Covid 19 & Royal Mail

custardy

So its fair to say its starting to hit RM quite hard on the staffing.
Given the numbers,if its affecting Scottish deliveries then it must be greater down south.
Due to staff shortages delivery offices are starting to leave parts of deliveries pretty much daily from my information.
Mail centre being hit hard too. They do have the 'luxury' of a pool of experienced agency staff but that wont be enough.
I spoke to one guy from night shift and they have 3 RM left from a section that has 18 full time staff.

plenty of customers whining and plenty still going to pick up parcels when they should be arranging re-deliveries.
I hear post offices are struggling a bit just keeping open with staff shortages and some being shut at short notice.

soolin

We have adverts now on all our facebooks groups locally asking people to sign up for temporary post jobs as so much cover is needed. Our post has now started coming around 3pm, assuming it comes at all, the posties must be exhausted.

lindens

If they stopped delivering all the junk mail and leaflets that would help!!
I think from next week Rm will be delivering only essentials due to staff shortages and ebay parcels will be refused, Just a gut instinct

soolin

lindens said:

If they stopped delivering all the junk mail and leaflets that would help!!
I think from next week Rm will be delivering only essentials due to staff shortages and ebay parcels will be refused, Just a gut instinct

Where are they going to find the staff and money to check every parcel to investigate the contents? The manpower will be enormous. Who is going to decide what’s important and what isn’t? That tapestry kit someone buys from eBay to give themselves something to do , is that more or less essential than a birthday card sent to a distant cousin?  How will this army of staff decide if something is an eBay item or a gift? 

twhitehousescat

no post today , and my postman who lives across the road has car parked in drive 

wife was speaking to his wife on phone , all deliveries in preston lancs PR are cancelled till further notice 

custardy

soolin said:

lindens said:

If they stopped delivering all the junk mail and leaflets that would help!!
I think from next week Rm will be delivering only essentials due to staff shortages and ebay parcels will be refused, Just a gut instinct

Where are they going to find the staff and money to check every parcel to investigate the contents? The manpower will be enormous. Who is going to decide what’s important and what isn’t? That tapestry kit someone buys from eBay to give themselves something to do , is that more or less essential than a birthday card sent to a distant cousin?  How will this army of staff decide if something is an eBay item or a gift? 

They could stop dealing with the unaddressed leaflets overnight. 
This is a real bone of contention given its means delivery to 100% of the doors every week.
Letters are plummeting and parcels while buoyant are limited in the main to those who are ordering stuff.
So your most vunerable are least likely to be getting parcels unless its from well meaning family.
I expect RM will cancel leave with neighbour soon. Though like stopping shared vans,it should have been done weeks ago.
Callers office opening hours are being reviewed but TBH I expect they will close and go to redelivery/local collect only

in_the_Cotswolds

lindens said:

If they stopped delivering all the junk mail and leaflets that would help!!
I think from next week Rm will be delivering only essentials due to staff shortages and ebay parcels will be refused, Just a gut instinct

We only deliver Direct Marketing as it's called to houses that have mail during the week.  You do realise you can stop it?  I've explained to numerous people how to do it and I'm still delivering it to them 6 months later and they still complain!!  Perhaps you are one of them?

Re Custardy's post,

We have a few off but not as many as an office near us who are down 30 postmen/women.  We have uncovered rounds on a daily basis and they are moved around so they are not the same ones so one day you will get 2 days mail.  Nearly all large parcels including Tracked and Special Deliveries are delivered on the day, although th,e 1pm time limit has been suspended for the duration of the emergency.  9am Specials are unaffected. 

I've explained the situation and said please bear with us.  If you don't get you mail one day you will get it the next day. I have has some kind comments thanking us, as one lady said to me "brings a feeling of normality seeing the postman".

In all this trouble there is one good thing, at least most people are in to take delivery of their parcels.

in_the_Cotswolds

Forgot to put this in my previous post.

This is my feeling on the situation NOT Royal Mails.  If this carries on longer and we start losing more staff we may have extended daily deliveries and maybe Sundays.

custardy

Seems RM are continuing with unaddressed mail

lindens

in_the_Cotswolds said:

lindens said:

If they stopped delivering all the junk mail and leaflets that would help!!
I think from next week Rm will be delivering only essentials due to staff shortages and ebay parcels will be refused, Just a gut instinct

We only deliver Direct Marketing as it's called to houses that have mail during the week.  You do realise you can stop it?  I've explained to numerous people how to do it and I'm still delivering it to them 6 months later and they still complain!!  Perhaps you are one of them?

I didnt realise i could stop it. Will this mean i wont get important govt letters though that are just addressed to the householder?

custardy

lindens said:

in_the_Cotswolds said:

lindens said:

If they stopped delivering all the junk mail and leaflets that would help!!
I think from next week Rm will be delivering only essentials due to staff shortages and ebay parcels will be refused, Just a gut instinct

We only deliver Direct Marketing as it's called to houses that have mail during the week.  You do realise you can stop it?  I've explained to numerous people how to do it and I'm still delivering it to them 6 months later and they still complain!!  Perhaps you are one of them?

I didnt realise i could stop it. Will this mean i wont get important govt letters though that are just addressed to the householder?

Potentially,depends if it is sent as a letter or as unaddressed items. It also only stops RM items. Which accounts for less than  50% of our delivered leaflets in normal times.
I never get the froth from people over D2Ds from RM.