A large part of our business is providing small businesses in and around St. neots with convential direct mail activity or more commonly known as mailshots, weather 500,000 units of mail or 500 units of mail. Print Hut have had a series of issues where mail hasn't landed within the usual time scales due to the recent action. This can have a huge impact on our clients expectations and a negative return on their investments in this media. This is the last thing I want to hear of as a business own in the print media field in St.Neots. It is common place for owners of small business to have a pop at the Royal Mail at any opportunity and instead turn their attentions to the new alternative providers for a better solution. This of course is what the government want to see. Deregulation of postal services was introduced for this very reason. As a result of partially opening up the postal supply chain we now see increased competition of a previously closed market place and downward pressure on costs all over the shop. However, I can add to this that in general the Royal Mail have improved many facets of their business through forced improvement processes imposed on them by Postcomm in the past 3 years or so. I know as well as anyone its easy to criticise RM, but this current episode is industrial action after all and NOT poor processes. Industrial action is a very different bebate to poor processes. On average the Royal mail exceed the governmentt performance targets and are an asset to the national and a lifeline for any small buisness. Who else can deliver a parcel for under a tenner anywhere in the UK, without the need for credit application forms, minimum guarenteed traffic levels and software alliances. Who else are a viable provider for a DM pack of 500 letters for a small business in St. Neots? Ok so you have to take it so a post office or pop it in a letter box, but that may be changing as well so watch the postal market change again within 3 years!!!
