Tonbridge trial computerised enquiry office management tool

[POSTMAN]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2014/0 ... complaints" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A new computerised enquiry office management tool on trial at Tonbridge means every item not delivered to a customer is allocated its own unique serial number, stored in number order and immediately accessible.

Lee Nichols in the enquiry office team has helped implement the new system and sees the benefit to customers.

Lee says: ‘As soon as a customer brings in their P739 card, we can check on the computer, retrieve the item number and collect it from the shelf.

‘Because our postmen and women are increasing the number of Deliveries to Neighbour as well – an increase from 86% to 95% – we have fewer parcels coming back in the first place. The enquiry office waiting time for customers is dramatically reduced.’

Delivery to Neighbour

A new P3756 label has also been developed to be placed on to an item when Delivery to Neighbour has been tried but was unsuccessful.

The labels mean it’s clear to customers when the Delivery to Neighbour process has failed because the neighbour was also out, and this information will also be added to the system.

Lee says: ‘When customers notice that we tried to deliver to their neighbour, it means we get fewer questions. They can also identify a different neighbour for us to try and we can keep a record of it.

‘The label design could be even better if the Delivery to Neighbour section was more prominent so it’s even clearer to customers.’

This system will be gradually rolled out to all offices over the next two years.

[Lincox]

Two years to roll out a label? The guy engineering that needs a good slap.

[Brain Fury]

Two years to roll out a label? The guy engineering that needs a good slap.

It doesn't say that does it?

[She Raa]

Two years to roll out a label? The guy engineering that needs a good slap.

Haha

[datasaint]

Any more details on how this works? How does the 739 and packet get paired together?

I mean they could write the address of every packet into the system that comes back to the callers office and assign it a serial number that way but that would be very laborious.

Better if the 739 has a barcode and a matching barcode is stuck on the packet.

[Shaman Mao]

We've been doing something similar in our DO for the last couple of years (and we stole the system from a local DO who've been doing it even longer). Returned packets get logged onto a computer so we can find them when the customer calls. The main difference between us and Tonbridge is that we use a permanent marker instead of labels and we haven't been splashed all over The Courier.

[trythat]

We've been doing something similar in our DO for the last couple of years (and we stole the system from a local DO who've been doing it even longer). Returned packets get logged onto a computer so we can find them when the customer calls. The main difference between us and Tonbridge is that we use a permanent marker instead of labels and we haven't been splashed all over The Courier.

Thats the same as us

[doorstepped]

Labels will be the size of A4's soon with all the details we will have to add for Neighbours tried etc

[borgpicard]

management are tools

[wabbithunta]

Why not have something that can be used to print out a "card" with all the relevant details - much akin to a P739 - but that can be done with the PDA system. That way it's online right away and the customer can see exactly when delivery was attempted, assuming that it's either SD or Tracked or Signed For.

I know that this kind of thing is possible to do, Fed-Ex for one use a similar system to do this when doing collections, and it'll save us having to stand there writing a card out, especially when it's persistently pouring down. One press of a button and it's printed and then put through the door.
No soggy cards, no pens unable to work etc etc.

[97gaz]

M

[eastie]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2014/0 ... complaints



‘Because our postmen and women are increasing the number of Deliveries to Neighbour as well – an increase from 86% to 95% – we have fewer parcels coming back in the first place. The enquiry office waiting time for customers is dramatically reduced.’

Seems awfully high.
Half the parcels we deliver are sent back to the office when they are out.
As regards delivering to neighbours...........your having a laugh

[Lincox]

Another case of Courier Propaganda. They will do anything to apply a guilt trip. If we all started delivering to neighbours on a 100% attempt basis there would be mail cut offs like you have never seen before. This Autumn when the Christmas Parcels start to be ordered, is going to test even the most conscientious.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

In my opinion the best way is to do it Amazon/Warehouse style like they did at the Mail Order company I used to work for.

Every untracked Item gets a unique barcode added when a delivery attempt has failed.

In the callers office this barcode and all the official tracking ones are scanned by PDA:

On arrival in Callers Office
When placed on shelf - which has its own code again scanned
When its moved from that shelf.
On collection by customer

To the Locker if redelivery has been arranged
On delivery by the Postie if either successful or not.
When killed off after 18 days or on refusal.


Mind you if we had a more modern PDA that had a faster processor, was less prone to crashes and with a decent battery life and about the same size as a Phablet we could have a system like most of the couriers use.