Royal Mail apologises to Tillicoultry woman

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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'Absurd' rules stopped postie from delivering parcel


ROYAL MAIL has apologised to a Tillicoultry woman after her birthday present was left in Alloa post office for three days due to ‘absurb’ delivery rules.


Joy Hendry was told to expect a birthday present from her son on Wednesday, 22 October, after he had forked out the extra money to use the Royal Mail’s special delivery.

However, Joy missed the post, receiving instead a card from the postman.

http://cdn1.clydeandforthpress.co.uk/img/2014/11/05/al20141105p00_roym_v0214151859921571063905.jpgHaving phoned Royal Mail she was informed she could receive the parcel from the postman at the end of her shift, but her efforts to retrieve her present were blocked.

She said: “The postman told me he wouldn’t be able to hand me the package because it was after 1pm and he would get himself into trouble for scanning it.
“The parcel had to be delivered before 1pm, according to the terms of the Royal Mail’s special delivery, so he point-blank refused to give me my present.”
Joy then tried calling the Royal Mail back and found that all she could do was to send a complaint to the Alloa post office, which they would not receive
until 4am.

She added: “In this age of instant communication, both the postman and I were not able to contact his boss in Alloa to straighten it out.

“Neither could we the customer services people at Royal Mail who are ‘trained to deal with all aspect of the delivery system’, according to their telephone answering message.

“So the parcel stayed in his van, about 100 yards from my house, and it took an extra three days for me to finally get it. There rules are absurd.”

Although Joy has now received her package, she remains exasperated by the length’s she had to go to obtain her parcel.

She said: “It’s an extremely frustrating system and shouldn’t put a postman in that position where he is not able to hand over a package like that.

“In the end I felt sorry for him, because he was only doing his job. But it is just a silly way they do things.

“Certainly, it’s not doing them any favours as I doubt I or my son will use Royal Mail in the future now.”

Royal Mail confirmed they have addressed the underlying policy which led to the confusion.

A spokesperson said: “We have looked into this complaint and we apologise to the customer for any inconvenience.

“This was a misunderstanding and we have now revised the training of our staff to ensure that customers can indeed be given their item of mail if they approach the postman near their home. The customer now has her parcel.”

[Lounge Lizard]

She said: “The postman told me he wouldn’t be able to hand me the package because it was after 1pm and he would get himself into trouble for scanning it." Is that right, rescanning it after 1pm deletes the pre-1pm 'advised' scan ?
.
“This was a misunderstanding and we have now revised the training of our staff to ensure that customers can indeed be given their item of mail if they approach the postman near their home. The customer now has her parcel.” Right, so now it's acceptable for anyone to sign for a Special Delivery "near their home" ?

[Ahebban]

Royal Mail's goalposts must have wheels permanently attached to the foot of the posts, given how often Royal Mail shift their position as and when it suits them

[dvbuk55]

Let me put this scenario:

You have a special, you scan as not in even though you are nowhere near the property, when you reach the property after 1 you knock and get rid of it - if you don't well you've already scanned it as not delivered. The customer has the special and is not likely to complain even though it's after 1. I'm aware black bay can pinpoint the location of the scan but who would bother checking if the item has been received, unless the sender sees the delivery time and tries to claim the money back BUT the audit trail would show an attempt prior to 1pm.

[Lounge Lizard]

Let me put this scenario:

You have a special, you scan as not in even though you are nowhere near the property, when you reach the property after 1 you knock and get rid of it - if you don't well you've already scanned it as not delivered. The customer has the special and is not likely to complain even though it's after 1. I'm aware black bay can pinpoint the location of the scan but who would bother checking if the item has been received, unless the sender sees the delivery time and tries to claim the money back BUT the audit trail would show an attempt prior to 1pm.

Yes, but doesn't the signature scan after 1pm cancel out the scan before 1pm ?

[dvbuk55]

Let me put this scenario:

You have a special, you scan as not in even though you are nowhere near the property, when you reach the property after 1 you knock and get rid of it - if you don't well you've already scanned it as not delivered. The customer has the special and is not likely to complain even though it's after 1. I'm aware black bay can pinpoint the location of the scan but who would bother checking if the item has been received, unless the sender sees the delivery time and tries to claim the money back BUT the audit trail would show an attempt prior to 1pm.

Yes, but doesn't the signature scan after 1pm cancel out the scan before 1pm ?

I would suggest not because the data is uploaded as it occurs and forms the audit trail and I have never known a cancellation of occurrence once it has been scanned in.

[jimboaby]

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“This was a misunderstanding and we have now revised the training of our staff to ensure that customers can indeed be given their item of mail if they approach the postman near their home. The customer now has her parcel.”

So much for not being able to hand over mail in the street

[dvbuk55]

http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/all ... try-woman/?

“This was a misunderstanding and we have now revised the training of our staff to ensure that customers can indeed be given their item of mail if they approach the postman near their home. The customer now has her parcel.”

So much for not being able to hand over mail in the street

Well it isn't exactly specific as to how near her home is near is it and should there be a blip you know who is going to get the blame.