Warning to Royal Mail over deliveries (From Southend Standard)
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Warning to Royal Mail over deliveries
4:00pm Friday 28th September 2012 in Echo News
ROYAL Mail will lose swathes of customers if it goes ahead with plans to axe delivery offices, according to a leading councillor.
The Echo reported yesterday how the company announced it would be closing offices in Leigh , Shoebury , Rochford , Great Wakering and Canewdon and moving them to a Royal Mail outlet in Short Street, Southend.
The closures, part of cost-cutting measures set to be introduced in Spring 2013, could see some people having to undertake a 15-mile round trip to pick up packages.
John Lamb , deputy leader of Southend Council and councillor responsible for regeneration, believes Royal Mail will become less appealing to customers and will lose even more cash.
He said: “This is a real backwards step.
“If they are trying to encourage more people to use the service, they are just making themselves look less appealing.
“They need to look at how they can make their service more attractive and at the same time keep costs down.”
Royal Mail claims the change was prompted by a decline in the number of letters being sent through the post. Mr Lamb added: “They need to make it easier for customers, not more difficult. Even if they have shorter opening hours they must keep the delivery offices open.
“Businesses will use private firms for deliveries instead.”
David Schindler, 51, of George Street, Shoebury, believes the move will affect elderly residents and those with mobility issues.
He said: “The delivery office in Shoebury is just round the corner from me and it is extremely handy when a parcel can’t get delivered.
“Having it there is a vital part of the community. It gives local people jobs and it is an essential service for many.
“It will be incredibly inconvenient for local users everywhere.
“I think the biggest impact is going to be on the elderly population and people who cannot get around easily.”
Comments(15)
jolllyboy
says...
4:58pm Fri 28 Sep 12
I pity the postmen - how are they going to get from Short Street to outlying places with their trolleys. No we will look to choose another delivery company which a lot of companies use now anyway.
Slysi16
says...
5:03pm Fri 28 Sep 12
Cockle
says...
5:47pm Fri 28 Sep 12
Earlier in the week the residents in Leigh were moaning about all the RM vans parking in the street by the delivery office, well RM have solved that; they're closing it. Now the residents are moaning that they'll have to go to Southend to collect undelivered mail/parcels.......
As to all these people that are saying they will boycott RM can they please explain how they're going to do that with the vast majority of mail, after all all letter mail is delivered by RM regardless of carrier and parcel/packet carrier is chosen by the SENDER in the vast majority of cases not the recipient.
Dissappointed
says...
6:45pm Fri 28 Sep 12
ajg13142
says...
7:20pm Fri 28 Sep 12
A.I.K.
says...
7:26pm Fri 28 Sep 12
Brunning999
says...
7:37pm Fri 28 Sep 12
Nebs
says...
8:49pm Fri 28 Sep 12
pussycats
says...
12:45am Sat 29 Sep 12
Don't think that it is the problem.
Our local postmen/women who sort out the mail from Shoebury Delivery Office, to us residents, are the ones to suffer and us in accordance. It will mean that our posties will have to go to Short Street, sort out their deliveries from there and then travel to Shoebury, in order to deliver to us .Pretty grim for them and us. Very sad!
Juventus
says...
9:42am Sun 30 Sep 12
andy:)
says...
3:49pm Sun 30 Sep 12
Nebs wrote:Many businesses would disagree.
Why do we need 6 deliveries a week. Every other day is fine.
andy:)
says...
3:51pm Sun 30 Sep 12
jolllyboy wrote:I dont use RM for anything big, its far easier and cheaper to use another provider, for example, Ive just arranged for a bike sold on ebay to be picked up and delivered complete with signature for £16, RM cant compete with that. They will continue to lose business unless, as others have suggested, they PUT THE CUSTOMER FIRST, perhaps deliver later in evening, arrange pickups, lower their prices, etc.
How can people collect large parcels from Short Street. the parking in Southend is abysmal. Why should I ring (if you can get through) to book another day for delivery. So this is why they are going to leave parcels with neighbours!
I pity the postmen - how are they going to get from Short Street to outlying places with their trolleys. No we will look to choose another delivery company which a lot of companies use now anyway.
Andy
Ian P
says...
4:02pm Sun 30 Sep 12
andy:) wrote:Perhaps all Nebs gets through the post is brown envelopes.
Nebs wrote:Many businesses would disagree.
Why do we need 6 deliveries a week. Every other day is fine.
sav25
says...
12:57pm Mon 1 Oct 12
aduksquack says...
4:10pm Fri 28 Sep 12