Royal Mail launches “nominate a neighbour” parcel delivery option

Royal Mail is launching a new “nominate a neighbour” initiative from today, building on the company’s “delivery to neighbour” scheme. The UK’s universal postal service provider began delivering parcels to neighbours of recipients, if recipients were not home to receive them, back in 2012.

The new initiative will allow consumers to fill out a form at a delivery office when picking up a parcel, so that future parcels can be delivered to a preferred neighbour.

Royal Mail said the new initiative will mean that postmen or women will try a person’s designated neighbour before trying other addresses nearby when dropping off a parcel.

The company said this would provide customers with further reassurance about the location of their parcels, and would also help postmen and women on their rounds.

Sue Whalley, Royal Mail chief operations officer, said the initiative would mean further choice and convenience if there was nobody home.

“For our postmen and women it means that they are even more likely to deliver parcels and letters first time rather than having to take items back to the office,” she said.

“First time delivery of parcels and signed for items is high in Royal Mail and in the trial delivery offices this improved further.”

Royal Mail said the new initiative was developed with staff in the Tonbridge area of Kent, before being trialled in other parts of the UK, with the scheme agreed with the Communication Workers Union.