We've finally done it after 499 years!

[POSTMAN]

New tool will make it easier to cancel stamps

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The business is reporting a 9% decline in the number of non-cancelled postage stamps in the network.

The new revenue integrity transformation team – formed in July last year – is tackling the problem, which loses the business millions in revenue each year.

Communication to mail centres has increased. Kandasamy Mohan, FSM operator and quality pillar team member at Gatwick mail centre, said: ‘This is an important issue and we’ve worked hard to tackle it.

‘We used to send mixed streams of mail to the FSM, but now we separate it on the “A” feed to ensure we cancel all the stamps.

‘We also cancel the stamp parcels that we get through the parcels pipeline, which has helped to protect our revenue.’

A new hand-stamp tool has also been successfully trialled in Banbury and London delivery offices with a view to

being rolled out nationwide in the new financial year. This will make it easier for teams to cancel stamps.

[wabbithunta]

And on that note...!
Today I had to cancel stamps on at least a dozen letters and packets. This included "used" stamps being recycled from other envelopes etc and glued into place on envelopes!

[fishtank]

The business is reporting a 9% decline in the number of non-cancelled postage stamps in the network.

Pretty sure the business is reporting a 9% decline in all letter traffic so it kind of stands to reason....
Nice of the WCM bods to take the credit though lol.

[Lounge Lizard]

"A new hand-stamp tool has also been successfully trialled in Banbury and London delivery offices with a view to being rolled out nationwide in the new financial year".
So how is that different from the handstamps that have been used daily since Victorian times ?

[5plusbonusball]

"A new hand-stamp tool has also been successfully trialled in Banbury and London delivery offices with a view to being rolled out nationwide in the new financial year".

And the cost of all those ?

I just write a line through them with my pen.

[NWpostie]

Same here, I just cross over it twice to be sure.

[Lounge Lizard]

Same here, I just cross over it twice to be sure.

I don't have time for pen cancelling ( or ).

[baldrick]

And are they going to issue one of these to every sorter? It's going to slow sorting down to handstamp every uncancelled stamp, especially in the frantic last 90 minutes before the nightly final despatch. We used to put them in top left box for the 'factotum' to cancel, but that job was scrapped as an 'efficiency' saving. Managers are just going to tell people to ignore them as they do now.

[NWpostie]

Not cancelling them to save time and efficency savings is false economy as for every uncancelled stamps is lost revenue to us and we would be defrauded out of our money which ultimately goes to job security and wages, yet we do red X on PPI customers for the same reasons.

A small amount lost might not be much to you, add them up over time and they soon mount up to thousands of pounds lost.

[britwrit]

Another thing to consider is the Xmas stamps. If I recall correctly, the design was the same on each line this year, changing only for the tiny little denomination in the bottom left hand corner (1st class, 97p, £1.28, etc etc.) Once there's a black ink smear over them, you have no way to tell if a package or letter is underpaid.

It sounds weird but at HWDC, you see dozens of letters sent abroad each shift with only a single first class stamp attached.

[Lounge Lizard]

Another thing to consider is the Xmas stamps. If I recall correctly, the design was the same on each line this year, changing only for the tiny little denomination in the bottom left hand corner (1st class, 97p, £1.28, etc etc.) Once there's a black ink smear over them, you have no way to tell if a package or letter is underpaid.

It sounds weird but at HWDC, you see dozens of letters sent abroad each shift with only a single first class stamp attached.

Not sure what you mean by the design of the Christmas stamps, new designs having been introduced each year since 1966.
As for "only a single first class stamp attached" that will be because the letters have ONLY been sorted by machines which, as far as I know, can only distinguish a second class stamp ( one phosphor band ) from ALL other stamps ( two phosphor bands or 'all over' phosphor ) so a first class stamp, or even a 1p stamp, will get through just the same as the required 97p, £1.28 or whatever stamp.

[janitor]

With mail volumes declining why should there be any uncancelled stamps.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

With mail volumes declining why should there be any uncancelled stamps.

Possibly because the number of posties is declining at an even faster rate

[rubberbond]

The business is reporting a 9% decline in the number of non-cancelled postage stamps in the network.

Pretty sure the business is reporting a 9% decline in all letter traffic so it kind of stands to reason....
Nice of the WCM bods to take the credit though lol.

I keep getting told WCM has died an inglorious and unlamented death. Put down your crayons and do some real work.

[wabbithunta]

The business is reporting a 9% decline in the number of non-cancelled postage stamps in the network.

Pretty sure the business is reporting a 9% decline in all letter traffic so it kind of stands to reason....
Nice of the WCM bods to take the credit though lol.

I keep getting told WCM has died an inglorious and unlamented death. Put down your crayons and do some real work.

You're not suggesting that WCM will be allowed to use something that's got a sharp point on it are you?
After all it took some persuasion to allow them to use crayons as it is...!