Nick Landon takes a closer look at our parcels strategy

[POSTMAN]

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Nick Landon takes a closer look at our group parcels strategy

We’re number one in the UK parcels market, and we’re determined to stay there. Nick Landon, MD of Royal Mail parcels, tells us what we’re doing

Q. First-time delivery is a key part of our customer and parcels strategy. How important are our first-time delivery rates?

A. They’re very important and they’re becoming even more so for our big business customers. For them, the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product and only stops when it is in their hands – not the time when we attempt to deliver it.

These big companies are making choices on what carrier to use based on how quickly you can get a product to a customer, so it is becoming ever more important that we get this right.

Q. Have we seen any improvement in first-time delivery rates in recent weeks?

A.Yes. We’re getting some very promising initial results thanks to the push that’s now underway and we think an increase in Delivery to Neighbour is behind the improvement.

Q. We recently opened up our network at weekends to big business/e-retail customers. Has all the hard work paid off?

A. Absolutely. This has had an impact on the volume of parcels that our large customers have given us. We have the biggest weekend network of any carrier in the UK, which is phenomenal

This shows the pent-up demand from customers who wanted to give us their parcels, but never had the opportunity to do so.

Q. Does this bode well for the future?

A. Yes, it all makes it easier for senders and receivers of parcels to do business with us. Thanks to close work with Operations we made it happen really quickly. It’s a fantastic example of us identifying a demand in the market and making changes very quickly to ensure we satisfied that demand.

Q. Why aren’t we handling as many clothing and footwear parcels as competitors such as Hermes and Yodel?

A. Historically, there are strong links between Hermes and Yodel and some of the largest clothing and footwear retailers, with both carriers borne out of major clothing and footwear retailers in the past. They’ve continued to develop low-cost services with improved service levels and technology over the last few years. However we should be confident that Royal Mail can compete and recognising the growth opportunities for in this part of the market, we need to continue developing our tracked services and customer solutions, whilst ensuring cost management allows us to compete effectively on price.

Nick looks at the competition

What we can expect from our key competitors in the run-up to Christmas

• Hermes has opened its new purpose-built, 15,000 square metre, parcel distribution hub in Warrington. The new £14 million hub has capacity for 550,000 parcels a day, three times that of its previous site.

• DPD has announced its most ambitious expansion plans to date with the development of 15 new depots in the UK. These include three new ‘super depots’ as part of a £75 million investment in 2014. DPD is on schedule to complete a £100 million 33-acre parcel hub in Hinckley, East Midlands, capable of handling 70,000 parcels an hour. It’s due to open next year.

[Hitcher]

Q. Are we officially allowed to doorstep items so they're delivered first-time like our competitors?

[dave72]

How the hell can we do a 1st time delivery when people are out at work

[k979aaa]

What strategy
what plan
oh more lapsing
No time too do parcels posh name for packet's

[Kings Norton]

Nick Landon wants to try delivering parcels instead of supping coffee and see how difficult it is.

[jack]

Nick Landon wants to try delivering parcels instead of supping coffee and see how difficult it is.

I suppose it's easier to talk the talk instead of walk the walk...

[bigcol]

Q. Are we officially allowed to doorstep items so they're delivered first-time like our competitors?

Q. Why does hardly any customer use Safeplace?

[baldrick]

The Post Office is doing a marketing survey atm to find out if customers would use a service where they could pick up their parcels 24/7 from supermarkets, convenience stores, service staions etc. They are saying it would be a maximum 2kg weight, but have asked if customers would be more likely to use it if the weight was up to 5kg.

[Postie45]

A. They’re very important and they’re becoming even more so for our big business customers. For them, the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product and only stops when it is in their hands – not the time when we attempt to deliver it.

or the hands of a random person who happens to live nearby

Q. Why aren’t we handling as many clothing and footwear parcels as competitors such as Hermes and Yodel?

A. Historically, there are strong links between Hermes and Yodel and some of the largest clothing and footwear retailers, ...... They’ve continued to develop low-cost services with improved service levels and technology over the last few years

low cost and technology such as the "packet over the fence flip" and the "hide behind the flowerpot"

[S6 Stroller]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/nation ... cels-power
A. They’re very important and they’re becoming even more so for our big business customers. For them, the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product and only stops when it is in their hands – not the time when we attempt to deliver it.

This is bollocks. Companies would rather it was either delivered to the recipient first time because they were in, left with a neighbour who the OPG knows for a fact is trustworthy because they are familiar with the street or a P739 card was left. If companies are under the impression that we can deliver 'first time every time', they are being mislead. It's not achievable without regularly stooping to delivery methods favoured by 'other' companies.

[Postie45]

also, if we "attempt to deliver" the failing isnt with RM when the customer isnt in, thats a customer failure - if youre going to order stuff to be delivered either have an accessible safeplace for items to be left in or make sure you`ll be in to collect the item.

[Darren Bent]

Removing the rules forbid us to leave parcel in porches will increase first time delivery rate.

[Lounge Lizard]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/nation ... cels-power
A. They’re very important and they’re becoming even more so for our big business customers. For them, the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product and only stops when it is in their hands – not the time when we attempt to deliver it.

This is bollocks. Companies would rather it was either delivered to the recipient first time because they were in, left with a neighbour who the OPG knows for a fact is trustworthy because they are familiar with the street or a P739 card was left. If companies are under the impression that we can deliver 'first time every time', they are being mislead. It's not achievable without regularly stooping to delivery methods favoured by 'other' companies.

Indeed. If "the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product" then it's so urgent that Special Delivery is the required service but, no, low price is their main interest hence us 'regularly stooping' to delivery methods favoured by competitors which are little better than 'doorstepping' for which we can get disciplined.

[S6 Stroller]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/nation ... cels-power
A. They’re very important and they’re becoming even more so for our big business customers. For them, the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product and only stops when it is in their hands – not the time when we attempt to deliver it.

This is bollocks. Companies would rather it was either delivered to the recipient first time because they were in, left with a neighbour who the OPG knows for a fact is trustworthy because they are familiar with the street or a P739 card was left. If companies are under the impression that we can deliver 'first time every time', they are being mislead. It's not achievable without regularly stooping to delivery methods favoured by 'other' companies.

Indeed. If "the clock starts ticking when a customer orders a product" then it's so urgent that Special Delivery is the required service but, no, low price is their main interest hence us 'regularly stooping' to delivery methods favoured by competitors which are little better than 'doorstepping' for which we can get disciplined.

My point is that companies couldn't give a s**t when the customer actually gets the item 'in their hands'. As long as we attempt to deliver it within the time frame they have paid for, that's their job done. The rest is between RM and the recipient. Having seen the shitty service 'other' companies provide, I will certainly not stoop that low. Next door either side and opposite at a push. Other than that, it's P739 time.

[eastie]

Most of the neighbours I use for delivering parcels on my round are p#ssed off being tapped up every day for regular eBay users and won't take them anymore