Tag: Postwatch

Council bids to run post offices

Posted by | Mar 8, 2008 | |

Essex County Council has become the first local authority in the country to discuss taking over the running of post offices earmarked for closure.

The council is negotiating a buy-out price from the Post Office and said some 15 branches could be saved within two months.

The closures in Essex were among 2,500 nationwide announced in 2006 in a bid to stem network losses of GBP 4m a week.

Postal affairs minister Pat McFadden has given approval to the scheme.

The council set out to allay fears that council tax payers could end up subsidising what has been a loss-making business.

It said it believed it could make a profit by combining postal services with council services.

Councillor Stephen Castle said some 15 other local authorities had expressed an interest in its project and the Post Office said it was willing to work with others on similar takeovers.

“We have had interest from right across the country – people are clearly very worried about the future of their post offices,” said Mr Castle.

Council leader Lord Hanningfield called the move a “unique and groundbreaking” deal but said there is still work to be done to assess the financial merits of the plan and how best to serve the community.

“Because of this, it is too early to mention specific branches at this stage.”

The aim was for any investment to be used over three years to help each branch to move towards becoming financially self-sufficient and “cost neutral” to the council, he said.

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Last post for junk mail? Steep fall in letters you love to hate

Posted by | Mar 6, 2008 | |

The modern curse of junk mail may be lifting, as figures revealed direct marketing has slumped to its lowest level this century.

According to the Royal Mail, there are now 800,000 fewer items being delivered annually than at the industry peak in 2003. However, the industry watchdog warned that while this might be welcomed by householders, it could be bad news for the postal service.

Figures from the Royal Mail still showed 4.65 billion items of direct mail dropping through doors last year – down 7.4 per cent year on year.

Trisha Dow, director of Postwatch Scotland, said the drop was “worrying” as it would cost the postal service – but the figure could be an aberration due to industrial action by Royal Mail workers last year. Postal workers went on strike over pay and conditions, leading to a major backlog of mail.

Ms Dow said: “We would say it’s worrying because it’s an element of the mail that helps balance the books. If that drops substantially – and we know there seems to be a growth in electronic marketing – then it’s difficult to say we would be glad of that.

“It’s not great news if it’s anything other than a blip. I would be interested to see if it’s a pattern.”

According to the advertising industry, the figures mean firms are getting better at targeting direct mail so that householders only get the type of offers in which they are interested. New methods of getting the message out – such as texts and e-mails – are also taking away some of the direct-mail business.

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Royal Mail: Quality of service figures released (UK)

Posted by | Feb 29, 2008 | |

Royal Mail reports that the quality of service for the pre-Christmas period, dipped down sharply through the impact of last year’s strike action.

For April to September, the average figures had been 81pct for 1st class (target 93 pct) and 96 pct for second class (target 98.5 pct).

However, the postal dispute (and based on figures from early September to the beginning of December) created a fall of around 80pct for 1st class and 91.4 pct for second class.

Royal Mail said it was “In contrast to the target-beating performance being delivered across almost every aspect of Royal Mail’s service before last year’s strike.”

Ninian Wilson, Royal Mail’s Operations Director, said: “With the strike behind us and a wide-ranging agreement on modernisation in place, we are now focused on delivering once again consistent, high quality of service to all our customers.”

Millie Banerjee, Chair of Postwatch, commenting on Royal Mail’s performance said: “Royal Mail is having a difficult year. It has let customers down and driven many of them into using alternative means of communicating. It is doubtful that those customers who moved away from mail will return.

“Even after the strike was over the company failed to meet customer expectations at Christmas. This is the busiest posting time for households and with more and more deliveries from internet shopping an opportunity to rebuild a tarnished brand was squandered.

“Unfortunately we may look back at 2007/08 as the pivotal year in the decline of the Royal Mail unless it can reinvent itself and show it cares about its customers.”

Steve Lawson, editor of Hellmail.co.uk said: “Royal Mail cannot afford to lose further business through any renewal of strike action. Whilst change may be deeply unpopular, there is simply no choice if the business is to survive and sustain jobs.”

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Royal Mail make changes to collection plates (UK)

Posted by | Feb 14, 2008 | |

Royal Mail is making changes to collection plates as a result of two separate initiatives, namely:

Sunday and bank holiday collections – changes to collection plates

Part of the agreement given by Postcomm to Royal Mail’s request to stop Sunday and Bank Holiday collections was for Royal Mail to amend the information on the collection plates.

Postwatch has been advised by Royal Mail that the removal of all references to Sunday and Bank Holiday collections to its collection plates will be completed by 25 February.

Changing collection plates to show final collections as close to 12.00 midday (Monday – Friday) as possible

In response to Postcomm’s Decision Document on its review of Royal Mail’s collection and delivery times Royal Mail has undertaken a review of collection points that have a collection time before 12:00 midday (Monday – Friday) to move as many back to midday or later where it was reasonably practical and make economic sense to do so. However, there will be some instances where it may not be possible in every instance due to practical and commercial restraints (further details are attached).

Royal Mail has advised us that all reviews are due to be completed by end of February/early March.

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Post office closures in Scotland

Posted by | Jan 1, 2008 | |

Campaigners yesterday warned communities across Scotland will face a “devastating” blow in the New Year with the closure of hundreds of post offices.

Details of around 40 post offices likely to close in the Highlands and Islands will be announced on January 8, with the list of the 44 to be axed in Glasgow, Central Scotland and Argyll and Bute published the following day.

Announcements on further closures elsewhere in the country will be made throughout the year as part of the UK Government’s plans to shut 2500 post offices to help tackle rising losses.

Postal bosses insist “the status quo is not an option” and that the large-scale closures will guarantee the service’s long-term future.

But the decision was criticised yesterday by politicians and postal workers, who warned of the “devastating” effect it will have on local communities, especially those in rural areas.

Mike Weir, the SNP’s spokesman on business and postal affairs at Westminster, criticised the UK Government for giving communities only six weeks to fight the plans.

A spokesman for Postwatch said they believed the consultation period for the closure plans should be doubled from six to 12 weeks.

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