Formby residents fear postal backlog will ruin Christmas

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8628" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Massive backlogs in Formby’s sorting office are sparking fears Christmas presents and cards will go undelivered to houses around the village.

One customer has been waiting for a parcel to be delivered now for over a month.

The mother from Formby told the Champion she had ordered products off shopping website Amazon and expected them on October 22, 2010 by first class delivery.

She said; “I have been into the sorting office everyday and my complaints have fallen onto deaf ears.

"I was told that they had so many staff off sick that they were barely able to get letters out, let alone parcels.

“And because they now have a huge back log it’s worrying if parcels and letters are going to arrive on time for Christmas because they are only going to get busier.”

“No one seems to be able to tell me where the parcel is when I ask the reply is simply ”the parcel is not here“.”

The woman said she was informed the backlog had been caused by a shortage of staff due to a number of them phoning in sick and some either refusing or were unable to work over time.

She continued: “I even asked the postman and he said ‘we are very short staffed'.

However, Royal Mail have assured that while Formby Delivery Office were experiencing an ‘extremely high volume of parcels, they were doing everything they could to rectify the situation before the heights of the Christmas season.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: ”Due to an extremely high volume of parcels arriving at Formby Delivery Office there have been some delays but we have put in extra resources to deal with this and we expect deliveries to be operating as normal later this week."

"We are sorry that this particular customer has had a problem with a parcel delivery and we would urge her to contact Royal Mail customer services on 08457 740 740 who will investigate the complaint and respond to her.

Sorting offices around the country who are experiencing a similar backlog are taking extra measures to ensure the problem.

Emergency Sunday deliveries took place in the Dundee East area in a bid to clear a mountain of mail built up due to a new delivery system.

And in Leeds, Postmen will ditch the traditional postbag and do their rounds using a trolley, allowing them to deliver letters, parcels and packages all in one go. Rounds will be extended and covered by two postmen who will work together to deliver a higher volume of post.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

They just keep popping up don't they - Emperors New Clothes syndrome perhaps.

[Night Tonic]

They do if thats what you're searching for. This is becoming like the Marge Proops diary of doom and gloom. Just what we all need coming up to Christmas and more job losses ahead. You won't accept the criticism but there must be SOME good news out there apart from endless items about failure.

[not me]

They do if thats what you're searching for. This is becoming like the Marge Proops diary of doom and gloom. Just what we all need coming up to Christmas and more job losses ahead. You won't accept the criticism but there must be SOME good news out there apart from endless items about failure.

surely these stories shouldnt exist?

mails down
machines are sorting all the mail
deliveries are computer designed

[fishtank]

They do if thats what you're searching for. This is becoming like the Marge Proops diary of doom and gloom. Just what we all need coming up to Christmas and more job losses ahead. You won't accept the criticism but there must be SOME good news out there apart from endless items about failure.

Feel free to find it and post it.
That's not really your style though NT is it?

[Night Tonic]

No I'll leave you to wallow in your misery

[fishtank]

No I'll leave you to wallow in your misery

Misery does love company ,doesn't it Night Tonic.....

[Sharkeyes]

They do if thats what you're searching for. This is becoming like the Marge Proops diary of doom and gloom. Just what we all need coming up to Christmas and more job losses ahead. You won't accept the criticism but there must be SOME good news out there apart from endless items about failure.

surely these stories shouldnt exist?

mails down
machines are sorting all the mail
deliveries are computer designed

Mails down? = Thats why I now take out 8 bags instead of the 3.
Machines sorting all the mail? =We still have a full primary to sort items that the walk sequencing machines can not! These machines are now sending us mail unsequenced because of the later arrival times that don't work!
Computer designed deliveries? GEO Route? Pegasus? If bosses put the info in you will only get a 'boss type' answer out? Pure, laughable sums that don't add up. My 6 year old can plan better with Lego bricks! You can't deliver to 1000+ detached houses in under 3.5 hours with 8 bags. It doesn't go and it doesn't take Einstein to work it out.
Don't accept these revisions, they're no good for the customer, no good for your back, knees, ankles etc.
As for trollies, I used one HCT for two years & couldn't wait to give it back. They slow you down, can be overweight and are an excuse to give you more mail. Worst of all, you have to keep walking back to get the damn thing! :mfo

[Lounge Lizard]

"Postmen will ditch the traditional postbag and do their rounds using a trolley, allowing them to deliver letters, parcels and packages all in one go. Rounds will be extended and covered by two postmen who will work together to deliver a higher volume of post." - that quite neatly summarises Royal Mail's modernisation plans.

[red1968]

Why have the nationals not got hold of this by now????????

[dvbuk55]

We've had two local papers highlighting the problems in our office since the revision................then outside of London nothing makes the nationals..................wait til there's a couple of bundles overdue by a few hours and Bingo ....Dum Dum Dum Dum DumDum Bong 2 Parcels overdue in Walford.............This is George Alagiah for News at Ten blah blah

[Night Tonic]

so true

[dvbuk55]

Mind you I did have a wry smile this morning, there was a small piece on privatisation in the Daily Mirror which said "Billy Hayes of the CWT union" - it certainly must pay being based in the smoke and a celebrity.....................I wonder if we could persuade him to go on "I'm a Celeb etc etc"........I can just imagine him wolfing down kangaroo parts at a great rate of knots

[TrueBlueTerrier]

They do if thats what you're searching for. This is becoming like the Marge Proops diary of doom and gloom. Just what we all need coming up to Christmas and more job losses ahead. You won't accept the criticism but there must be SOME good news out there apart from endless items about failure.

all of these are on the front page of the News section so are quite recent but as they dont follow your agenda I suppose you missed them - I post news items of interest which anyone can and some do. At the moment with privatisation looming and recents calls for a strike by managers the overall tone of "postal" news is gloomy.

At least there is one good bit of news at least I have found someone who seems to appreciate the Sky and Fox type of news agenda - basically only post stuff you agree with and don't bring attention to anything that puts the company in a bad light. Perhaps you should start a new forum linked to Royal Mails courier, the certainly give only a toekn nod to "contentious" stories or letters.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=31666" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=31599" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=31541" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=31511" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;