As well as Royal Mail and Parcelforce parcels not being scanned at point of collection like other carriers manage to do, we also have the problem that all our Tracked 48 parcels are not scanned when they are received at our local hub. We are reliably informed that their standard practice is that because they are Tracked 48, they are left for 24 hours before being processed and scanned for the very first time. This means that our customers still get the "We're expecting it" message for at least 24 hours since it has been in the possession of Royal Mail. This is unacceptable and customers have difficulty in believing us when we say that their parcel has been despatched. This reflects badly on ourselves and damages our credibility and customer confidence in our service levels. It also results in negative feedback and lost customers especially at critical times such as the run up to Christmas.

Even if they cannot be scanned at the point of collection, all Tracked parcels should be scanned within a few hours of being collected from our business premises irrespective of whether they are a 48 or 24 hour service.

It is also worthy to note that if a parcel is "lost" for any reason before it is scanned for the very first time then Royal Mail will not accept a claim. Their stance is that there is no proof that they have received it even though we know that it has been in their possession for at least a day and has been transported between our premises, the local depot and then the hub.

For anyone who knows the shortcomings in their systems then there are plenty of "opportunities" shall we say!!

Another reason why they should be scanned as soon as they are in the possession of Royal Mail staff.

No ifs or buts!!!