WARNING to Australia Post Customers

[moviemem]

Although all packages that are sent within Australia are supposed to include tracking, the reality is that many of the Post Offices where packages are lodged do not scan the packages.

I sent an item out on Tuesday and paid the extra for Signature on Delivery. When I checked the tracking today, it shows "no events found". I phoned the Business helpline and they said that Post Offices do not have to scan packages at lodgement. They said that the only requirement for tracking is to scan the packages on delivery.

But what happens in transit? I gave the customer the tracking number and he is now worried because of the "no events found" entry.

The rep on the Business Help Line said that if you specifically want tracking from lodgement, you must ask the staff to scan the package despite the fact that they are not actually required to do that. That sounds to me like telling them how to do their job.

To me, tracking should mean that you are able to track the package from the point of lodgement to delivery.

Unfortunately, I cannot use Click and Send or eParcel because of the size of the packages I send.

Bottom line is that you should not assume that the parcel you send is being tracked. You need to physically check that the staff actually scan the package.

[dylan11235813]

How do you "track" something with one point of reference?

[moviepostercentral]

How do you "track" something with one point of reference?

Very good question! They need to scan every parcel at point of lodgement without having to be asked by the customer.

[chezzy]

Customers shouldn't have to be stressing about how their parcels are being processed - there needs to be consistency and this seems to be lacking!!

Certainly customers should not have to ask for certain things to be done or showing AP employees how to do certain things.

Tracking should IMO be from A to B (or A to Z however you look at it). Not maybe scanned at point of lodgement if you are lucky or maybe scanned at the other end if you are lucky. Numerous times when I have checked tracking info online it has not been updated, not showing as delivered or worse still not showing at all.

[ringinthedingding]

unfortunately this lack of internal communication and oversight etc is a product of corporatising and fragmenting AUS Post into more profitable bite sized chunks for the benefit of the power elite .. it will all work out okay as the only people falling between the cracks are the people who pay for the non-service but haha where else do they go .. AUSPOST is an effective working monopoly just like all the other government privatisation/corporatisation targets so all that dirty money flows into the right pockets which is only fitting as the Australian population are ready for the sheering .. baaaa .. baaaaaaa ... baaaaaaaaaah ..

[dotcomdotayu]

AP customers shouldn't have to remind staff to do their job.

And it's happening more often.

Remind them to scan articles, remind them not to safe drop, remind them to scan the C&S code, the list goes on.

It's ridiculous.

People should start billing Australia Post for wasted time if it keeps up.

[davewil1964]

My little LPO/newsagent is brilliant.

They were trying to sell about 6 months ago. Thankfully, from my POV, nobody bought.

[ozstockman]

I can tell you one more ridiculous thing about tracking. When you lodge a parcel that is under 500g you won't get a postcode for it on your receipt. It's a not a problem when you lodge only one parcel. Now imagine  that you do 10-20-50 at the same time and you can start wondering which tracking # belongs to which postcode, especially when your customer asks for it.

There is one workaround that I have learnt in my LPO from great guys who work there. YOU CAN get a postcode on your receipt for parcels under 500g. It makes tracking information more valuable and you can give tracking # to your customers in this case. However you have to ask your local LPO guys to include postcodes for all parcels no matter whether they are less than 500g or over. I do not think many of them know how to do it. If they do not just ask them to press F5.

[dotcomdotayu]

I can tell you one more ridiculous thing about tracking. When you lodge a parcel that is under 500g you won't get a postcode for it on your receipt. It's a not a problem when you lodge only one parcel. Now imagine  that you do 10-20-50 at the same time and you can start wondering which tracking # belongs to which postcode, especially when your customer asks for it.

By PO guy will write the postcode next to each tracking number for me.

I agree though, it's ridiculous.

[*crikey*mate*]

same here Dot, although my PO calls out the numbers to me and I write the postcode in and then he stamps and signs it.

But here's a classic for you. I posted 15 parcels on Wednesday. Was back late Friday and they told me that somehow they had missed the bag with a fair few of my parcels in it, and had not sent them off. So they have now been sitting at the Post Office since last Wednesday, and won't be sent off until Monday.

I'm not sure what their procedures etc are, but I think that's a bit rough. I'm expecting a few low DSR's over it, but I can't blame the customers as I don't think even I would believe that if anyone tried to explain that to me.

[viewmont1071]

I can tell you one more ridiculous thing about tracking. When you lodge a parcel that is under 500g you won't get a postcode for it on your receipt. It's a not a problem when you lodge only one parcel. Now imagine  that you do 10-20-50 at the same time and you can start wondering which tracking # belongs to which postcode, especially when your customer asks for it.

There is one workaround that I have learnt in my LPO from great guys who work there. YOU CAN get a postcode on your receipt for parcels under 500g. It makes tracking information more valuable and you can give tracking # to your customers in this case. However you have to ask your local LPO guys to include postcodes for all parcels no matter whether they are less than 500g or over. I do not think many of them know how to do it. If they do not just ask them to press F5.

There are 2 selections on the operator menu for 500 gram and under packages

.... No...

,,,,,I do not know why....

I just know that there is I have shown the AP staff at all the POs I frequent and all bar none have said ..."well what do you know?? that will save the customers whinging"... or words to that affect

however the second selection (and near bottom on the list 6 or 7 I think) is entitled 500 gram package and under add postcode.

When this option is selected by the AP operator then the postcode appears on the receipt automatically....