Despite a large popularity of Electronic communication still communication through paper is the major source of contact at official level in the whole world. In United Kingdom, Royal Mail is used for all kind of official communications. My experience has been very interesting with this department that is why I want to share my experience with my readers.
On 09th of November 2011, I and my wife came to London from Cardiff to attend a marriage ceremony of one of our relative and for some of our person work. On returning to Cardiff I found a redelivery notice from the Postman who had to deliver a special delivery letter to me by taking my signatures. Due to my absence he could not deliver that letter to me so he left a notice about it.
There were phone numbers and website address at that notice for making its redelivery. I booked its redelivery through their official website on 16th and the date given to me for its redelivery was 18th.
It was Friday on 18th of November. I started to wait for this special delivery even the ordinary post delivered without it. When I saw this situation, I reached at their central post office at Penarth road by bus and asked about it from an aged man who was serving at the counter. After checking his record he told me that my special delivery was not there. He asked me whether I had booked it for redelivery because someone was taken it for delivering it to me. I replied, yes. I further told him that today’s post had been delivered but this letter has not been delivered with that post. He replied that special delivery is distributed by some other postman so I should wait for it until office hours. I said, OK and came back to home.
My Friday prayer missed in waiting for it but it did not deliver until 4 o’clock. By seeing this situation I called at their provided customer service number and tried to record my complaint but a lady advised me that special delivery can be delivered any time until 7 o’clock. After asking reference number from me, she confirmed that my delivery was booked for 18th. I asked her that I was waiting since morning for it, why did not they fix time for special deliveries. She replied that no time can be given for such kind of letters.
So that day passed in waiting for it but this letter even did not deliver with the regular post of next day’s. I again reached at the designated office of Royal Mail on Saturday and demanded for it. Luckily they gave it to me. This special delivery letter was very important for me because I had to move my house and my necessary ID documents were in that letter. It was the first episode of this story while next part of this story is also very interesting.
Due to our intention of moving our home from Cardiff to Croydon we filled in an Application Form for the redirection of post. We took all necessary required documents and filled application form to the counter Clerk of our local post office which was located at Clare Road . That Clerk looked like an Indian. She after thoroughly examining all documents demanded 8 pounds from me which I gave to her. Just after some days I received a letter from Royal Mail that our post would be redirected only according to requested period if we deposit 8 pounds extra.
The reason is my wife uses my first name as her last name which is maybe not acceptable for Royal Mail and they accept only those persons as family members who use the same last name or family name. It is very difficult to let them understand that in Asian countries first name is considered as the main name and not the second one. Its reason is that second name which is usually taken as last name or family name shows the caste of the person or his father’s name in subcontinent. For example, in the Pakhtoonkhawa province of Pakistan , almost more than 90 percent people use Khan and Shah as their family name. That is why majority of the Pakistani women use first part of their husband’s name as their last name or Surname.
But I knew that the genius people who are working in this department would not accept my argument that is why I got prepared a Postal Order from their own post office by spending extra money and its service charges. We were new in this area and unknown with the post office so it took more than 2 hours in looking for their post office with our two month old baby and in sending to them so that they continue our redirection service for the requested period.
I think second part of this story has concluded but I do not know whether Royal Mail would allow it to end. They can reject the Postal Order which was prepared by their own staff by saying that they had demanded Cheque.