Mail Deliveries – Alternatives to Royal Mail

With a strike by Royal Mail possible what can you do to minimise the effect it will have on you and your business?

The Royal Mail Service is actually very competitive and effective but it can have a real impact when service is suspended.  Here are some alternative strategies:

• Get organised and think ahead, send your mail early if you can (for instance cards)
• Send things electronically, although e-mail can be unsecure so think about web servers.  If you don’t have a secure log in web space you could try using Box Net or You Send It for storing, sharing or sending large files – www.box.net and www.yousendit.com
• Use a courier service - although shop around for quotes as they will differ, the big ones are DHL and Parcelforce but there may be ones local to you that could provide a more competitive localised quote – www.dhl.co.uk and www.parcelforce.com
• If it is leaflets or brochures you need delivering consider a distribution company such as Link Direct or DBS Limited, again you may find a more competitive and targeted quote from a business locally though – www.linkdirect.co.uk and www.dbslimited.co.uk
• Get in touch with your customers and suppliers in person – walk, enjoy the fresh air and personal contact!  In the last strike we delivered some mail for one of our customers ourselves and the free exercise and fresh air was a treat!
• Use the Royal Mail Special Delivery Service – this is likely to continue even with a strike, it is a premium cost but guarantees next day delivery
• You could try your local scout group for card deliveries, it has official clearance to run a Scout Post Service and costs up to 20p a card
• Royal Mail has its competitors since the market was opened and you could try one of these operators – TNT and DHL - however even in a strike they are likely to suffer as well because they rely on the postman to deliver the mail for the “last mile” i.e. direct to the door – www.tntpost.co.uk and www.dhl.co.uk
• Sit it out – the strike is not going to last forever so you could just bide your time!

As ever if we can be of help with your mailings, printed or electronic please contact us.