Royal Mail unveils plans for online door-drop booking

Royal Mail is to launch a web-based booking system for its door-to-door division in early 2007 as part of its increasing emphasis on the door drop medium.

The system, which is still in development, will replace the email and telephone based scheme that is currently in place, and will allow customers to deal with every aspect of their booking online.

The system, which is being developed in consultation with clients, is already in the testing phase and will be trialled on a limited basis before rolling out just after Christmas.

“This is part of the ongoing investment that we’re putting into door-to-door,” said Ross Drake, general manager for Royal Mail door-to-door. “We’re making it better for customers: not just faster, but if they can look at it themselves and click a few buttons it makes it easier and interactive.”

The news comes after the postal operator was reported to be planning talks with the Communication Workers Union over raising the weekly delivery limit of three items per household.

Graham Dodd, managing director of The Letterbox Consultancy, welcomed the move and praised Royal Mail’s service improvements over recent months, but he remains cautious about wider problems. This is a step in the right direction, but the reality is that it has to go hand-in-hand with the fourth item issue.” He added: “It’s great if you can make it that much easier [to book] but they need to be looking at what they can do to improve the level of availability too.”

The development is part of a multi-million pound investment in door-to-door services by the postal operator, which is promising more initiatives over the coming months