I don't know where to start! (Royal Mail)

Member Name: dcmbarton

Product:	Royal Mail
Date:	11/01/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: There are none

Disadvantages: Thousands, but too numerous to list them all here

I really don't know where to begin. Sometimes I think that we get such a poor service from the Royal Mail because we receive a lot of post!

In the past few years, the situation has got worse and worse in my opinion, but there is little other option available.

The 'ordinary' post (a mixture of letters and parcels usually) varies but rarely comes before midday. Generally it comes sometime between 12:30 and 3pm. In my view, this is unacceptable. Some people must get their post earlier because the staff don't start at noon. Perhaps the Royal Mail could introduce a simple scheme by where this could be varied so that at least one week out of a few we would get out mail earlier and another neighbourhood might get there's later.

Any large parcels come via a van which arrives anytime between 6:45am and 9:45pm (and yes, we've experienced both extremes). Occasionally, when two parcels arrive on the same day which are the same size, one will come on the van, and one with the postman. How ridiculous.

Occasionally we have found that when we aren't in to receive parcels, the postman doesn't leave a card. I thought a whole lot of parcels had gone missing once until I rang the local sorting office to be told they were awaiting collection - well, how am I supposed to know that.

The mail is often damaged too. Last week I received a completely empty envelope; the contents had obviously been lost somewhere along the way. Equally, items are often bent or squashed to get them through the letterbox. Our postman always has a go at getting things through but nearly always ends up ringing the doorbell. Once, we had a parcel delivered through an open window because the postman couldn't get it through the letterbox.

As for sending, well 1st class and 2nd class now seem completely irrelevant. Quite a few parcels and letters seem to just disappear when sent and the Royal Mail often has no explanation at all.

As far as I can see (and maybe it's just ours) the postmen seem to completely lack common sense. When it rains, ours carries the post in his hands, so by the time it gets to us it is wet beyond all recognition. Why can't he put it in his bag? It's not rocket science.

Anyway, I really can't think of anything good to say about them. Prices go up and up, and the service gets worse and worse. A great business model.

Summary: What choice do we have?