On 13/03/2014 00:21, Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:
Optimist wrote:

Just be grateful that we still have deliveries to everyone's front door,
six days a week, across the whole country, at a standard price. In years
to
come, we'll look back in amazement at that level of service. Most other
countries no longer offer it.

I'd rather cut deliveries down to three or even two a week if it would cut
the
cost of postage.

Sadly it probably wouldn't. And with online shopping such a key part of the
Royal Mail's business there'd be fierce opposition to reducing the speed of
delivery or else a decamp to incompetent couriers.


Why use incompetent couriers when there are plenty of competent ones
available.

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

On Thu, 13 Mar 2014 07:36:52 +0000, Graeme Wall wrote:

On 13/03/2014 00:21, Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:
Optimist wrote:

Just be grateful that we still have deliveries to everyone's front door,
six days a week, across the whole country, at a standard price. In years
to
come, we'll look back in amazement at that level of service. Most other
countries no longer offer it.

I'd rather cut deliveries down to three or even two a week if it would cut
the
cost of postage.

Sadly it probably wouldn't. And with online shopping such a key part of the
Royal Mail's business there'd be fierce opposition to reducing the speed of
delivery or else a decamp to incompetent couriers.


Why use incompetent couriers when there are plenty of competent ones
available.

I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer service. They actually answer the
phone when you ring the number on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out. They
will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM put a card through the door instead of trying to deliver the package, when you ring they don't
answer, they won't leave items to be collected at the local post office but at an inconvenient depot
on an industrial estate.

On 13/03/2014 08:37, Optimist wrote:

I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer
service. They actually answer the phone when you ring the number
on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out.
They will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM usually don't leave items in porches because of the risk of theft.

RM put a card through the door instead of trying to deliver the
package, when you ring they don't answer, they won't leave items to
be collected at the local post office but at an inconvenient depot
on an industrial estate.

Royal Mail is actually three businesses. Post Office counters and
Parcelforce are distinct from the letter delivery business. Letters
(and packets) are held at the delivery office for collection at the
callers office. The local Post Office is a place where you can buy
stamps, though you can have redeliveries made to a local Post Office
for an additional fee.
--
Phil Cook

In message , at 16:42:17 on Thu, 13
Mar 2014, Phil Cook remarked:
I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer
service. They actually answer the phone when you ring the number
on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out.
They will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM usually don't leave items in porches because of the risk of theft.

Can descend into farce. I had a parcel delivered at my front door last
week by one of the minor couriers, where the chap said I didn't need to
sign for it because he'd already logged it as "left in back garden". It
wasn't clear if this was a one-off error on his behalf, or a widespread
form of expediting delivery without bothering to discover if the
householder was actually at home.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 16:42:17 on Thu, 13
Mar 2014, Phil Cook remarked:
I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer
service. They actually answer the phone when you ring the number
on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out.
They will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM usually don't leave items in porches because of the risk of theft.

Can descend into farce. I had a parcel delivered at my front door last
week by one of the minor couriers, where the chap said I didn't need
to sign for it because he'd already logged it as "left in back
garden". It wasn't clear if this was a one-off error on his behalf, or
a widespread form of expediting delivery without bothering to discover
if the householder was actually at home.

Royal Mail offer me a far better service, and don't inconvienience the
neighbours. The neighbours are old and take looking after things
seriously and worry.

When I get a card from the Royal Mail, I just stop off at the delivery
office on my way to work and get my stuff. As long as you are there
before 9:30 when they go out delivering, they are happy to help. Or you
can go in the afternoon at the time on the card.

But thats the advantage of living in a small town.

Phil

On 14/03/2014 18:18, Phil wrote:
Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 16:42:17 on Thu, 13
Mar 2014, Phil Cook remarked:
I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer
service. They actually answer the phone when you ring the number
on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out.
They will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM usually don't leave items in porches because of the risk of theft.

Can descend into farce. I had a parcel delivered at my front door last
week by one of the minor couriers, where the chap said I didn't need
to sign for it because he'd already logged it as "left in back
garden". It wasn't clear if this was a one-off error on his behalf, or
a widespread form of expediting delivery without bothering to discover
if the householder was actually at home.

Royal Mail offer me a far better service, and don't inconvienience the
neighbours. The neighbours are old and take looking after things
seriously and worry.

When I get a card from the Royal Mail, I just stop off at the delivery
office on my way to work and get my stuff. As long as you are there
before 9:30 when they go out delivering, they are happy to help. Or you
can go in the afternoon at the time on the card.


My local office insist you wait 24 hours from the time on the card.


--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

On 14/03/14 19:15, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 14/03/2014 18:18, Phil wrote:
Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 16:42:17 on Thu, 13

When I get a card from the Royal Mail, I just stop off at the delivery
office on my way to work and get my stuff. As long as you are there
before 9:30 when they go out delivering, they are happy to help. Or you
can go in the afternoon at the time on the card.


My local office insist you wait 24 hours from the time on the card.


Mine closes at 1400 hours so you have no choice but to wait until the
next day.

It was a dark and stormy night when Graeme Wall
wrote in article
r7...
On 14/03/2014 18:18, Phil wrote:
Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 16:42:17 on Thu, 13
Mar 2014, Phil Cook remarked:
I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer
service. They actually answer the phone when you ring the number
on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out.
They will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM usually don't leave items in porches because of the risk of theft.

Can descend into farce. I had a parcel delivered at my front door last
week by one of the minor couriers, where the chap said I didn't need
to sign for it because he'd already logged it as "left in back
garden". It wasn't clear if this was a one-off error on his behalf, or
a widespread form of expediting delivery without bothering to discover
if the householder was actually at home.

Royal Mail offer me a far better service, and don't inconvienience the
neighbours. The neighbours are old and take looking after things
seriously and worry.

When I get a card from the Royal Mail, I just stop off at the delivery
office on my way to work and get my stuff. As long as you are there
before 9:30 when they go out delivering, they are happy to help. Or you
can go in the afternoon at the time on the card.


My local office insist you wait 24 hours from the time on the card.


24 hours? You were lucky. We have to wait 48 hours before we can collect
our parcel and take it home to our shoe box in t'middle o't'road.
--
Grebbsy McLaren

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

On 14/03/2014 19:15, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 14/03/2014 18:18, Phil wrote:

When I get a card from the Royal Mail, I just stop off at the delivery
office on my way to work and get my stuff.

My local office insist you wait 24 hours from the time on the card.

The waiting time before collection is dependent on when the mail gets
back to the callers office. When I was in delivery I used to write an
actual time in instead of the wait X hours. Suggesting 24 hours is
probably an insurance against you arriving before they have got the
item back and put it on the shelf, which is most annoying for both you
and the callers office staff. Some delivery rounds finish at places
other than the callers office.
--
Phil Cook

On 13/03/2014 16:42, Phil Cook wrote:

On 13/03/2014 08:37, Optimist wrote:

I find the courier firms are far superior to RM for customer
service. They actually answer the phone when you ring the number
on the card to say they have a package for you but you were out.
They will leave in the porch or elsewhere if you wish.

RM usually don't leave items in porches because of the risk of theft.

RM put a card through the door instead of trying to deliver the
package, when you ring they don't answer, they won't leave items to
be collected at the local post office but at an inconvenient depot
on an industrial estate.

Royal Mail is actually three businesses. Post Office counters and
Parcelforce are distinct from the letter delivery business. Letters (and
packets) are held at the delivery office for collection at the callers
office. The local Post Office is a place where you can buy stamps,
though you can have redeliveries made to a local Post Office for an
additional fee.

No, you're out of date - the Post Office (what was once PO Counters Ltd,
now just Post Office Ltd) is a standalone business, wholly owned by the
government. It wasn't included in the privatisation of Royal Mail.