The new tracking system being used

[katie_bee]

Hello. For 3 years now I have been sending between 5-30+ parcels a day through RM. I always had my recorded forms filled out and it took no less than 20 minutes to weigh, stamp and post the parcels.

A few weeks ago, I was told that I would have to downlaod a form and to put all of the addresses and tracking numbers on this form.

I did and have been doing, and all I can say is what a mess.

Instead of me having the labels on my parcels now I have to hand them to the clerk individually and the paper with all of the addresses etc on. She scans the trackable number, hands me back the sticky bit to put on the parcel, and we do this with every parcel. Why I have to print out sheets of paper with the info that is already on the forms used to fill out UK and Intl post is beyond me. The PO clerks don't do anything with this form I download. They just hand it back to me.

Yesterday, I only had 12 parcels and was in the PO for over 45 minutes. A queue was forming and the people were huffing and puffing. I can't blame them.

Not only is the use of extra papers an environmentally unfriendly issue, this is taking so much longer to process my parcels. I really dread the Holidays coming.

Whoever thought of this lame brain idea needs to be shot. No doubt it was a white shirt at the top.

This new procedure is definitely a bad move for PO service to the public, both to the poster as well as the patrons waiting in line.

Oh and since this new system began, I've had 2 parcels go missing, and several customers angry that they paid for signed for recorded but didn't get asked for a signature..which means the sticky tabs have fallen off. I used to stick them with tape as insurance for the sticky tab to stay on.

Any ideas on how we can change this new and *coughs* improved service?

The older way was 150% more efficient.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Kate

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Vent away that's part of the reason we are here.

On the POL side we did have a couple of counter staff and PO managers on here before we were hacked and hopefully they will be able to come back and advise from their perspective.

As a Postman though I fully agree with your last point

[POSTMAN]

Moved to the PO forum as some of them are coming on.

[billyhayes]

Good post. I printed out your post, showed it to my branch managers, and one said, "Well, 45 minutes is ample time to cross-sell them one or two of our other products."
Welcome to the new caring, efficient Royal Mail Group...
Every transaction we do now has been slowed down and bloated, for the reason stated above.

[bigjames]

Yes, not a particularly flexible system is it?
Not sure why the counter staff aren't letting you put the labels on in advance, apart from the fact that each item has to be scanned into the system, which is easier if the label is not attached to the item, but is not impossible if it is. I would attach all of your barcode labels in advance, making sure you don't obscure the barcode obviously and present them at the counter like that. Many of my customers do that and it works okay.
When this system was rolled out for Special Delivery we predicted it would slow things down, and we were dreading it being extended to Recordeds as well. I did ask once about the average transaction times for processing Specials, as the new system was slowing things up big time, especially for bulk postings where we just used to mark the manifest '10 as list' or whatever. The answer came back that we should always check the address, postcode, barcode etc against any list, and as such we were already being paid for work that was often not done, so the times we were allowed for Specials haven't changed. It may also be of interest that an Admin volunteer who served on my counter at Christmas, who is part of the Royal Mail Client team, was asking us as far back as last December why we weren't putting Recordeds through the system