How Are You Handling the Postal Strike (UK)?

[Miop]

Anyone have any alternatives for small parcels of £10 or less in value that we normally send 1st class? <sigh>

[Matt Probert]

Either wait out the strike, or pay over the odds to a courier firm.

Matt

[Mungo]

We have been advising customers it may take a day or 2 longer to recieve their order, but where possible, we have been routing parcels with our courier company to minimise disruption to our customers.

[Patrick Taylor]

Temporarily inform potential customers of the strike possibility and offer (slightly less economical but more reliable) courier workaround to avoid possible delays.

[Bjorn Iceland]

Although we are not based on the UK, we deal with many UK merchants.

As per European Union Directive 2002/39/EC the Royal Mail does have some competition now since early 2006. It is always a shame to see Union members cutting their own throats by striking in a way that upsets customers.

The current main competitor for Royal Mail is UK Mail:
[ukmail.biz...] or [business-post.com...]
(Try the 'How much can I save?' link on the left for example.)

Also consider talking to:
[tntpost.co.uk...]
[parcelnet.co.uk...]

Let us know your experiences.

[bakedjake]

Dumb question from a North American resident: It seems like I've seen more than a couple of threads on UK postal strikes in the time of my membership here.

Does it happen a lot? Why? Does it seriously impact business when it does so?

[jpman]

Gosh, I thought I was the only one upset at that Royal pain in the mail. They definitely need a replacement and the earlier the better.

[vincevincevince]

Does it happen a lot? Why? Does it seriously impact business when it does so?

A1) Every few years, sometimes more frequently.
A2) Resistance to being rearranged into a more efficient (harder working) service, a never-ending wish for more money, and because the country relies on them.
A3) Yes and no. Businesses will make appropriate allowances, phones still work (not part of the general post office since '81), banks still wire money, etc.

[Bjorn Iceland]

bakedjake:
Basically, the UK's Royal Mail no longer has a monopoly on residential or business delivery including first class letters (unlike the US Postal Service). This is in itself a good thing. Competition benefits the customer.

I believe there are now around 15 companies now licensed to compete with Royal Mail, including the ones I mentioned.

Unfortunately the UK postal workers’ trade union, the CWU still thinks it is 1977, not 2007, and that their members working at Royal Mail are entitled to special treatment despite the realities of competition.

[edited by: Bjorn_Iceland at 3:23 pm (utc) on Aug. 16, 2007]

[PCInk]

And the Royal Mail competition is still useless. Only because the monopoly was only removed a year or so ago, so most of them use the Royal Mail to deliver their letters. So the strike affects all of the competition as well.

[piatkow]

Our last magazine mail out a week ago was trouble free. I did push advertisers to submit copy online with some success.

[Phil_C]

"Unfortunately the UK postal workers’ trade union, the CWU still thinks it is 1977, not 2007, and that their members working at Royal Mail are entitled to special treatment despite the realities of competition."

Nail on the head.

It's an unforunate fact that many people in the UK feel that they are owed a living by default, rather getting off their lazy bottoms and doing something to improve their personal situation.

Rant over :D

[edited by: Phil_C at 6:22 pm (utc) on Aug. 16, 2007]

[Essex_boy]

Ive been sworn at by RM employees in front of other RM employees, I can list several post offices that refuse to accept post from me.

Night mare