Remember the Postal strike ? - Comment on Prios

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 04 Mar 2008, 14:13

http://cityunslicker.blogspot.com/2008/ ... trike.html

One of the consequences of last summer's postal strike was an agreement on working practices with postal workers.

The early start time of postal workers was moved to a later start in the morning and all mail deliveries arrive at sorting offices later than previously. Postal staff have to sort all mail and deal with incorrect items and packages before commencing their rounds. Most offices have had to or will have to cut staff while the size of mail rounds, if anything, actually increases due to more domestic housing being built.

One consequence of this that I haven't seen reported is that the priority premium service , the guaranteed 9 am delivery package, has very little chance of being delivered before 9 am as either the packet does not arrive to be delivered from the office or the postal workers are forbidden from leaving to begin mail deliveries until ..... 9 am !

Seeing as this is a very very lucrative GUARANTEED service whose starting cost is Â£9.40 for a letter that should in theory be arriving the same time as a 1st class letter costing just 34p, it is a wonder that Royal mail have not changed the conditions or moved it to 10.30 am.

Postcom will attack them over this as it is the flagship service and one of their previous 99% successfully met key performance targets.

Anecdotally canny Ebayers are using this service, checking the delivery time online , and then receiving a full refund when the item is delivered past 9 am, effectively getting a FREE service that would cost some Â£20 - Â£40 from a courier.

Allan Leighton answers on a postcard please...or maybe a 9 am special ?

Spedley · Post by **Spedley** » 04 Mar 2008, 14:25

I thought you could only claim money back for consequential loss and you have to provide proof to show of what you lost due to the late delivery?

Post by **POSTMAN** » 04 Mar 2008, 14:31

Well,it's GUARANTEED to be with you before 9am,and if it aint........

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 04 Mar 2008, 14:52

Spedley wrote:I thought you could only claim money back for consequential loss and you have to provide proof to show of what you lost due to the late delivery?

No if its delivered after the time paid for its a breach of contract and they can claim back the full cost of postage.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/prin ... Id=3100011

Special Delivery 9.00amâ„¢

Special Delivery 9.00am is not covered by the Retail Scheme.

Has the 9.00am deadline been reached?
If not, hold tight, itâ€™s almost certainly on its way.

Has you Special Delivery 9.00am item arrived after the 9.00am deadline has passed?
If so, weâ€™re very sorry and weâ€™ll refund whatever you paid for Special Delivery 9.00am. You can also apply for Consequential Loss of up to Â£10,000 - this is when the loss, damage or delay of what youâ€™re sending would cost you more than its market value. You can choose how much compensation youâ€™d like when you pay for the service. Please apply within 14 working days of posting.

What happens if your mail gets lost?
In the unlikely event that your mail gets lost, we'll refund the actual loss, up to a maximum value of the service used (Â£50, Â£1,000 or Â£2,500) or up to the market value whichever is the smaller amount. Please apply for this within 12 months.

If youâ€™d like to claim for late or lost Special Delivery 9.00am mail, you can do so here

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 04 Mar 2008, 15:04

I had this last week on two seperate occassions. The customer asked if the sender could have a refund on the postage because Specials were delivered after 1pm. I told them they were, but didn't know how they would go about it. Customers aren't the idiots Royal Mail managers think they are and more and more of them will begin to use their right to claim a refund. It's just a matter of time before Royal Mail put the times back for delivery of so-called 'Priority Items'. If you can't keep to a standard, Royal Mail practice is to drop the word 'standard' replace it with the word 'aspiration' and continue with the balls up as if nothing can be done to improve matters for the customer.

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 04 Mar 2008, 15:47

IWW Fellow Worker wrote:I had this last week on two seperate occassions. The customer asked if the sender could have a refund on the postage because Specials were delivered after 1pm. I told them they were, but didn't know how they would go about it. Customers aren't the idiots Royal Mail managers think they are and more and more of them will begin to use their right to claim a refund. It's just a matter of time before Royal Mail put the times back for delivery of so-called 'Priority Items'. If you can't keep to a standard, Royal Mail practice is to drop the word 'standard' replace it with the word 'aspiration' and continue with the balls up as if nothing can be done to improve matters for the customer.

It wouldn't be the first time Royal Mail had put the time back.
Special Delivery used to be guaranteed by noon, now it's 1pm.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 04 Mar 2008, 15:50

Lounge Lizard wrote:
IWW Fellow Worker wrote:I had this last week on two seperate occassions. The customer asked if the sender could have a refund on the postage because Specials were delivered after 1pm. I told them they were, but didn't know how they would go about it. Customers aren't the idiots Royal Mail managers think they are and more and more of them will begin to use their right to claim a refund. It's just a matter of time before Royal Mail put the times back for delivery of so-called 'Priority Items'. If you can't keep to a standard, Royal Mail practice is to drop the word 'standard' replace it with the word 'aspiration' and continue with the balls up as if nothing can be done to improve matters for the customer.
It wouldn't be the first time Royal Mail had put the time back.
Special Delivery used to be guaranteed by noon, now it's 1pm.

So true. And the 09.30 last letter was another one.

Throgg · Post by **Throgg** » 04 Mar 2008, 17:14

I had this last week on two seperate occassions. The customer asked if the sender could have a refund on the postage because Specials were delivered after 1pm. I told them they were, but didn't know how they would go about it. Customers aren't the idiots Royal Mail managers think they are and more and more of them will begin to use their right to claim a refund. It's just a matter of time before Royal Mail put the times back for delivery of so-called 'Priority Items'. If you can't keep to a standard, Royal Mail practice is to drop the word 'standard' replace it with the word 'aspiration' and continue with the balls up as if nothing can be done to improve matters for the customer.

I always inform my line manager if i cant deliver a special by the alloted time and everytime i get the same response, "it doesn't matter, just deliver it whenever". Any time i deliver a special after 13.00 i inform my customers to contact the sender, tell them to phone customer servises, give the tracking number and claim a refund for the postage. Invariably the customer will say they don't want to get you into trouble, but i always point out that my manager knew that that the special wouldn't get delivered on time and he did nothing about it.

Too many times we, the posties get the blame. I am not to blame for my managers inability to do his job.

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 04 Mar 2008, 18:38

I have always delivered 1pm Special Deliveries on time, and with little or no inconvenience.
I have only ever had one 9am which was near the start of my walk and delivered at 8.55 but that was BEFORE the hour later starts last autumn. How can Royal Mail possibly expect the 9am deadline to be met, and in the circumstances why have they included the 9am Specials in their TV adverts ?

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 04 Mar 2008, 18:47

Lounge Lizard wrote:I have always delivered 1pm Special Deliveries on time, and with little or no inconvenience.
I have only ever had one 9am which was near the start of my walk and delivered at 8.55 but that was BEFORE the hour later starts last autumn. How can Royal Mail possibly expect the 9am deadline to be met, and in the circumstances why have they included the 9am Specials in their TV adverts ?

And how long will this remain the case with the advent of summer staffing and local flexibility?. FOR THIER ARE FOOL'S AT THE TOP WHO WILL NOT STOP THE EVER INCREASING DROP IN STANDARD'S!. :cfo & :lfo

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 04 Mar 2008, 18:48

Our 09.00Ams are done by a van,no walking postperson delivers them,and as far as i know they are done on time.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 04 Mar 2008, 18:54

johnnypick wrote:Our 09.00Ams are done by a van,no walking postperson delivers them,and as far as i know they are done on time.

And for how long will this continue for if said driver had 10-20 item's to do before their drop bag's when are you going to get your 1st drop bag?.

axeman · Post by **axeman** » 04 Mar 2008, 18:57

Ours is utter chaos when loads of 9am's arrive in fact sheer panic

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 04 Mar 2008, 19:08

axeman wrote:Ours is utter chaos when loads of 9am's arrive in fact sheer panic

And believe me this service will increase for TNT/UPS/DHL are far more expensive!.

Broxi51 · Post by **Broxi51** » 04 Mar 2008, 19:18

When 9am's were first introduced our office was allocated extra hours to make it work. Subsequently each year our managers are told to lose x amount of hours and I would imagine that extra time for the 9am's was first to go.
I had a 9am this morning which was delivered at 10.30am. I didnt get out of the office until after 9am. Our manager doesnt care and our office simply doesnt have the hours or the staff to achieve a 100% 9am every day.
RM should withdraw this service as a guaranteed because it wont be just eBayers who use it as a freebie.