Christmas closing of businesses

[exetererica]

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[lala]

I could be wrong but I thought businesses had 'x' number of days they could have mail held for. Anything above that and its a keepsafe.
I know the schools were told that they all needed keepsafes during school holidays if no access was allowed to deliver or their mail gets killed off!

[fishtank]

Since the rule on inaccessible delivery points is 18 days before it is returned to sender then you obviously have no right to send that mail back before the 18 days is up.
Technically you should really take that mail out with you and "attempt" delivery but that would be silly if you have been informed they will be closed during that period.
They should really inform the DO in writing though.

[exetererica]

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[fishtank]

The 18 day rule is meant for controlled entry points where no access is available but I would imagine the time limits are probably similar for a business with no access available.

If it is not possible to deliver an item or P739 card to a building where access is governed by a controlled entry system (such as time locks), a completed P739 card must be attached to the item, the item and P739 returned to the delivery office and a P4306 label added to the item.

You must attempt to deliver the item on each following working day (maximum 18-day period). On every occasion,the item must be taken out with the completed P739 card. If it can’t be delivered, you don’t have to complete a further P739 for every delivery attempt of the same item, but the P4306 label must be updated each day.

There is a Universal Service Delivery Exemptions:Temporary Difficulty of Access process to follow but that basically means contacting the customer and agreeing a solution which isn't practical over a holiday period so I think RM just take the easy way out and hold the mail.
Any priority items should be returned to the locker suitably endorsed and they can make an informed decision as to what to do with them.

[gluteus maximus]

ASK A STUPID QUESTION.

What have delivery offices been doing up to now with schools, business etc being closed over Christmas with the mail?

[fishtank]

ASK A STUPID QUESTION.

What have delivery offices been doing up to now with schools, business etc being closed over Christmas with the mail?

It's not a stupid question at all,for many years there was no question we would hold the mail for businesses and schools without a problem but over the last couple of years the mood and the business has been changing.
This year the schools in our area were sent a letter detailing the options over the summer holidays and a free keepsafe was not one of those options.
The schools either had to pick their mail up daily from the delivery office for free,pay for an official keepsafe or their mail would be returned to sender.For shorter holiday periods the status quo remains...for the moment.

[gluteus maximus]

So much for customer service then

Where did it all start to go wrong?

[tasam]

There is provision for free keepsafe for a few days at Christmas and Easter for businesses. I'm not sure how many days at Christmas but someone in your office should be able to find out. Ask the locker staff for advice (or whoever deals with keepsafes)

[Lounge Lizard]

So much for customer service then

Where did it all start to go wrong?

It went wrong with businesses expecting free Keepsafes when we have to pay for them.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

So much for customer service then

Where did it all start to go wrong?

basically the day we changed from a public service to a private company wholly owned by the government

it started a few years back with holding mail for schools during summer holidays, RM started to insist they all purchased a keepsafe, it has then spread to xmas and easter, as another source of revenue for the business,

Now the policy has never been fully implemented with managers at delivery offices turning a blind eye to it, with others not giving an inch and sending mail back straight after the keepsafe runs out, different areas are doing it different ways, it should be a consisted policy across the board, either do a service for these companies or charge them, but do it the same everywhere