Special Delivery by 1pm guarantee suspended

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 19 Mar 2020, 14:35

Email just received

Due to the current coronavirus situation, from today, Thursday 19 March - until further notice - we have taken the difficult decision to suspend the 1pm guarantee for Special Delivery items. As a result of this suspension, I'm sorry, we will not refund the Special Delivery fee if your item is delivered after 1pm.

We'll still prioritise Special Delivery parcels and letters and will aim to deliver by 1pm or before the end of the day.

Our Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am service remains unchanged; we still guarantee to deliver by 9am.

Signature Services
We’ve put in place a temporary procedure for services where we would normally capture a signature on delivery. For items delivered on or after Saturday 14th March 2020, our postmen and women will not request a signature but will capture the recipient’s name and will ensure they take in the item. You can still check if we have obtained confirmation of delivery and who we delivered to by tracking your parcel at royalmail.com/track-your-item (where you may see a special code, ‘XP1’ instead of signature).

As a result, we will not consider refunds or compensation requests for not capturing a signature for items delivered on or after Saturday 14 March 2020 and until further notice.

We’ll continue to support you with information in the coming days and weeks. General information can also be found at royalmail.com/coronavirus.

We’re really sorry we have had to take this decision and for any inconvenience it may cause.

Further information on how our services are operating can be found on our Service Update web page.

Kind Regards,

Royal Mail Customer Services

Woody Guthrie · Post by **Woody Guthrie** » 19 Mar 2020, 14:37

What's the odds on it never returning?

chickenwittle · Post by **chickenwittle** » 19 Mar 2020, 14:47

Wouldn’t it have made more sense to cancel the 9am specials . These mean we have to come off sorting early to deliver causing more problems . I can now see a spike in 9am specials which will put us under more pressure.

Woody Guthrie · Post by **Woody Guthrie** » 19 Mar 2020, 14:55

chickenwittle wrote:Wouldn’t it have made more sense to cancel the 9am specials . These mean we have to come off sorting early to deliver causing more problems . I can now see a spike in 9am specials which will put us under more pressure.

I think by this time next week we could be in crisis mode, maybe down to delivering parcels.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 19 Mar 2020, 15:03

I agree this could result in more 9am specials being posted. Will be a pain in the **** if that happens.
Probability is there will be extreme staff shortages both from 14 day isolations due to family members catching the virus and/or staff not able to work due to schools closed/lack of childcare.
I'm on AL but I have heard we already have one postie on 14 day isolation due to one of their kids having symptoms.

GT85 · Post by **GT85** » 19 Mar 2020, 16:44

I think by this time next week we could be in crisis mode, maybe down to delivering parcels.

We are already in crisis mode at our place, today at least 10 walks with no mail delivered, packets only.

Lack of staff, absolutely rammed by Amazon dumping all the stuff they can't deliver on us and must of been some special offer on early mothers day flat box flowers that don't fit through the letter box

. About 30% of this mornings inbound left to be sorted tomorrow

Jefferson Starfish · Post by **Jefferson Starfish** » 19 Mar 2020, 16:49

chickenwittle wrote:Wouldn’t it have made more sense to cancel the 9am specials . These mean we have to come off sorting early to deliver causing more problems . I can now see a spike in 9am specials which will put us under more pressure.

9am specials cost 3 times more to send, so more revenue for RM.

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 19 Mar 2020, 16:53

chickenwittle wrote: These mean we have to come off sorting early to deliver causing more problems.

Do you not have a dedicated duty that deals with 9am Specials as and when they arrive?
Do you all go and do your own for your own walks?

NewPostieUK · Post by **NewPostieUK** » 19 Mar 2020, 17:11

XP1? I write CV 19 . .

9 o'clockers are a big problem. I'm often given them and I don't start til 9:10

Ali831 · Post by **Ali831** » 19 Mar 2020, 18:16

NewPostieUK wrote:XP1? I write CV 19 . .

9 o'clockers are a big problem. I'm often given them and I don't start til 9:10

Our manager told us to put DWS, delivery without signature

chickenwittle · Post by **chickenwittle** » 19 Mar 2020, 18:23

clashcityrocker wrote:
chickenwittle wrote: These mean we have to come off sorting early to deliver causing more problems.
Do you not have a dedicated duty that deals with 9am Specials as and when they arrive?
Do you all go and do your own for your own walks?

We have a few drivers that cover 9 o clocks depending on where they are for but if volumes increase they will do well to get their own duties completed .They are a pain compared to 1pm specials.

Mr Rush · Post by **Mr Rush** » 19 Mar 2020, 19:04

Ali831 wrote:
NewPostieUK wrote:XP1? I write CV 19 . .
Our manager told us to put DWS, delivery without signature

Not even a week into it and the communication breakdown is underway.

world class male · Post by **world class male** » 19 Mar 2020, 19:09

can't see their thinking behind this, unless new to the duty you will certainly know an approximate time when you're going to get to your 1pms, if its definitely not you either detour on way out adding a few minutes max travel or like i normally do, deliver that loop at the same time to save going back later, i even do it for a very large parcel just to try and make space to work in the van
the cynic in me leads to RM pushing for more 9am's for more money and do 1pm at a leisure when duties are mass failing

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 19 Mar 2020, 19:30

Mr Rush wrote:
Ali831 wrote:
NewPostieUK wrote:XP1? I write CV 19 . .
Our manager told us to put DWS, delivery without signature
Not even a week into it and the communication breakdown is underway.

https://www.myroyalmail.com/node/14595" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Keep checking this document link above, you will get more info and a lot quicker that waiting for your manager to get his arse into gear:

4. Input the customer’s name as normal and press proceed. When the signature box appears, input “XP1” but do not press done until the customer picks up the parcel.

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 19 Mar 2020, 19:32

world class male wrote:........ and do 1pm at a leisure when duties are mass failing

Hit the nail on the head there!!!