Royal Mail has decided to trial evening deliveries in a six-month pilot. Is this an option that could solve your delivery problems – and would it encourage you to do more shopping online?
The scheme is open to customers living within the M25 who have shopped online with House of Fraser or beauty store L’Occitane.
I know, this isn’t going to benefit many of us right now, but heck, it’s a step in the right direction. Plus, Royal Mail says it’s talking to other retailers about joining the scheme, so it could roll out on a wider scale if it’s successful.
And it could even be a signal that the postal service is actually listening to what customers want. Apparently, the scheme’s been inspired by a recent survey where Royal Mail asked people about their delivery preferences. Nearly six in ten said they’d do more online shopping if they could choose more flexible delivery options.
If you’re one of the lucky few living in the right area and ordering from the participating sites, you’ll be able to ask for items to be delivered between 6-10pm. While this isn’t a time slot that will suit everyone, there’s plenty of evidence that it will be welcomed by many.
Delivery problems solved?
Back in September we reported on the 25% rise in complaints about ‘Sorry, you were out’ cards. Your responses flooded in, and it quickly became clear that dodgy deliveries were causing a lot of frustration.
One problem encountered by commenter Kevin was that his item didn’t even turn up. ‘I was out. The postman had not got any delivery cards on him. So he simply took it back to the depot where it stayed,’ he fumed.
Others were annoyed by the lack of flexibility. ‘It’s all well and good being told to go to the collection office but when you work full time when are you meant to collect it?’ said Nomosaic.
With over 21 million full-time workers reported in the UK last year, this is a fair point. Many of us just aren’t around when the postie comes a-calling. And who wants to spend precious time at the weekend carting packages back from the delivery office?
Would you like the option of evening deliveries from Royal Mail?
Definitely – I'm rarely in during the day (40%, 101 Votes)
No – daytime deliveries suit me better (30%, 77 Votes)
Maybe – I'd use it from time to time (30%, 75 Votes)
Total Voters: 253
