Tag: Royal Mail

Building a viable network – Postcomm’s fourth annual report on the network of post offices 2003-2004

Posted by | Oct 26, 2004 | |

Chapter 1 Network overview
1/ Introduction 8
2/ Post Office Ltd finances 8
3/ Post Office Ltd efficiencies 9
4/ Directly Managed Branches 11
5/ Direct Payment Programme &
the Post Office Card Account 12
6/ Opportunities from competition in postal services 19
7/ Innovations from abroad 20
Chapter 2 Banking and new products
1/ Introduction 26
2/ Banking 26
3/ Update on new Financial Products 30
4/ Advertising the network 31
5/ Innovation and other new products 31
Chapter 3 Urban Network
1/ Introduction 40
2/ The Urban Reinvention Programme 40
3/ Support fund for urban deprived Post Offices 47
4/ Other grants and schemes for the urban network 50
5/ Supermarkets and convenience stores 53
6/ Studies by others on the urban network 54
Chapter 4 Rural Network
1/ Introduction 60
2/ Funding the rural network to 2006 60
3/ Other Rural Funding 61
4/ Closures 62
5/ Rural Research 63
6/ Rural Transfer Advisers & Community Action 65
7/ Pilot Projects & alternatives to ‘traditional’
Post Offices 67
8/ Devolved Administrations 69
9/ Future of the rural network 70
Chapter 5 Network Change
1/ Introduction 76
2/ Network change 78
3/ Post Office market 80
4/ Subpostmasters resigning 82
5/ Subpostmaster current and future issues 85
6/ Customer impact 88
7/ Re-opening of Post Office branches 90
8/ The Regional Picture 92
Annex A
Recommendations in last year’s report 95
Annex B
Postcomm’s recommendations on the future
of the rural network 97
Annex C
Statement by the Secretary of State for Trade
and Industry, September 2004 99
P:LibraryPostalPostComm Formal DocumentsPO Network AnnRep 04.pdf

Read More

Barcode plan for Welsh post boxes

Posted by | Oct 25, 2004 | |

Post boxes throughout Wales are to be barcoded, recording when mail is collected. The new technology, pioneered in Flintshire, is to be extended to the whole of the country. Gordon Donaldson, local representative on Postwatch Wales, said postmen would swipe a bar code inside the box each time they collect mail from the box. It means managers can check all boxes are emptied at the correct time. Mr Donaldson said: “Our survey in Wales earlier this year proved the collection times were more reliable in areas with bar coding.” Investing in the technology would significantly reduce delayed mail, caused by postmen accidentally or deliberately emptying boxes before the last advertised time.

Read More

Postcomm’s perspective on building a viable UK Post Office network

Posted by | Oct 25, 2004 | |

Postcomm believes Post Office Ltd is making good progress in developing the commercial potential of the network – but there is some way to go before this can compensate for continued financial support from the government. New products and services are providing a lifeline for many Post Offices but for others there remains insufficient demand for these services. These are some of the conclusions from Postcomm’s fourth annual report on the Post Office network. The report, to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, comes at the end of a year which has seen implementation of the urban reinvention programme and improvements for remaining urban Post Offices to give them a
more secure future, financial support for Post Offices in urban deprived areas, the development of banking facilities and a wide range of new products and services for customers at Post Office branches, growing concern about the future of the Directly Managed Branches and extension of the funding package for the rural network to help sustain rural post office branches and support pilots to inform the government’s longer term plans.

Read More

Royal Mail’s Quality Of Service: The Customers’ Viewpoint

Posted by | Oct 19, 2004 | |

New research carried out by MORI jointly on behalf of Royal Mail, Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services, and Postcomm, the industry regulator into the current perceptions and requirements of the postal service is released today. This survey is part of a larger review process undertaken by Postcomm to ensure that the new Royal Mail Quality of Service targets, to take effect from April 2006 as part of the new price control, encourage the operator to reach and maintain an acceptable level of service relative to price and customer expectation.

Among the main findings are:

Domestic and small business customers have a more favourable opinion of Royal Mail than account managed customers. Across all, favourability towards Royal Mail is below that of the Post Office
Many customers say their opinion of Royal Mail has deteriorated over the last six months; including more than half of account managed customers
Royal Mail is rated highest for its ‘trustworthiness’. Only a minority of customers rate Royal Mail excellent or very good for ‘reliability’, ‘delivery on promises’, ‘accountability’ and ‘meeting expectations’. In line with overall attitudes, account managed customers are more critical of Royal Mail’s performance
Experience of loss has a significant negative impact on Royal Mail’s overall reputation; the first basic expectation, shared by all, is for customers’ post to be delivered
Most customers are more service, rather than price focused and place more value on an improvement in service than on a reduction in price
Among most domestic and small business customers, the percentage of mail delivered on the specified day is more important than the actual time of delivery
Very few customers are prepared to accept “tail of mail” of more than two working days
Only a minority of account managed customers would be prepared to pay more than they currently do to reduce the frequency of loss. Domestic and small business customers are more indulgent; more than half say they would accept an increase in price to reduce the number of items that go missing

P:LibraryPostalRoyal MailRM QofS for RM Postcomm & Postwatch July04.pdf

Read More

UK Royal Mail chief faces DTI ambush

Posted by | Oct 18, 2004 | |

Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton is on course for a showdown with the Government over his plans for the partial privatisation of the business. Leighton, whose contract with Royal Mail ends next March, has been told bluntly by the Department of Trade and Industry that his ideas for a workers’ buyout are dead in the water. The clash could lead to his resignation as the slapdown comes only a week after Leighton said: ‘I am determined to get more ownership into the hands of our people. I want a broader ownership, but that must be dominated by the employees.’ The DTI, which has responsibility for Royal Mail, said: ‘Privatisation is not on the agenda and there are no plans to dispose of the Government’s shareholding. That is quite clear.’

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

What's the future of the postal USO?

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