Kevin Foster MP has visited Royal Mail’s Paignton Delivery Office to pass on Christmas wishes and encouragement to postmen and women at their busiest time of year.
Mr Foster was shown around the office by Delivery Office Manager, Brian Smith, and was introduced to the postmen and women who are working hard sorting and delivering mail in the Paignton area during the Festive season.
Kevin Foster MP said: “There is a huge amount of effort and dedication that goes into delivering a first class Christmas at Royal Mail’s busiest time of year. It was great to meet the team here at Paignton. Our postal workers do such an important job at this time of year and I would like to thank them for their efforts and wish them all the best over the busy festive period.”
Brian Smith, Royal Mail Delivery Office Manager at Paignton, commented: “Our postmen and women are working extremely hard to deliver Christmas cards, letters and parcels to people across Paignton. We are grateful that the Kevin visited the office to see our operation and to support the team.
“We’d like to remind our customers to post early so that friends and family have longer to enjoy their Christmas greetings. We would also like to ask everyone to please always use the postcode as this helps us greatly in the job that we do at this busy time.”
The last recommend posting dates for Christmas are:
Second Class – Saturday 19 December 2015
First Class – Monday 21 December 2015
Special Delivery – Wednesday 23 December 2015
Customers can also help Royal Mail ensure that all their letters, cards and parcels are delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible by taking a few easy steps:
- Post early – Avoid disappointment by posting your cards and parcels early.
- Use a postcode – A clearly addressed card or parcel, with a postcode, and return address on the back of the envelope, will ensure quick and efficient delivery.
- Use Special Delivery – For valuable and important packages and parcels guarantee delivery with Royal Mail’s Special Delivery, which means your gift is tracked, traced and insured against loss.
- Wrap parcels well and always give a return address
- For more information about Royal Mail’s last recommended posting dates, please visit: www.royalmail.com/greetings or call 03457 740 740.
About Royal Mail plc
Royal Mail plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK’s designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters (“UKPIL”) comprises the company’s UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the “Royal Mail” and “Parcelforce Worldwide” brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to more than 29 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. Royal Mail also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.
Christmas 2015 and New Year Bank Holiday 2016 opening hours
Royal Mail will be operating extended seasonal delivery and increasing customer collection services until Christmas Eve. This includes more than 400 Delivery Offices remaining open until 5 p.m. for parcel collection on Thursday December 24 2015.
In 2015, Boxing Day (26 December), which is typically a UK-wide Bank Holiday, falls on a Saturday. In Scotland, 2 January 2016, is a Scotland-wide Bank Holiday and also falls on a Saturday. When this has happened previously, (1998 and 2009), Royal Mail has historically received very low volumes of USO mail for delivery. We have consulted with the Communication Workers Union and Ofcom has now agreed that we can be exempt from our USO obligations on these two days.
Across the UK, there will be no delivery services or Customer Service Points open from Friday 25 December 2015 to Monday 28 December 2015 inclusive. Normal mail services will recommence on Tuesday 29 December until Thursday 31 December 2015. There will be no deliveries or Customer Service Points open on Friday 1 January 2016 across the UK, or in Scotland on Saturday 2 January 2016. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, normal mail services will resume on Saturday 2 January 2016, and in Scotland, they will restart on Monday 4 January 2016.
Royal Mail recognises that many online shoppers will order items for delivery after Christmas Day. The business has been working with a number of large customers to support them during this period. Royal Mail will continue to run its network operation throughout the holiday weekends to ensure that mail is ready for normal deliveries on Tuesday 29 December 2015 and Monday 4 2016.
Further information is available at www.royalmail.com/greetings.