Leaving mail with a neighbour risks knocking confidence in p

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Leaving mail with a neighbour risks knocking confidence in postal services, warns Consumer Focus

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Published: 15 September 2011

New research released today by Consumer Focus shows that people are unconvinced and unimpressed by Royal Mail proposals to leave post with a neighbour if they are not home.

With the high level of consumer concern – and one in five people unhappy for any of their neighbours to receive any of their post – Consumer Focus thinks that any Royal Mail trial of their delivery proposals should be independently monitored for customer satisfaction. If the scheme is subsequently implemented, it is essential that people have a choice about whether to participate in the scheme. A range of other solutions, such as the increased use of post offices as alternative delivery points, lockerbanks at convenient locations, or paid-for evening deliveries should be considered before full roll-out of the delivery to a neighbour option.

Consumers have serious concerns, ranging from whether they trust their neighbours with their post to worries over whether their postman or woman should decide who mail should be left with. People were even less enthusiastic about neighbours taking in more important mail, such as post sent by recorded delivery:

Key findings from the watchdog’s research show:

Four in five consumers (80 per cent) thought they should be able to opt in or opt out of having a neighbour receive their post;

Half (49 per cent) said it wasn’t acceptable for a neighbour to sign for recorded post
Natasha Dare, Consumer Focus postal expert, said, ‘Although some customers may think a neighbor receiving their mail would be convenient, four out of five think they should be able to choose whether this should happen. Many people don’t know their neighbours well, and wouldn’t want valuable or private mail to be left with them. We are calling on Royal Mail to give people a choice.’

Royal Mail’s proposals say that it will be down to postmen to choose which neighbour to leave post with – but people say they don’t think their postman would know their neighbours well enough to make this decision:

More than half (52 per cent) of consumers said they didn’t think their regular postman would have a reasonable knowledge of whether they knew or trusted their neighbours;

This rose to seven in ten (68 per cent) who thought a postman new to their round would not be able to make an accurate judgement about whether to leave post with a neighbour.
Those sending post want to know that it has been delivered correctly and arrived safely, and senders have also expressed their concerns with these proposals. Over half (54 per cent) said they would not be happy sending parcels or recorded delivery post if they knew delivery could be to the recipient’s neighbour.

Natasha Dare, Consumer Focus postal expert, said, ‘We understand why Royal Mail are looking for ways to deliver post in a more cost-effective way. But they can’t simply adopt a one-size-fits-all model. This should be just one option – not the only solution on offer.’

If Royal Mail goes ahead with a trial it must carefully assess the effects on all four groups concerned: people sending post; those it’s sent to; neighbours who may receive it; and postmen. The success of the trial must be judged on independently monitored customer satisfaction and not just on whether Royal Mail’s costs are reduced.

People also have reservations about taking delivery of their neighbours’ post. Nearly half (46 per cent) said that they wouldn’t be happy to take responsibility for the condition of post they accept on behalf of a neighbour – especially as Royal Mail will consider post left with a neighbour as having been ‘delivered successfully’. People who accept an item in good faith for their neighbour could find themselves legally responsible for the safety and condition of the mail they receive.

Natasha Dare added: ‘People want a reliable post service, with mail delivered safely and in good time. If this most basic service is undermined, consumer confidence in Royal Mail may suffer. The success of any changes to mail delivery must be judged on consumer satisfaction and not simply a reduction in Royal Mail’s costs.’

ENDS

Notes to editors

The research was carried out by GfK NOP on behalf of Consumer Focus. 2054 adults aged 16 plus in the UK were contacted face-to-face between 18 and 23 August 2011. Data has been weighted to bring it in line with national profiles.

Currently, undelivered post is taken back to the delivery office and a P739 card is put through the recipient’s door, detailing their three options: redelivery on another day; collection from the Delivery Office; collection from a Post Office (for a £1.50 fee).
If the item is not collected/redelivered after a certain number of days the item is returned to the sender as undelivered.

Royal Mail proposals are:

The postman will attempt to deliver ‘undeliverable’ items as normal
If the addressee is not at home, the postman will go to the property of a neighbour, defined as someone who ‘lives within close proximity’. The postman chooses the neighbour
For non-signature items, if the neighbour is at home and accepts the item the postman will deliver a notification card to the addressee. This will detail the address of the neighbour
For items requiring a signature, the signature of the neighbour will be taken.
If the neighbour is not at home or does not accept the item, the postman will return the item to the Delivery Office as usual
Royal Mail will accept no liability for loss, damage or delay to the item once it is no longer in their control, whether this is after delivery to the addressee or delivery to a neighbour
Consumer Focus has called on Royal Mail to consider a range of other options to offer greater choice and security than the delivery to neighbour proposal. These could include:

Expansion of Safeplace to non-business customers. Currently, this allows businesses to offer customers the option to designate an alternative delivery location including a near neighbour
Roll-out of the successfully trialled paid-for evening delivery service
The possibility of making deliveries to ByBox lockerbanks at mainline railway stations or other convenient locations
Increased use of post offices as alternative delivery points so that the post office network becomes an optional delivery point rather than a costly redelivery option

Omnibus research summary

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Delivery to a neighbour trial – results of omnibus research

Opt-in/out
The vast majority of consumers thought that they should be able to choose whether to have their post left with a neighbour.
80% of people thought you should be able to opt-in or opt-out of having undeliverable post left with a neighbour
39% of those who think they should be able to opt in or out preferred an opt-in and 42% preferred an opt-out, with 16% having no preference

Relationship with neighbours
Most consumers do not know their neighbours well; less than one-third of consumers know all of their neighbours well. Overall more than half of consumers were not happy for, or did not trust, all of their neighbours to receive any post on their behalf. This suggests the need for an opt-in/out for individual neighbours.
27% of people know their neighbours slightly or not at all, 40% know some of their neighbours well and others less well, and 32% know all of their neighbours well
21% of people were not happy for neighbours to receive undeliverable post on their behalf, while 36% were happy for some of their neighbours to receive undeliverable post
14% of people do not trust their neighbours to receive undeliverable post on their behalf, while 44% trusted only some of their neighbours


Valuable/signed-for post
Even fewer consumers were happy for valuable or signed-for post to be left with any of their neighbours, implying the need for an opt-in/out for individual items and products.
38% of people were not happy for valuable or signed-for post to be delivered to a neighbour, while 29% were happy for these items to be delivered to some of their neighbours
49% of people did not consider it acceptable for a neighbour to sign for Recorded Signed For post

Neighbour’s perspective
A substantial minority of consumers were not happy to receive post on behalf of all of their neighbours; this suggests that delivery to a neighbour is not a complete delivery solution.
15% of people were not happy to receive undeliverable post on behalf of their neighbours, while 26% would be happy to receive undeliverable post on behalf of some of their neighbours

Mail integrity and responsibility
Both recipients and neighbours expressed their concerns about the integrity of their post once it had been left with a neighbour. On the other side of the coin almost half of consumers were not happy to take responsibility for post they accept, and over half did not believe Royal Mail should consider post left with a neighbour as a successful delivery.
23% of people did not believe post left with a neighbour would be secure and private, while 29% believed it would be secure and private with some of their neighbours
46% of people were not happy to take responsibility for the condition of any post they accept on behalf of their neighbours, while 17% were happy to take responsibility for the condition of any post they accept on behalf of some of their neighbours
56% of people did not believe it was acceptable that Royal Mail would consider post left with a neighbour as having been delivered successfully

Sender’s perspective
It is not just recipients and neighbours who are concerned about these proposals; over half of consumers would not be happy to send items if they could be delivered to a neighbour rather than the recipient. This again suggests that delivery to a neighbour cannot solve the issue of delivery convenience.
54% of people would not be happy to send parcels or Recorded Signed For post knowing that this could be delivered to the recipient’s neighbour

Role of the postman/woman
One area of concern was the proposal that postmen/women would be able to decide which neighbour should receive undeliverable post. The particularly strong response to the possibility of a new or unfamiliar postman taking on this responsibility again suggests that there needs to be an opt-in/out for specific neighbours.
52% of people do not believe their regular postman/woman has a reasonable knowledge of whether they know or trust their neighbour
38% of people were not very/at all happy for their postman/woman to decide which neighbour their post should be left with
68% of people did not believe a new or unfamiliar postman/woman would be able to make an accurate judgement about whether to leave their undeliverable post with a neighbour

Effectiveness of Royal Mail’s communications
Most consumers were not aware that Royal Mail is planning to conduct a trial.
77% of people were not aware that Royal Mail is planning to trial leaving undeliverable post with a neighbour

[Straight4ward]

It would seem that these proposals are a no go as far as Joe Public is concerned

- - - - - So I guess RM will be pressing ahead with them then.

[Broxi51]

It would seem that these proposals are a no go as far as Joe Public is concerned

- - - - - So I guess RM will be pressing ahead with them then.

They'll push it through with executive action.

[axeman]

people like green ,higson and the rest of the hangers on really don't give a sh*t what j,public thinks............... if it means more in the bonus pot for them

[fishtank]

I'm not doing it...end off.
It's my job and i'm not putting it at risk because of some half-assed joke of an idea dreamt up by some brainless knob-end who wouldn't know the delivery job if it bit him/her/it on the arse.
If the're in they get it...if the're not in they collect it....that's how it works for me.
Conduct me for it.

[viking]

I'm not doing it...end off.
It's my job and i'm not putting it at risk because of some half-assed joke of an idea dreamt up by some brainless knob-end who wouldn't know the delivery job if it bit him/her/it on the arse.
If the're in they get it...if the're not in they collect it....that's how it works for me.
Conduct me for it.

Totally agree...this leaves posties wide open for being disciplined when things go wrong. If the customer isnt in, return it to the office...this is what we have been told to do for years so why change it. This is just another ploy by RM to try to save to time and money.