everything small businesses need to know

How will the Royal Mail strike affect small businesses?

Small businesses with an online shop, whether that’s on Etsy, Depop, or another platform, will need to adjust estimated delivery times if using Royal Mail over this period.

Post offices will remain open as they aren’t involved in this dispute, so businesses can still post parcels for delivery. It just means delivery times may take longer than usual.

There will be delays in delivering items for Drop and Go customers, and some branches may reach their capacity for accepting mail on strike days.

Collections of mail by Royal Mail and ParcelForce Worldwide from post office branches will also be disrupted.

Businesses using alternative courier services to ship their products won’t face any disruption as a result of the Royal Mail strike.

How to communicate potential delays to your customers

Keeping up a good reputation and having a positive relationship with customers is important for small businesses. Although delays as a result of this industrial action are outside of your control, there are things you can do to make sure your customers are happy and informed:

• update your website – let customers know to place their orders as a early as possible because Royal Mail industrial action could impact delivery times

• be transparent in order confirmation emails – make sure it’s clear that delivery could take longer than expected due to the strikes

How have Royal Mail strikes affected your business? Let us know in the comments section below.