if someone recognizes the packages, they get in touch, explains Zimmermann.
If there are packages that still cannot be found, the Christmas detective has several methods to get the packages to the right owner before Christmas.
Uses a magnifying glass
She says that they have found many packages this year by using a magnifying glass and finding traces of the addresses.
– There may be some left of the address card, then we use a magnifying glass to find any traces of addresses, postcodes or names.
HUNT: Anne Zimmermann hunts for the owners and often has to use a magnifying glass to find remains of the address. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo
In addition, Posten has a large register where they can try to get hold of the owners. Zimmermann says that they also use social media to reach out to people if they cannot reach them by phone.
Held for 20 years
Press manager for Posten, Kenneth Pettersen, states that in the run-up to Christmas, Posten handles two million parcels a week.
– After all, we live to deliver, and not all packages have “to and from” labels on them. Then we need dedicated forces who can be real detectives through Christmas and find recipients for those packages.
Kenneth Pettersen, press manager at Posten. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo
Posten’s head of customer service, Lise Christine Trzebinski Braathen, says that the scheme has worked very well
– This started many years ago. Then there were a lot of packages that arrived without address labels.
The scheme has helped to ensure that packages that could have been lost are still found. Last year, over 80 per cent of these parcels without an address found their way to the correct owner in the end.
– For us, it is professional pride to ensure that we deliver all packages, and especially important at Christmas. There may be many who have not seen their near and dear ones for a while, so it is very important that the packages arrive, says Braathen
Zimmermann is also very satisfied with the arrangement and enjoys being a Christmas detective.
– It is only joy when we call and ask if they are missing a package or have sent a package. People get really excited to get this under the Christmas tree.
