06 December 2018
Aberdeenshire Provost Cllr Bill Howatson thanks local Postmen and Women as they gear up to deliver a first-class Christmas
Provost of Aberdeenshire Cllr Bill Howatson visited Stonehaven Delivery Office this week to see first-hand the operation of delivering Christmas post and to pass on early Season’s Greetings to its dedicated, hardworking staff.
Provost Howatson was shown around the office by Delivery Office Manager Keith Allan and was introduced to the postmen and women, who will be pulling out all the stops to sort and d
eliver mail in Aberdeenshire in the forthcoming busy Christmas period.
The Festive Season is Royal Mail’s busiest period, as millions of people shop online for gifts as well as sending Christmas cards and parcels. Royal Mail also plays a key role in e-commerce for many businesses sending goods to customers throughout Christmas shopping season.
Provost Bill Howatson said: “At no other time is the hard work and dedication of postmen and women clearer than during the festive period. There is a huge amount of effort and dedication that goes into delivering a first-class Christmas all over the country.
“It was great to meet the team at Stonehaven and thank them for the extraordinary lengths they will go to ensure Christmas parcels and cards are delivered to loved ones on time, as well as thanking them for delivering our mail services all through the year, in all weathers.”
Stonehaven Royal Mail Delivery Office Manager Keith Allan said: “Our postmen and women will be working extremely hard to deliver Christmas parcels, cards, letters and parcels to people in Aberdeenshire. We are grateful that Provost Howatson visited the office to see our operation and to support the team.
“We’d like to remind our customers to post early this Christmas and to ensure all their mail is posted by the recommended dates, so that friends and family can enjoy their Christmas greetings and parcels . If everyone uses the postcode on every item of mail, this also helps us greatly in the job that we do at this very busy time.”
Customers do not need to travel to a Royal Mail Delivery office to pick up parcels if they can’t or do not want to. They can arrange a redelivery free of charge on a day that is convenient for them (including Saturdays), or Royal Mail can deliver the item to a different address within the same postcode area. This service can be arranged by calling the number on the “Something for You” card we leave or by visiting our website at www.royalmail.com/redelivery.
Royal Mail can also now leave many mail items with a neighbour* if customers are not at home when we attempt delivery. Customers can nominate a dedicated neighbour to take in their parcels by filling in a form at their delivery office.
The last recommend posting dates for Christmas are:
Second Class – Tuesday 18 December 2018
First Class – Thursday 20 December 2018
Special Delivery – Saturday 22 December 2018
Customers can also help Royal Mail ensure that all their letters, cards and parcels are delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible by taking a few easy steps:
• Post early – Avoid disappointment by posting your cards and parcels early.
• Use the postcode – A clearly addressed card or parcel, with a postcode, and return address on the back of the envelope, will ensure quick and efficient delivery.
• Use Special Delivery – For valuable and important packages and parcels guarantee delivery with Royal Mail’s Special Delivery, which means your gift is tracked, traced and insured against loss.
• Wrap parcels well and always give a return address
• For more information about Royal Mail’s last recommended posting dates, please visit: https://www.royalmail.com/greetings or call 03457 740 740.