Paper Tiger enlists customers to save Royal Mail as Earlybird receives Minister’s response
People power is the way card and gift retailer Paper Tiger is going in the fight to save Royal Mail letter deliveries and the universal service obligation.
Michael Apter, owner of the Edinburgh retailer’s four stores, has used his customer database to email everyone signed up to his newsletter, headed “The postie always delivers…don’t they?”, asking them to complete an online survey.
“Our whole industry implicitly understands how important it is to be able to send and receive cards,” Michael has written. “The GCA has plenty of data and analysis to back that up and, as an industry, we have made our #Cardmitment to protect the postal service, and also ensure that you can post your cards reliably, and at a fair price.
“We would be really grateful if you could spend a few minutes completing this survey that will help Paper Tiger and our friends across our industry understand what our customers want from the Royal Mail.”
And as a thank you, anyone completing the survey gets a 10% discount code for any online order over £20 placed before midnight on 6 October.
The survey asks how many birthday, Christmas and other occasion cards people buy, how many they hand deliver, and how many are sent by Royal Mail, first or second class, and it also questions whether the stamp price rises will affect these sending habits.
Michael was among the audience at the GCA’s conference 10 days ago where RM’s head of public affairs Fiona Hamilton attempted to defend the changes the delivery service wants in the legally-binding six-day one-price goes anywhere in the UK USO, which include slashing second-class deliveries to just two or three days a week.
After her presentation, the GCA made a new call for government action, along with a letter for members of the greeting card community to download and send to their MP demanding help save the 508-year-old Royal Mail.
Before the conference Heidi Early, co-owner of publisher and Stoke Newington retailer Earlybird Designs, had already written to MP Justin Madders, now minister for employment rights, competition and markets at the Department For Business & Trade with responsibility for postal services including Royal Mail.
In response to her concerns over the levels of service and Ofcom’s investigations into the future of the USO, the minister replied has just replied stating: “The government recognises the essential value of Royal Mail’s postal to businesses and the country’s economic success,” but he added that it does not have a role in RM’s operation or commercial decisions, although the company must “ensure a basic universal service is available to all at affordable prices and users of postal services, especially vulnerable consumers, are protected from on-going price rises”.
Although stating the government also is not involved in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions as then industry watchdog is independent, He added: “Ofcom has committed to further public consultations on these matters which will provide an opportunity for you to contribute your views on any proposals that Ofcom may bring forward.”
And he concluded: “The secretary ofsState and I have also met the chief executive officer and chair of Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distribution Services, to discuss several issues including letter delivery standards. They recognised there is more to do to meet service delivery targets and outlined how Royal Mail aims to improve the business and work towards stability and reliability for its customers.”
