common sense ?

[GRS]

Too many people here worrying about what ifs, it is not your fuel, you don't have to pay for it, you have a start time, a finish time and a meal relief. What you do in between those times is up to RM. If you can't do it all, it is not your problem.

Exactly, people are worrying about silly things like specials being done by 1, having to take a full meal relief, who they are going to be working with, pda battery life etc etc etc. What we need to be worrying about and watching out for is the attack on our pay and conditions which will no doubt be coming with this new way of working.

[Boydieboydie]

But the public, the people we deliver to, are not the customer.
Q How much does Mrs Smith at No32 pay RM to have her mail delivered?
A.£0.00p.
So what right does she have to make demands about a service she's not paying for.

The customer is the one who pays us, and if "oversized boxes of crap ltd" wants to take orders for there oversized boxes of crap up to midnight and get them in to our system in Edinburgh for delivery the next day in Lands End, the window for entry in to our system needs to be later, which inevitably shunts the delivery window later too.
I understand old habits die hard and from a delivery opg point of view it will be a less than pleasant change , but my opinion is that this isn't worth fighting.
If RM (and it's staff) refuse to evolve and meet the PAYING customers needs, very few of us will have a job to complain about.

I just wonder how many of these customers (as in the sender) want to have access to the system up to midnight? Or up to 9pm? Or are quite happy with current arrangements (whatever they are)? I don't know the answer to that and I'd be surprised if you knew this. It would not surprise me if RM management don't know this either. But more importantly is this another myth promulgated by RM based on the needs of a very few companies like 'Next' (who have their own fleet of distribution vans anyway). BTW when I order online, (which I do a lot of) free postage invariably has a 3-5 day delivery window so there wouldn't be the requirement to get it into the system as they usually won't be delivered the next day. If I want next day delivery I invariably pay a premium for this service and know that most companies I use need to get orders sorted out by late afternoon 6pm to get next day delivery.

Royal Mail know that this is what customers want. This is the kind of thing our competitors are doing and are taking our major customers off us because of it. We have to adapt or else, as crazyshrew rightly said, we will all be out of a job.

Think about it, from a customer point of view. You can go online at 11:30pm and have something delivered to you the very next day or Royal Mail will deliver it to you within a few days or so... Who would you pick?

[Surreypostie]

But the public, the people we deliver to, are not the customer.
Q How much does Mrs Smith at No32 pay RM to have her mail delivered?
A.£0.00p.
So what right does she have to make demands about a service she's not paying for.

The customer is the one who pays us, and if "oversized boxes of crap ltd" wants to take orders for there oversized boxes of crap up to midnight and get them in to our system in Edinburgh for delivery the next day in Lands End, the window for entry in to our system needs to be later, which inevitably shunts the delivery window later too.
I understand old habits die hard and from a delivery opg point of view it will be a less than pleasant change , but my opinion is that this isn't worth fighting.
If RM (and it's staff) refuse to evolve and meet the PAYING customers needs, very few of us will have a job to complain about.

I just wonder how many of these customers (as in the sender) want to have access to the system up to midnight? Or up to 9pm? Or are quite happy with current arrangements (whatever they are)? I don't know the answer to that and I'd be surprised if you knew this. It would not surprise me if RM management don't know this either. But more importantly is this another myth promulgated by RM based on the needs of a very few companies like 'Next' (who have their own fleet of distribution vans anyway). BTW when I order online, (which I do a lot of) free postage invariably has a 3-5 day delivery window so there wouldn't be the requirement to get it into the system as they usually won't be delivered the next day. If I want next day delivery I invariably pay a premium for this service and know that most companies I use need to get orders sorted out by late afternoon 6pm to get next day delivery.

Royal Mail know that this is what customers want. This is the kind of thing our competitors are doing and are taking our major customers off us because of it. We have to adapt or else, as crazyshrew rightly said, we will all be out of a job.

Think about it, from a customer point of view. You can go online at 11:30pm and have something delivered to you the very next day or Royal Mail will deliver it to you within a few days or so... Who would you pick?

Quite agree, I'm paid to work from start to finish, what I do is no concern of mine. I try to do it to the best of my ability. Nobody likes change, we just have to adapt to it. It's not the end of the world. Some people just seem to have their heads in the sand and think it doesn't apply to them. I work in delivery, the amount of people I work with that think making time is ok and RM will continue to allow it to happen. I work with people that start early, don't have a break and then cut off as it's too busy, they complain that they haven't had time for a break and they won't work over as they don't want the overtime. You really couldn't make it up.

[motherhubbard]

I just wonder how many of these customers (as in the sender) want to have access to the system up to midnight? Or up to 9pm? Or are quite happy with current arrangements (whatever they are)? I don't know the answer to that and I'd be surprised if you knew this. It would not surprise me if RM management don't know this either. But more importantly is this another myth promulgated by RM based on the needs of a very few companies like 'Next' .

Royal Mail has secured a one-year contract to handle customer deliveries for multi-channel lifestyle brand Joules.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (22 February), Royal Mail said it will deliver to Joules’ customers across the UK using its Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 services.

Royal Mail said that a key factor in securing the Joules contract was the recent extension of the late acceptance times at its National Distribution Centre in Northampton.

Royal Mail now accepts parcels up to 23.30 for next-day delivery with its Tracked 24 service and in two days with Tracked 48. This means that customers are able to place online orders with Joules until 20.00 for delivery by Royal Mail the next working day.

Crissy Wisdom Chew, Joules Transport Manager, said: “Joules is a favourite time-off brand for families all over the UK. Time is at a premium for many, so it’s really important that our customers trust that we can consistently deliver on speed and convenience. Our partnership with Royal Mail will enable us to do this.”

Nick Landon, Managing Director Royal Mail Parcels, added: “We are delighted that Joules has become one of the first brands to fully make use of the later acceptance times at our national distribution centre.”

[toomuchcoke]

Quite agree, I'm paid to work from start to finish, what I do is no concern of mine. I try to do it to the best of my ability. Nobody likes change, we just have to adapt to it. It's not the end of the world. Some people just seem to have their heads in the sand and think it doesn't apply to them. I work in delivery, the amount of people I work with that think making time is ok and RM will continue to allow it to happen. I work with people that start early, don't have a break and then cut off as it's too busy, they complain that they haven't had time for a break and they won't work over as they don't want the overtime. You really couldn't make it up.

I've worked with people who would cut their meal breaks short because "they didn't want to do overtime"!

[Stammerking]

Looking forward to the later start times can get up with my family enjoy breakfast then go do my 8 hrs, 9 to 5 will do me just Saturday will be a ball ache but no doubt the early finish job and knock Saturday will still apply

[Nondescript]

Looking forward to the later start times can get up with my family enjoy breakfast then go do my 8 hrs, 9 to 5 will do me just Saturday will be a ball ache but no doubt the early finish job and knock Saturday will still apply

Some of the bright sparks at my DO come in between an hour and two hours early on a Saturday just to get an early finish The managers love it as any time we have a busy Saturday they don't need to phone anyone up to ask them to come in and do some overtime on the IPS, as chances are they are already in doing it for free Christ knows what time these geniuses plan on coming in at on a Saturday if the 9 to 5 thing gets the go ahead.

[kendo159]

Had this reply from JUSTSAY.

Thank you for your email to Moya Greene. Moya has asked me to look into this and respond.

It is vital we plan ahead to assure our continued success. We know our markets are changing as letter volumes decline and parcels grow in number and size. Investment in new automation will help improve efficiency and make us more competitive.

Forward planning based on thorough modelling enables us to stay attuned to customer demands. It means we must at least consider all possible options in order to ensure we identify and invest in the right strategies. Indoor workload at delivery offices has declined and will continue to do so in the years ahead. We must constantly review what customers will pay us for, how sales and workload are changing and the opportunities made available by technology and automation.

We can say with certainty that in 5 years from now the way we operate will be different to how things are at present. However, while we continue to research and model a variety of possible scenarios we are not planning to move delivery routes to run from 9am to 5pm six days a week.

[Creditshampoo]

I work in a hub and last night all our 7.5 tonners went out full to the brim and even had a lot left over to add onto wave 2.

Wonder what will happen when it's one wave

[TrueBlueTerrier]

[Dorset Plodder]

Me...... I'm just a Dinosaur it seems. Even if I order something late at night I'm not really bothered if it doesn't arrive the next day! I EVEN BUY THINGS IN SHOPS! WITH CASH!!

We try and plan things ahead, so we've got a present, that was delivered Sunday (by scruffy courier in muddy car), and it's still sat unopened in the Kitchen.

Royal Mail will do what it wants and there's very little we can do about it....... so look forward to the lie in and dig out your old torch (from when we used to deliver in the dark before)!

[WOBBLY]

But the public, the people we deliver to, are not the customer.
Q How much does Mrs Smith at No32 pay RM to have her mail delivered?
A.£0.00p.
So what right does she have to make demands about a service she's not paying for.

So if I order a parcel/tickets/<insert item> and pay the postage am I not the customer? (indirectly admittedly) after all I've paid for the service! - The company has been paid (by me) to then sort out the picking, packing and sending of the item!

After all they are trying to push us as a 'parcels' company ;)

[masterblaster]

Too many people here worrying about what ifs, it is not your fuel, you don't have to pay for it, you have a start time, a finish time and a meal relief. What you do in between those times is up to RM. If you can't do it all, it is not your problem.

Oh I'm not 'worried' in the slightest, just stating a fact.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

But the public, the people we deliver to, are not the customer.
Q How much does Mrs Smith at No32 pay RM to have her mail delivered?
A.£0.00p.
So what right does she have to make demands about a service she's not paying for.

So if I order a parcel/tickets/<insert item> and pay the postage am I not the customer? (indirectly admittedly) after all I've paid for the service! - The company has been paid (by me) to then sort out the picking, packing and sending of the item!

After all they are trying to push us as a 'parcels' company ;)

But if you order the same thing from 2 companies they have a choice who to send it through. One may use RM, but the other might use DPD. If they use DPD how can you be a customer of Royal Mail.

We want the companies to RM, and one way to convince them is to give their customers a good service. The quicker they get the item the better (less complaining time).

Unfortunately despite preferring the 5 am starts and 1300 finishes, I think for the business later starts may be better. But deliveries over 4:30 is a no go for me.

[k979aaa]

But the public, the people we deliver to, are not the customer.
Q How much does Mrs Smith at No32 pay RM to have her mail delivered?
A.£0.00p.
So what right does she have to make demands about a service she's not paying for.

So if I order a parcel/tickets/<insert item> and pay the postage am I not the customer? (indirectly admittedly) after all I've paid for the service! - The company has been paid (by me) to then sort out the picking, packing and sending of the item!

After all they are trying to push us as a 'parcels' company ;)

But if you order the same thing from 2 companies they have a choice who to send it through. One may use RM, but the other might use DPD. If they use DPD how can you be a customer of Royal Mail.

We want the companies to RM, and one way to convince them is to give their customers a good service. The quicker they get the item the better (less complaining time).

Unfortunately despite preferring the 5 am starts and 1300 finishes, I think for the business later starts may be better. But deliveries over 4:30 is a no go for me.

Is that the end of the delivery time or the span but in any event 4:30pm on a Saturday and most of the workforce will leave so the managers better bring better footwear and cancel their season tickets and the golf club subs as they will be doing it all.