Royal Mail red card

[DumfriesDik]

A red card as in missed a delivery.

One of the choices is to have the parcel redelivered, so I went online (Monday) to reschedule the delivery and the earliest they can do is Wednesday. Now bearing in mind that they can manage next day for first class, its a poor show that they can not manage this for a re-scheduled delivery. I mean, how can something go through the entire postal system in 24 hours, yet something held in the distribution depot takes at leasts 48 hours?

Is it a disgrace or is it second rate because they have tried once and are now doing me a favour? Either way, I am not impressed, especially for the cost of postage.

 

[firebobby]

A red card as in missed a delivery.

One of the choices is to have the parcel redelivered, so I went online (Monday) to reschedule the delivery and the earliest they can do is Wednesday. Now bearing in mind that they can manage next day for first class, its a poor show that they can not manage this for a re-scheduled delivery. I mean, how can something go through the entire postal system in 24 hours, yet something held in the distribution depot takes at leasts 48 hours?

Is it a disgrace or is it second rate because they have tried once and are now doing me a favour? Either way, I am not impressed, especially for the cost of postage.

I use Hermes for all largish parcels and packages, RM are to expensive now. I get a better service from Hermes too.

 

[cj10jeeper]

A red card as in missed a delivery.

One of the choices is to have the parcel redelivered, so I went online (Monday) to reschedule the delivery and the earliest they can do is Wednesday. Now bearing in mind that they can manage next day for first class, its a poor show that they can not manage this for a re-scheduled delivery. I mean, how can something go through the entire postal system in 24 hours, yet something held in the distribution depot takes at leasts 48 hours?

Is it a disgrace or is it second rate because they have tried once and are now doing me a favour? Either way, I am not impressed, especially for the cost of postage.

I agree it would be nice to get it next day, but can only speak for my town where I understand and agree with the process and times.
A missed delivery has to be taken out of the round and goes into a local office warehouse to await collection by the person or notification of a new delivery time. It doesn't even get there until later in the day when the delivery van or person gets back to the depot (not 24/7 opening). If you request it then it has to be manually found and redelivered through the system back to the round and that takes the time.

Mine is simply set up that all missed deliveries go to a neighbour and nothing is ever missed.

 

[Zed Five]

A red card as in missed a delivery.

One of the choices is to have the parcel redelivered, so I went online (Monday) to reschedule the delivery and the earliest they can do is Wednesday. Now bearing in mind that they can manage next day for first class, its a poor show that they can not manage this for a re-scheduled delivery. I mean, how can something go through the entire postal system in 24 hours, yet something held in the distribution depot takes at leasts 48 hours?

Is it a disgrace or is it second rate because they have tried once and are now doing me a favour? Either way, I am not impressed, especially for the cost of postage.

I certainly would not call it a 'disgrace'. If its really important, as you say, you can collect it in 24 hours. Unless its a pacemaker, i'd consider that a reasonable service.

 

[Taz]

i'm lucky as all my missed parcels get delivered to my local post office, thats about 100 meters away

 

[Bing]

A red card as in missed a delivery.

One of the choices is to have the parcel redelivered, so I went online (Monday) to reschedule the delivery and the earliest they can do is Wednesday. Now bearing in mind that they can manage next day for first class, its a poor show that they can not manage this for a re-scheduled delivery. I mean, how can something go through the entire postal system in 24 hours, yet something held in the distribution depot takes at leasts 48 hours?

Is it a disgrace or is it second rate because they have tried once and are now doing me a favour? Either way, I am not impressed, especially for the cost of postage.

I agree it would be nice to get it next day, but can only speak for my town where I understand and agree with the process and times.
A missed delivery has to be taken out of the round and goes into a local office warehouse to await collection by the person or notification of a new delivery time. It doesn't even get there until later in the day when the delivery van or person gets back to the depot (not 24/7 opening). If you request it then it has to be manually found and redelivered through the system back to the round and that takes the time.

Mine is simply set up that all missed deliveries go to a neighbour and nothing is ever missed.

This. I was the BT account manager for Royal Mail for 7 years, and the business is incredibly complex. It's also a lot better than it used to be - if you use the right service then you will get text messages and emails telling you when to expect a package, and the option to change delivery. Even without that, the safe place is a great thing to have set up. Royal Mail have a legal obligation to deliver your mail. They will not ever leave something somewhere without your express permission, unlike other delivery companies. I'd rather have the wait, or the slight inconvenience of collecting it myself, than have it left in the rain or stolen.

Regarding the comment about first class in a day - that process for letters is almost completely automated, with machines reading the addresses, sorting & packing them. There is a huge logistics network that operates 24/7, and at the other end there are even machines that can sort ordinary mail items into the individual bags that the posties carry. It's pretty impressive, and of course fast. Parcels are however still largely manually handled for various reasons - which takes time, as cj has said.

 

[cj10jeeper]

I didn't know you did that Bing

Long may the post office survive as a universal service and not get chipped away at by companies cherry picking bits of the market away while not offering a service to areas that they deem expensive, not enough volume, etc.

 

[jaRED]

I would actively choose not to have anything delivered by Royal Mail.
They never leave parcels in the safe place that I have specifically asked them to. They are only open 7am to 11am midweek and the queues are huge when I drive to the sorting office in the two hours they are open on a Saturday.
Pathetic service

 

[envy]

royal mail are great. if i miss a delivery, i can pick it up the next day at the post office which is about a mile away, they have some free parking, it isnt usually busy and they are open on sundays too. so at least 6 hours a day, 7 days a week apart from bank holidays. the postie is very good too, she always knocks loudly enough in the morning to wake me if i have a delivery and always says good morning

 

[DumfriesDik]

I think the service provided by RM is okay aside from the redelivery aspect.

From a customers point of view, I do not understand why it takes an extra day to load a parcel onto a delivery van when a new parcel could go through the whole system a day quicker.

I remain unconvinced that this aspect of RM is a good service.

 

[RickRob]

i'm lucky as all my missed parcels get delivered to my local post office, thats about 100 meters away

But that means that you don't get the opportunity for a drive to collect your parcel. I am much luckier; I have to drive 7 miles each way to collect mine!

 

[DumfriesDik]

Aargh, another one arrived today - why are they always coming when I am out?!!

 

[cj10jeeper]

Aargh, another one arrived today - why are they always coming when I am out?!!

Isn't that just the way of life.

 

[DumfriesDik]

I am not feeling the love for this service at all. One package has been delivered, but the other, well, it could be here by 6pm this evening. Here's hoping. I am starting to think RM can see this thread!