Ofcom allows Royal Mail's 'delivery to neighbour' scheme

[fishtank]

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2012/09/o ... 99-scheme/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ofcom today gave approval for Royal Mail to roll out its ‘delivery to neighbour’ scheme across the UK.
This will allow Royal Mail to leave certain mail items with a neighbour in the event that consumers are not at home to receive them themselves, although an addressee may choose to opt-out of the scheme.
The decision follows consideration of consultation responses and the positive results from trials of the scheme, covering 748,000 addresses in six areas across the UK.
The new scheme will reduce the need for consumers to collect items from Royal Mail delivery offices or Post Offices, or for items to be re-delivered when addressees are not at home to receive them first time.
Ofcom’s decision brings Royal Mail in line with other UK postal operators who are already able to leave items with neighbours as part of their standard delivery practice.
The scheme in practice
The ‘delivery to neighbour’ scheme should help meet increasing consumer need for easier ways to receive certain items requiring a signature and parcels, if the person is not at home when the postman tries to deliver.
Royal Mail will retain liability for all undeliverable items until they are received by the addressee.
Royal Mail will also enable addressees to opt out of the scheme should they wish, both in relation to delivery of their own items and their receipt of a neighbour’s items.
Consumers can alert Royal Mail to their preference to opt-out by displaying a free opt-out sticker (available from Royal Mail) near their letterbox.
Ongoing monitoring
In light of stakeholder responses to its consultation, Ofcom will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the service closely, including the level of consumer complaints.
If any issues are identified following the nationwide roll-out of the ‘delivery to neighbour’ scheme, Ofcom is able to investigate the operation of the service.
In recognition of the concerns expressed by some individual respondents about the use of stickers to opt-out from the ‘delivery to neighbour’ scheme, Ofcom will ask Royal Mail to explore the use of alternatives to the opt-out sticker in the future.
For example, Royal Mail can look at ways of identifying an opt-out address electronically or by less visible means.

[Stormproof]

I've just opted out http://public.datasquirt.co.uk/cscommsr ... %20Opt-out" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Green light for ‘delivery to neighbour’ scheme

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/green-l ... cheme.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CWU officers have welcomed postal regulator Ofcom's ruling allowing Royal Mail to roll out its 'delivery to neighbour' nationwide, after talks with the company addressed the union's key concerns.

Ofcom's announcement comes at the end of a statutory consultation, which followed robust trials of the scheme in six areas of the UK and talks between CWU and Royal Mail to address areas of concern and the need for agreed guidelines for delivery workers, taking into account fair allocation of time and security concerns.

The new procedures bring Royal Mail into line with other postal operators and have been supported by the union as part of its aim to ensure a level playing field across the industry.


Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "It's right that Royal Mail should have the same freedoms as other postal companies to leave parcels and other mail items with neighbours when the customer is not at home."

Assistant secretary Bob Gibson who is leading negotiations on behalf of the CWU said: "This can be good news for the industry, for the public and for our members.


"We've agreed some new delivery guidelines in terms of how this new procedure will impact on our delivery members and agreed documentation/advice has been sent out to postal branches," he added.

"As a union, we were fully involved in the trials which went well and our concerns that this could mean our members taking longer over their rounds have been recognised and are being addressed in ongoing negotiations with Royal Mail."

[Stormproof]

"As a union, we were fully involved in the trials which went well and our concerns that this could mean our members taking longer over their rounds have been recognised and are being addressed in ongoing negotiations with Royal Mail."

Did they consult with members or just guess? and concerning negotiations that should've been done & dusted before this was agreed IMO

[avenger]

"As a union, we were fully involved in the trials which went well and our concerns that this could mean our members taking longer over their rounds have been recognised and are being addressed in ongoing negotiations with Royal Mail."

Did they consult with members or just guess? and concerning negotiations that should've been done & dusted before this was agreed IMO

I can tell you,the union isnt interested in our 'trial' office

[ebbzie]

Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "It's right that Royal Mail should have the same freedoms as other postal companies to leave parcels and other mail items with neighbours when the customer is not at home."

Assistant secretary Bob Gibson who is leading negotiations on behalf of the CWU said: "This can be good news for the industry, for the public and for our members.

Great , these 2 clowns are not the ones who have to go up and down the streets trying to find a neighbour whos in.
So glad our wonderful union consulted us first or did they decide when having afternoon tea with moya?

[fishtank]

I'm baffled as to why the CWU and in particular Dave & Bob are almost embarrassingly over enthusiastic about a scheme that the customers appear to be at best sceptical about and that will bring little if any benefits to members.
There was a time when something like this would be greeted by more than a little caution from the CWU because of the potential risk to jobs in the callers,the risk of members being caught up in conflict and what is basically a degradation in the quality of service we provide.
Times have changed and not in my opinion for the better.

[beanmuncha]

Royal Mail will retain liability for all undeliverable items until they are received by the addressee

this really means we are liable, if a parcel goes astray because we chose the wrong neighbour what happens to us??
I really do think this is gonna backfire on us and Royal Mail, should've asked people to opt in not out!!

[hantsman]

I've just opted out http://public.datasquirt.co.uk/cscommsr ... %20Opt-out" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ditto

[olilew]

get the overtime docket out!

[DiamondSmiles]

One the one hand you could say that the CWU are for this scheme because it will take us longer to deliver stuff and in the long run protect jobs, however what will probably end up happening is management will say to us that the Union have agreed that you can deliver to neighbour and still get back on time. This will give the green light to managers to harrass staff even more to complete and the union will just leave us to it.

I wish i could discuss this with our rep, but i haven't seen him on the shop floor for weeks....

[TrueBlueTerrier]

One the one hand you could say that the CWU are for this scheme because it will take us longer to deliver stuff and in the long run protect jobs, however what will probably end up happening is management will say to us that the Union have agreed that you can deliver to neighbour and still get back on time. This will give the green light to managers to harass staff even more to complete and the union will just leave us to it.

I wish i could discuss this with our rep, but i haven't seen him on the shop floor for weeks....

I think you have that spot on. Another reason to add to the growing list of reasons why I think, no honestly believe, that our representation would be improved if FTR reps spent time on the sorting floor/delivery duties.

[TeeferTiger]

I'm lucky that I have lovely neighbours. Nosey, but lovely. Not that I get much that won't fit through the letterbox (apart from today's mahoosive fundraising kit) but when I do the postie usually hides it somewhere or leaves it with one of the neighbours.

[fishtank]

No. 730/12

Ref: 530

Date:28th September 2012

To: Branches with POSTAL Members

Dear Colleague

Delivery To Neighbour - National Deployment

Further to LTB 682a/12 issued on 17th September 2012 which contained the National Guidelines, Ofcom yesterday gave approval of Royal Mail's request to introduce Delivery to Neighbour. This means that this new initiative will be deployed nationally on Monday 1 October.

Branches and CWU Representatives are reminded that Delivery OPGs will have the flexibility to make a judgment whether it is appropriate to deliver to a neighbour. If an appropriate neighbouring address is identified by a delivery OPG, they will ask the neighbour to take receipt of the item on behalf of the addressee. If the neighbour agrees to do so, the delivery OPG will record the neighbouring address onto the P739 delivery card, and will then post this at the original address. On this particular point we have agreed to carry out a joint review at national level to establish the time required to carry this out. Also it is the OPG's sole decision whether to deliver to an alternative address or not.

All of Royal Mail's customers have already been informed about Delivery To Neighbour and those who do not wish to have their items delivered to a neighbour or receive goods on behalf of their neighbour can opt out. The number of customers opting out has been significantly lower than anticipated and reinforces demand for the service.

Delivery To Neighbour has been introduced to allow Royal Mail to do what its competitors already do and as our members will testify they are delivering more packets now than ever before and this increase is set to continue.

With competitors such as TNT already banging on the door for more of our work it should be recognised that convenience and ease of delivery are hugely important to our customers both posting and receiving, so Delivery To Neighbour is designed improve the service our members are able to provide and hopefully improve first time delivery rates.

Any enquiries to Bob Gibson's Office, quoting reference 530

Email address: hnutley@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Bob Gibson

COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION

[DiamondSmiles]

Interesting quote from the letter

'Also it is the OPG's sole decision whether to deliver to an alternative address or not'

Oh well, that's ok then i'm not delivering to any neighbour