RMC : RMtv : Falling behind Amazon - You must do more

[SpacePhoenix]

The thing is tracking means higher costs and that means higher prices so while it's true customers want tracking on high value or urgent items do they really want tracking on low value tat from ebay if it's going to add another £1 to the delivery cost?

We deliver the vast majority of low value items in the UK, we do that because our prices for small parcels are relatively cheap compared to our competitors , it's not a market we want to surrender by overburdening the network with technology costs. It's a difficult balance.

You've probably noticed the increase in the number of items with 2D barcodes on them. iirc PSMs use that barcode to sort an item so that's the tracking in the MC network part done.

It's going to get to the point soon where we're processing more Tracked than non Tracked.

Maybe RM should do a survey of customers to find out their feelings on whether every packet they post should be trackable

[TopperGas]

Given recently that I've lost two non tracked items which were never delivered than I'd say most customer would want their parcels tracked.

What I can't understand is how poor RM are at telling a customer when to expect deliver of their parcel as the two hour window given seems to bare no real relevance to when it's going to be delivered.

[sindba]

Given recently that I've lost two non tracked items which were never delivered than I'd say most customer would want their parcels tracked.

What I can't understand is how poor RM are at telling a customer when to expect deliver of their parcel as the two hour window given seems to bare no real relevance to when it's going to be delivered.

You're not a postie are you?

An accurate two hour window is impossible.

Our rounds are 5-6 hours long, hundreds of houses, thousands of letters and parcels. In a different order, often by different posties, working their arses off, every day.

We'll get it there and won't chuck it over your back gate like Hermes, but cut us some slack.

[Dorset Plodder]

We'll get it there and won't chuck it over your back gate like Hermes, but cut us some slack.

Watching something on You-Bend the other day ......... They had cctv of a Fedex Driver in the US lobbing a big Plasma screen TV over some guys 6ft spiked railing fence. No lean over as far as you can and "lower" it to the ground ... a proper lob FFS! Another satisfied customer!

[smok3y666]

We'll get it there and won't chuck it over your back gate like Hermes, but cut us some slack.

Watching something on You-Bend the other day ......... They had cctv of a Fedex Driver in the US lobbing a big Plasma screen TV over some guys 6ft spiked railing fence. No lean over as far as you can and "lower" it to the ground ... a proper lob FFS! Another satisfied customer!

And i've seen someone stand on a TV in our depot so don't pretend Royal Mail employees are all well and good and do their job properly because they don't.

[TopperGas]

Given recently that I've lost two non tracked items which were never delivered than I'd say most customer would want their parcels tracked.

What I can't understand is how poor RM are at telling a customer when to expect deliver of their parcel as the two hour window given seems to bare no real relevance to when it's going to be delivered.

You're not a postie are you?

An accurate two hour window is impossible.

Our rounds are 5-6 hours long, hundreds of houses, thousands of letters and parcels. In a different order, often by different posties, working their arses off, every day.

We'll get it there and won't chuck it over your back gate like Hermes, but cut us some slack.

As I said the 2 hour window as no relevance to when the parcel is going to be delivered, that's not the posties fault it's how the RM system works.

What's the point in telling a customer that the post will be delivered in a 2 hour window between 8 to 10 am when it can be delivered any time in a 5 to 6 hours window? Although I assume it's not too difficult for the RM to calculate when a parcel is likely to be delivered, as posties usually stick to the same routes.

[WalkerX]

"What's the point in telling a customer that the post will be delivered in a 2 hour window between 8 to 10 am when it can be delivered any time in a 5 to 6 hours window?"

I delivered to a lady who dashed up in her car fortunately, as I was writing a P739. She told me that she`d had a message on her phone to say it would be delivered between 8:30-9:30. I was on a back shift, so told her I had n`t started until 11.
Scanning tracked cheap ebay tat from China is getting out of hand. The only good thing about it is that it`ll at least go through letterboxes easily.

[Kal-El]

What is the point of even giving the customer a delivery time when it means absolutly nothing at all. All it does is generate a complaint or piss the customer off. Just go back to "it will be delivered today".

[POSTMAN]

Amazon VTR (Valid Tracking Rate)

From what I can see Amazon want their sellers to have a VTR of 95% before s**t kicks in for them, see this item here for clarification...
https://tamebay.com/2021/04/amazon-vtr- ... 3007448661

Unfortunately, in the UK and in Spain there is no minimum price and so all items are included in the new Amazon VTR metric. We don’t know Amazon’s reasoning for this, but it may be based on country norms and the postal options available that can offer tracking.
Whilst in the UK a humble 1st class stamp doesn’t include tracking, there are services where the stamp comes with a barcode and so does get a scan on the doorstep… so long as the Postie delivering performs the scan and that’s where the issues arise.

Read the comments, what could possibly happen is everyone leaving Royal Mail and go over to Amazon delivery.
Or, everyone leaving Amazon completly lol, it's all a bit strange.

[Dorset Plodder]

I always try and encourage Friends & Family Not to use AMAZON. They have become a Monster and crap on everyone around them, this article highlights another sector, those using their parcels service.

They ARE very succesful though at getting to the Top of all those On-Line Options, and they make it very easy to use their "One Stop" website for lazy people. I go out of my way, and will even pay a few pence more, to Avoid the Money Grabbing Bastards. When customers start extolling the benefits of Amazon Prime (That I'm actually deliverying ) I'll always point out that once Amazon have put every other supplier out of business ... and the all the High Street Retailers have closed (due to unfair competition) Amazon will be able to charge whatever they want for delivery .... and they'll be Bugger all anyone can do about it.

[xPandabear1992x]

unfortunately our service is going to be slower and less efficient, after all, we are expected to deliver securely or not deliver at all.

if we suddenly chucked that policy away, people would complain that we're bobbins at our jobs.

[fb1969]

That's what RM just don't get.

All the person receiving the item is interested in is that they get it. If they are at work all day then get home and it is sitting on their doorstep they are happy - if it is stolen Amazon just send another and they are happy. If they get home and find a P739 saying we wouldn't deliver it they aren't happy. And if we leave it on the doorstep and it gets stolen, we are in the s**t.

Not saying that RM should allow doorstepping, but like with most comparisons between us and Amazon and other couriers it isn't a level playing field. Yet RM management will still use it as a stick to beat us with.

[Mr Rush]

Oh Sir Landon, I beseech thee: which rights would you like me to throw away as an employee? Because I know that's what you really mean when you compare us to Amazon. Set hours, paid breaks? Maybe not being employed by Royal Mail at all? How about not being paid at all? Would that help? I've done so little in the past year, so it would be the least I could do.