Strike set to continue

So the postal strikes are set to continue, and hopes for a trouble-free two months in the run up to Christmas don’t look promising!

The walk-outs across the country have being going on since June now, that’s nearly five months of disruption, and it is fast becoming one of the most frustrating times – especially for the smaller companies, who rely solely on Royal Mail to deliver their letters, parcels and goods to customers.

Whereas bigger players, for example Argos and Ebay, have the flexibility to sidestep Royal Mail so their customers don’t feel the effects, small businesses are left troubled by the ongoing disputes, which may have a crippling affect on trade, especially with one of the busiest periods approaching. According to a poll conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses, strikes could cost every UK small businesses up to £5,000.

It’s no surprise then, that according to a survey from the British Chambers of Commerce, 75 percent of small businesses are looking elsewhere for a more reliable service. Richard Tyler, Enterprise Editor at the Daily Telegraph is encouraging businesses to walk away and consider alternative postal providers:

“the best punishment for any organisation that abuses its position is for its customers to walk away. Complain first, yes. If they don’t change their behaviour, that’s it!”

This might not be a viable option for all small businesses, but with the government spearheading small businesses and start-ups as key to help the kick-start the economy and pull us out of the recession (see previous blog), we can only hope that they might just step in and offer support.

As it stands, what this really means for small business owners is that they will have to plan ahead this year, and be as well equipped to deal with the likely delays in the postal system.

Here are our top five tips to avoid being bullied by Mr Posty and keep your business on top:

1.    Contact your customers now (even by post), and ensure you have up-to-date contact details for them to let them know of any expected delays. By keeping lines of communication open, customers are less likely to get upset and will appreciate your honesty.

2.    Consider alternative delivery services such as couriers or parcel companies – if these are too expensive or unavailable make sure you clearly inform customers of any problems and set their expectations.

3.    Move everything online - use e-mail to talk to customers and do your invoicing electronically. This can reduce the risk of errors and speed up the payment process from weeks to days.

4.    Get your finances in order with a proper cash management system – know your incoming and outgoings to avoid unnecessary debt.

5.    Keep up to date with the strike action – the Royal Mail website has updates on service information and worried small business owners can also sign up to email service updates

Business Link also has some top tips to help keep things moving.

Comments

[Cheap Loans]

I just wanted to say thank you for existing. This site is amazing and it makes me happy to know it's here. It makes me feel so much better that there are good jobs out there for people like me who care about making this earth a better place for our children. I can't say thank you enough to you guys for all the hard work that you do. It means a lot. THANK YOU.

[Richard Hill]

It really is about time that "businesses" like the Royal Mail were put in their place. That comment from Richard Tyler is so true: “the best punishment for any organisation that abuses its position is for its customers to walk away.”