Post Offices Pass On The Parcel Question

In a research survey carried out by MORI over the busy Christmas posting period, it was found that two thirds of parcels were sent by an inappropriate service as some counter staff failed to ask about the contents and frequently offered a service which was not the most suitable for their package.

The attitude of the counter staff, however, was found to be overwhelmingly positive with the vast majority appearing friendly, helpful, efficient and polite. With such widespread and uniform results nationwide, Postwatch believes that the problems essentially lie with Consignia's commitment to provide adequate information through their network and not with individual staff or postmasters.

Half (51%) the counter staff asked no questions at all about the nature or value of the parcel. Overall, less than a quarter of clerks asked what the contents were and only 28% what they were worth. Even when the shopper volunteered details about what they were sending and its value, 58% of clerks failed to recommend the most appropriate service for them.

Regionally, the Midlands performed best with 70% of counter staff probing for more information with East of England coming off worst with 81% asking no additional questions. Meanwhile, Wales proved the most inquisitive country, followed by England, Northern Ireland and Scotland *(see chart).

Commenting on the research findings, Peter Carr, Chairman of Postwatch says, "Customers cannot be expected to know the difference between all the services offered by Royal Mail and Parcelforce as most people do not send parcels very often. When we do send a parcel it's often very important and sometimes valuable."

"It is nonsense to blame the customer for not choosing the right service. The onus must be on Consignia to make customers aware of the different services and features such as appropriate insurance. Counter staff should proactively ask about the contents and value of the parcel in order to provide information to help the customer choose the best service for them".

In the survey, 69% of the parcels were sent by a service that, in the event of loss or damage, would not have provided sufficient compensation to cover the full value of the contents.

Even when the customer stated that they were sending a fragile china plate, over half (57%) of staff failed to recommend special delivery - the only service that provides compensation if such an item is broken.

Peter Carr continues, "We do get complaints from customers who have been refused compensation when their goods are lost or damaged and feel they were sold the wrong service in the first place. Customers should be aware of the pitfalls they could face when sending that important present or valuable item. We encourage customers to question the service they are offered and ask about appropriate insurance values".

This is a scenario Chris Buck from Lincolnshire knows only too well. Mr Buck returned his laptop computer to the manufacturer via Parcelforce. He organised a collection from his home over the phone and told the operator that it was a valuable computer he was sending. He was advised to use the Parcelforce 48 hour express service, which requires a signature on receipt. He was not given any information on insurance levels available with this service.

When the laptop was subsequently lost, Mr Buck's complained to Parcelforce who told him that he would only be entitled to £150 compensation with the service he used. "I was horrified", stated Mr Buck, "as this was the first time that this £150 compensation figure was mentioned". Postwatch felt that this was a clear case of a customer not being adequately advised of appropriate insurance levels, despite providing informing on the contents of the package. After pursuing the case with Parcelforce, Postwatch succeeded in obtaining a payment of over £1,300 for a delighted Mr Buck.

* Please note the sample sizes at a regional level. See below.

Technical details

• Postwatch receives a number of complaints connected with posting a parcel and commissioned the survey in order to better understand the levels of advice and information provided at post office counters.
• The research survey was carried out by MORI from 12-19 December 2001.
• 198 post offices were visited throughout the UK by Mystery Shoppers and carried out a total of 341 transactions.
• 102 post offices were visited in England, 25 in Wales, 41 in Scotland and 30 in Northern Ireland.
• The offices visited were a mixture of branch offices and sub-post offices in both rural and urban areas.
• Visits were conducted in accordance under guidelines set out by the Market Research society and ESOMAR. Consignia was informed before the research was carried out and the results have been shared with them.

Postwatch's Top Ten Tips to help you Get the Most from your Post

With a lack of adequate advice being given at post offices, it is vital that customers help themselves and don't necessarily rely on the service they're automatically offered being the right one for them. Make sure you get the most from your post by following some basic rules.

1. Always tell the counter clerk what is inside your package and how much it's worth.
2. Tell them if it is an irreplaceable item such as photograph negatives.
3. Tell the clerk if the item has a non market value or if it's loss might cause knock-on costs such as loss of interest on a cheque being posted.
4. Make sure that your items are sufficiently wrapped and secured inside the packaging - especially if the item is breakable.
5. Clearly mark fragile packages and point it out to the clerk.
6. Ask if the service you are being offered covers your item for compensation in the event of loss or damage and how much for. You can purchase additional insurance with various Royal Mail and Parcelforce services.
7. Make sure the address is clearly written and that the postcode is included.
8. Make sure there is a return address written on the back of the parcel or envelope.
9. If the service you use provides a postal docket or a reference number, keep it until you're sure the item has been delivered.
10. Don't assume that the service you're automatically given is the best one for you!