Access/No Access Guidelines

[clashcityrocker]

Purpose

These guidelines have been issued to provide assistance to delivery offices that encounter difficulties in accessing multi-occupied premises (or sites) to perform deliveries because a controlled entry system is in place. The specifications consolidate existing guidance and are consistent with all associated procedures.

Specifications

>Royal Mail will deliver mail to buildings with controlled entry systems provided it is possible to gain access at agreed times without undue delay.

>If it is not possible to gain access and there is a communal letterbox fitted to the outside wall then mail must be posted into the letterbox.

>If it is not possible to gain access and no letterbox is fitted to the outside wall, each item must be returned to the delivery office. This matter must be brought to the attention of the Delivery Office Manager upon return to the office.

>If the mail is not delivered because the delivery officer is arriving later than agreed access times then steps must be undertaken to address the problems of late arrival and redelivery during agreed hours must be attempted.

>All items of mail not delivered due to issues with Controlled Entry systems must be endorsed using a P4306 label.

>If access to the building or site cannot be obtained, every attempt must be mae to contact the addressee, building owner or manager, either by telephone or in person to discuss the issue and to agree a resolution.

> If, after every resonable attempt has been made, an agreement cannot be reached then the formal Universal Service Delivery Exemptions, Temporary Difficulty of Access process should be followed. That is: inform affected customers of the issue, the actions we have taken, how they can access their mail and of their right to appeal.

>Attemptes to deliver the addressses' mail must continue to be made to the address. Deliveries must continue to be attempted until such time as the addressees have been properly notified of the access issues and alternative arrangements made for when access cannot be gained or that formal delivery suspension is initiated as part of the Temporary Difficulty of Access process.

>Incomplete delivery walks should be reported against USO part walk failures on Delivery Office Daily report until the Delivery Office Manager has notified customers of the issue, arangements for undelivered mail and potential suspension. This letter will formally classify the affected addresses as USO exemptions.

>Undelivered and uncollected mail items will be retained and as a last resort Return to Sender in line with the relevant product specification, when a P3960 label must be affixed to the item and the "address inaccessible" option ticked before returning to sender.

Key Requirements.

Make sure the mail items are endorsed. This not only tells the customer the reason for failure to deliver but are also vital to Customer Services if the customer chooses to complain. Knowing the date of the first delivery attempt may enable Royal Mail to rebut any subsequent delay compensation claims, ensure cases like these are captured correctly as enquiries and not complaints and ensure the items are exempted for Quality of Service purposes.
Ensure every attempt is made to agree a resolution with the customer,building owner or manager. Under the formal Difficulty of Access procedure the customer has the right of appeal to Postcomm who will be unlikely to support Royal Mail's position if it becomes evident that Royal mail has not undertaken robust attempts to agree a solution.
When investigating delivery frequency/time of delivery cases you receive via CLEO please check to see if these could be as a reult of lock out/access issues. This gives CS the root cause information they need to respond to the customer.

[clashcityrocker]

So we have to keep taking mail out indefinitely? Not the three attempts and back to sender I've been doing for years?

Not indefinitely.
But the three attempts and rts is not the correct procedure.
And hasn't been for at least a year.
Unfortunately "no access" issues involve your manager getting off his/her arse and trying to resolve the issue.
It also involves him/her retrospectively updating the DODR for partial walk failures for every letter you bring back from an address he hasn't previously contacted. They don't like that.
Don't expect any action from your manager anytime soon - but the above guidelines are still correct.

[Himaggen]

Officially then, If a multiple residence building exists, each having its own delivery point, no communal letter box and a non working 'trades' entry button; Do you ring the bell of each individual residence for that building until a responding residence releases the door mechanism for your entry or do you return the mail?

[clashcityrocker]

That would depend on your interpretation of "undue delay".

In theory you shouldn't have to ring every bell until you get a response as steps should have been taken to ensure you have access - either by ensuring the trades button is on at a convenient time or you have a key/fob or you know who to ring as they will be in.

[fishtank]

Officially then, If a multiple residence building exists, each having its own delivery point, no communal letter box and a non working 'trades' entry button; Do you ring the bell of each individual residence for that building until a responding residence releases the door mechanism for your entry or do you return the mail?

Returning the mail has always been,in my office at least...the last resort.
Ringing the bell of an individual resident is obviously far from....the last resort.

[albebb]

i think its more the issue of ringing every individual residence to gain access just for 1.
say u have a block of 20 flats and mail for just number 1, you ring their bell but get no response, are you then obligated to ring all 20 bells till you gain entry
whats even worse is if you than have to stand around waiting for someone from the top floor to come all the way down to open the door and you don't even have any mail for them.

[bigcol]

So we have to keep taking mail out indefinitely? Not the three attempts and back to sender I've been doing for years?

18 times according to the latest Courier. And a 739 for each letter.

[PhilthyPhil]

So we have to keep taking mail out indefinitely? Not the three attempts and back to sender I've been doing for years?

18 times according to the latest Courier. And a 739 for each letter.

No, that is for packets and you do not write out a new P739 each time. The original P739 is kept with the item so the date of the first delivery attempt is known. For all items, letters and packets, which can not de delivered a P4306 sticker should be stuck to it and the date updated with each delivery attempt.

[bigcol]

No, that is for packets and you do not write out a new P739 each time.

No difference between letters and packets, and I didn't say you had to write out a new one each time.

[PhilthyPhil]

Of cause there is a difference between letters and packets. You only write out a P739 for items too big for the letterbox or which require a signature, not for letters.

[clashcityrocker]

Do you have to write out a 739 for D2D as well?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Do you have to write out a 739 for D2D as well?

every week if you had this one to deliver to.

[bigcol]

Of cause there is a difference between letters and packets. You only write out a P739 for items too big for the letterbox or which require a signature, not for letters.

If the letter won't fit in the letterbox of course you do.

[PhilthyPhil]

As I said, only for items too big for the letterbox. But this thread is about access restrictions and in that case you would not write out a P739 for normal letters that would otherwise be deliverable were it not for the access restriction.

[postypie]

There is a block of flats where access has been an issue for weeks/months.....all the mail is put into a tray each day...and the odd customers comes down now and again to collect their mails/packets from box counter.....don't think any manager has gone up to the flats to sort it out....there is just an orange card along with the mail/trays telling all posties to leave it in the office for collection.