Well Im probably biased as I have worked for Royal mail for 25 years and I can safely say that in that time I have never ever seen so many packets as we handled this Xmas and I have never seen our lads go out in such terrible conditions.
The Saturday before Xmas I had a parcel due by Federal Express and it didnt arrive, I rang them to be told that due to the snow all their vans had been grounded and their customer care would close at midday??? Yet our vans and lads were out till 8pm trying to get parcels out to customers.
We have a universal service order which states we have to deliver to every address daily or we get fined, yet the opposition have no fines and no constraints which is very annoying.
All of our offices up north (scotland) were snow bound so as we went into xmas we not only had the xmas rush but a huge backlog to contend with and we were all out until late xmas eve trying to catch up and yes we failed which is awefull (Im not a postie anymore so took packets out in my own car as we had used all the vans on deliveries).
As for posting abroad - we have our own air fleet but our ability to control a route stops once it leaves the UK and you are the mercy of the foreign countries system. For instance an item can take 24hrs to get to Spain but then can take a week to be delivered by their system.
As for DHL etc etc - well they drop their mail off at our sorting centres and we sort them and deliver them - BUT they get the money and according to the government we can't complain?
Yes we struggle but in one day we sort and deliver more mail/packets than all of our competitors do in a year - work out the maths. When someone rings me and says - do you know where my letters etc is I look out of my office window on a shop floor that sorts 4 million items on a normal day so my answer to them is - sorry no idea. So you can see a percentage get lost and delayed but I assure you thats an exception.
Im a customer and hate waiting but if your item is delayed its not that we don't care - because we do and no one else would go the extra mile for a customer that pays for a 1st class stamp as our competition just want to make money and not give a service!
All well and good, but your telling me that everyone in the Royal Mail is perfect.
We have expensive parcels dumped downstairs outside out building, these parcels are supposed to be signed for. Yet the postie obviously forges the signiture and buggers off.
This happens on a regular basis, on the other side of the coin. One of our posties is a lady, very nice. She comes up to our unit and always gets the job done properly.
I do agree, that things can happen and things can go missing. However practices like I mentioned above are disgusting.
I think you will find that FedEx's insurance didnt cover their vans for the type of weather conditions.
Dont forget alot of these companies are now employing owner drivers.
Also have to say, never had a parcel damaged or go missing with FedEx.
Saying your struggling, is not a good thing to say.
So your saying Royal Mail cant cope and thats why so many items go missing / lost.
I agree about posting abroad.
Have to ask, who is responcable for the item if its lost in that situation. I would say Royal Mail as your trusting the foreign postal services to deliver your mail.
There are alot of Jobs were you have to brave the weather.
I used to work in a job, where come rain or shine, we had to deliver stuff.
oh:
y Link'.... these names were hard earned, and they should wear them with pride..... or maybe not...
.
