MRM.COM: Keep it safe Understanding when to use safe place

Post by **POSTMAN** » 16 Mar 2016, 14:35

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2016/03/keep-it-safe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We take the security of our mail seriously. And that’s one of the reasons our customers choose Royal Mail to deliver their valuable products.

Research shows that 71 per cent of consumers want their parcels delivered to their homes. Delivering first time is part of that. We currently deliver first time over 91 per cent of the time.

But we can only successfully deliver first time if we follow the correct processes. This includes Delivery to Neighbour and Nominate a Neighbour.

We have seen an increased number of complaints relating to doorstepping. This is when postmen and women leave parcels on the property, without either putting them through a letterbox or handing them to the occupier. It includes parcels being left in sheds, kennels and even bins.

One service

There is only one service that allows us to leave items that won’t fit through the letterbox at the customer’s address, if they are not at home to receive it. Our Tracked service allows the sender to nominate an official safe place for that specific parcel.

Some retailers who use the service encourage customers to nominate a safe place and if that happens, the safe place will be shown on the delivery label. If you feel that the parcel could be damaged or stolen, you do not have to leave it in the official safe place.

Jayne Collins, our customer experience and product improvement manager, says: ‘The integrity of our network is one of our biggest selling points. Even if recipients ask you to leave the parcel in a nominated spot, you shouldn’t do so – we need to make sure every parcel is delivered properly.’

Bouncing Souls · Post by **Bouncing Souls** » 16 Mar 2016, 17:25

Maybe i'm reading this wrong, but do the 2 last paragraphs not contradict each other?

A2B · Post by **A2B** » 16 Mar 2016, 17:40

Bouncing Souls wrote:Maybe i'm reading this wrong, but do the 2 last paragraphs not contradict each other?

I read it as one paragraph refers to tracked parcels with Safeplace instructions the other refers to general parcels

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 16 Mar 2016, 18:03

They push and push us to deliver first time, yet tell us not to leave it in a safe place unless the parcel explicitly says so. Does seem a bit of a contradiction.

One of the duties I cover actually had a complaint (not while I was on it I hasten to add!) from one house about leaving parcels in their recycling bin (paper only so it's clean). So everybody who does that duty stopped leaving parcels in their bin, obviously. After two weeks, the household in question asked me on one of the rare occasions that they were actually in if we could start leaving the parcels in the bin again, because they were fed up of having to go to the office to collect parcels every day! (Yes they get parcels literally every day!

Post by **eastie** » 16 Mar 2016, 18:23

I like to know how a person doing a cut off is going to know about items delivered to neighbours if it is already bundled up or sent out to the runners for O/T

2pints · Post by **2pints** » 19 Mar 2016, 06:15

If i carded every person who was not home i would be working an hours overtime every day.

BeamishStout · Post by **BeamishStout** » 19 Mar 2016, 08:36

POSTMAN wrote: Research shows that 71 per cent of consumers want their parcels delivered to their homes

Kind of makes you wonder where the other 29% want doing with their parcels!

Post by **IloveMYredTROLLEY!** » 19 Mar 2016, 08:48

My understanding is that a nominated "Safe Place" on a Tracked item must comply with the rule governing all the mail we attempt to deliver, if someone random besides a resident at the address can go along and take the item with ease, it is not secure and should not be left there. Leaving any mail in a porch is not secure, if you arrive to to find the porch door not looking visually closed, you can touch the porch handle and see if there is an inner letterbox to post mail through the main door. Otherwise, if it is letters, it gets endorsed as having nowhere secure to leave mail and returned to depot to attempt delivery the next working day. If this becomes a regular issue, as a duty holder, you should let managers know.

If it is a parcel*, follow instructions regarding Delivery To Neighbour, for us at my depot it is try an immediate neighbour if there is a car on the drive (or immediately outside property if there is no drive).

Unless a specific neighbour has been nominated, in which case the specific neighbours should be written on the parcel prompt letter on the parcel itself during prep.

* International signature items and Special Delivery items should not be attempted to leave with neighbours, end of.

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 19 Mar 2016, 15:10

IloveMYredTROLLEY! wrote:My understanding is that a nominated "Safe Place" on a Tracked item must comply with the rule governing all the mail we attempt to deliver, if someone random besides a resident at the address can go along and take the item with ease, it is not secure and should not be left there. Leaving any mail in a porch is not secure, if you arrive to to find the porch door not looking visually closed, you can touch the porch handle and see if there is an inner letterbox to post mail through the main door. Otherwise, if it is letters, it gets endorsed as having nowhere secure to leave mail and returned to depot to attempt delivery the next working day. If this becomes a regular issue, as a duty holder, you should let managers know.

If it is a parcel*, follow instructions regarding Delivery To Neighbour, for us at my depot it is try an immediate neighbour if there is a car on the drive (or immediately outside property if there is no drive).

Unless a specific neighbour has been nominated, in which case the specific neighbours should be written on the parcel prompt letter on the parcel itself during prep.

* International signature items and Special Delivery items should not be attempted to leave with neighbours, end of.

What do we do if the front door is open then? Surely chucking mail/packets in the front door is allowed? Or are we expected to ring the doorbell to give the resident their one piece of junk mail so that it's "secure" ?

Post by **IloveMYredTROLLEY!** » 19 Mar 2016, 17:21

Chewster wrote:
IloveMYredTROLLEY! wrote:My understanding is that a nominated "Safe Place" on a Tracked item must comply with the rule governing all the mail we attempt to deliver, if someone random besides a resident at the address can go along and take the item with ease, it is not secure and should not be left there. Leaving any mail in a porch is not secure, if you arrive to to find the porch door not looking visually closed, you can touch the porch handle and see if there is an inner letterbox to post mail through the main door. Otherwise, if it is letters, it gets endorsed as having nowhere secure to leave mail and returned to depot to attempt delivery the next working day. If this becomes a regular issue, as a duty holder, you should let managers know.

If it is a parcel*, follow instructions regarding Delivery To Neighbour, for us at my depot it is try an immediate neighbour if there is a car on the drive (or immediately outside property if there is no drive).

Unless a specific neighbour has been nominated, in which case the specific neighbours should be written on the parcel prompt letter on the parcel itself during prep.

* International signature items and Special Delivery items should not be attempted to leave with neighbours, end of.
What do we do if the front door is open then? Surely chucking mail/packets in the front door is allowed? Or are we expected to ring the doorbell to give the resident their one piece of junk mail so that it's "secure" ?

Well spotted, forgot about that scenario!

If the main door is open, I believe you can leave mail beyond the threshold, a shout or doorbell ring is not necessary.

gary61 · Post by **gary61** » 27 Mar 2016, 13:02

Myself and others covering my duty have been told to leave any parcels that do not require a signature on the doorsteps of multi occupied buildings.
I am told to obtain a fob which gives access to the main door of building and to go to door of recipient, put parcel at door, knock and then leave it, not waiting for
reply. Each building has an average of 100 residents who share the same entrance. There is an average of 10 apartments with 10 residents in each apartment in the building.
All the 10 apartments have a bell and a letterbox at the entrance but I am told not to ring but to enter and doorstep the items.My manager says the owner of the buildings has given permission to do this.
He says that it is compliant with Royal Mails policy. I say I am not doing it and he says he can suspend me for not following a reasonable instruction as it saves time and its what the customer wants.
Who is correct ?

BeamishStout · Post by **BeamishStout** » 27 Mar 2016, 13:16

gary61 wrote:Myself and others covering my duty have been told to leave any parcels that do not require a signature on the doorsteps of multi occupied buildings.
I am told to obtain a fob which gives access to the main door of building and to go to door of recipient, put parcel at door, knock and then leave it, not waiting for
reply. Each building has an average of 100 residents who share the same entrance. There is an average of 10 apartments with 10 residents in each apartment in the building.
All the 10 apartments have a bell and a letterbox at the entrance but I am told not to ring but to enter and doorstep the items.My manager says the owner of the buildings has given permission to do this.
He says that it is compliant with Royal Mails policy. I say I am not doing it and he says he can suspend me for not following a reasonable instruction as it saves time and its what the customer wants.
Who is correct ?

If your manager can provide you with written documentation than fair enough but I doubt the manager's interpretation of 'Keep It Safe' exists in writing. Call his/her bluff and ask to see the documentation that supports this view.

In the meantime you could do worse than print off the original instructions in the first post as your proof.

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 27 Mar 2016, 14:37

Chewster wrote:They push and push us to deliver first time, yet tell us not to leave it in a safe place unless the parcel explicitly says so. Does seem a bit of a contradiction.

One of the duties I cover actually had a complaint (not while I was on it I hasten to add!) from one house about leaving parcels in their recycling bin (paper only so it's clean). So everybody who does that duty stopped leaving parcels in their bin, obviously. After two weeks, the household in question asked me on one of the rare occasions that they were actually in if we could start leaving the parcels in the bin again, because they were fed up of having to go to the office to collect parcels every day! (Yes they get parcels literally every day!

I hope you told them absolutely not under any circumstances!

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 27 Mar 2016, 14:39

2pints wrote:If i carded every person who was not home i would be working an hours overtime every day.

Why would you? You have a finishing time like everyone else. Leaving items in unsecured locations just leaves you open to being conducted and ultimately sacked.

robbertwhitton · Post by **robbertwhitton** » 27 Mar 2016, 15:05

Bouncing Souls wrote:Maybe i'm reading this wrong, but do the 2 last paragraphs not contradict each other?

Customer experience and improvement manager???? Really?? Sounds an important job ?? Yet another made up job no doubt.its really not that hard is it.all delivered by postman up and down the country it's not rocket science,local knowledge and knowing what my customers want and need,it's not hard to do,and managers make a big thing over it and re invent the wheel? Come out with us and see it will be fun??