The Mail Must Get Through

With the current postal strike, getting your mail through on time is touch and go. Personally I don't mind if my bills come through the door a little slower than usual, but when those goodies that I purchased online are not arriving, then it's somewhat more of an issue.

While people who know a thing or two about stamp costs and delivery routes get to the heart of the issue, there are many retailers resorting to back up delivery methods, (at often increased costs), and apology notes to get through this strike period. I've encountered many sites reassuring me that, despite the strike, my goods will be delivered on time. But at what cost, and who eventually bears these?

The last few months have clearly demonstrated that it is the multi-channel retailer who has been thriving and, in some degree, helping deliver us from the evils of this recession. Surely, for those who traditionally use Royal Mail, this impact on the delivery of goods, whether is it is a decrease in customer satisfaction or increased cost of delivery , must hurt. So what do retailers do? Shrug and hope that is is put to rest quickly, and cross fingers that it does not happen again? (It follows that with the growth in online business any future upheavals could be felt even more accutely.)

The wise will already have a contingency in place. Chief Executive of Amazon, Brain McBride, says now is not the time to make any hasty decisions about relationships with Royal Mail.