Royal Mail: "Computer says No"!

vigman

Hi

I scheduled a redelivery of a packet to my local post office via the Royal Mail website and printed out the online confirmation.

I went to pick it up today, but it wasn't there.

I tried calling the local sorting office but at the end of endless rings I was asked to key in my security number??, and was promptly cut off!!

When I called the redelivery helpline, I told the operator this and basically got "Computer says No"! response.....apparently I hadn't done a redelivery request for several months despite me reading out my recent printout of confirmation from their site. :mad:

They have arrange another redelivery, but I said I didn't want to pay the £1.50 pickup fee now as I had already made one trip and it was their mistake.........but again "Computer says No"!
:mad::mad::mad::mad:

Vigman

Mupette

just to prepare you, you screwed up somewhere as our resident retired postman will soon inform you.

custardy

vigman wrote: »

Hi

I scheduled a redelivery of a packet to my local post office via the Royal Mail website and printed out the online confirmation.

I went to pick it up today, but it wasn't there.

I tried calling the local sorting office but at the end of endless rings I was asked to key in my security number??, and was promptly cut off!!

When I called the redelivery helpline, I told the operator this and basically got "Computer says No"! response.....apparently I hadn't done a redelivery request for several months despite me reading out my recent printout of confirmation from their site. :mad:

They have arrange another redelivery, but I said I didn't want to pay the £1.50 pickup fee now as I had already made one trip and it was their mistake.........but again "Computer says No"!
:mad::mad::mad::mad:

Vigman

as for calling the delivery office (theres no such thing as a sorting office nowadays)
well thats what happens when staff levels are cut.
if its not on the main computer,then it can't be actioned by the delivery office.
The £1.50 fee is payable to the Post Office. when the scan in a local collect item. their systems will update that £1.50 is due to be paid.
you would need ot raise that compalint with RM after collecting the item,the Post Office has done nothing wrong.
perhaps PM Muppet for advice next time,as she seems to have the answers.

Mupette wrote: »

just to prepare you, you screwed up somewhere as our resident retired postman will soon inform you.

hopefully he will be along soon.
rather than sniping at him. perhaps provide some relevant assistance

vigman

It was the fact that I had a printout of the confirmation of re-delivery address and time from the website that really surprised me (as an ex-IT Manager!) that it did not then appear on the RM system.

As a registered disabled person, any trip takes effort and more worryingly, if I was older and had not chased it up, my confirmation would have made me assume that it was at least in the system for local PO delivery.

I am great friend with our local PO (as a frequent Ebay user) and also our local postie who was a colleague in another life and have no issue with them.

I do have issue with a system that accepts a re-delivery request with a printed confirmation and the package is not there as agreed!!

Vigman

aldredd

vigman wrote: »

that really surprised me (as an ex-IT Manager!) that it did not then appear on the RM system.

As an ex IT Manager, I'd have thought you'd be the least surprised that sometimes things go wrong :huh:

Azari

aldredd wrote: »

As an ex IT Manager, I'd have thought you'd be the least surprised that sometimes things go wrong :huh:

Not really.

Systems are usually designed so that once information gets into the system it's safe. Thus if you get a printed confirmation the data it is based on should not vanish.

The reason IT often fails is that it is designed to stop dead when anything happens that could create such an anomaly.

To the layman it's all just IT failure, but some types of failure simply don't happen. (Barring catastrophic physical trauma to the equipment.)

Have you ever, for example, heard of a bank 'losing' a deposit for which someone has a receipt?

custardy

vigman wrote: »

It was the fact that I had a printout of the confirmation of re-delivery address and time from the website that really surprised me (as an ex-IT Manager!) that it did not then appear on the RM system.

As a registered disabled person, any trip takes effort and more worryingly, if I was older and had not chased it up, my confirmation would have made me assume that it was at least in the system for local PO delivery.

I am great friend with our local PO (as a frequent Ebay user) and also our local postie who was a colleague in another life and have no issue with them.

I do have issue with a system that accepts a re-delivery request with a printed confirmation and the package is not there as agreed!!

Vigman

well as has been publicised recently
RM have had (more)issues with their site
whether its connected or not I couldnt say
likely though I suppose

Azari

custardy wrote: »

well as has been publicised recently
RM have had (more)issues with their site
whether its connected or not I couldnt say
likely though I suppose

Not really.

More likely 'finger trouble', or miscommunication of access data.

custardy

Azari wrote: »

Not really.

More likely 'finger trouble', or miscommunication of access data.

I dont know about either
RMs software is a hotch potch
systems that should be compatible arent
Post Office systems not working with RM letters for example
two different types of scanners in delivery offices,neither working together and yet neither can work exclusivly

aldredd

Azari wrote: »

Not really.

Systems are usually designed so that once information gets into the system it's safe. Thus if you get a printed confirmation the data it is based on should not vanish.

The reason IT often fails is that it is designed to stop dead when anything happens that could create such an anomaly.

To the layman it's all just IT failure, but some types of failure simply don't happen. (Barring catastrophic physical trauma to the equipment.)

Have you ever, for example, heard of a bank 'losing' a deposit for which someone has a receipt?

Oh, I've seen plenty of examples where data disappears from one place & mysteriously reappears in another (or not at all). Usually occurs when one systems has been bolted onto another, and then onto another etc - sometimes systems talk to each other in unexpected ways under unforeseen circumstances.

Mupette

custardy wrote: »

perhaps PM Muppet for advice next time,as she seems to have the answers.

hopefully he will be along soon.
rather than sniping at him. perhaps provide some relevant assistance

It cuts both ways, you have had a go at me so many times, pathetic really you started it, you finish it, grow up

example see above your own post.