No, but just FYI as to how it’s going across the Atlantic in Ottawa.

Many city houses lost home delivery of letters and small packages a while ago.

Community mailboxes were placed around, so now you walk (or stop when driving home) to see if you have anything. People complained, so a few years ago, Canada Post stopped replacing home delivery with communal mailbox areas.

We still have home delivery, but have noted two things. 1) We only get things in our mailbox maybe 2 times/week. 2) The old grey “Relay Boxes” are no longer used; delivery people now get their own van, and drive around, park, then walk to a few houses plopping things in the mailbox, get in the van, move to the next area…

There’s just not enough post to have the old postman walking around, refilling their postbag from the relay boxes.

Our last of the old-method, until early in 2023, our postman (postlady) was Vera, who I used to see getting dropped off in the morning then picked up later in the day from a passenger van, along with a few other postmen.

Dog walking allows you to see how things work, and I’d sometimes stop to chat as they awaited their pickup.

(note – there’s most likely a gender-agnostic term for “mail-delivery-individual”, but I don’t know what it is. “post-person” sounds like someone died, so I used “postman” as a generic term)

We live in the ‘sticks’ of Lincolnshire and I have to say the postal service around here is very good. If we have less than 7-day service it is more likely that it is Monday which is omitted, but I don’t know because it may be just that there is no mail for us over the weekend. The collection from the village post box and Post Office counter in the village shop is very reliable too. The problem with the USO is that Royal Mail was privatised and no private, profit-driven, company is going to use profitable services to subsidise the loss-making. Privatisation was an ideologically driven move that was never going to work in the country’s overall best interest because it is economically impossible to provide the same service as in a big city that is expected in the Highlands and Islands, hence the ‘wailing’ of RM for the reform of the USO. Cross-subsidy is obviously easier for publicly-owned entities.

I don’t want to get overly Political, or we might lose this Topic … so, just two simple links to the Ofcom website:

1. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complaints/complain-about-postal-services/royal-mail
2. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-is-ofcom

Go Compare … then give-up in despair

MichaelG.

The problem with a Privatised company as in the case of Royal Mail is that its purpose of existence is to make a profit for its shareholders, a private company has no obligation to its customers, it’s very existence is to serve its shareholders.   Dave W

To be a little bit on Royal Mail’s side, the number of letters actually posted has dropped a lot over the past few years, so the income has fallen but they still have to walk the rounds every day, just with a lighter bag. I’d drop it to 3 days a week, I’d rather a reliable slightly slower service than the totally unreliable service we have now. I think it’s 3 days per week in some mainland Europe countries. And I’d get rid of first and second class, it must cost the same to actually deliver them, and separating them is an extra step which must cost. Anything which must get there tomorrow either email or send signed for at extra cost.

Michael G, you’ve taken most of the words from my mouth.  Well said.

Perhaps the reduction in postal usage may be due to the high costs of buying a stamp now.  Using postal charges as a “cash cow” looks to have backfired for Royal Mail.  “Customer focus” being dirty words to them.

As I pointed out in my post on “mail deliveries in your area”.

There is currently two legal obligations to deliver the mail daily 6 days a week and not to interfere with its delivery. Yet my MP a minister, and the Minister of Business and Trade do not want to pick up on these points of law.

Personally I can see no difference between Royal Mail’s actions and those of the Post Office. They are a law unto themselves doing just what they like.

As regards Ofcom, they like the Rivers Authority are of little use to the general public. I have no time for self policing organisations, they just do not work.

Regards

Gray,

That single-price-everywhere model is what Roland Hill originally designed, but to those who cavill at the price of a stamp, it was never “cheap”. What is his 1d. worth today?

The PO and RM are not strictly “privatised” but are State-owned, yet expected to work as if a fully private company.

Would it hurt to lose the Saturday delivery? Not really, if we are honest, not for letters at least. It is not significant to private addresses, and most of the business customers close over weekends. What I think should stay are Post Offices, and them staying open on Saturdays even if by closing one week-day, perhaps Monday, instead.

We have all become far too lazy, relying on far too many shops etc. being available at all times of the day even over weekends and Bank Holidays. Though to be fair that is very much driven by the businesses themselves, but I wonder how many remote HQ spreadsheet jockeys are in the office on a Sunday afternoon?

Plus simplifying the collection service so it is easy and efficient to ask for an undelivered parcel to left for your collection from your local PO or sorting-office. That does exist but via a clumsy web-site or call-centre that does not list all branches. (Clumsy web-sites and call-centres? Surely not…)

….

Right, world put to rights. Time for scran then making some more swarf.

That’s a very important correction, Peter

Thank you for saving me the effort of making it.

… It cuts to to root of my earlier comments.

MichaelG.

And The Post Office is doing business with Evri & DPD for parcels

Apart from Christmas/Birthday cards when did you last get a real letter hand written on its own and not a note with a parcel? For me I think it is years, quite a lot of years.

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Handwritten letters? I generally type and print mine because they are usually business or formal in nature. As to receiving letters and post it’s most days despite my rural location. We’re blessed with an efficient postie.</p>
I do agree that the reality is one uses social media or email whenever possible and family stuff is often video chat. That’s due to technology but also the downside of charges being high .

There are certain things that really should remain universally available such as rights to an electricity supply or reliable telecommunications and I would add reliable post to that.

Progress does change things…most folk could use satellite internet if hard wiring is too expensive for instance but I find the privatisation of utilities and parcel services arguable. The numbers of different courier companies delivering around here can’t be environmentally friendly when one van could do it.