Royal Mail....oh dear

[AdamWW]

Here's a good one.

Yet again I had cause to complain to the Royal Mail.

I eventually got an email back saying that they were too busy to reply to complaints on a reasonable timscale (wonder why that would be?) and are hoping that the problem has magically solved itself anyway. (It hasn't).

But if I still want them to consider my complaint I need to let them know by replying to the email.....which came from an address that doesn't accept incoming emails.

Quite clever really.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In a short period of time they have turned from a national institution albeit with some out of date working practices (where have we seen that elsewhere? ) to a third rate parcel courier often worse than Evri. The cause appears to be taking on contractors.

 

[Vexed]

I've never had delays over a day or two from Royal Mail before but I'm currently waiting for a couple of letters that I'd have expected to come on Wednesday or Thursday last week.

Parcels are still coming in on time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've never had delays over a day or two from Royal Mail before but I'm currently waiting for a couple of letters that I'd have expected to come on Wednesday or Thursday last week.

Parcels are still coming in on time.

I've had it in the past, Milton Keynes was notorious in the early 2000s, first class sometimes took a week. I had to delay picking up my first car because the banker's draft (remember those?) was stuck in the post. I've not had issues with letters of late though, much as I rarely get any now. Parcels on the other hand, unless they're small ones that the postie delivers they're less reliable than Evri now. I guess their core competence HR wise is managing a dedicated, employed, unionised workforce, not contractors who tend to misbehave if not very closely managed and incentivised.

 

[skyhigh]

In a short period of time they have turned from a national institution albeit with some out of date working practices (where have we seen that elsewhere? ) to a third rate parcel courier often worse than Evri. The cause appears to be taking on contractors.

They are so overwhelmed as to be totally useless. I sent a fairly expensive parcel Special Delivery to make sure it would insured. The tracking never said it was delivered and the recipient claimed it hadn't arrived. Made a claim with Customer Services who "investigated" and told me based on the evidence they had the parcel was "likely" delivered but just not scanned so my claim was denied.

And there was the time I booked a parcel collection from home. DPD turned up at about 11.40 to deliver a parcel but left it outside the front door. Royal Mail turned up at about 11.45 and rather than ringing the doorbell to check that was the parcel they were collecting just put their label on it and went. That took a lot of sorting out.

 

[Snow1964]

In a short period of time they have turned from a national institution albeit with some out of date working practices (where have we seen that elsewhere? ) to a third rate parcel courier often worse than Evri. The cause appears to be taking on contractors.

It also appears to be a weak regulator, that sets targets, with no real consequences for percentage that is outside the target.

eg A percentage of First class mail by tomorrow, but no further target or penalty if miss it, so delaying further and delivering day 7 (or 2 weeks late), is treated same missing next day. Hence why having some depots understaffed, and being able to cover holidays is seen as cost effective

 

[AdamWW]

They are so overwhelmed as to be totally useless. I sent a fairly expensive parcel Special Delivery to make sure it would insured. The tracking never said it was delivered and the recipient claimed it hadn't arrived. Made a claim with Customer Services who "investigated" and told me based on the evidence they had the parcel was "likely" delivered but just not scanned so my claim was denied.

I'd like to see them defend that in the small claims court.

But at least customer services actually got back to you, I suppose.