Customer Delivery Timeslot Texts

itinerant · Post by **itinerant** » 12 Dec 2019, 16:45

Can anyone advise how this works?

I had a re-delivery of a special the other day (it had been 739d a few days beforehand). I was advised only the original delivery has to be done by 1pm and not the re-delivery so I left it until that point in the duty which was around 2.45.

The customer was annoyed as said she had received a text saying the parcel would be delivered by 1pm and had taken the morning off of work.

I know that sometimes customers receive an estimated delivery text (which I assume is based on PDA actuals) but this would be a problem on this duty as the people who cover it do in different ways (large rural, some of us follow the frame order but others chop it up so the order is very different which means delivery times vary quite a bit).

Just wondering whether the text would be related to fact it was a SD (all be it a re-delivery) or one of these estimated delivery time slot messages.

ssdd · Post by **ssdd** » 12 Dec 2019, 16:57

itinerant wrote:Can anyone advise how this works?

I had a re-delivery of a special the other day (it had been 739d a few days beforehand). I was advised only the original delivery has to be done by 1pm and not the re-delivery so I left it until that point in the duty which was around 2.45.

The customer was annoyed as said she had received a text saying the parcel would be delivered by 1pm and had taken the morning off of work.

I know that sometimes customers receive an estimated delivery text (which I assume is based on PDA actuals) but this would be a problem on this duty as the people who cover it do in different ways (large rural, some of us follow the frame order but others chop it up so the order is very different which means delivery times vary quite a bit).

Just wondering whether the text would be related to fact it was a SD (all be it a re-delivery) or one of these estimated delivery time slot messages.

I don't know for sure, but I would imagine it woukd be related to the SD itself, especially if it said 1pm. Usually the text time slots are a "window" eg. Between 10am -2pm. We've been told in our office that re-delivered SDs go before 1pm. I personally wouldn't worry about it too much. Is she going to be able to make a claim if it was delivered first time to spec?

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 12 Dec 2019, 17:21

only first attempt is time sensitive. Sounds like there is a flaw in system that treats subsequent scans as a first time del event.

itinerant · Post by **itinerant** » 12 Dec 2019, 17:24

deltaforce wrote:only first attempt is time sensitive. Sounds like there is a flaw in system that treats subsequent scans as a first time del event.

that's what i was thinking. I double checked before I went out on delivery and queried it again in WTL after the customer had told me about the text. The DOM could not provide an explanation for the text but did say that re-delivery was definitely not time sensitive.

Grumpyoldmailman · Post by **Grumpyoldmailman** » 12 Dec 2019, 18:52

Royal Mails text/email notification system is rubbish compared to other couriers. I had some tickets from Ticketmaster tracked and signed for in the summer, I got notification by text telling me when they would be delivered the day after I actually received them

Post by **wallop** » 12 Dec 2019, 19:10

I had one last Mon telling me a package would be delivered that day which i knew was unlikely as i'd only ordered it late on Sat,It turned up on Wed which was when i expected it.

Route1 · Post by **Route1** » 12 Dec 2019, 22:56

In my opinion, the sms / email royal mail send customers is based on PDA actuals. ie the time the postie usually gets there.

I get a sms saying my parcel will arrive between 12-2 as the postie gets here about 1pm. But the parcel gets delivered about 10am as the larger parcels are delivered by the driver during his first loop.

mentaltheshots · Post by **mentaltheshots** » 13 Dec 2019, 07:09

I have always been told (job 30 yrs), 1pm specials redelivery have to be done by 1pm. The customer payed for the service so they get the same service with a redelivery.

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 13 Dec 2019, 16:32

itinerant wrote:.......
The customer was annoyed as said she had received a text saying the parcel would be delivered by 1pm and had taken the morning off of work.

Didn't realise text messages were sent by RM for Specials, thought it was just for Tracked items.....are you sure she didn't mean she'd had
a confirmation text off the company that sent the item that it would be there by 1pm and then just assumed it would be there by 1pm
whatever day it got (re)delivered?

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 13 Dec 2019, 17:05

mentaltheshots wrote:I have always been told (job 30 yrs), 1pm specials redelivery have to be done by 1pm. The customer payed for the service so they get the same service with a redelivery.

They had their paid for service at the Ist attempt. Subsequent attempts are not time sensitive

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 13 Dec 2019, 22:57

1pm and 9am SDs have to be delivered before the time stated. There are not exceptions to this rule.

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 14 Dec 2019, 17:22

Celgar wrote:1pm and 9am SDs have to be delivered before the time stated. There are not exceptions to this rule.

Only on Ist attempt. Royal mails contract with the customer has then been obligated. All further redeliveries of the same items are not time sensitive and carry no refund penalty. Next Day Guaranteed 9am/1pm and that’s it. It’s not a perpetual time guarantee until it gets delivered.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 14 Dec 2019, 19:58

deltaforce wrote:
mentaltheshots wrote:I have always been told (job 30 yrs), 1pm specials redelivery have to be done by 1pm. The customer payed for the service so they get the same service with a redelivery.
They had their paid for service at the Ist attempt. Subsequent attempts are not time sensitive

Exactly some pay exorbitant amounts for 9am we have a duty to try to deliver it before 9am when no one is there to receive it. The post office is a separate business they get a commission for selling products ie enhanced delivery times guaranteed for for Saturday even though the place is closed. But the first attempt is the first call on time limited service after that it is not next day is it not!

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 16 Dec 2019, 09:36

k979aaa wrote: Exactly some pay exorbitant amounts for 9am we have a duty to try to deliver it before 9am when no one is there to receive it. The post office is a separate business they get a commission for selling products ie enhanced delivery times guaranteed for for Saturday even though the place is closed. But the first attempt is the first call on time limited service after that it is not next day is it not!

I used to ask the customer, "Did you specifically ASK for this to be delivered for 0900"? Most of the time they didn't, which was a Bloody Pain as I'd gone there straight away to get it delivered on time.

I can understand some customers like Solicitors, or Accountants, might need that service but not normally Joe Public. Most of the Time a 1300 Special wouldn't have needed me to cut off. Still it's Royal Mail's Time ... and they pay me for it!

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 16 Dec 2019, 09:45

Dorset Plodder wrote:
k979aaa wrote: Exactly some pay exorbitant amounts for 9am we have a duty to try to deliver it before 9am when no one is there to receive it. The post office is a separate business they get a commission for selling products ie enhanced delivery times guaranteed for for Saturday even though the place is closed. But the first attempt is the first call on time limited service after that it is not next day is it not!
I used to ask the customer, "Did you specifically ASK for this to be delivered for 0900"? Most of the time they didn't, which was a Bloody Pain as I'd gone there straight away to get it delivered on time. I can understand some customers like Solicitors, or Accountants, might need that service but not normally Joe Public. Most of the Time a 1300 Special wouldn't have needed me to cut off. Still it's Royal Mail's Time ... and they pay me for it!

My gut feeling is that if RM were to offer Tracked to the general public then the number of non-foreign specials would drop off a lot. At the moment SDs are the only option for them to send something that can be tracked within the UK, where it's not being generated as a return or by a retailer