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In a short period of time they have turned from a national institution albeit with some out of date working practices (where have we seen that elsewhere?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In a short period of time they have turned from a national institution albeit with some out of date working practices (where have we seen that elsewhere?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.

 

[MartinC]

I am surprised that the King still allows it to be "Royal"

 

[speedy1]

I've read reports online about missed NHS appointments, missed summons notifications etc because of extreme delays and batching by Royal Mail leading to delays of a few days up to nearly two weeks.

It seems like some wholesale changes in legislation and policy at the highest levels are required to adjust to this new reality that it is not 1960 any more, and letters simply aren't treated with any urgency?

 

[Oxfordblues]

I once placed a postcard at Preston station into a letterbox on the side of the Whitehaven-Huddersfield TPO departing at 23:15. It was delivered in Cleckheaton at 07:35. The stamp cost 4.5p. That was 1974: an altogether different world. My friend still has the card!

 

[Freightmaster]

Just seen this on my BBC news feed:

Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 head office and support function jobs

The postal service firm wants to cut head office and other non-frontline jobs by the end of 2027.

www.bbc.co.uk

Royal Mail has announced plans to cut 2,500 head office and other supporting roles by the end of 2027 as it battles competition and falling demand for letter deliveries.

The cuts at the postal service will represent about 2% of the 131,000-strong workforce.

 

[Djgr]

Just seen this on my BBC news feed:

Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 head office and support function jobs

The postal service firm wants to cut head office and other non-frontline jobs by the end of 2027.

www.bbc.co.uk

After the railways, the water companies, the insourcing of the Civil Service Pension scheme disaster, this needs to be on the renationalisation to do list.

 

[Buzby]

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

They do - I caused them 2 days in court, and even when staff criminality was involved, their solicitors used Postal Act fine print to body swerve their liability. The judge explained he was powerless, but agreed to reject their claim of additional costs saying we all had to pay our own.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It seems like some wholesale changes in legislation and policy at the highest levels are required to adjust to this new reality that it is not 1960 any more, and letters simply aren't treated with any urgency?

Letters just aren't necessary in the way they were. Important documents would be sent by Special Delivery or document courier (company internal, or something like DX*) but almost everything can be done online now. Yes, there are a few people who don't do online but they are, to be fairly crude, rapidly dying out. The NHS is what needs to modernise and stop sending appointments by letter when there are a load of better ways of doing it, not least being sufficiently organised as to make the followup appointment with you in person when you're at the previous one.

* DX is named for "Document eXchange", though they are a general parcel courier now too as that's where money is now.

 

[jon81uk]

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.

I'd say they are a decent parcel courier, at least at the standard of our local Evri contractors. But Royal Mail is no longer a good mail company, all the effort goes on being a parcel courier now, not a post service.

 

[sprunt]

I am surprised that the King still allows it to be "Royal"

Does the king have any say in the matter? I've genuinely no idea, is there any law preventing me from setting up a company called 'Royal Felt Tip Pens Ltd?' What if my surname were Royal?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does the king have any say in the matter? I've genuinely no idea, is there any law preventing me from setting up a company called 'Royal Felt Tip Pens Ltd?' What if my surname were Royal?

Fairly sure that Companies House won't let you register a limited company with the word 'Royal' in it, without the specific prior permission of the Secretary of State. Issue seems to be that using the word 'Royal' might suggest you have royal patronage.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fairly sure that Companies House won't let you register a limited company with the word 'Royal' in it, without the specific permission of the Secretary of State. Issue seems to be that using the word 'Royal' might suggest you have royal patronage.

And it does indeed. No guarantee it will continue to have it long term though - there's always the chance they go to open tender for the "socially necessary" letter post service once the present contract expires.

 

[sabanda]

I had a grey customs slip arrive yesterday morning for a parcel which I paid for, and collected, last Thursday!

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Fairly sure that Companies House won't let you register a limited company with the word 'Royal' in it, without the specific prior permission of the Secretary of State. Issue seems to be that using the word 'Royal' might suggest you have royal patronage.

It does seem possible to have a 'Royal' brand, if not a 'Royal' company, as in these purveyors of fine Halal ready meals which can be found in Sainsbury's :

https://www.royalsweets.co.uk/

I'm a particular fan of the Biryani.

The company itself isn't called "Royal" anything, mind you, it's apparently Bombay Halwa Ltd.

 

[MotCO]

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.

I had to send an important tax return by post, so sent it 'Signed For' at additional cost (there was not an on-line alternative). I monitored the letter, saw it had been collected, but not that it had been delivered. I phone the Post Office who said they never sign for letters at tax offices, so could not prove whether or not it had been received. What's the point of the Post Office accepting and charging for 'Signed For' when they know that it will not be receipted?