Christmas card delivery

"Better late than never" could be an apt new slogan for Royal Mail – it certainly is a true reflection of that institution's dedication to providing a determined but tardy local service.

With summer pretty well upon us, and just as we thought all the Christmas cards were safely in people's hands, in comes news of a Christmas delivery in Hankelow. This week a household received two cards on Wednesday 18th May.

One Christmas card was not franked, the second was franked 22nd December – it could have been posted earlier, of course. The first card had come all the way from Nottingham, admittedly several counties away. The other had even more excuse for its tardy arrival – it had travelled all the way from Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire, way down in the south of England.

Unfortunately, the same mail delivery also brought a long-missing bill that had caused the householders considerable inconvenience. It's awkward explaining to suppliers that you haven't paid because you haven't received a bill. Few from elsewhere will believe the postal service can be as bad as local residents and businesses in south Cheshire have experienced.

Fortunately, the Royal Mail's so called independent complaints organisation has already decreed that Audlem and district received 'exemplary customer service' following Audlem Online's written complaints to the chief executive of Royal Mail. Further complaints from local MP Stephen O'Brien were just about as dismissive.

Both responses from Royal Mail have been published on Audlem Online, the one to this website on 8th April, the response to Stephen O'Brien on 27th April.

Maybe with Christmas cards still arriving in mid-May, an updated version of the 'exemplary service' letter is on its way – but is possibly lost in the post!

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