Post

[mollyrose]

We are out and about on our summer travels and have recieved a phone call to say that a document requires to be signed.

 

We thought that it could be forwarded c/o to the local post office for us to collect.

Unfortunatly the one we approached was not sympathetic at all and in fact was quite off and rude.

At the moment we are travelling north on the GU towards Foxton Locks and have just come out of Crick Tunnel.

 

Any advice or help would be appreciated.

 

Mike

[bottle]

Mike

 

You can, link, maybe the Post Office you went to needs reminding of the service.

[Big John]

Mike

 

You can, link, maybe the Post Office you went to needs reminding of the service.

Sadly we had a problem with a PO in Coventry not accepting Poste Restante, and after a long exchange of correspondence with Customer Services at HQ, they said each PO has to be able to accept it - and effectively can make their own decision. The one in question said they didn't have room to store it :-(

 

It's worth complaining though.

[Chris Pink]

We are out and about on our summer travels and have recieved a phone call to say that a document requires to be signed.

 

We thought that it could be forwarded c/o to the local post office for us to collect.

Unfortunatly the one we approached was not sympathetic at all and in fact was quite off and rude.

At the moment we are travelling north on the GU towards Foxton Locks and have just come out of Crick Tunnel.

 

Any advice or help would be appreciated.

 

Mike

 

 

Would suggest that unless you want to make an issue and just get the document sent to the post office and risk it being rejected (never heard of this actually happening) then ask a local newsagent or convenience store if they'll do it for a small fee and then get it sent recorded delivery.

 

A quick glance at the Royal Mail website kind of assumes it will happen and that asking first is not necessary. They do have the proviso "the Poste Restante service is subject to operational capability." but i would read this as saying "if they can do it then there is an assumption they will".

 

Chances are you just got the Grumpy Git.

 

I come from an era where one assumes that the Post Office (and British Waterways for that matter) is there to provide what we want. Sometimes these people need politely but firmly (and British Waterways for that matter) reminding of this.

Edited June 24, 2009 by Chris Pink

[mayalld]

Would suggest that unless you want to make an issue and just get the document sent to the post office and risk it being rejected (never heard of this actually happening) then ask a local newsagent or convenience store if they'll do it for a small fee and then get it sent recorded delivery.

 

A quick glance at the Royal Mail website kind of assumes it will happen and that asking first is not necessary. They do have the proviso "the Poste Restante service is subject to operational capability." but i would read this as saying "if they can do it then there is an assumption they will".

 

Chances are you just got the Grumpy Git.

 

I come from an era where one assumes that the Post Office (and British Waterways for that matter) is there to provide what we want. Sometimes these people need politely but firmly (and British Waterways for that matter) reminding of this.

 

Oh, lordy, lordy, I agree with Chris!

 

As most people already know, I work for Royal Mail.

 

Post Restante is something of an oddity, a hangover from a past age that nobody really knows what to do about. It may (or may not) be part of our Universal Service Obligation, nobody in our office seems to know (but we are IT, and we wouldn't know). Given that it is a service that very few use (I have used it once, and the staff at the counter were confused when I came to collect the item), and that we don't make a charge for it, nobody seems to be responsible for it.

 

The Royal Mail website is hardly informative, and having looked on the internal product A-Z it is hardly any more informative!

 

Basically, piecing it all together;

• There is a time limit for using the service at a single office (but nobody seems to know the limit)
  
• All crown offices, including franchised crown offices should offer the service.
  
• All sub-offices that also function as a delivery office should offer the service.
  
• Other offices may decide not to do so, particularly if they are small offices that are likely to get a lot of PR mail.
  

I will try to get a definitive list!

[cotswoldsman]

I have used the service for 3 years now and never had any problems. I use it about every two months. I normally allow 4 working days for it to arrive. I normally work out where I am going to be arround the time I would expect the post to arrive, I then check the internet to find the nearest post office and phone them to make sure that they have not been closed down, check it is ok to have my post forwarded. In 3 years I have never come acrosss a post office that would not allow me to use the service.

[Chris Pink]

Universal service obligation - ooooh i like the sound of that, more of the same would finally turn this into a civilised country.

 

http://www.psc.gov.uk/policy-and-consultat...al-service.html

 

 

The five service areas are....

 

...

 

...a range of support services to ensure the security and integrity of the mail – Royal Mail’s re-direction (up to 12 months), Keepsafe, Poste Restante, certificate of posting and business collections;

[mayalld]

Universal service obligation - ooooh i like the sound of that, more of the same would finally turn this into a civilised country.

 

Glad you are happy!

 

Of course, the whole thing comes unstuck when;

• Competitors are allowed to cherry-pick the profitable bits of the service without having to provide for the universal service. Increasingly RM is left only with the services that are marginal or unprofitable, and has to fund the loss making parts of the USO from that.
  
• Royal Mail is required to provide a "headroom" between its cheapest contract price and the access price that it charges other providers, which ensures that other providers are often cheaper.
  

[carlt]

Glad you are happy!

 

Of course, the whole thing comes unstuck when;

• Competitors are allowed to cherry-pick the profitable bits of the service without having to provide for the universal service. Increasingly RM is left only with the services that are marginal or unprofitable, and has to fund the loss making parts of the USO from that.
  
• Royal Mail is required to provide a "headroom" between its cheapest contract price and the access price that it charges other providers, which ensures that other providers are often cheaper.
  

Some would describe them as "unprofitable parts of the business" others "essential subsidised services".

[MartinC]

For what it is worth I used Nantwich PO and had a very efficient service.