Christmas is hectic enough as it is without throwing extra logistical concerns in there. Organising your friends and family around work and time off is about as finer balancing act there is – not to mention finding a chance to shop for them within all that! –so the last thing you need to be worrying about are parcels being delivered in time.
With the postal system running past capacity around this time of year, with the Royal Mail and couriers alike having to hire additional seasonal staff just to match the increased demand, it’s not unheard of for some deliveries to take longer than expected.
That said, however, there are smart ways of ensuring that you’re protecting yourself from the backlog as much as possible, rather than contributing to it.
Get Organised
The closer we edge to the 25th, the worse the postal system gets.That’s just a fact of life at this point. Leaving things until the last minute isn’t going to help, obviously, so for those white-knuckle shoppers out there, it might be time to truly embrace some organisation – especially if you have any presents that need sending in the mail.
With so many Christmas cards going out, online shopping deliveries flooding through sorting offices by the million and staff already being worked to capacity, it really isn’t the time to be gambling on your parcel arriving where you want it to on time. So, to avoid having to awkwardly apologise for something arriving late, why not save yourself the bother altogether and just get that shopping done sooner rather than later?
Know Your Dates
This is key, and one that is forgotten year after year. With demand at its highest, the Royal Mail and private delivery services alike all have their own ‘last post’ dates, which are published well in advance.
Not to mean that you can’t post anything after those dates, of course, these are signifiers of the last day from which you’re guaranteed your mail to arrive in time for Christmas – which is a fairly key detail. Miss that cut-off and you run the risk of your parcel arriving late, which doesn’t seem like a gamble worth making.
Consider A Courier Service
With the amount of money we tend to spend on one another at Christmas, sometimes it’s safer to send higher-ticket items via courier, rather than in the standard mail. While you’ll have to pay extra for that additional peace of mind, you’re guaranteed safe transport and guaranteed delivery – so there isn’t really a more secure way to send a parcel.
XOXO
Debbie
This is a collaborative post
