POAAL Podcast

Mail Service Payment - key points to understand

POAAL Director Bob Chizzoniti discusses key points to understand regarding Mail Service Payment (MSP).

• Mail Service Payment is not restricted to rural LPOs only - it can apply for metro LPOs as well
• LPO Payment Scheme
• MSP definition in LPO Manual
• MSP and Mail Management Fee, PO Box payments, and counter mail
• Mail timetable (duty roster)
• Timetables for Mail Contractors or PDOs based at the LPO
• PO Box completion time
• Put your request in writing, and make sure you get a response from Australia Post in writing!

 

New Australia Post CEO Paul Graham

Australia Post's new CEO and Managing Director, Paul Graham, joins us on the POAAL Podcast to discuss:

• His background in logistics in Australia and around the world
• How he sees his experience help in his new leadership role at Australia Post
• Driving profitability through the LPO network
• Coping with the continuing growth in parcel volumes
• Parcel processing infrastructure
• Breaking down the "silo mentality", especially as LPOs straddle the mail and retail sides of the postal business
• Communications with the LPO network
• Preparations for the Christmas rush

For more on POAAL, visit the POAAL website.

Australia Post and Star Track Contractor insurance

Joel Steendham from insurance brokers Network Insurance Group discusses insurance essentials for Australia Post and Star Track Contractor insurance:

• Public liability insurance - what it covers
• Difference between vehicle insurance and public liability insurance
• Marine cargo (goods in transit) insurance
• Examples of what might lead to a claim against marine cargo insurance
• Portable Data Terminal (PDT) insurance - general property insurance
• Coverage per company (entity) and per mail service or contract
• Vehicle insurance: commercial vs private
• The importance of having the right commercial vehicle insurance in place

Delivery Contractors (Australia Post, Star Track, and other courier companies) can contact Network Insurance Group on 1800 639 177.

Insurance for Licensed Post Offices

Joel Steendham from Network Insurance Group discusses business pack insurance for Licensed Post Offices (LPOs). He covers:

• What business pack insurance can cover, including property, business interruption insurance, theft coverage, machinery breakdown, and glass insurance
• What property insurance can cover
• Coverage for postage stamps
• Machinery breakdown insurance, including kinds of machinery and equipment that might be covered by this cover
• Business interruption insurance customisation options
• Making an insurance claim

Contact Network Insurance Group insurance brokers on 1800 639 177.

The Australia Post app and Parcel Collect

Jonathan Gaynor, Head of Marketplace Solutions at Australia Post, joins us to talk about the Australia Post app and Parcel Collect.

• Features of the Australia Post app, including parcel tracking, locating post offices, and locating street posting boxes
• MyPost functionality within the app, including managing delivery addresses
• Alternative delivery options, including parcel lockers and Parcel Collect
• Customers redirecting parcels to the post office
• Creating awareness of parcel delivery options, including Parcel Collect
• Putting the customer in control of their parcel deliveries
• How customers can select their local post office as their delivery address
• Reasons why Licensees should promote Parcel Collect to customers
• Procedure for delivery of Parcel Collect parcels to the LPO
• Foot traffic and additional sales from co-buy opportunities

Installing new PO Boxes at your LPO

Tony Barnard, Manager Post Office Boxes at Australia Post, discusses installing PO Boxes.

• Understand customer demand for new PO Boxes at your LPO
• Getting Australia Post approval for a new installation of PO Boxes
• Minimum requirements for first-time PO Box installations
• Critical considerations for PO Box installation locations
• Parcel collection hatches
• Parcel delivery via "red door" PO Boxes
• Free-standing PO Box units
• PO Box manufacturing
• Minimising customer disruption

Tony also covers some aspects of PO Box Plus:

• Customer benefits of PO Box Plus
• Procedure for scanning PO Box Plus parcels - including parcels with no scannable barcode

 

Retail stock and mail payments

In the first part of this episode of the POAAL Podcast, Stephen Davie from Brandnet – producers of the Military Shop range of products – discusses:

• New retail promotions for 2021
• Military Shop’s minimum order quantity
• Events in 2021 that tie-in with retail lines

In the second part, we share a quick overview of Mail Service Payment.

Click here for more information on Mail Service Payment.

Dispute resolution for small business owners and owner/drivers

Victorian Small Business Commissioner Judy O’Connell joins us on the latest episode of the POAAL Podcast. We cover:

• Very low cost dispute resolution for owner/drivers
• How mediation works in dispute resolution
• Resolving disputes over retail leases
• Other dispute resolution services available to small business owners such as Licensees (including small businesses that have a contract with a government agency)

 

Sorting out mail payments at your LPO

POAAL’s Bob Chizzoniti discusses some of the issues he has been discussing with individual Licensees from around Australia.

• Primary sort
• PO Boxes (metro and rural)
• Licensees who hold the local mail contract
• POMS Data Collection Report
• Morning sort start time
• Mail Service Payment
• Dealings with Australia Post
• Mail service timetable (duty statement)

Maximise the income from your LPO. Understand your LPO payments.

(Published November 2020.)

Tips for engaging staff

Sean Wilson, CEO of Better HR, shares some tips for engaging new staff members, including:

• Understanding the basics of Australian employment law
• Defining the employee’s role
• Pay rates
• Induction – including the Fair Work Information Statement
• How to create a list of duties
• Existing employees
• Reducing disputes

We also discuss changes to casual retail worker penalty rates that came into effect from 1 October 2020.

Better HR is the new name for Workforce Guardian. POAAL members can access Better HR’s range of services at a discounted rate. Click here to see Better HR’s plans and pricing for POAAL members.