Delivery service not sorted yet says Harrington

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Royal Mail customers are facing Christmas post delays according to Watford’s MP, who says the town’s delivery service is still causing problems.

Management at Watford's Ascot Road sorting depot have faced criticism since a new delivery system was introduced in August but management have since claimed the service is back to normal.

However, MP Richard Harrington says he continues to receive complaints from residents who are bearing the brunt of postal delays.

The Conservative representative held emergency talks with Royal Mail management in September where he was told teething problems with the new system had been “completely rectified”.

But Mr Harrington has since carried out an experiment to test the claims, posting 50 first class letters from London to various Watford addresses on Monday, November 14.

Of 20 responses, one arrived later that day, four were delivered on Thursday, ten came through on Friday and more were received over the weekend.

He said: “As Christmas approaches I am very concerned that people in Watford will not get the service they deserve.

“Despite many letters between myself and Royal Mail with evidence of problems in Watford they are still telling me there is no problem anymore.

“My constituents and I deserve proper answers about this, and a real promise that these problems will be solved, and not worsen over the Christmas period.”

The parliamentary representative added that he hopes to arrange a meeting with Royal Mail management in the next week to discuss the issue.

Royal Mail representative Sally Hopkins said: "We are concerned to hear of the results of Mr Harrington's survey and recognise that this is a serious matter for Royal Mail. We will be looking very carefully at these results and addressing these as a matter of urgency. We will also be meeting Mr Harrington in the near future to discuss this matter further."

Mr Harrington’s concerns were echoed this week by Councillor Ian Brandon, a member of Hertfordshire County Council.

The Green Party representative said: “I have had hardly any deliveries in seven weeks and any delivery I do get is over a week old.

'I spoke to the front desk (at Ascot Road) to speak to a manager but no managers are ever there to speak to me. I've asked for phone calls and they are never returned. My emails are not returned either. I am also getting feedback from other residents in north Watford who are having the same problems.

“All residents want is post on a regular basis. I don't think that is much to ask.”

[DirtyHarry]

Very, very, very, bad management.
I've been in work almost 40 years, and management at all levels in RM, is the most crassly absurd that I've ever witnessed.

The nation's postal system used to run like clockwork, a well oiled machine capable of operating itself. It could be again, but every bad decision made off the back of piss-poor judgement calls, has to be reversed, and management have to accept an undeniable truth, the postal system doesn't work well, with low-level staffing, and it never will.

[Lincox]

How can you employ Line Managers on their salaries and then have them out on deliveries most of the day. How many more delivery staff could they employ to do the job properly if they removed this worthless management position. Come on Moya get your act together, give us the staff we need to do the job and stop the drain on Royal Mail with the worthless WCM mission of yours and management positions that have no benefit to the manual staff, customers or the general public.