Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Boycotting Suppliers who use the Royal Mail Parcel Delivery Service
These days most parcel deliveries by courier take place without issue. Parcels are left with a neighbour, or a safe place if you're not in. The one exception is Royal Mail. They seem very reluctant to attempt an alternative or offer collection from a local point. Since the rationalisation of their logistics operation, it's also a real pain to go and collect an undelivered item. So in one way and another they seem to be by far the most difficult courier for us to get a delivery from.
A case in point today for me today. The Royal Mail attempted to deliver an item this morning when I wasn't in. Instead of trying an immediate neighbour, many of who were in, they left a card. My choices are a redelivery next week, a trek to Tufnell Park or delivery to a Post Office next week (for a 70p charge). A redelivery might just end up with the same problem. So I tried a post office delivery. I'm on Hewitt and there's a post office at the bottom of Warham, but the online redelivery system wouldn't allow me to collect it from there. I assumed this was a computer glitch so called up to see if could arrange delivery to Harringay Post Office. I learned that this was no glitch. It was just another example of a system designed to suit a company rather than a user. Because I'm in N8, I can only collect from an N8 post office, no matter than the parcels for N8 and N4 both come from Tufnell Park. It's bonkers.
With companies like DPD and Hermes presenting a real challenge to the Royal Mail, I don't understand how they can survive performing like this - and unless they change, they don't deserve to.
Last year the FT wrote:
The 500-year-old postal operator still controls more than one-third of the £9bn parcels sector and is modernising its systems and technology. But the high growth rates of its smaller rivals suggest they are gaining ground. Revenues at DPD, which is part of the French state-owned La Poste group and competes directly with Royal Mail’s Parcelforce service, rose from £417m in 2010 to £945m last year, said Mr McDonald. He expects turnover to top £1bn in 2016.
As users of parcel delivery firms we're in a strange situation. We're not actually the customer; the vendor is. Rock and a hard place?
This isn't the first time I've had an issue with Royal Mail deliveries. A couple of years ago Martin Lewis, consumer champion and the force behind MoneySavingExpert.com, criticised retailers for failing to monitor the performance of the delivery firms they use. I agree. So I've decided that now I will avoid suppliers who use the Royal Mail unless there's a compelling reason to do otherwise. I've written to the supplier I bought from this week explaining the reason that I won't be using them again.
Tags for Forum Posts: mail deliveries, parcel deliveries, royal mail
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by JJ B on
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I don't agree because I am fortunate enough to still have a sorting/delivery office nearby in Bruce Grove. As I also work shifts it is easy to pop around the corner to collect items there.
Have had extremely bad experiences wit DPD but I am also the delivery collection person for my lovely neighbours because I work shifts.So it isn't such a clear cut issue as boycotting one provider. Each person needs to use the seller that suits them.
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Royal Mail need to improve, but are one of the few who pay their staff fairly.
This boycot is missing a moral compass and seems pretty selfish; favouring Hermes because they suit you, but look at their track record on employment, many of their drivers getting below minimum wage. DPD aren't much better. But o guess that's ok, as long as the recipient isn't put out too much.
I'd rather everyone in the supply chain was paid and treated fairly.
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Permalink Reply by Geraldine on
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Actually, I am quite shocked that so many think a parcel should be casually left with any neighbour. If the thing goes missing, the unfortunate postman would have to shoulder all the blame. While the parcel is with him, it is his responsibility. I would certainly prefer to get a white card, even if it meant an inconvenient journey to collect.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Thanks for all the replies to my Victor Meldrew moment post.
I recognise this isn't a big issue and that there are far more important things to worry about in the world. The parcel episode was an inconvenience which I'd rather not have to experience again, but it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It simply occurred to me that companies to whom we are customers may not be aware of how we perceive the service provided by their chosen suppliers. If we tell them, they may be able to offer us a better service.
It seems that the dissatisfaction with RM is patchy with some preferring them over other companies. It may be geographic, or it may be more individualised than that. But, at least if a company from whom we're buying knows there's an issue, they can do something about it if they so choose. There's no reason, for example, that the company from who I bought a couple of weeks back couldn't offer me a choice of delivery services, or keep it on record that RM tends to be an unpopular choice for N8 and so choose another provider for that area.
And, Joe, yes as customers there are many questions we could ask of any company from whom we buy. Thankfully some spotlight has been shone on the ethics of companies and it can now be a part of our decision-making process and I applaud this. But this doesn't mean that we should stop demanding that companies give us a good service. Nor does it mean that we shouldn't take our business elsewhere if they don't. Making purchase choices based on ethical considerations is fine. It does form part of my decision-making process (not perhaps as often as it should), but it doesn't mean that I forget about all other aspects of customer service.
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