Should Royal Mail ditch Monday deliveries

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 03 Oct 2016, 14:13

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There was a radio phone-in last week that I tuned into and the focus was Royal Mail. It was regarding how they could find ways to save money and survive. As we know, the RM parcels business continues to do OK but the letters business, which has previously been massively profitable, has dipped in recent years.

Needless to say, there was talk of the universal service (which means that every address in the UK should be served regardless of location) and also whether the Saturday delivery should be scrapped to save cash.

The universal service, in my humble opinion, should be sacred. It’s vital that all households in the UK should be serviced equally by at least one delivery company and many rural areas rely on Royal Mail. One other possible mooted cost saving was scrapping the Saturday delivery.

In many other countries the post comes but 5 days a week and it could be a good saving to cut Saturday deliveries. And it must be noted that this is not a proposal currently on the table from Royal Mail.

But actually ditching the Saturday delivery doesn’t make much sense. Even if moving to a five day service does. Saturdays are a good day to deliver parcels on and find recipients in. Many sellers despatch on a Thursday and Friday too.

It seems to me that if any one day should be cut it’s Monday. I seldom get anything but a pizza leaflet on a Monday and without significant Saturday and Sunday collections, most things arrive on a Tuesday anyway.

What do you think?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 03 Oct 2016, 14:14

Andy R says

5:58 am on 03/10/2016
To take away the option of Monday deliveries would be stupid.

It is the lightest day of the week for post, but there will still be millions of items of important mail that need to be delivered on that day.

If anything, it’s moving the other way – we see courier vans around on a Sunday even in mid Wales these days.

Besides, given that Ebay already considers Sunday to be a delivery day, imagine what axing Monday deliveries would do to on time delivery stats !!!!

Reply
Bernard McNamee says

10:12 am on 03/10/2016
I think cancelling Monday is a non-starter. Is there a way to reduce the cost of delivering to remote areas so its not loss making and a burden on the general business?

EG US-style post boxes outside homes so the postie does not have to get out of the van.

Rommagic · Post by **Rommagic** » 03 Oct 2016, 15:15

I think Tuesday's are the lightest day,so to scrap Monday's would mean more Mail on Tuesday's.

Deadly · Post by **Deadly** » 03 Oct 2016, 17:20

Don't most couriers charge a premium for Saturday deliveries? Perhaps Royal Mail should consider the same.

Post by **PHARRY** » 03 Oct 2016, 17:44

I would ditch Saturday deliveries

Surreypostie · Post by **Surreypostie** » 03 Oct 2016, 18:30

We went over today, we generally struggle tuesdays and saturdays. We need more days or more staff. I opt for more staff. That will increase costs, oh well, we will continue to struggle.

comeracing · Post by **comeracing** » 03 Oct 2016, 19:21

scrap Saturdays its a no brainer,2 whole days to recover,before Monday arrives makes sense to me.more family time and social time

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 03 Oct 2016, 20:00

Yeah. A no brainer. All those lucky floaters in the company get a full week of family time and social life while on the dole.

Careful what you wish for - that'd be a heck of a lot of colleagues out of a job. I'll be fighting for more staff in RM, not fewer.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 03 Oct 2016, 20:38

Can't see RM scrapping Saturday deliveries for parcels, Tracked and SDs, maybe for letters and flats though. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sunday delivery get introduced across the country for at least Tracked and SDs