Mail malaise blamed for 4pm delivery slots

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/mail_malaise_ ... _1_3667622" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Residents have criticised changes at a Royal Mail delivery office which means they are getting their post later.

Postmen and women based at the Christian Road office in Preston city centre have been starting their shifts later for the past few weeks.

Householders in some parts of Ashton said they have been receiving their post as late at 4pm and some contacted the Evening Post about missing mail.

Mildred Fazackerley, 72, is worried about bank statements posted on July 16 which have not arrived.

Mrs Fazackerley, of Wellfield Road, Ashton, said: “I went down to Christian Road and told them I’m really concerned about this.

“I just don’t know what’s happened to it. My regular postman has been on holiday and it was about 3.45pm before I got any post one day.”

One man, who lives in Eldon Street, Plungington, said: “I nearly missed a hospital appointment because of it - the letter didn’t arrive.

“On Saturdays we’ve not been getting mail at all. It’s ridiculous. I’ve been told some postmen are starting at 8am now.”

Andy Tattersall of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said new technology had been brought in which meant changes to how a postman’s day is organised.

He said: “It’s happening across the whole of Lancashire. (Workers) are starting later and they have got a new system which can cause some teething problems.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “The latest changes see postmen and women starting slightly later and have been made in line with our agreement with the CWU.

“They mean that Royal Mail will continue to deliver in the morning and for a longer period during the day.

“Many customers will continue to get their mail by lunchtime.

“The time customers receive mail will depend on where they live on the new delivery route.

“This may be later or possibly earlier than current delivery times.

“When mail volumes vary, we may need to adjust delivery arrangements and times.”

[vinnieb5]

slightly later !!! we used to leave the office about 7 am not that long ago but now were lucky to get out by 11 am and its our supposed quiet time of the year !! total RM bolllocks :dcfo :ncfo :vcfo

[Stormproof]

Can't wait till xmas its going to be mental this year, but i still won't work past my time

[youwot!!!!!]

spot on mate.royal mail are in for a massive failure this xmas with or without bad weather.wot goes around comes around.

[DGP1]

Just wait, soon you'll getting yesterdays mail......................next week (unless you pay for it).

Mildred Fazackerley, 72, is worried about bank statements posted on July 16 which have not arrived.

How do you know they where posted and TBH when it goes into the DSA you never know when they're going to turn up (one bank here uses DSA and they always manage to get the statements out in the middle of the month and always on a Friday and Saturday).

[Lounge Lizard]

"A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “The latest changes see postmen and women starting slightly later and have been made in line with our agreement with the CWU." - yes, so it's our fault

[DirtyHarry]

It is a complete and utter farce.
The service the public are getting in the 21st century, is an absolute shambles compared to the sort of service we provided during the 20th century, and this is supposed to be "MODERNISATION"????

The public will never ever get used to getting their mail after midday, NEVER.
Since 2003 and SDD, the biggest single gripe I get off my customers is about them getting their post in the afternoon.
Even now, eight years later, the concept of later and later deliveries of mail has NOT been accepted as beig the ideal scenario by the British public.

The time is now ripe for removing most, if not all, of the senior executives at Royal Mail, and replacing them with people ingrained with a public service ethos.
If the British allows their postal service to become a hard-nosed business, interested only in ever increasing profits, a handful of greedy shareholders, and very little else, then they should expect the postal service to join the ranks of the other privatised utilities, and weep their hearts out.
Paying by the mile will be the norm, mark my words.

[DirtyHarry]

"A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “The latest changes see postmen and women starting slightly later and have been made in line with our agreement with the CWU." - yes, so it's our fault

Yes, and I like this part in particular. "The latest changes see postmen and women starting slightly later."

Slightly????? If people are now starting their shift at 08.00a.m. Then what time did they start before this latest round of shambolic change? 07.30a.m.????

Lying bastards they are, as well.

[blackadder]

can you imagine what it be like delivering mail at 4 over xmas ?? we have no torches or any way to wear a torch unlike the old days. still could be worse, next year it be 5 in the evening thats if we have a job by then

[Stormproof]

can you imagine what it be like delivering mail at 4 over xmas ?? we have no torches or any way to wear a torch unlike the old days. still could be worse, next year it be 5 in the evening thats if we have a job by then

Probably make us wear those head torches so we look even bigger t****s than we do now.

[steven100]

I did post a Hayes/Ward out petition because they agreed this ludicrous deal and things don't seem to getting better. I know they are dealing with redudunaies etc. But surely they work in teams. RM are a joke but so is the CWU.

[mark_e]

can you imagine what it be like delivering mail at 4 over xmas ?? we have no torches or any way to wear a torch unlike the old days. still could be worse, next year it be 5 in the evening thats if we have a job by then

And also take into account that many street lights have been turned off to make savings!

[bobbyden]

Having read the above article, it really should have been spiked by the editor for telling the reader absolutely nothing. The usual very poor stuff from the Lancashire Evening Post, a newspaper sadly well past its sell-by-date, as most regional publications are in this digital age.

Good journalism is about getting to the very heart of the story and this load of old tosh never threatened the judge at any stage.

I am told by those in the know that Preston Mail Centre is now processing 64% of mail in the walk sequencing area and they want to improve on this in the coming months. Not good news for the ladies and gents at the DO struggling with the current volumes of traffic arriving later and later and later and later and later. Of course, the Royal Mail are delighted with the all singing and all dancing machines because it means less staff and those wonderful cost savings. Correct me if I am wrong, but if 80% of mail is processed in this manner a bonus payment for the staff of £600 will be triggered and the management will do even better out of it ( don't they always!).

In my opinion, Preston Mail Centre needs to have a complete rethink about a system which is saving money on one hand but causing a minefield of problems on the other. It is totally unacceptable for mail to be delivered at 4pm in the afternoon and the continuous bleating from the management about customer service and quality of service appears very hollow.

Royal Mail Chief Executive, Moya Greene, can always be relied upon to be lucid and forthcoming about being 'responsive to customer needs'. I do not doubt her sentiments for a minute, but action Moya speaks far louder than words, and a very good starting point for the Royal Mail would be telling the public the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ABOUT WHAT THE COMPANY IS ACTUALLY DOING. Never mind this commercial sensitivity nonsense, lets tell it how it is.


.

[not me]

Andy Tattersall of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said new technology had been brought in which meant changes to how a postman’s day is organised.

He said: “It’s happening across the whole of Lancashire. (Workers) are starting later and they have got a new system which can cause some teething problems.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “The latest changes see postmen and women starting slightly later and have been made in line with our agreement with the CWU.

“They mean that Royal Mail will continue to deliver in the morning and for a longer period during the day.

awww,all in it together

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