RM withdraws lost Christmas cards Orkney service:backtracked

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail withdraws festive lost Christmas cards Orkney service

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-n ... d-30531212" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail has withdrawn from a popular festive lost Christmas cards service provided in Orkney for 25 years.

The annual appeal on BBC Radio Orkney helped local postal workers deliver hundreds of cards with incomplete or no addresses.

The cards were read out by a member of Royal Mail staff, with listeners suggesting who the intended recipient might be.

Royal Mail said its staff were too busy to take part this year.

But it stressed that every effort was made to get post to its intended location.

The Christmas cards featured on the radio programme sometimes only had first names on them and no address.

However the Kirkwall-based appeal would find homes for about 90% of the cards featured.

'Piece of nonsense'

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail staff are too busy delivering Christmas mail at the festive season to be able read out badly addressed mail.

"Every effort is made within the delivery office to reunite mail with the recipient.

"But the facts remain that if mail is to arrive safely with the intended recipient then all customers should use the full name and postal address and the postcode on items posted during our busiest period."

The story on the BBC Radio Orkney Facebook page has seen a heated reaction from local people.

Orkney Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur wrote: "What a ridiculous piece of nonsense. On the case."

However one person wrote: "Maybe if people just wrote the right address, there'd be no issue?"

[POSTMAN]

So 2 faced...

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/nation ... usiest-day" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Santa’s helpers

ITV’s Good Morning Britain also reassured customers that they still have time to get Christmas cards to loved ones. They visited Manchester mail centre, where presenter Katy Fawcett urged viewers to help our postmen and women by addressing their items clearly, and by always using the postcode.

Via a live demonstration, the feature showed Katy’s poorly addressed envelope being rejected by our machines, to be handed to our investigation team members - nicknamed Santa’s helpers - to work out the intended destination. The main culprits for cards being rejected by our machines are:

Poor handwriting
Incorrect postcodes
Addresses that are missing key details, such as road name and house number
The feature also noted that we have recruited 19,000 temporary workers this year to help sort the festive mailbag.

[POSTMAN]

Oh hold on...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-n ... d-30531212" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail backtracks on lost Christmas cards Orkney service plan

Royal Mail has backtracked on plans to withdraw from a popular festive lost Christmas cards service provided in Orkney for 25 years.

The annual appeal on BBC Radio Orkney helped local postal workers deliver hundreds of cards with incomplete or no addresses.

The cards were read out by a member of Royal Mail staff, with listeners suggesting the intended recipient.

Royal Mail said its staff were too busy but agreed after BBC Scotland coverage.

However a spokeswoman said taking part in the appeal was well outwith procedures for correct mail delivery.

She said: "The fact is that it if mail does come into our system without a correct address it cannot be guaranteed to be delivered.

"Everyone no matter where they live needs to put on a correct address before posting."

'Piece of nonsense'
The Christmas cards featured on the radio programme sometimes only have first names on them and no address.

However the Kirkwall-based appeal would find homes for about 90% of the cards featured.

The initial story on the BBC Radio Orkney Facebook page had seen a heated reaction from local people.

Orkney Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur wrote: "What a ridiculous piece of nonsense. On the case."

However one person wrote: "Maybe if people just wrote the right address, there'd be no issue?"

[Surreypostie]

Maybe we could roll this service out across the whole country, save a fortune in kill off stickers and blue crayons.