The future of Royal Mail

[PupCuff]

Attached is an image of a Royal Mail email doing that. The tracking link in it still worked, it was delivered at 10:47. I have an email saying it was delivered time stamped 10:47. People are suggesting Royal Mail doesn't have the technology to do this. I'm not sure why they are.

Two things, first if Royal Mail have the technology do it, great! That doesn't excuse them not using it, though, and I've never had a parcel sent using them where they have.

Second, the example you have shown tells of a parcel which is being delivered 'today'. If I'm already at work that doesn't help, and there isn't a link on that email which lets me tell them that I'm not in and to deliver it on x-day instead. Having a link to be able to do this would save the trouble and the environmental damage of them loading a parcel onto a van, taking it on a few miles of excursion before returning it to the depot and unloading it again.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Two things, first if Royal Mail have the technology do it, great! That doesn't excuse them not using it, though, and I've never had a parcel sent using them where they have.

Second, the example you have shown tells of a parcel which is being delivered 'today'. If I'm already at work that doesn't help, and there isn't a link on that email which lets me tell them that I'm not in and to deliver it on x-day instead. Having a link to be able to do this would save the trouble and the environmental damage of them loading a parcel onto a van, taking it on a few miles of excursion before returning it to the depot and unloading it again.

I wonder if they are piloting it in the poster's area, as I've not had that here.

 

[mmh]

Two things, first if Royal Mail have the technology do it, great! That doesn't excuse them not using it, though, and I've never had a parcel sent using them where they have.

Second, the example you have shown tells of a parcel which is being delivered 'today'. If I'm already at work that doesn't help, and there isn't a link on that email which lets me tell them that I'm not in and to deliver it on x-day instead. Having a link to be able to do this would save the trouble and the environmental damage of them loading a parcel onto a van, taking it on a few miles of excursion before returning it to the depot and unloading it again.

They can't send you messages if the sender doesn't give them your email address and phone number, or if the sender just uses standard non-tracked parcel post.

This particular parcel was sent as "Tracked 24," a non-guaranteed next day delivery service aimed at businesses. The clue to what day to expect is in the name. I placed the order at 16:29. The sender sent me a dispatched email at 00:35 with a Royal Mail tracking link. The tracking says it was ready for delivery at 07:19, and I received that Royal Mail email at 07:27.

To find fault with that service, I'd have to be going out of my way to look for things to complain about. I don't know how it got from the delivery office to my house, I imagine with the ordinary post as it was letterbox sized. Regardless, a van wouldn't be making a special journey for me, it's a semi-rural area where post is delivered by a mix of vans, foot postmen who work from the delivery office and postmen who pick up from street cabinets. The vans are driving around whichever day it is.

 

[WelshBluebird]

They can't send you messages if the sender doesn't give them your email address and phone number, or if the sender just uses standard non-tracked parcel post.

I think that is partly the point though! That other couriers provide tracking services as standard, and that these tracking services as usually better than the tracking on Royal Mail's premium offering.

Now I realise there are differences when it comes to how staff are treated and pay, the USO, things like what I posted about earlier where Royal Mail are just better for deliveries in certain circumstances etc. But you can't be surprised when people get a better offering from a company for less money than Royal Mail would charge, and question why can't Royal Mail do that.

The clue to what day to expect is in the name.

And the description - "non-guaranteed". Not saying it should be guaranteed, but it being Tracked 24 doesn't actually tell me anything about which day the parcel is going arrive. It tells me when it should arrive. But not when it will. Bit of a difference to other couriers who give you a specific date.

 

[507021]

Thank you. I think it's worth considering the real reasons a parcel might not go out for delivery despite having arrived at the collection office. They're staff sickness, not can't be being bothered or wanting to annoy. Perhaps someone phoned in sick with Coronavirus symptoms. Meanwhile at our non-outdated, non-unionised courier depot, the driver has turned up as he's self-employed, on piecework and can't afford to take time off on top of his fear of being replaced if he does.

I absolutely agree, but unfortunately, if it means someone doesn't get their parcel now, then they're not interested and the service is incompetent and out of date.

And during a pandemic, too.

 

[Darandio]

I absolutely agree, but unfortunately, if it means someone doesn't get their parcel now, then they're not interested and the service is incompetent and out of date.

And during a pandemic, too.

Regardless of whether they are primarily a postal service or not, they were poor at parcel delivery before all of this, the pandemic has nothing to do with it.

 

[507021]

I think that is partly the point though! That other couriers provide tracking services as standard, and that these tracking services as usually better than the tracking on Royal Mail's premium offering.

If the sender hasn't provided Royal Mail with your contact details, which are necessary in order to send you messages about your delivery's progress, then I'm afraid the fault lies entirely with the sender and not Royal Mail. How are they supposed to notify you where your parcel is, or when it's due for delivery, if they haven't got your email address or mobile phone number?

Actually, come to think of it, I suppose they could send you a letter.

 

[507021]

Regardless of whether they are primarily a postal service or not, they were poor at parcel delivery before all of this, the pandemic has nothing to do with it.

Must vary by area then, as Royal Mail are an excellent parcel delivery service around here.

However, I really don't think moaning about a parcel being delivered two days late during a pandemic, when Royal Mail are experiencing a period of much higher demand, is even remotely fair. One of my Royal Mail tracked deliveries arrived a day late in May, however I was more than happy to show a reasonable amount of patience considering they're a lot busier than normal.

In normal circumstances, by all means complain if the service is poor. I would do the same.

 

[Tetchytyke]

They also have a certain brand allegiance which they are chucking away by being a bit rubbish.

I can't remember the last time I got to choose the courier when buying an item off the internet.

So it's all a moot point.

Retailers don't use RM because Yodel undercut them. Without a huge parcels business it's harder to invest in the bells and whistles- especially when most of the tracking infrastructure is there to punish the "self employed" couriers, not for customer benefit.

 

[cactustwirly]

I can't remember the last time I got to choose the courier when buying an item off the internet.

So it's all a moot point.

Retailers don't use RM because Yodel undercut them. Without a huge parcels business it's harder to invest in the bells and whistles- especially when most of the tracking infrastructure is there to punish the "self employed" couriers, not for customer benefit.

Quite, a lot of businesses on eBay etc use RM, become it's integrated in the system, and it's often the cheapest option for stuff like CDs etc.

For a business, price and reliability are more important than tracking gimmicks.

 

[PupCuff]

If the sender hasn't provided Royal Mail with your contact details, which are necessary in order to send you messages about your delivery's progress, then I'm afraid the fault lies entirely with the sender and not Royal Mail. How are they supposed to notify you where your parcel is, or when it's due for delivery, if they haven't got your email address or mobile phone number?

Actually, come to think of it, I suppose they could send you a letter.

I find it difficult to believe that every time I have purchased something online (for which the retailer will have had my email address for my account with them), each individual sender, they've all willingly chosen to deliberately inconvenience me and not supply my email address to Royal Mail when they could have. Even if that happened to be the case though, there's more the Royal Mail can do to ensure that those who wish to send parcels supply this data. Ultimately (and it's evidenced from the complaints in this thread) it's the Royal Mail's reputation which suffers when things like tracking and notification go wrong.

 

[507021]

I can't remember the last time I got to choose the courier when buying an item off the internet.

So it's all a moot point.

Retailers don't use RM because Yodel undercut them. Without a huge parcels business it's harder to invest in the bells and whistles- especially when most of the tracking infrastructure is there to punish the "self employed" couriers, not for customer benefit.

Spot on, it's a bit hard to justify investing in "nice to haves" when all of your competitors, who make far more money, undercut you.

Exactly, the GPS tracking system is how parcel delivery companies work out how much money the courier has earned during their shift. Accurate tracking for the parcel's recipient to find out where their parcel is every ten minutes is merely a useful coincidence.

Quite, a lot of businesses on eBay etc use RM, become it's integrated in the system, and it's often the cheapest option for stuff like CDs etc.

For a business, price and reliability are more important than tracking gimmicks.

Correct. Personally, I'd rather pay a bit more and use Royal Mail, who (in my experience, anyway) are reliable.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I absolutely agree, but unfortunately, if it means someone doesn't get their parcel now, then they're not interested and the service is incompetent and out of date.

Actually, that wasn't what I am asking for; what I'm asking for is for them to tell me when my parcel will arrive so I can ensure I am there to receive it and not in the shower/on the bog/popped quickly out to the shop/whatever. It really is a useful thing.

And during a pandemic, too.

I'm not clear how COVID-19 prevents GPS tracking technology from working, and if you haven't got it yet the IT industry is pretty much at full capacity working from home, as we're already used to that!

Exactly, the GPS tracking system is how parcel delivery companies work out how much money the courier has earned during their shift. Accurate tracking for the parcel's recipient to find out where their parcel is every ten minutes is merely a useful coincidence.

I don't overly care what other purposes it has, I care that I'm informed, to a reasonably narrow slot, when my parcel will show up. The method of managing a courier's staff is between them, their staff and if applicable the Unions.

Quite, a lot of businesses on eBay etc use RM, become it's integrated in the system, and it's often the cheapest option for stuff like CDs etc.

For a business, price and reliability are more important than tracking gimmicks.

Of course for items which fit in the letterbox, none of this is relevant.

But that aside, companies are realising that their customers' wishes are more important than any of those things, and using a rubbish courier causes you to lose sales. That will be why a number of businesses now allow the choice of DPD by name for an extra fee, which I am happy to pay.

 

[507021]

I find it difficult to believe that every time I have purchased something online (for which the retailer will have had my email address for my account with them), each individual sender, they've all willingly chosen to deliberately inconvenience me and not supply my email address to Royal Mail when they could have. Even if that happened to be the case though, there's more the Royal Mail can do to ensure that those who wish to send parcels supply this data. Ultimately (and it's evidenced from the complaints in this thread) it's the Royal Mail's reputation which suffers when things like tracking and notification go wrong.

It has happened to me plenty of times before, and I'm sure it will again. A recent example is a company of whom I'm a fairly regular customer, and they have both my mobile number and email address (so they didn't really have an excuse), but for whatever reason failed to give these to Royal Mail so I couldn't track the parcel. Also, there's been plenty of other times when eBay sellers I've bought from have selected to ship the parcel via Royal Mail's "Tracked 48" option, but obviously haven't bothered to give Royal Mail my details so they can tell me when to expect my parcel. I refuse to blame Royal Mail for the sender's oversight/laziness.

I fail to see why Royal Mail should have to ask senders to provide contact details for tracking when, in my opinion, it's the sender's responsibility in the first place.

 

[mmh]

I can't remember the last time I got to choose the courier when buying an item off the internet.

I've very rarely seen it. It tends to be when different companies are used for different service levels, for example free but slow delivery to the retailer's own store, an ordinary level with Royal Mail and a quick service perhaps with another courier. I think I've seen a genuine "choice" between couriers once, and then it came with a price difference. It's not going to be attractive to the retailer to use multiple companies without anything in it for them, so they don't.

Retailers don't use RM because Yodel undercut them. Without a huge parcels business it's harder to invest in the bells and whistles- especially when most of the tracking infrastructure is there to punish the "self employed" couriers, not for customer benefit.

Absolutely. One that surprised me a few months ago was spotting a van (Yodel, I think) drive past on a day I was expecting a delivery. He parked up outside a neighbour and waited 20 minutes until it was in the delivery slot time before coming and knocking. That's a ridiculous way to be treating the drivers.

 

[PupCuff]

It has happened to me plenty of times before, and I'm sure it will again. A recent example is a company of whom I'm a fairly regular customer, and they have both my mobile number and email address (so they didn't really have an excuse), but for whatever reason failed to give these to Royal Mail so I couldn't track the parcel. Also, there's been plenty of other times when eBay sellers I've bought from have selected to ship the parcel via Royal Mail's "Tracked 48" option, but obviously haven't bothered to give Royal Mail my details so they can tell me when to expect my parcel. I refuse to blame Royal Mail for the sender's oversight/laziness.

I fail to see why Royal Mail should have to ask senders to provide contact details for tracking when, in my opinion, it's the sender's responsibility in the first place.

If the item were to arrive with a big red sticker on it that says "Not Tracked - Sender did not provide recipient contact details" then clearly the customer won't think that Royal Mail are being typically useless, they'll complain to the retailer who were too lazy to provide the details to Royal Mail.

Royal Mail should push for senders to do this because it is the Royal Mail's reputation on the line if customers, when they get a package via a competitor and get GPS tracking or warnings in advance as to when it's going to be delivered, think they give the better customer service, and therefore choose to send their items via a different courier or choose to shop with retailers who send via a better service. It'd also be a cost saving for Royal Mail on having to send parcels on a tour of Liverpool when the recipient isn't home because they didn't know their parcel was coming.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Absolutely. One that surprised me a few months ago was spotting a van (Yodel, I think) drive past on a day I was expecting a delivery. He parked up outside a neighbour and waited 20 minutes until it was in the delivery slot time before coming and knocking. That's a ridiculous way to be treating the drivers.

I'd have suggested it would make sense to knock, but that it wouldn't be acceptable to card the house if he knocked outside of the slot and would have to ensure he either waited or returned within the slot.

 

[507021]

If the item were to arrive with a big red sticker on it that says "Not Tracked - Sender did not provide recipient contact details" then clearly the customer won't think that Royal Mail are being typically useless, they'll complain to the retailer who were too lazy to provide the details to Royal Mail.

Royal Mail should push for senders to do this because it is the Royal Mail's reputation on the line if customers, when they get a package via a competitor and get GPS tracking or warnings in advance as to when it's going to be delivered, think they give the better customer service, and therefore choose to send their items via a different courier or choose to shop with retailers who send via a better service. It'd also be a cost saving for Royal Mail on having to send parcels on a tour of Liverpool when the recipient isn't home because they didn't know their parcel was coming.

I think Royal Mail should do that, because it'd be rightfully shifting the blame for the lack of tracking to the correct party.

I'll admit they probably should do more to get the parcel recipient's contact details so tracking can be provided, but for the OP to say Royal Mail deserve to fail because they don't offer tracking once the parcel has been scanned at the depot ahead of the postie's round, is nothing other than a massive, ridiculous and completely unnecessary overreaction.

 

[507021]

I think I've seen a genuine "choice" between couriers once, and then it came with a price difference.

In my experience, there's only one company I'm a customer of who (most of the time, anyway) offers a choice of couriers, these being either Royal Mail or Yodel. When I first ordered something from them, I chose the more expensive Yodel option so I could have the option of tracking my parcel, but after receiving the parcel I found it had been damaged in transit. Needless to say, I've chosen the more reliable and cheaper Royal Mail option ever since.

 

[Peter Sarf]

But Royal Mail will not tell you in advance, on which day the parcel will arrive! If Royal Mail were to email me on Tuesday to tell me it will be coming on Thursday afternoon (or even just, some point on Thursday) then I could make arrangements to swap shifts/work from home etc on that day. Clearly most people will be unable to do this (pre-Covid, anyway) if they order something and then have to wait in the house for a week or however long in case it happens to turn up on one of the days.

I don't get this obsession with hanging around waiting for a parcel. I will happily collect it from the local depot after I know it is available. My problem is if the couriers nearest depot is too far away - like Croydon to Dartford. Click and Collect is my favourite method.

I find it difficult to believe that every time I have purchased something online (for which the retailer will have had my email address for my account with them), each individual sender, they've all willingly chosen to deliberately inconvenience me and not supply my email address to Royal Mail when they could have. Even if that happened to be the case though, there's more the Royal Mail can do to ensure that those who wish to send parcels supply this data. Ultimately (and it's evidenced from the complaints in this thread) it's the Royal Mail's reputation which suffers when things like tracking and notification go wrong.

It has just occurred to me that the Data Protection Act could mean that you mobile number or email address cannot be passed on to a third party (the courier) unless you have given permission. It would make sense for a courier to keep your contact details once they have them for future use. Some companies do share information with each other (its all hidden in the cookies choices) so that could mean some couriers buy in to the information required.

It could be that a sender does not want to bother with passing on so much information so uses the Royal Mail as it maybe simpler.

 

[PupCuff]

I don't get this obsession with hanging around waiting for a parcel. I will happily collect it from the local depot after I know it is available. My problem is if the couriers nearest depot is too far away - like Croydon to Dartford. Click and Collect is my favourite method.

It has just occurred to me that the Data Protection Act could mean that you mobile number or email address cannot be passed on to a third party (the courier) unless you have given permission. It would make sense for a courier to keep your contact details once they have them for future use. Some companies do share information with each other (its all hidden in the cookies choices) so that could mean some couriers buy in to the information required.

It could be that a sender does not want to bother with passing on so much information so uses the Royal Mail as it maybe simpler.

The former is fine now, Royal Mail frequently still turn up unexpectedly and take the parcel back to the Local Delivery Centre which is over near Eastcroft, not far from the train station, a ten minute walk away if I'm feeling speedy. Back when I was up North, my Local Delivery Centre was in Sandhills, which was either an hour/hour-ten's walk each way or a walk to the nearest train station and two train rides.

It isn't difficult for retailers to add a tick box or some form of statement in the privacy policy to ensure they're DPA/GDPR compliant in respect of passing information like an email address across to the courier. Indeed, they have to pass some personal data to the courier anyway, otherwise the address label would be blank and the courier would not know where to send the parcel.

 

[507021]

Actually, that wasn't what I am asking for; what I'm asking for is for them to tell me when my parcel will arrive so I can ensure I am there to receive it and not in the shower/on the bog/popped quickly out to the shop/whatever. It really is a useful thing.

Would you have started this thread if your parcel arrived on time?

I'm not clear how COVID-19 prevents GPS tracking technology from working, and if you haven't got it yet the IT industry is pretty much at full capacity working from home, as we're already used to that!

I haven't said anywhere coronavirus could prevent GPS tracking from working. The point I'm trying to make is, maybe you should actually try and show some patience and understand that, during a period of significantly higher demand, your parcel might be a day or two later than expected?

I work in transport, so I wouldn't really know how busy the IT industry is.

I don't overly care what other purposes it has

Don't you? Perhaps you'll think differently about how important regular parcel delivery notifications really are when you read the story of a diabetic gentleman called Don who was financially penalised by his employer for taking time off work to attend an appointment to get treatment for his condition. Sadly, Don later died as a result of his diabetes as he missed further appointments because he couldn't find a substitute for his delivery round, and was worried about being fined again.

 

[Mojo]

In terms of delivery to neighbours, certainly DPD and Hermes allow it so not sure what courier you are thinking of that doesn't.

Amazon’s phoned me up a few weeks ago and said they were at the door, and that they couldn’t leave it at the neighbour, due to Covid restrictions. On the same day I had a package from DPD local who left it next door without even asking me (not that I mind!)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would you have started this thread if your parcel arrived on time?

This particular one, no. However, I have been dissatisfied for some time, and this just triggered the post.

I haven't said anywhere coronavirus could prevent GPS tracking from working. The point I'm trying to make is, maybe you should actually try and show some patience and understand that, during a period of significantly higher demand, your parcel might be a day or two later than expected?

Which, once again, was not my point. My point was that I did not know via the tracking that it was not going to be delivered; the tracking just said "sorted for delivery". I therefore waited in all day in case it did. My day was largely wasted as a result. Had a tracking system said "the parcel will be delivered on Monday" (as it was) then I'd have waited in on Monday instead and would have received it. Had it said "the parcel will be delivered on Monday between 1400 and 1500", say, then I could even have gone for a lunchtime walk too!

It'd actually be really easy for RM to provide that facility for small parcels (i.e. ones that go in the normal delivery round) because the rounds are consistent, so it doesn't even require as much tech!

Don't you? Perhaps you'll think differently about how important regular parcel delivery notifications really are when you read the story of a diabetic gentleman called Don who was financially penalised by his employer for taking time off work to attend an appointment to get treatment for his condition. Sadly, Don later died as a result of his diabetes as he missed further appointments because he couldn't find a substitute for his delivery round, and was worried about being fined again.

That is a really bad situation, but I'm not clear what it has to do with the provision and use of tracking systems of any kind, and is more of a generic point about how some of the couriers treat self-employed staff.

 

[507021]

This particular one, no. However, I have been dissatisfied for some time, and this just triggered the post.

Perhaps in future it might be worth complaining to the company you're dissatisfied with, instead of starting what's been generally quite a negative thread. Companies rely on customer feedback to improve aspects of their service, so in this instance perhaps asking Royal Mail if they plan on introducing a more regularly updated tracking service would have been better, rather than complaining about it on a rail enthusiast forum I expect their management probably doesn't read.

Which, once again, was not my point. My point was that I did not know via the tracking that it was not going to be delivered; the tracking just said "sorted for delivery". I therefore waited in all day in case it did. My day was largely wasted as a result. Had a tracking system said "the parcel will be delivered on Monday" (as it was) then I'd have waited in on Monday instead and would have received it. Had it said "the parcel will be delivered on Monday between 1400 and 1500", say, then I could even have gone for a lunchtime walk too!

It'd actually be really easy for RM to provide that facility for small parcels (i.e. ones that go in the normal delivery round) because the rounds are consistent, so it doesn't even require as much tech!

Ultimately, it was your decision to wait in all day. I'm sure you have neighbours who would have taken the parcel in for you had it arrived while you were out.

Again, improved tracking technology costs money to acquire, implement and maintain. If people want Royal Mail to introduce a courier-style notification service, then I hope they're prepared to pay a higher amount of postage (and see others who favour saving money, rather than paying for reliability, go elsewhere) for the luxury of knowing you can go for a number two before your parcel arrives.

That is a really bad situation, but I'm not clear what it has to do with the provision and use of tracking systems of any kind, and is more of a generic point about how some of the couriers treat self-employed staff.

You said you don't care what else the parcel tracking system is used for, as long as you know where your parcel is.

Seeing as the very system you take for granted is also used to penalise the couriers who deliver your parcels, who also have to work incredibly long hours just to earn a decent wage, it has everything to do with it.

 

[James H]

I do have to say that Royal Mail's beta online postage service is much improved

Royal Mail Click & Drop | Send an item - Click. Save. We Collect

Whether you're sending one item or several, buying postage online is easy. Choose from over 14,000 drop off points, including our 24/7 Parcel Postboxes.

send.royalmail.com

It's much less of a hassle than it used to be if you are sending a one-off item.

 

[gswindale]

I do have to say that Royal Mail's beta online postage service is much improved

Royal Mail Click & Drop | Send an item - Click. Save. We Collect

Whether you're sending one item or several, buying postage online is easy. Choose from over 14,000 drop off points, including our 24/7 Parcel Postboxes.

send.royalmail.com

It's much less of a hassle than it used to be if you are sending a one-off item.

It is, but I did notice that it draws you into using their more expensive services by default when I tried it out a few weeks ago to send some items to family members (I ended up sending two small packages via a tracked service when normal 2nd class would have been fine).

That leads me onto another slight issue with Royal Mail and the fact that when we post stuff out from work, it invariably goes 2nd class and then arrives the next day. I am therefore slightly uncertain as to why there is still a choice of 1st and 2nd class? Surely it would make sense to abolish 1st class unless Royal Mail are preying on the elderly who are more likely to pay the premium that it entails?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It is, but I did notice that it draws you into using their more expensive services by default when I tried it out a few weeks ago to send some items to family members (I ended up sending two small packages via a tracked service when normal 2nd class would have been fine).

And of course sending a small item by Signed For is a nuisance as someone has to be in for it! Goodness only knows why Tracked 24/48 are not available as consumer services, as they would in my view be very popular. I've used Hermes before because of that lack of availability - they will insure to a higher level with signature still optional for items that will go through the letterbox.

That leads me onto another slight issue with Royal Mail and the fact that when we post stuff out from work, it invariably goes 2nd class and then arrives the next day. I am therefore slightly uncertain as to why there is still a choice of 1st and 2nd class? Surely it would make sense to abolish 1st class unless Royal Mail are preying on the elderly who are more likely to pay the premium that it entails?

Yes, I'm not clear what the point in the split is, and I only use 2nd myself. Perhaps they should abolish the distinction and set the price at a revenue neutral level.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That leads me onto another slight issue with Royal Mail and the fact that when we post stuff out from work, it invariably goes 2nd class and then arrives the next day. I am therefore slightly uncertain as to why there is still a choice of 1st and 2nd class? Surely it would make sense to abolish 1st class unless Royal Mail are preying on the elderly who are more likely to pay the premium that it entails?

The way they sort the post, the order of priority is business mail, especially franked post, gets sorted first followed by the stamped post. While the first class mail is sorted first, if there's not a lot of it then they'll start sorting the second class straight away and so quite a lot of that will end up on the same run as the first class. Stamped post sent with a business collection, incidentally, gets the same priority as the franked post - the critical factor here is that it's in the business collection. That means if there's a booked royal Mail pick up from where you work, always put your stamped post with that and not in a pillar box.

On Fridays they don't even try to separate them; they just want to get everything out of the way as quickly as possible so certainly on a Friday at least there is never any point paying extra for first class. They just treat the whole lot as if it was all first class.

 

[ninja-lewis]

Yes, I'm not clear what the point in the split is, and I only use 2nd myself. Perhaps they should abolish the distinction and set the price at a revenue neutral level.

The two class system came in when they started mechanising sorting in the late 1960s and began to move from being a labour intensive to capital intensive process. Previously, manual sorting just meant they hired more people for night shifts if they need to increase capacity. An extra individual didn't cost much and capacity could be increased in small increments.

Sorting machines on the other hand required a lot of capital upfront. Buying enough machines to sort everything overnight would have been extremely expensive. Instead of having lots of machines busy overnight and then idle during the day, fewer machines operating around the clock could process the same amount for much less outlay.

Thus 2nd class was introduced to identify and incentivise mail that could take a little longer. First class would be sorted first followed by second class mail. The latter might be done overnight on a quiet night if 1st class was dealt with; at peaks it might be waiting until the following afternoon become there was sorting machine capacity and then it could be set aside again as new first class collections arrived in the evening.