60 replies to this topic

[aaamusements]

 

I'm not aware of an 'up to 5 days' service for Parcelforce, I only normally get offered ParcelForce 24 or ParcelForce 48.

 

ParcelForce 48 is a reasonable price for some items (once sent an electric guitar to Scotland using it!), but again I can send items cheaper elsewhere, depending on insurance levels required. One thing I've never understood is why there is such a disparity in price with RM once you hit 2KG, especially on Special Delivery. They should really introduce different bands, or have a '£1 per kilo surcharge' or something, instead of just jumping from £10 to £22 if your item hits the 2KG barrier.

 

I feel sorry for many of the staff at RM, but at the same time I have to look after my own interests.

 

It's quite simple - RM have decided to concentrate on what they are good at, which is delivering smaller items in a reasonable timescale.

 

They have realised that hauling a lot of heavy, bulky stuff is not good for the average postman on foot, and while Hermes and all the others are charging such low prices, there is no money in it anyway.

[Bencrest]

 

It's quite simple - RM have decided to concentrate on what they are good at, which is delivering smaller items in a reasonable timescale.

 

They have realised that hauling a lot of heavy, bulky stuff is not good for the average postman on foot, and while Hermes and all the others are charging such low prices, there is no money in it anyway.

 

While I appreciate the fact bulky stuff isn't good for the postie on foot, it's also true that they have the infrastructure to handle parcels in place (plenty of post vans parked up in the depot in Spalding when I drive past!). I'm not saying they have to be cheaper than the competition, or even the same price, but still can't get my head around that jump in price. I appreciate that the cheap crappy couriers (*ahem* Hermes) use self-employed drivers and pay them per parcel - so RM can't realistically compete. I'd gladly pay a couple of quid more than the competition to use RM as I do have more faith in them, but charging £11 or so to send a massive box of air, or £22 to send a much smaller dvd-sized 2kg slab of stone seems rather daft.

[Mavroz]

Got to say that I lost faith in Royal Mail a lot of years ago now... used to have an eBay store selling kitchen fittings and fixtures part of another business.

The amount of things that went missing was unbelievable. Everything was sent recorded delivery.... had numerous arguments when trying to claim the cost of the items back having to prove their value blah blah blah. They wouldn't even refund the postage charges I paid to send the items that never arrived. Guess that was charging for a service that I never received but they wouldn't move on the refund!
In the end I started an account on parcel to go and never had any issues other than with DHL (now yodel I believe) PTG even gave me free deliveries if an item was ever late as compensation. Can't see RM doing that...
Even now if I send an important letter I always have to send recorded delivery for my own piece of mind.

Unfortunately it has become a dog eat dog business and the RM is starting to get left behind due to poor service and high pricing over the years... This is now catching up with them as the independents services are improving.

Did i hear that RM had slashed pricing for small parcels?? Maybe they have realised they need to move with the times...

On the deliveries front I am lucky if I get my mail by 13.00 and having asked the 2 or 3 regular posties to leave any parcels round the back under the carport they still insist on returning them to the depot where I have to go 5 or 6 miles out of the way to collect or have to pay for a redelivery.... Once asked why it is so hard for them to do it and was told if they did that for everyone they would never get done....... Good eh?

[chasnbons]

I agree that there's good and bad in most delivery companies, but due to parcels getting 'lost' I stopped using RM a few years ago for anything other than letters and small parcels which don't contain anything of value.  For larger items I now only use collect+ and 'touch wood' have NEVER had a problem.  I can send most stuff with them for less than a fiver and can track it all the way to the recipient without hassel or extra cost.  Plus I can walk to the local drop off shop in less than 5 mins (after paying for the item via paypal) and by the time I've walked back home, the parcel is already showing in their tracking system.  The shop is open from 6am to 10pm so there's never a problem dropping stuff off either

 

Another reason I stopped using RM, and I know this sounds unbelievable but it's 100% true, is about 2 years ago I sold 4 identical lots on ebay just before we were going to Port Madoc and 2 buyers paid instantly so I took the envelopes to my local PO and was charged £1.10 each for each one.  I took the other 2 with me on holiday and waited for payment.  Once the items were paid for I called at a tiny PO in Criccieth where I was stunned when I was only charged 60p each!!!

 

How can it cost nearly half the price to send something identical, from a village in the back of beyond, than it does to post the item from a MAIN PO in a city??

 

I'm also curious to know how long you've been on the same 'round' Ady?

 

I ask because, round here (Stoke On Trent) someone in their infinate wisdom, seems to think it's a good idea to swap the Postmen around every few months.  You just manage to get them trained (ie so they know to close the drive gate, if they have a parcel too big for the letterbox, to leave it next door, and to use the letterbox on the wall rather than the one in the front door, this one drives me insane as it says just above the letterbox on the front door to 'PLEASE USE THE LETTERBOX ON THE WALL UNDER THE PORCH, NOT THIS ONE')  and then they change the delivery man and you have to start over again.

 

Also I have had things delivered in envelopes, which have obviously been opened, yet they are just stuffed through the letterbox, when according to RM customer services, they are supposed to be put in a plastic bag which states the item has been damaged or opened.

 

When something goes missing it's such a pain to try and find out what's happened to it, waiting weeks before it's classed as 'lost' is simply unacceptible to me (I have zero patience) so I prefer to steer clear of RM wherever possible, and the ONE reason I try to do so, is RM themselves don't seem to give a toss about their customers.

 

Like I said there is good and bad in most things, but imho and experience, there seems to be more bad than good where RM is concerned.

[letmein]

poor Ady, bet he wishes he hadn't started this discussion now. LOL, anyway I'm a RM fan.  Time to put this one to bed me thinks!

[Bencrest]

poor Ady, bet he wishes he hadn't started this discussion now. LOL, anyway I'm a RM fan.  Time to put this one to bed me thinks!

 

It's a tricky one isn't it? I'm focused to giving 100% customer service in my current role, which was picked up on and part of the reason I was promoted this month. At the same time, I've seen lots of very shoddy service by my 'colleagues', whom, if I had my way, would have been sacked on the spot. Everyone will have 'off' days, it's natural - but some people simply think it is their right to clock in, clock out, and get paid, doing nothing positive in the process and costing others their reputation and bonuses. Probably lucky I'm not in charge

 

No doubt Ady does a 1st rate job (as do I) - goes the extra mile e.t.c. - but given the size of the organisation, there's always going to be bad eggs ruining the reputation and doing a disservice to those who genuinely do a good job

 

Funny story -  we had a postie for a few days and got no post for those few days. Got a letter from RM a couple of days letter, with a stack of post, apologising. Turns out they'd taken someone on who had just thrown all the letters behind a wall. Good job it was a dry few days

 

It was a few years back now, but glad they caught the p***k, hope he was prosecuted too (if possible).

Edited by Bencrest, 30 June 2014 - 09:35 PM.

[chasnbons]

poor Ady, bet he wishes he hadn't started this discussion now. LOL, anyway I'm a RM fan.  Time to put this one to bed me thinks!

 

Why?

 

Nobody is slagging anyone personally, in fact it's quite a decent topic (so far)

 

It's nice to know that you're not the only one that has problems, and like a lot have said, there's good and bad points to most things.

 

Just because people are relating their bad experiences (in an honest and poilte way, I might add), surely doesn't mean the thread should stop?

[bobthebuilder21]

Don't get me started with royal mail

 

in the last few years we had post delivered to us that was  that should of been delivered streets away and some even wrong town lol

also in the past with the recorded signed for service about 40% of  the items never not signed so royal mail had to pay us back all the 70pence

we had paid and over a 18 month period let say it would of paid a somebody wages. also we had other people royal mail sales order  in with our mail sacks

with personal details on.

[ady]

Don't get me started with royal mail

 

in the last few years we had post delivered to us that was  that should of been delivered streets away and some even wrong town lol

also in the past with the recorded signed for service about 40% of  the items never not signed so royal mail had to pay us back all the 70pence

we had paid and over a 18 month period let say it would of paid a somebody wages. also we had other people royal mail sales order  in with our mail sacks

with personal details on.

 

May I break this down.

 

re Mis-delivered items, you find that funny, we don't!

 

You had 4 from 10 items that were Recorded Delivery not signed for, I think they were signed for as *Customer Services would have picked-up on the complaints well before that percentage....and if that WAS the case dare I say it WOULD have been (no pun here!) addressed before that quota.

 

As for the sales orders, that isn't acceptable.

 

* Does anybody realise that Royal Mails CS agents are NOT working for/with RM, we get a fine for each and every complaint that is upheld....bet you didn't

[ady]

The other day I saw a DHL parcel delivery vehicle with a Royal Cypher on the side ( like RM). Now if her majesty cannot be loyal to the royal who can ?

Come to think of it DHL is German and the Royal family are descended from a long line of Germans. Perhaps she was being loyal.

I just hope we don't lose RM like all the other public utilities that have been sold off.

 

 

 

If you saw that then thats breaking the law

[Mavroz]

In all honesty Royal Mail is a dying duck the way it is... Thought I heard they were privatising it at one time or other, what is happening with that?
As I already said high cost, poor delivery percentage to customers. .... cosy me 70 cents (guess around 50p) to send a letter from Southern Spain to the UK... How much would I be charged by the RM for the privilege of sending the other way around?? Although I see they RM have been forced into slashing the price.of a small parcel under a certain size..
They can only improve....

[Mavroz]

https://uk.news.yaho...59.html#tIZvFOl

[ady]

https://uk.news.yaho...59.html#tIZvFOl

 

I read it all, and all was explained I thought.

 

Ever considered it wasn't sealed properly by the poster?

 

Since I lived at my new place I have received 3 parcels 'dumped' on my doorstep delivered by a Parcel Business. These were 100% correctly addressed to the recipient but ended up at mine.

 

I took time to get them there and an email to the companies didn't even get me a simple reply.

[Matty.N]

Oops

 

Reading that reminded me of something that happened to me about 6 months ago, had something delivered via RM, a parcel that was sent via the 48h parcel force thing, only i didn't receive a parcel but just the shipping label, after the hassle of phoning RM & telling them about it the driver couldn't get his head around the fact as to why there was a box with no address label on when he'd posted just an address label with no stamps or signs of payment anywhere.

 

Had to take the time to go to the delivery office & explain the situation, to be told it was sent back to the distribution center. Getting the item back from there was also a tedious process & i think that was the final nail in the coffin as to stop me using RM for parcels.

Edited by Matty.N, 09 July 2014 - 06:31 PM.

[dachshund]

I saw the truck in Wymondham last year and it must deliver to Sandringham. Come to think it wasn't actually the Royal cypher, but Royal Appointment to her Majesty with her crest. I will look out for another and try and take a photo. Definitely saw it as it pulled up next to me at the traffic lights and I read what was on the door of the DHL truck. Anyway she is endorsing the competion as opposed to her own Royal Mail that is the point I'm making!!!

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