A second class response from Royal Mail

Dear Editor

On November 18 last year, you kindly published my letter regarding Royal Mail collection times at the old Post Office in Rattray.

The facts are that us in the old Post Office area have one collection per day at 9am, despite at least seven posties having to pass the old Post Office in the afternoon in their way back to their depot.

This early collection means residents in our part of town have to go elsewhere if they want next-day delivery, or sameday frank.

This collection box is under-used because it is not serving the needs of the people of this area.

As I stated in my last letter, I first wrote to Royal Mail in June of last year requesting an afternoon pick-up.

Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council and John Swinney MSP were also in contact with Royal Mail with the same request, but to no avail.

Since then, despite letters from Mr Swinney and myself, Royal Mail HQ in London still insist they are working within their national guidelines. Guidelines and laws are not synonymous.

This reminds me of when I was at school so long ago. When the teacher spoke we knew it was ‘law’, not a ‘guideline’, and we obeyed. Royal Mail appear to have ‘law’ and ‘guideline’ the wrong way around.

In the last letter from Royal Mail, Ben Ferguson, a member of the chief executive’s office, said that the manageress at our local depot had agreed to arrange for my postie to collect my mail upon delivery.

I declined this offer because the request for the afternoon pick-up at the old Post Office was made not just for myself, but for all the residents in this area – and how many of them could or would be offered the same service? And it would take about the same length of time for my postie to wait for me to answer the doorbell and give him my mail as it would for him, or one of the other six posties who have to pass the old Post Office in the afternoon, to stop and do a collection.

Apparently we can ask the Independent Postal Redress scheme to investigate the case but, after already having written so many letters and not getting anywhere – and knowing that a member of the Scottish Parliament couldn’t get anywhere either – the thought of all the form-filling and still not reaching a simple, sensible, costfree, solution is too daunting.

Royal Mail assures me that they “continue to work hard to ensure their customers receive an excellent service”.

They, like me, have failed.

Ann Thomson Balmoral Road, Rattray