Royal Mail has launched new earlier customer notifications, advising recipients the day before of their delivery day and estimated delivery time. Recipients will also get shorter estimated delivery windows, starting at two hours.
Last year, Royal Mail introduced a four-hour estimated delivery window for its Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48 services, which was available on the day of delivery.
However, one third (33%) of online shoppers want to receive information about their parcel the day before delivery, according to Royal Mail’s Delivery Matters research.
Royal Mail explained that the expected delivery windows are based on the unique nature of its network that delivers to around 30 million addresses in the UK, six days a week.
“This means Royal Mail delivery windows can be calculated earlier than competitors with different daily routes based on the parcels they have for delivery that day. Competitor networks can only predict delivery times on the morning of delivery,” the postal operator claimed.
These new enhancements will make deliveries more convenient and allow recipients to plan their day better, the company said. If recipients are not at home at the time of the Royal Mail delivery, the parcel can be left with a neighbour or in the safe place that the customer requested when they placed the order.
For Tracked items where there is no neighbour available or a safe place was not stated, Royal Mail can send an electronic notification when the item is ready for collection at their Customer Service Point. This electronic notification means that recipients do not have to go home to collect their “Something for You” card and can often collect their parcel on their way home.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail said “Notifying customers of their expected delivery time the day before we deliver is just one of the ways we are helping to make our customers’ lives easier. Coupled with a shorter estimated delivery time of as little as two hours creates a step change in convenience for online shoppers. Our posting customers also benefit from increased repeat orders from happy online shoppers. This latest innovation is part of our major investment in changes that increase convenience for our customers and their recipients.”
