Tag: Mail Services

Direct mail 'better than internet or phone'

Posted by | May 30, 2008 | |

Companies may be better off contacting potential customers via direct mail than the internet or telephone, according to new research.
A study carried out by Amarach on behalf of the Irish postal service An Post, claimed the majority of people read their post as soon as they receive it.

Although around 70 pct of people felt most of the direct mail they receive is irrelevant, nearly half said that they enjoy reading their post and 70 pct said they preferred companies to use the postal service.

The positive response for direct mail is surprising given that in the same research, nearly two-thirds of the people surveyed said they felt negatively towards direct mail.

Furthermore, 80 pct of the 1,000 people who were surveyed for the report said they felt the amount of direct mail sent out should be limited because of the impact on the environment.

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Royal Mail 2007-08 Quality of Service report (UK)

Posted by | May 29, 2008 | |

Figures released today by Royal Mail confirm that, as previously announced, industrial action last year damaged services for postal customers. However the 2007-08 Quality of Service report also shows that the large majority of mail, including all bulk business mail, was performing at target or above target levels as the financial year ended in March 2008.

Ninian Wilson, Royal Mail’s Operations Director, said, “The immediate objective for everyone working in the business is to deliver further improvements in Quality of Service to customers and restore the record levels seen before last year’s dispute.”

92.2 pct of First Class letters were delivered the working day after posting in the final Quarter of the year, compared to 79.3 pct in the third Quarter and 78.4 pct in the second Quarter, when industrial action first disrupted services. The dispute meant the full year First Class performance fell below target at 85.2 pct.

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Good quarterly results for Swiss Post

Posted by | May 29, 2008 | |

Swiss Post grew steadily in the first three months of 2008. Group profit for the first quarter was CHF 228 m, exceeding CHF 200 million for the third successive year (Q1 2007: CHF 281 m). The decline from 2007 is due to lower results in logistics activities resulting from increasing cost pressures and fewer real estate sales. Consolidated equity as at 31 March 2008 amounted to CHF 2,356 m after appropriation of profit (31 December 2007: CHF 2,470 m).
Operating income was CHF 2,173 m, not far behind the level achieved in the first quarter of the previous year (CHF 2,185 m). Over two thirds of this was generated by the PostMail, PostLogistics and PostFinance Group units.
At CHF 76 m, PostFinance’s operating result is in line with last year’s figure, making it one of the few nationally active financial institutions in Switzerland to have retained its good results despite the crisis in the financial market. Operating income for the first quarter increased significantly to CHF 512 m (Q1 2007: CHF 445 m). The main reason for this is the higher-than-average increase in customer deposits to CHF 45.8 bn (December 2007: CHF 43.7 bn). In the first three months of 2008, 53,000 new accounts were opened – almost 50% more than in the first quarter of 2007 (37,000 new accounts). 1 USD = 1.04507 CHF

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Bristol And Somerset Post Office® Branches – Decisions Announced

Posted by | May 29, 2008 | |

Post Office Ltd today announced decisions on the future of Post Office® branches across Bristol and Somerset following a six week public consultation which ended on 9 April. Post Office® services will be provided through a network of branches, which supports the national accessibility criteria introduced by the Government and ensures that over 99% of Bristol and Somerset’s population will either see no change to their existing branch or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

The plan confirmed today means that 62 branches will close in Bristol and Somerset with the first closures scheduled to take place in late June 2008. These branches were detailed in the Area Plan proposal published on 26 February 2008.

Post Office branches at Bear Flat, Lower Weston and West End originally proposed for closure will remain open, following a review of the issues raised during consultation. Details of any branches proposed for closure in place of those that are to remain open will be announced shortly. The new proposal would be subject to a period of public consultation.

The replacement of seven branches by outreach solutions was also confirmed today.

During the six week local public consultation, Post Office Ltd received around 3800 responses and attended 18 meetings with customers and their representatives to understand their concerns. All information provided by customers formed part of the final decision regarding each affected branch.

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Correos to install digital franking machines (SPA)

Posted by | May 29, 2008 | |

CORREOS is promoting a project to replace its conventional franking machines with others that use digital technology and print individualised codes in two dimensions. With this initiative the postal company takes another step towards its goal of ensuring the traceability of items posted, assigning a code that enables them to be tracked and identified throughout the postal process.
The new digital franking machines will include the quality control system implemented by CORREOS, which will mean they also offer more information, the quality and appearance of the stamping will be improved, and more added value will be provided for users. This renewal consolidates the public postal operator’s adoption of Information Technology (IT), including it in all its processes to reinforce the quality and efficiency of the postal service.
The digital franking machines are automatically recharged (making them more secure) and can include advertising messages, adding commercial possibilities for clients. The optical reading system for franking marks stamped on envelopes, labels or wrapping paper guarantees their traceability and enables exhaustive quality control. This new system improves the processes of the postal services and offers more information to customers about their items, and for the postal operator, it provides an agile response to new needs and demands.
As well as being easily recharged, the new digital franking machines offer other benefits: they automatically update the rates and new postal products, they can be used 24 hours a day (when needed, the providers’ loading centre can be contacted by Internet), they personalise advertising messages and gather more information about the whole process. All of this means savings in time and money for users.

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