Government Business

In the current business environment it is vital to have an effective and reliable mailing service. This has never been truer than recently with postal interruptions throughout the UK. As such City Link offer a prominent business mail-handling service called City Link Post, as part of their range of professional services. This domestic and international service is a simple and reliable way of sending post to anywhere around the UK or the world. In this issue Andrew Harden-Sweetnam, head of the post service in City Link, discusses his product and its impact.  

Q – What exactly is the City Link Post Service?
A - The domestic post service provides the customer with two distinct options. The first product offering is aptly called Bulk Mail, for sorted mailings in excess of 4000 pieces. City Link Post offers a ground breaking zonal pricing solution which is particularly well suited to area specific targeted mailings. Zonal mailings can also benefit from extremely low entry costs.
    
City Link is also proud to boast the ‘zonal blend’ offering, a unique solution that takes the best of both zonal and national mailings offering the client optimised cost routings. For mailings of less than 4,000 pieces, City Link also offers a three day fall-to-earth unsorted post alternative.  
    
Both of these offerings are delivered into Royal Mail’s Mail Centres for 'final mile' delivery. This is an added bonus as all returns are free of charge, thus assuring customers of City Link’s continuing commitment to providing a high quality service that is competitive as well as cost-saving.

Q – Of your services, do you consider any to have a greater impact on the marketplace. If so, why?
A - The Domestic Post service is proving to be one of the most popular options as it seems very well suited for mail shots, catalogues and brochures. At the same time, highly developed IT solutions and industry leading customer service are main draws for the growing market eager to exploit these benefits. The business addressed UK mail market is worth around £8 billion, and has being growing over recent years. As such, this particular product is one of City Link’s new weapons in its quest to dominate the national carrier marketplace, and provide a meaningful one-stop-shop for its clients.
    
With the international offering, City Link Post is the exclusive office of exchange for the Belgium Post office. This relationship has been in place for five years and is well suited to both parties. We are able to offer a basket of services via the BPI all of which are backed up by the quality of an organisation such as BPI who enjoys a very high status in world postal markets.

Q – What are your resources in terms of infrastructure?
A - Using an extensive fleet, City Link can collect from anywhere in the UK, and the service offered can include all weighing and franking of individual pieces of mail. This is in turn another customer focussed addition to an already impressive array of options.
    
International Post  is comprised into two main service levels, with the Priority service being set up to get important mail from the UK to anywhere in the world within five to ten working days. However, Post destined to Europe will enjoy a three to five day timescale, which is in itself highly competitive.

Q – How do you think the marketplace and your customer base are responding to City Link Post?
A - City Link is very aware of what the marketplace is demanding and is well suited to offer services accordingly. With the Standard service, City Link also offers the customer the option of sending mail when time is not an issue. This, however, still ensures that all post will arrive within an agreed timeframe but at a highly competitive rate.

Q – In terms of customers, how do they benefit?
A - The customer focus is ever present in City Link services, and this is particularly true with post.  With franking done free of charge and with no need to weigh or sort the mail prior to collection, the customer is definitely at the forefront. International Post also provides complete flexibility by accepting smaller mail items and any printed matter as long as it is less than five kg.  
    
As with all of City Links services, a bespoke feature is present with a team eager to work hard to make sure the mail solution provided is effective and competitive. Also as a beneficial feature to any business this service provides free mail bags and sacks, just another aspect of how City Link strives to create the perfect customer experience.

Q – It must take a specialised individual to operate within this particular field, what of your team?
A - The City Link Post team is run by myself as head of the business. Rob Rayson is the operations manager, with Chris Went as customer service and commercial manager.  Vicky Clipstone leads CLPC (City Link Post Control) working exclusively on Domestic Post: She acts as a central point of contact for the network, the clients as well as Royal Mail.
 
Q – In terms of the basic processes, how is the mail handled by City Link?
A - When handling the sorted mailings, client address files are run through City Links proprietary software called Docket Hub. This adds the zonal code, the bag number, the SSC code and the item number. The client needs to display the City Link indicia on the envelope, along with a UK return address. The bag labels can be produced via CLPC or on the customer's own site depending on volume.
    
The bag-fill process itself is extremely manageable and streamlined. City Link employs a linear fill technique, which places the letters with a specific bag number printed on them into its corresponding sack. Once a bag is filled the process is repeated with the following sack.

Q – How is City Link responsible for getting the mail to the doorstep; and if not who is?
A - City Link Post is responsible for the mail up to the point when it is handed over to Royal Mail, and this responsibility is paramount to our process and our success. The mailing begins with the bags of mail being scanned at the collecting depot, and again at the delivery depot. This ensures the secure transit of mail and provides the customer with added reassurance. There is also a highly efficient track and trace service provided by virtue of the multiple scan events. The next step is then to obtain a signed manifest from Royal to verify the delivery.  Any concerns that may arise with this process are dealt with by CLPC at Coventry. City Link liaises directly with DSACC, (the Royal Mail customer services) and resolves any known issues promptly and efficiently.
    
Within the normal environment of directional mailing there is always a margin for spoils. City Link allows for up to 0.5 per cent spoils in the tariffs, so any spoils or re-prints that get added back in are fully costed for, and do not result in an additional charge to the client.

Q – In this field security must be paramount, how is this managed by City Link?
A - The security of the mail along with the integrity of our process is vital to our reputation and operation. In this way City Link Post and its employees reserve the right to open the mail sacks or the post for the purposes of revenue protection. In the event of any potentially serious problems with any specific mailing, it is possible to extract individual mailings and individual sacks.  
    
This control is possible by virtue of the unique mailing ID and bag number that each mailing carries. This in turn means that the rest of the mailings are unaffected. This process also allows City Link to minimise and control any concerns and ensure that minimum disruption occurs.  

Q – Has City Link needed any additional licences to be approved for handling mail?
A - In order to obtain a licence to carry post, City Link passed stringent security checks, had all premises vetted and also had the operational systems thoroughly inspected. These checks were necessary in order to satisfy Postcomm that our company is an organisation committed to providing quality and reliability. As the postal regulator, Postcomm is the body that issues all Downstream Access licences and oversees the operation, checking our services are of the highest standards. Handling domestic post is a very serious issue and we pride ourselves in our operational excellence, and integrity.

Q – As the Royal Mail takes care of the ‘final mile’ what arrangements if any are in place?
A - The agreement to trade is held with Royal Mail, although Postcomm retain the status of regulatory body. Trading directly with Royal Mail that requires our company to comply with various regulatory issues. At the same time the presentation of the mail itself has to be highly accurate every time, otherwise Royal Mail reserves the right to refuse it.

Q – Any final thoughts?
A - With International and Domestic Post, City Link provides an efficient and streamlined mail-handling service and its track record proves a commitment to offer a high value and low cost solution.

For more information
City Link are proud of what they do and how they do it, so if anyone is interested in talking to the guys at City Link Post, please call us on 0208 917 5508 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it