The Mystery Shopping thread - VII

nads

bumblebee23 wrote: »

Has anyone signed up with MSPA and paid to get their certificate? Is it actually worth doing or not?

I did the certification in January and I would not recommend it.

Although it would be difficult to gauge whether it opens any doors anyway as it is still very US-centric, I felt the certification and questions where all about the way you must behave with MS companies as opposed to anything about the way MS companies should behave with you.

nads

johnny_c-l wrote: »

What I do (because I'm so tight) is save up envelopes from bills and junk mail then just write a fake business address on the front and put "FREEPOST [Random numbers]" on it so I don't need a stamp. Often I find I have enough freepost enveloped from junk mail not to need to do this though. If you are touring a load of shops in your car then the envelopes are great for disposing of any used parking tickets/general litter you have in the car.

Very clever! :T I take it you still get a proof of posting?

ukmonkey

johnny_c-l wrote: »

What I do (because I'm so tight) is save up envelopes from bills and junk mail then just write a fake business address on the front and put "FREEPOST [Random numbers]" on it so I don't need a stamp. Often I find I have enough freepost enveloped from junk mail not to need to do this though. If you are touring a load of shops in your car then the envelopes are great for disposing of any used parking tickets/general litter you have in the car.

I hope you're joking??

Timmne

I think you've all taken a light hearted joke/comment a little too seriously. I thought undeliverable mail was just destroyed now unless it has a return address on?

In any case, an extra letter on to every postman's round is not going to affect the royal mail anywhere near as much as the inefficiencies in the system itself.

TractorGirl327

Timmne wrote: »

I think you've all taken a light hearted joke/comment a little too seriously. I thought undeliverable mail was just destroyed now unless it has a return address on?

In any case, an extra letter on to every postman's round is not going to affect the royal mail anywhere near as much as the inefficiencies in the system itself.

AN extra letter, no. But what if EVERYONE decided to get rid of their old car-park tickets by putting them in an envelope and posting them off, stampless, to a ficticious address?

ukmonkey

Timmne wrote: »

I think you've all taken a light hearted joke/comment a little too seriously. I thought undeliverable mail was just destroyed now unless it has a return address on?

In any case, an extra letter on to every postman's round is not going to affect the royal mail anywhere near as much as the inefficiencies in the system itself.

I think you're correct, other than when the letter contains valuables. Someone has to open the letter to check it isn't valuable IYSWIM.

My point is that it's all time out of a busy schedule, and at a cost.

I bet that guy if one of those that whinges about stamp prices going up, and the service "being dreadful" (even though it is one of the best and cheapest in Europe. An Post - the Irish Postal Service have just released their QOS figures, 79% next day deliery rate, compared to RMs c90-95% rate, but that is another debate entirely).

nads

What a pile of knickers in a twist some of you lot are getting into. No need to be rude to anyone especially on this thread.

To justify the demise of the Post Office on one man posting random stuff in a letter is utter poppycock. How about 100 MSers across the country doing it? Erm still a no.

Do you really think someone sits in local depot or in Belfast contemplating where this puny little envelope should go? Do you really think the economies of scale on processing a letter are that significant to be the cause of demise of both the Post Office and Royal Mail.

Lets go off topic for a moment. The problems with Post Office and Royal Mail are due to competition. We now have the Internet. Hurrah! So much of what we do is can now be down on the Internet. Even the Post Office has realised that and has finally got their finger out of their mouth and diversified from what once was its monopoly.

If you want to blame anyone for higher prices blame the Post Office itself. Some absolutely crud service which deters people like myself from visiting when I know I could either do the same service such as paying a bill or communicating someone over the Internet or even via bank.

Prices are rises because a) they can, it's the way of the world and b) because the Post Office has to make its money somehow if the number of items it handles drops.

Calm down and lets get back to dicussing the !!!!! world of RE

nads

TractorGirl327 wrote: »

AN extra letter, no. But what if EVERYONE decided to get rid of their old car-park tickets by putting them in an envelope and posting them off, stampless, to a ficticious address?

Why would anybody else do that? At least there's a purpose to johnnycl's actions - perhaps even in a sadistic way it is beneficial to the Post Office too. I don't see anyone thinking "Hmmm my rubbish bin is full, I think I'll post this off to some fictitious freepost address".


How many times have we received random mailings direct from the Royal Mail simply addressed to the "The Home Owner"? I didn't ask for it, but do I calculate the monetary costI wasted picking up that envelope, opening it up, checking its contents and putting in the bin?

ukmonkey

nads wrote: »

What a pile of knickers in a twist some of you lot are getting into. No need to be rude to anyone especially on this thread.

I don't feel I was rude, I feel fully justified in calling him/her a moron.

nads wrote: »

To justify the demise of the Post Office on one man posting random stuff in a letter is utter poppycock. How about 100 MSers across the country doing it? Erm still a no.

Do you really think someone sits in local depot or in Belfast contemplating where this puny little envelope should go?

I don't THINK they do, I know, 100% that they do.

nads wrote: »

Do you really think the economies of scale on processing a letter are that significant to be the cause of demise of both the Post Office and Royal Mail.

No, but added up, yes, it would contribute. What if this person tells ten people what he does (he's just told potentially 1000's by posting on here), they tell ten people, they tell ten people, and so on and so on...

nads wrote: »

Lets go off topic for a moment. The problems with Post Office and Royal Mail are due to competition. We now have the Internet. Hurrah! So much of what we do is can now be down on the Internet. Even the Post Office has realised that and has finally got their finger out of their mouth and diversified from what once was its monopoly.

If you want to blame anyone for higher prices blame the Post Office itself.

I do blame Royal Mail Group, absoloutley. In fact I firmly believe that the prices should be at least twice what they are now, at least the basic (lighter/smaller/lower priced) items anyway.

nads wrote: »

Some absolutely crud service which deters people like myself from visiting when I know I could either do the same service such as paying a bill or communicating someone over the Internet or even via bank.

The service now is much better than it has been over recent years and decades. Although the last quarter (I believe) saw a slight drop in QoS.

[

nads wrote: »

Prices are rises a) because they can, it's the way of the world and b) because the Post Office has to make its money somehow if if the number of items it handles drops.

Agree totally.

--

The problem here is caused by the English Government. Why the hell did they allow competition to the UK postal market quite some years before the EU had stated it must be done by?

In my opinion, this was done to impact upon RMG's finances, thus strengthen the case for privatisation. Just my opinion, scorn if you wish.

nads wrote: »

Calm down and lets get back to dicussing the !!!!! world of RE

Yes, lets! :beer:

ukmonkey

nads wrote: »

Why would anybody else do that? At least there's a purpose to johnnycl's actions - perhaps even in a sadistic way it is beneficial to the Post Office too. I don't see anyone thinking "Hmmm my rubbish bin is full, I think I'll post this off to some fictitious freepost address".


How many times have we received random mailings direct from the Royal Mail simply addressed to the "The Home Owner"? I didn't ask for it, but do I calculate the monetary costI wasted picking up that envelope, opening it up, checking its contents and putting in the bin?

Sorry to be pedantic, but these aren't "from" [STRIKE]The [/STRIKE]Royal Mail, they only deliver them!