From May 2, Royal Mail posties will automatically redeliver parcels the next working day if the customer is not at home for the first delivery.
Under the new process, the recipient will receive a card after the first delivery attempt advising that the postie will return the next working day, offering alternative options if required. The free initiative is designed to provide a more convenient experience so they do not need to travel to a Royal Mail Customer Service Point to retrieve missed mail, removing the need for any carbon emissions as a result of the journey. The move is also designed to save customers time so they do not have to contact Royal Mail or travel to collect missed deliveries, although customer service points will continue to be available for the collection of undelivered parcels and letters if required.
Customers continue to have the existing alternative delivery options including arranging redelivery on a more convenient day, having items left in a safe place or with a neighbor, or requesting their parcel to be redelivered to another local address or post office. A card will be left with details of all these options after the automatic redelivery attempt. These options can be booked via the Royal Mail app, online or by phone.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said, “Everyone knows how convenient a delivery from a Royal Mail postie is. They come to your house and have fantastic local knowledge enabling them to deliver the first time, most of the time. With this change, we will use that same great local knowledge to automatically attempt delivery again the next day and customers will know they are coming because we will have left a card the day before.
“Our trials show that by making this change the vast majority of items will be delivered without the recipient needing to do anything. No need in most instances to book a redelivery or to make a trip to collect a parcel. Just wait for your wonderful local post to bring your parcel to you. This is the latest in a series of changes we have made to make doorstep deliveries and collections as convenient and green as possible.”
Read more key delivery updates from the parcel and postal technology industry, here.