Tag: Royal Mail

Postcomm consults on complaint handling and redress schemes for licensed postal operators (UK)

Posted by | Jan 17, 2008 | |

Postcomm has today launched consultations on:
– Complaint handling: Complaint handling standards for licensed postal operators. A consultation document and
– Redress schemes for licensed postal operators: Criteria for the approval of redress schemes in postal services
Under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act (“the CEAR Act”, given Royal Assent on 19 July 2007), Postcomm has a statutory duty to make regulations on complaint handling standards that would apply to all licensed operators. The act also allows for the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to require regulated postal operators to belong to a Postcomm-approved redress scheme.
Today’s documents seek views on Postcomm’s proposals:
– for complaint handling standards, and
– on criteria for approval of redress schemes in postal services.

Read More

Businesses failing to use their customer data could lose up to GBP 1.7 million each year (UK)

Posted by | Jan 17, 2008 | |

Businesses that fail to make effective use of their customer data could be losing out on up to GBP 1.7 million each year, a new study has concluded.

Research carried out by the Royal Mail found that around 70 per cent of direct marketing companies could expand their operations by as much as 30 per cent simply by investing in data quality systems.

Furthermore, around 90 per cent of the companies surveyed as part of the study feel that the majority of organisations fail to make best use of the data they possess when carrying out direct mail marketing campaigns.

Just 15 per cent of businesses currently have their customer data organised on orderly balance sheet, the Royal Mail research also revealed.

Earlier this week, the chief executive of Proximity, Amanda Phillips, told PrecisionMarketing.com that direct mail marketing growth was at its strongest level for a number of years, with many businesses now seeing the advantages of high data quality.

Read More

Business Post says UK Mail Q3 revenues up 60 pct (UK)

Posted by | Jan 16, 2008 | |

Parcel carrier Business Post Group PLC said third-quarter revenues in its growing mail business lifted 60 pct over a year earlier as it announced group trading in line with expectations.

Business Post, which is challenging state-owned postal carrier Royal Mail, said its mail operation, UK Mail, won significant contracts with new customers including MBNA and Norwich Union in the period.

“With these new contracts, we now handle some 10 pct of all mail collected in the UK,” the group said in a trading statement.

Business Post said group revenues between Oct 1 and Dec 31 increased 13 pct over a year earlier. Underlying group revenues in the period lifted by 20 pct, excluding revenues from a contract with FedEx terminated in April last year.

Underlying parcels revenues in the period were up 6 pct on last year and the group said it continued to see good growth in its business-to-business parcels operations, which represent around 80 pct of parcels revenues.

In its business-to-consumer operations, which represents 15 pct of the parcels business, its period-on-period performance was consistent with the first half.

Revenues in its specialist services business for the period were in line with last year.
“We have achieved a good revenue performance during the third quarter, trading performance is in line with management expectations and overall the board expects good progress for the year,” the group said in its statement.

Business Post will report preliminary results for the year ended Mar 31, 2008, on May 21.

Read More

Postcomm announces simplification of licensing framework (UK)

Posted by | Jan 16, 2008 | |

Postcomm has announced changes that will simplify procedures for licensing non-universal service operators. (The universal service is the geographically uniform postal service that is provided by Royal Mail.)

In 2007, Postcomm responded to suggestions that its current licensing arrangements did not go far enough in facilitating market entry for some small and medium sized potential mail operators. A consultation was launched on proposals to move to less prescriptive licensing for those seeking to enter the postal services market. Several of these amendments were meant to eliminate unnecessary regulation, thus helping to encourage competition to the benefit of all customers.

Amendment of the 2006 licensing framework:
– a reduction in application fees from GBP 1,000 to GBP 50, which it is hoped will help encourage small businesses to enter the market, and
– the removal of the licence requirement on all licensees to have guarantees or contractual arrangements in place to ensure the delivery of mail if an operator fails so that, in future, other operators can respond directly to what the market demands, rather than to regulatory requirements.
– Postcomm believes that effective competition can better protect the interests of postal customers than regulation and is aiming to ensure that its licensing rules support the developing competitive market. Nothing being proposed will affect Postcomm’s ability to enforce licence conditions or lead to any substantial reduction in protection for mail customers.

Read More

Royal Mail offers chocolate mailpacks (UK)

Posted by | Jan 16, 2008 | |

Royal Mail is stepping up its efforts to get companies to use direct mail by creating a new personalised mailpack made entirely of chocolate.

The pack aims to demonstrate to businesses the benefits of enhancing brand communications by engaging more senses through direct mail initiatives with its own chocolate mailing.

It includes an engraved personalised message and a brochure with a heat-sensitive cover. The ‘chocolate letter’, created by Proximity London, demonstrates the sensory experience of direct mail, and also gives examples of best-practice sensory direct mail from around the world.

The campaign follows Royal Mail’s partnership with Brand Sense, the sense branding specialists, to develop a solution which will enable brand managers to connect with customers to engage three or more of the senses through direct mail.

The “chocolate letter” pack is being sent to senior marketers at 1,000 of the top UK businesses and their creative agencies. It aims to demonstrate how direct mail is more effective than any other channel in engaging all five senses by creating emotional and more profitable connections with customers.

Royal Mail head of media development Antony Miller says: “Direct mail has for a long time been typecast as a predominantly response driven marketing medium by many. So, with this campaign we really wanted to shatter this misconception and demonstrate the flexibility of the medium by showing how it can enhance brand engagement and build deep and meaningful relationships with consumers.”

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

How ready do you feel for the de minimis changes coming in July?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!




View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest