issu e 55 Mar ch 201 5
8
4
Calm
under
pressure
When,
where,
how...
Depot focus
goes to
Nottingham
New service offers
more choice for
customers
7
Herts
of gold
Depot’s award
for customer care
At their
peak
How colleagues delivered
our best ever Christmas
Royal award for Douglas
MY view
Say it loud,
say it clear
Moya Greene, chief executive officer, Royal Mail Group
Listening is essential for
any company – including
Royal Mail.
That’s why our annual
Employee Survey, which starts
on 9 March, is so important.
Last year, 85 per cent of you
made the time and effort to
take part. That is a response
rate that would delight any
company. Please do the same
or better this year. Please tell
us what you think and tell us
how you feel.
Your feedback is taken very
seriously and we do act upon
your comments. Acting on
what you’ve said is essential.
I’m pleased we’ve made
progress.
Agenda for Growth agreement
has been embedded.
This includes the introduction
of mediators, a joint review of
engagement activity and the
joint agreement on growth,
efficiency and incentive
arrangements.
Please ensure your voice is
heard by making the most of
the annual Employee Survey.
THANK YOU
I’d like to take this opportunity
to acknowledge Donald
Brydon, who is standing down
as chairman of Royal Mail
later this year.
FEEDBACK
For example, you said you
wanted to be more involved
in decisions that affect you
at work.
Donald was appointed in
2009. Since then, he has
led the board at a time of
major change for Royal
Mail, including its on-going
transformation and the
company’s flotation in
October 2013.
In the past year, there has
been more union involvement
across the business as the
I would like to personally
thank him for his support
and counsel.
We want
your stories!
Freephone: 0800 083 9155.
Just let us know the basic
details of the story and a
contact name and number.
Email: james.wickham@
beetroot.co.uk
Write: PFW News, beetroot,
68 Leonard Street, London,
EC2A 4QX.
Get in touch
Contact Moya through
Just Say It. Email
justsayit@royalmail.
com or write to Just
Say It, Freepost
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02
PFW News
March 2015
Reward someone
who makes a difference
Do you know a colleague like Douglas
who’s a real star? If so, there’s still time
to nominate them for the 2015 Royal Mail
Group Chairman’s awards for Excellence.
There are five categories:
You
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pric an chec
e an
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mar y time t e share
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oyal s open a tock
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until the honours were published.
“To be honest, I still can’t believe it.
I have always thought that an honour
such as this is out of reach for an
ordinary person and I feel extremely
privileged to be recognised in this way.
Of course, all the things that I have
achieved have only happened because
of the support of many friends and
colleagues at work.
“I’ve always tried to become involved
in the local community wherever I’ve
lived, so I think this is also an award
for those communities. I think it is
important to make a difference.”
Douglas was diagnosed with
lymphatic cancer in 2010 and the most
recent of his many charity fundraisers
was in support of the “Turn Britain
Purple” Lymphatic Cancer Awareness
Week in September. With the help
of colleagues, his raffle of a purple
jeroboam (3 litre bottle) of champagne,
raised more than £2,200.
Douglas Faulconbridge has been
awarded the British Empire Medal in
the Queen’s New Year’s Honours.
It is the fourth award in a few months
for Douglas, who works at the Parcel
Recovery Centre at the National Hub
in Coventry. He was Parcelforce
Employee of the Year in 2014, locally
and nationally, and also received a
Royal Mail Group Chairman’s Excellence
Award.
Douglas’s award was “for services
to Royal Mail and the community”,
reflecting his many charitable
fundraising efforts with Parcelforce,
as well as his work with community
groups, most notably with the scouting
organisation – he organises numerous
cub scout events every year.
Douglas said: “The day before my
birthday in November I had a letter
from the Cabinet Office telling me I’d
been selected. It was a great birthday
present but I had to keep it confidential
Best Colleague– awarded to a person
who really makes a difference to their
workplace. This award is dedicated to the
memory of Royal Mail colleague Shyanu
Parathasangary, who tragically lost her life
in the London bombings of July 2005
Change Champion– a team or individual
who has played a major part in helping to
transform any part of our business
CEO’s Award for Bravery– a team or
individual who has gone above and
beyond their normal daily duty and shown
exceptional bravery, for example by
rescuing a customer or colleague, or facing
a difficult situation with moral or physical
courage.
Customer Excellence– this goes to a team
or individual who delivers exceptional
customer satisfaction or service
The winners will be announced on 12 June
at a special event hosted by our chairman
Donald Brydon and chief executive Moya
Greene.
Community Champion– a team or
individual who makes a real difference to
the community they work or live in
You can register your nomination on
myroyalmail.com/chairmansawards2015
until 13 March.
SAVE AS
YOU SEND
You can get 15 per
cent off our UK and
International services
(excluding globalvalue and
globaleconomy) for the rest
of this month with promo
code FEB and in March with
the promo code MAR.
All you need to do is
quote this code when
you book online, over
the phone, at your local
Parcelforce depot or Post
Office branch.
You can use this code
again and again and share
it with your friends and
family so you can all save as
you send with Parcelforce
– whether you’ve got a gift
to post or you’re simply
sending something you’ve
sold online.
PFW News
March 2015
03
Spoilt for choice
Parcelforce Select allows customers to
choose WHEN, WHERE and HOW they want
their parcel delivered – which includes
improved text and email messages to get
up-to-the-minute information about their
delivery.
It has been launched in response to the
changing needs of etailers and customers.
“People shopping online want their
delivery to be really easy,” said product
manager Peter Davis. “They want to
choose exactly when and where their
parcel is delivered, and they want to be
able to change their mind, even on the
day of delivery. We can help by offering an
outstanding range of delivery choices.”
Customers are offered three different pre-
delivery messages, telling them when to expect
their parcel. If they wish, they can respond
to the first two, in order to select a different
delivery destination or alternate delivery day.
Customers are also now being informed
when a delivery has been attempted, and if
their parcel has been left with a neighbour or
at a Post Office. Although attempted delivery
cards will still be used alongside the new
notifications, customers can also now use their
mobile to collect their package.
“In the past, a customer would have to bring
their attempted delivery card to the Post Office,
but now they can just show their text, along
with another form of ID,” said Peter. “This is just
another way we are adding convenience for
the customer.”
In order to provide a seamless service, IT
and operational changes were implemented
before the new options were made available to
customers.
“We’ve not had to make many changes to our
delivery process,” said operations development
manager Steve Spears. “The main thing is
to make sure that we are doing what we
should be doing anyway. A scan isn’t just
being used to track a parcel, it can also be
used to trigger a message to the sender or
recipient.”
Delivery and collection drivers have
been briefed about the ‘double dot’
system should a package be delivered to a
neighbour. Drivers need to note the initial
and surname of the neighbour, followed by
two double dots, then the house number.
This process means the recipient can be
informed where their parcel has been left.
“We asked drivers to start doing this in
January,” said Steve. “Early results have
been fantastic and we are up to 95 per cent
success already – a brilliant result.”
Select is being launched with a range
of marketing activity, supported by digital
advertising, events and social media. For
more information visit
parcelforce.com/select
2015 Employee Survey
This year’s Employee Survey opens on 9 March and
runs for three weeks. Last year, we achieved a fantastic
response rate of 86 per cent, and we’re hoping to do
even better this year.
Your feedback tells senior managers where we are
doing well and also where we need to improve. It helps us
04
PFW News
March 2015
create a corporate action plan, and it helps managers in
units build local plans.
The survey is run by Ipsos MORI and all responses are
completely confidential. We will share the results of the
survey, both at a company level and depot level, later
this year.
Peak practice
brings new
records
Hardworking and professional
frontline teams helped steer
Parcelforce to another best ever
Christmas period.
That was the verdict of operations
director Peter Fuller as he
commented on figures which showed
that more than nine million items
were handled during December
for the first time, among a raft of
new records for the business. Other
highlights included:
• Our busiest ever hour, day, week
and month in both Coventry
National Hub and North West
Processing Centre
• Our busiest ever day for both
export and import processing at
Coventry International Hub
• Nine days on which more than
450,000 items were delivered
• Our busiest ever day, week and
month of deliveries in the depots
• Close to 500,000 items delivered
on each of the two busiest days.
Peter said: “Clearly we had another
very busy peak period. This year
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
exceeded all expectations and
Parcelforce received unprecedented
volumes for so early in December.
It’s difficult to say whether this
helped us and pulled forward some
peak volume or actually created new
online business.
“Other carriers experienced service
issues over peak and had their own
well publicised problems.
“Parcelforce however had a great
Christmas, thanks to the hard work
of our frontline and management
teams. We delivered more items than
ever before at a really good quality of
service level. We were really pushed
at times but the hubs, network and
depot teams coordinated their
activity to ensure service to the
customer was maintained.
“Parcelforce is a premium carrier
and our customers expect the very
best for their money. At Christmas
we were able to demonstrate great
performance at this critical time
of year, which should serve us well
through 2015.”
for customers –
• Delivering
Our peak heroes, p10 and 11
City
statement
On 22 January 2015, the
company updated the City
on our performance for the
first nine months of 2014-15,
including the vital Christmas
period.
Many of our competitors
encountered problems over the
festive period, with City Link,
Hermes and Yodel making the
headlines.
However, Royal Mail Group
– as the UK’s biggest carrier
– performed very well. In
December alone, we handled
around 120 million parcels – a
four per cent increase on last
year.
We also delivered one of
our highest ever quality of
service performances for parcel
delivery to our customers over
the month.
Overall, trading was in line
with our expectations, with
the seasonal increase in parcel
volumes coming through as
anticipated.
The money we earned, as a
Group, rose one per cent*. The
money we were paid across our
UK business, UKPIL, was flat*
with parcel and letter revenues
now both flat* compared to last
year.
Find out more
You can see the full statement
by visiting:
royalmailgroup.com/
investor-centre
*Movements in volume and
revenue are on an underlying
basis, unless otherwise stated.
Underlying means we have
adjusted for certain items
to make the results easier to
compare and understand.
PFW News
March 2015
05
Dragons say ‘I’m in’
weight to business
TV show entrepreneurs and slimmers add
A business owned by two of TV’s
“dragons” is among high profile
customers from the leisure, health,
logistics and IT industries to
have chosen Parcelforce
to handle their
distribution.
Red Letter Days,
jointly owned by Theo
Paphitis and Peter
Jones of Dragons’
Den fame was among
companies looking for
new partners following the
collapse of City Link’s business over
Christmas.
Slimming World, Kuehne + Nagel
and Misco UK were also among those
choosing Parcelforce.
Red Letter Days offers its customers
unforgettable gift experiences and
forms part of an impressive portfolio
of companies owned by Paphitis,
which includes Ryman, Robert
Dyas and Boux Avenue,
all of which are existing
corporate customers of
Parcelforce.
Red Letter Days posts
from one despatch
location in Southgate,
North London and the
collections are performed by
the London North West depot.
The traffic will be mainly Express24.
With 4,000 consultants and
700,000 members, Slimming World
is one of the UK’s leading weight-loss
organisations. Parcelforce will chiefly
be responsible for deliveries of new
member packs to consultants’ home
addresses.
The annual volume will consist of
1.4 million UK items, mainly using the
Express24 service.
There will also be 50,000 deliveries
to the Republic of Ireland.
Kuehne + Nagel is one of the world’s
leading logistics providers, catering
to virtually all key industry sectors.
Parcelforce will be responsible for the
delivery of up to 300,000 items per
year in the UK, and will be delivering
on behalf of several of Kuenhe +
Nagel’s clients. As with Slimming
World, most of these items will be
delivered using the Express24 service.
Misco UK specialises in offering IT
and software solutions to homes,
businesses and the public sector.
Four candles to mark 50 years
One of Britain’s best loved comedy
duos is being honoured as Royal Mail
marks 50 years of special stamps.
The Two Ronnies, Barker and
Corbett, will feature on a stamp in
April, along with a reference to their
much loved Four Candles sketch.
The pair feature in the Comedy
Greats issue out on 1 April, along with
other comedians who have provided
some of the nation’s most memorable
laugh-out-loud moments.
In 2015 Royal Mail is also honouring
prominent British inventions with the
Inventive Britain issue – including a
stamp to mark the invention of the
world wide web by Tim Berners-Lee.
May will see the second issue
in the five-year series of stamps
commemorating the First World War,
while the military theme continues
with stamps marking the bicentenary
06
PFW News
March 2015
of The Battle of Waterloo in June and
75 years since the start of The Battle
of Britain in July.
To learn more about Royal Mail’s
special stamps programme, and to
see stamps we’ve issued in the past,
visit rmspecialstamps.com
L-r Martin Lomas,
Nicola Ward and
Russell Macauley
All Welwyn gold
Colleagues at Welwyn Garden City
depot have been named the best
in the business for welcoming new
customers and encouraging them to
do business with Parcelforce.
The depot came top of the charts
in the inaugural Golden Welcome
scheme.
Scores were calculated based on
the average score for each of five
different measures including initial
contact, customer numbers and
revenue levels.
Once weighting had been applied
Welwyn Garden City finished ahead
of runners up Exeter and third placed
Reading. There was also a table for
best area, with Northern Ireland
topping the list.
Receiving the award from head
of marketing Martin Lomas were
delivery and collection manager
Nicola Ward and customer service
adviser Russell Macauley.
Russell said: “We put a lot of
effort into talking to customers and
developing a relationship early on.
“It gives the customer at the earliest
stage a point of contact for any
queries they may have. That can often
save them two or three phone calls.
And it’s much easier to do business
with someone who has already
been introduced and customers
are usually very pleased to receive
a welcome call.”
Nicola added: “It creates a very
good impression. Customers feel
happy to ring us even with what
seems like a small issue, and most of
the time we can help or work around
their requirements.
“After that initial call, one of our
drivers will also go and visit the
customer and they become the face
of the business.
“Having a local contact is very
important for local businesses –
they know they are dealing with a
parcel company that knows them and
their area.”
More than 2,500 businesses have
been given a Golden Welcome since
the scheme’s launch in October 2013.
It encourages depot colleagues
to contact their new customers,
introduce and set up an initial
meeting with their driver, and
help them better understand how
Parcelforce can help their business.
It has led to an improvement in the
number of weeks taken for a new
customer to post and is currently
helping retain up to 21 per cent more
customers than last year.
Share statement
Stamps celebrating
The Two Ronnies
(left) and Tim
Berners-Lee
Eligible employees with Free Shares have started to receive
their first Share Incentive Plan (SIP ) annual statement.
The statement, sent to registered home addresses, shows
information relating to colleagues’ Royal Mail Free Shares
from both the SIP 2013 and SIP 2014 allocations.
Eligible full-time employees, who were awarded 729 Free
Shares, have in total received more than £145 in dividend
payments.
Details on the SIP annual statement include:
• The date you were awarded your SIP 2013 and SIP 2014
Free Shares
• The holding period
• The number of SIP 2013 and SIP 2014 Free Shares you
have been awarded.
For more information, you can log into your online Employee
Shares Account at royalmailemployeeshares.co.uk at any time
to view details of your holdings in Royal Mail and how much
your Free Shares are currently worth.
If you have any questions, you can call the Employee Shares
helpline on 0800 012 12 13. Lines are open from 8.30am to
5.30pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).
Calls to the hotline are free from BT landlines, but other
network providers may charge. You can also access live chat
at myroyalmail.com/employee-share-offers
PFW News
March 2015
07
depot focus
Nottingham
PFW News travelled to Nottingham
to find out how colleagues there
coped with the demands of
peak pressure
MAN WITH A PLAN
Advanced planning and
improved training for
new and temporary
staff helped make the
Christmas peak a success,
according to Nottingham’s
late shift manager Nick
Anscombe.
“We started planning
back in July, we staffed up
early on and got drivers
used to routes before the
busiest period,” he said.
“It’s important to get
the right people in and
familiarise them with
08
PFW News
March 2015
the company and our
procedures. Once that’s
done it’s about having a
good idea of how many
items we will be dealing
with each day, so we can
plan and get everything
out in the morning.
“December always
throws up new challenges
but it’s those challenges
that we thrive on. It’s a
good team to work with
– we enjoy working with
each other and that makes
a big difference.”
ON THE BALL
FAVOURITE HAUNTS
Admin supervisor Scott
McCabe joined Parcelforce
as a Christmas temp four
years ago, and enjoyed it
so much he stayed.
“It was busy but there
was a great atmosphere
around the place and I was
made to feel part of the
team straight away,” he
said.
“My main roles are
taking customer calls,
working on the front desk
and I am also the depot
compensation and sales
leads champion.
“Issues do arise during
peak but the important
thing is to remember to
take a breath, count to 10
and try your best to solve
them.”
With a background in
bricklaying, lifting parcels
is no problem for sorter
Jon Cranfield.
“I also do a bit of driving
and picking,” he added.
“It keeps you on your toes,
especially when things get
very busy during the peak.”
When he’s not working,
Jon can often be found
filming some of the
country’s spookiest
buildings for a YouTube
channel dedicated to
paranormal activity.
“I find the whole
thing fascinating. The
scariest place I went
to was the Ancient Ram
Inn in Gloucester – the
whole place had a very
oppressive atmosphere.”
PEAK PERFORMER
ALL ROUNDER
Collection and delivery
driver Chris Johnson’s
route covers the Peak
District town of Matlock.
As well as enjoying
driving through some of
England’s most scenic
countryside, he has built
up some strong customer
relationships.
He said: “I like being out
and about. As a driver you
are, to a great extent, your
own boss and it’s good
to see how much trust
the management put in
drivers to make the right
decisions.”
As CWU rep, Chris has
also been impressed by the
progress made with the
Table of Success.
He added: “It’s a
fantastic way of engaging
with staff.”
Former printer Bhavesh
Shindroja used to create
bottle labels for Boots the
chemist but for the last
10 years it’s been parcel
labels he’s been focused
on.
An all-rounder who
works in the warehouse
and lends a hand with
admin, Bhavesh was
introduced to the job by his
uncle who also works at
the depot.
“A big part of my role is
processing undelivered
and damaged parcels,” he
said.
“It does get extremely
busy at peak times and the
greater volume of parcels
means more for me to do,
but everyone tries to chip
in and help out.”
In numbers
123
Number of staff
74
Number of vehicles
11.5K
Average daily deliveries
at peak
5K
Average daily collections
at peak
IN TOUCH
Administrator Glen Martin has
been resolving Parcelforce
customer enquiries in
Nottingham for more than 20
years.
“Things have certainly
changed a lot since I started
as a data inputter,” she
said. “Everything was done
manually and much of it was
handwritten, but I’ve always
loved the job.
“It’s always busy in this
depot and during peak the
phones ring much more than
usual. But I always make a
point of calling customers
back to keep in touch. Even if
we haven’t got an immediate
solution, our customers
appreciate being kept
informed.”
PFW News
March 2015
09
The customer had not added all her
return details onto the parcel so the
return proved difficult.
However, Marie liaised with the
relevant depot and soon resolved the
issue.
The customer wrote: “Thank you
for the quick and professional way
you dealt with my problem. Your
customer care and manner has been
exemplary.”
Marie added: “We managed to find it
and get it returned to her the next day –
I think that’s why she was so pleased. It
is good to get feedback from customers
especially during the peak period when
it’s very busy.”
Ricky Stopps
Time
for heroes
GLASS ACT
Colleagues pull out all the stops to deliver
Christmas for customers
Marie Heath
“It was great
customer service, so
good that I will use
your service again.”
Barry Hoff
During the busiest weeks of the year,
colleagues across the country show the
kind of dedication to customers that
makes Parcelforce stand out from the
competition.
This year was no exception; and among
the millions of routine deliveries, many
individuals and teams earned praise for
going the extra mile during peak.
One example was delivery and
collection manager Barry Hoff at Solent
depot who helped ensure a precious
album of wedding photographs was
delivered to a happy couple by Christmas
as expected.
The story unfolded after Parcelforce
was contacted by a photographer, who
10
PFW News
March 2015
realised she had wrongly addressed the
package containing the pictures and
was keen to ensure the album did not go
astray.
Eric Appleby from operational support
contacted Barry having established from
the tracking that it had been loaded to an
outbound trailer an hour earlier.
Barry said: “I knew which trailer it was
and the time it was scanned, but other
than that it was the luck of the draw.
At the time there were probably about
1,000 items on the trailer. Because it was
our busiest time I couldn’t stop the whole
operation, so we continued loading on
one side while I searched the other.
“I did manage to find the parcel though,
and once we had put the correct details
on, we attempted a delivery the same
night.
“The good news is we sorted it out so
quickly that the couple probably didn’t
even realise the work going on behind
the scenes to get their photos to them.”
Eric said: “Even during our busiest
period, Barry took personal ownership. It
just goes to show how we can pull all the
stops out to recover a difficult situation,
even when the difficulty is not of our
making.”
CREDIT DUE
Keith Phillips
During the busiest period of the year,
turning frustrated customers into happy
ones can take extra patience.
This was demonstrated by Keith
Phillips, a customer services advisor
at Oxford depot, who was described
by one customer as a “credit to the
organisation”.
The customer explained: “I was trying
to resolve an issue with my parcel
which hadn’t been delivered, and I was
becoming frustrated but then I got
through to Keith.
“He was a complete gentleman; going
up and down the stairs to see where my
parcel was and telling me that he could
get it to me the next day and apologising
for the trouble I experienced – very
professional, very polite and ever so
helpful. It was great customer service, so
good that I will use your service again.”
PRESENT AND CORRECT
Colleagues in the managing director’s
team at Wakefield also earned their
share of praise. Among them was Marie
Heath. She received positive comments
from several customers, including one
she helped by tracking down a wedding
present that had been undelivered in the
Republic of Ireland.
It’s not just collections and deliveries
which show customer service at its best
during peak.
Tonbridge depot driver Ricky Stopps
helped free a woman whose hand had
been trapped in a broken sash window.
She had been unable to raise anyone’s
attention until Ricky stopped outside her
house in Tunbridge Wells.
Ricky managed to get a ladder from
the customer’s garden and was about
to climb to her rescue when a neighbour
arrived with a spare key. But even with
access to the property, Ricky still had
to get on to the window ledge to lift the
window and free the woman’s hand.
Ricky said: “Her hand had become
trapped between the two sections of
the window and she was clearly in a lot
of pain. I helped calm her down and
checked she was OK for me to try and lift
the window. Her hand looked quite badly
damaged.”
The woman went to hospital to have
her injuries checked, and thankfully her
hand was not broken.
Ricky said: “I saw her in town the next
day and she thanked me and told me she
had badly bruised her hand but that she
was otherwise OK.”
The customer later wrote: “I am
indebted to Ricky for his prompt action
and kindness as I was in great pain.”
Ricky’s manager Mark Keen said: “This
happened at the height of the pressure
period, when Ricky would have been
very busy. However, once he helped the
lady he got straight back on with his job
and cleared all of his day’s work.”
PFW News
March 2015
11

We keep an eye on
the competition
DPD
topped the customer service poll on Martin
Lewis' Money Saving Expert website. Over 9,000 people
voted, with 66 per cent rating DPD’s service as 'great'.
Parcelforce scored 43 per cent ‘great’, while UK Mail
scored only 27 per cent and City Link 25 per cent.
(Source – MoneySavingExpert.com)
Yodel
delivered 15.5 million parcels between 1 and
24 December – 11 per cent more than during the same
period in 2013. Figures also showed the carrier accepted
more than 600,000 more items than previously agreed
with retailers over the Black Friday weekend.
(Source – Internet Retailing)
UK Mail announced record volumes of parcels
during the vital Christmas period. Shares in UK
Mail jumped more than seven per cent at the news
announced in January.
(Source – telegraph.co.uk)
Amazon
says its Amazon Logistics platform has
helped it grow its Sunday deliveries by more than four
times in the last year. Amazon Prime members can
have their parcels delivered on Sunday at no additional
charge.
(Source – Internet Retailing)
APC Overnight set a new company record
when it processed 166,092 parcels in 24 hours on 15
December. To cope with the anticipated increased
demand, APC Overnight invested £6 million in its
national sortation centre.
(Source – fleetnews.co.uk)
Want to know more? Go to the competitor
page on the Parcelforce intranet under sales
12
PFW News
March 2015
Get a grip –
don’t slip
Simple steps to avoiding
slips, trips and falls
Slip and trip accidents are one of the most common lost time
injury categories across Parcelforce – and the wintery weather
increases the risk of these occurring.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure we are properly
equipped to deal with the hazards caused by the great British
weather.
And that includes ensuring that footwear is suitable and
sufficient, to help reduce the number of slips and trips that occur.
Colleagues across the business have been asked to follow these
three steps to make sure that standards – and their feet – are not
slipping.
Right place,
right time
Driver Steve praised for quick-thinking care
•Check only PFW issue footwear is being used (except where
medical exemptions have been approved)
•Check your footwear to ensure the soles have sufficient tread
and are free from splitting
•Check laces for wear and fraying.
If your footwear needs replacing or you are having problems
wearing it, report it immediately to your line manager.
Did you know?
In February 2014:
16%
33%
of all accidents across Parcelforce were slip and trips
of serious accidents were slip and trips
Learn online
A new interactive e-learning course "PFW Work Equipment, it's
PUWER and Simple" is now available to equip colleagues with the
knowledge required by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations (PUWER). The e-learning is accessed though the
People System Portal (PSP).
PUWER aims to ensure that all equipment is suitable for its
intended purpose, is regularly maintained to ensure safety, is only
used by people who have adequate training, and is inspected by a
competent worker.
Steve Harper has seen many things
on his rounds during eight years as a
Parcelforce driver, and before that a
decade as a Royal Mail postman.
But he had no way of knowing what
was about to happen when he called at
an address in the village of Auchtertool
in Fife, looking for someone to take a
collection for a neighbour.
Moments after answering Steve’s
knock at the door, the woman who
agreed to take the package collapsed
at his feet.
Steve recalled: “She was in the
process of signing for the parcel when
all of a sudden her expression went
completely blank and she just fell
down.
“It was quite a shock but then
adrenaline just kicked in and I think I
“It was quite a shock
but then adrenaline
just kicked in”
only did what anyone else would have
done in that situation.”
Steve immediately stopped the
woman from falling and injuring herself
further before calling for an ambulance
and talking to the emergency operator
about her condition.
All this happened in a matter of
moments while the woman’s husband
was elsewhere in the house unaware
of what was going on at the doorstep.
When he realised what had happened,
he helped Steve bring his wife into the
house and make her as comfortable as
possible. Although Steve is a trained
life-saver, he was happy to let the
medical experts take over.
Steve added: “I waited there until the
ambulance arrived so I could guide it
to the house – it is quite a narrow road.
I made sure she was in good hands
before I left to carry on my rounds.
Nothing like this has happened to me
before – and I hope for our customers’
sake that it doesn’t happen again!”
Sometime later the woman’s husband
wrote to thank Parcelforce and Steve.
He wrote: “The driver’s actions were
tremendous, he supported her from
behind, stopping her from falling out
of the door and immediately called for
an ambulance. We are so grateful for
his actions and care – you have a really
wonderful guy so please thank him.”
PFW News
March 2015
13
Festive fun
raises charity funds
It may have been the busiest time of year but that
didn’t stop colleagues across the country doing their
bit for good causes.
At Newcastle depot a Tree of Kindness, the idea of
collection and delivery driver Brian Smith, doubled
as festive decoration and a collection point for more
than 200 charity Christmas gifts.
Colleagues at the depot donated confectionary
selection boxes as well as cash donations which
were displayed under the tree before being donated
to two local charities. These were Out of Sight,
which supports children and young people who
are registered blind or visually impaired and their
families and carers; and Percy Hedley School for
teenagers with disabilities in Killingworth.
In the Midlands the Birmingham customer service
helpdesk, along with colleagues at Birmingham depot,
raised money and donated items for the local food
bank, SIFA Fireside.
Their combined efforts raised £300 which was used
to buy food, adding to around £250 worth of food
already donated.
Shape up and support
Sarah-Jane Onions,
resolutions team leader,
said: “I am extremely proud
of everyone involved, I think
this is a fantastic gesture and they
all deserve recognition for what they have
achieved.”
A cake sale, raffles and a bring-and-share
buffet helped the platinum, exams, billing
and Worldwide Distribution Manager (WDM)
helpdesks at Milton Keynes HQ raise more
than £600 for our Charity of the Year, the
Stroke Association.
The Birmingham teams
Cate Radford, platinum team leader, said: with Mary Manton from
“We had lots of fun but also stayed focused SIFA Fireside
on the service we were providing. The teams
worked very hard and we are delighted at the
outcome.”
The HQ team also took part in a Christmas jumper
day, as did colleagues at North Essex depot who also
held a raffle to raise a total of £380 for various
charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Long servers
Ray Francis, corporate accounts
30 years
Philip Hutchinson, Gatwick
Wendy Thomas, Remote working
Kevin Speight, Gatwick
David Bennett, Tonbridge
Alan Wootton, Cleveland
20 years
Alison McCarroll, Belfast
Kevin Williams, Nottingham
Nigel Gittins, Shrewsbury
Martyn Nisbet, Coventry National Hub
Kathleen Martin, Nottingham
Roy Brooks, Rotherham
Paul McGowan, Londonderry satellite
Michael Anderson, Milton Keynes HQ
14
PFW News
March 2015
10 Years
Daniel Cooper, North Essex
Mark Surtees, Stoke
Neil Morgan, Lincoln
Said Sharif, London West
Xola Monakali, London Central
Philip Brittan, Cambridge
Simon Gilson, Remote working
Raymond Mcilquham, Milton Keynes
Ankur Patel, London West
John Milward, Gatwick
Hareshkumar Solanki, London West
Rodney Stoute, London West
Pavitar Singh, Coventry
Roop Sidhu, London West
Trishen Patel, London West
Wayne Norman, London East
Wayne Haynes, London East
William Valentine, London East
Alex Stables, Leicester
Steve Thornton, Cambridge
Tom Mansbridge
and Jenny Hinds at
Milton Keynes HQ
The HQ team
Brian Smith
and the Tree
of Kindness
If so, you can take advantage
of the partnership between
the Stroke Association and
Royal Mail Group which offers
colleagues free spaces on
upcoming fundraising events,
such as fun runs, all around
the UK.
By registering for a place at
any of the specified events, you
will need to fundraise for our
Charity of the Year, the Stroke
Association. All money you raise
will be matched by the business,
penny for penny.
Places are allocated on a first
come, first served basis. If
you are awarded a free place
you will be asked to pledge a
minimum amount of fundraising
for the Stroke Association.
The minimum amount varies by
event (many start at just £50)
and the minimum fundraising
target excludes Royal Mail
matched giving.
To secure a Royal Mail free
space, apply using the online
form at myroyalmail.com/
freespaces where you will also
find a full list of events and
terms and conditions.
Your application will also
register you for matched giving,
so there’s no need to complete a
separate application.
Collecting money online is
the easiest way to gather
donations. Please note that
you must use Charities Trust’s
fundraising site sponsorme.
co.uk to be eligible for matched
giving and grants from Royal
Mail Group.
If you have any questions
regarding free space events,
please call the Stroke
Association on 020 7566 1549
or email
royalmail@stroke.org.uk
Prize Sudoku
Congratulations to everyone who recently achieved a long service milestone
40 years
Want to get fit in 2015?
Colourful jumpers
in North Essex
Chris Cowles, Exeter
Mark Hibbert, Plymouth
Paul Cook, Plymouth
Paul Keigher, Manchester
Daniel Walke, Stoke
Martin Harris, Carlisle
David Purkess, Solent
Nicholas Blunsden, Bristol
Russell Hartley, Carlisle
Marcin Gierak, Coventry International Hub
Claire Hollis, Coventry International Hub
Joga Nijjar, Coventry National Hub
Michael Burry, London South West
Robert Cullen, Preston
Elaine Norris, Milton Keynes HQ
Nigel Morrison, Deeside
Jan Szoma, Coventry International Hub
Blerim Uka, London West
Gary Southgate, Ipswich
Joanne Osborne, Bristol
Simon Wareing, Hereford satellite
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Congratulations to Karen Ferguson
of Oxford depot who won last issue’s
Sudoku competition. Love2shop
vouchers worth £50 are again up for
grabs, so to be in with a chance of
winning, send your completed puzzle
to: PFW News Sudoku, beetroot, 68
Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4QX.
The closing date for entries is 31
March 2015, with the winner decided
by a draw.
December
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Name: Work location: Address: Tel no: Email: PFW News
March 2015
15
ON THE SPOT
Auf
Wiedersehen,
petals
Patience, politeness
and being a good
listener…
are the main attributes you need
to be a depot administrator.
This is especially true during
the peak period when things get
very busy. My favourite part of
the job is talking with customers
and helping answer their queries
and solving problems. Even if I
can’t find an answer straight
away I always make a point of
letting them know how things are
progressing.
The best advice I had
when I started this
role…
was to stay calm and always put
the customer first. I’d say the
same to anyone today who is
learning the role.
My job used to be
more petals than
parcels
Margaret Cook, Edinburgh
depot admin, talks customer
service, carnations
and cookery
I was a florist for six years
before joining Parcelforce two
years ago. I really enjoyed it
but the business started to
slow down. I still do flowers for
friends and for family events.
I can’t wait for the
summer…
because there’s more sun and it
seems to put everyone in a much
better mood. It also reminds me
of great holidays. Last year we
went to Cancun in Mexico. I loved
the weather, the scenery, and the
food. I’m not a fan of spicy food
but it’s not all hot chilli, there are
plenty of things to suit all tastes.
If I could swap places
with a famous person
for one day…
it would be someone like Celine
Dion. I’d love to have a singing
voice like that.
You can learn a lot
from others
My school teachers were a big
influence on me, especially Miss
Smith, my maths teacher, and
Miss Gray for home economics.
When I was young, I wanted to
be a cookery teacher myself. I
still enjoy cooking – chicken Kievs
wrapped in bacon is one of my
favourite dishes.