SOHO Commercial Pre-Easter Status Update - 9 April

As Covid-19 continues to impact the operational functionalities of businesses across the UK, and Easter adds extra delays to the shipping of goods, we feel that it is our duty to ensure all customers have the most up to date information regarding our status. Therefore, we ask that you all continue to read the update below.

Communication

All staff will continue to handle calls until the close of business today, with lines reopening again on Tuesday 13 April at 9am. Due to the Easter break, we anticipate a larger volume of calls and, therefore, expect that delays are likely. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but would urge customers to contact their sales representative directly or, if you are unsure as to who your sales representative is, email our central mailbox at sales@sohocommercial.com

Collections

As of 5pm, our warehouse will closed for Easter. It will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 13 April.

Strict procedures for those collecting goods remain in place, and will continue to be enforced for the foreseeable future. This includes a collection window of 11am – 3pm for those who do NOT usually collect goods from our warehouse.

The procedures to which all customers must adhere are as follows:

• Collections must have been agreed with a sales representative
  • Customers who do NOT normally collect from us will only be allowed to collect between the hours of 11am and 3pm
• You must keep a distance of 2m between you and the warehouse or personnel
• If you are displaying cold or flu like symptoms, you must leave the site immediately
• All items for collection will be placed on a pallet at a safe distance from the warehouse. Do NOT approach until personnel are a safe distance away
• All paperwork will be left on the pallet with goods. Sign one copy using your own pen and replace on pallet

Shipping

Our despatch team have worked extremely hard in recent weeks to ensure that goods continue to leave the warehouse in timely fashion. For that, we thank them greatly. However, reduced staffing and the Easter Break means that delays to shipping could greater than prior weeks.

Sales representatives continue to call customers to ensure that someone will be present to take receipt of deliveries. This is to ensure that failed deliveries are kept to a minimum as we seek to help courier services who are experiencing high parcel volumes. Therefore, we ask that all customers give us the most accurate information regarding the period within which deliveries will be accepted.

If you are concerned about your order and its status, please contact your sales representative via email. Alternatively, you can contact us at sales@sohohcommercial.com

Couriers

DPD

DPD continue to report that service remains excellent across their network with a 99.9% delivery success rate. This is in spite of the larger than normal parcel volumes.

We continue to remind all customers that DPD are enforcing the following to protect staff and customers:

• Staggering start time of drivers to ensure social distancing requirements can be upheld
• Providing customers with contact free delivery that can be arranged using the DPD app and editing delivery preferences
  • Alternatively, a note can be left on door to instruct driver to “leave in a safe place”
    • If there is no “leave in a safe place” instruction, the parcel will not be delivered and returned to depot.
• Contact-free delivery requires no signature from recipient, and a photograph will be taken as evidence of delivery

Further details of service functionality can be found at: https://www.dpd.co.uk/content/products_services/c...

UKMail

UKMail are reporting that all operational services are business as usual.

We remind customers that UKMail have removed the “leave with neighbour” option for deliveries to adhere to the social distancing advice. Therefore, the only service options available to those using UKMail to despatch goods are “recipient only” or “leave in a safe place”.

The following information remains relevant:

• Delivery windows have been increased from 1 hour to 4 hours
• Reporting increase of 75000 more parcels entering network, including large numbers of oversized items such as gym equipment
  • 75% of these are for delivery in London and South East which means delays are likely
• As a service, they are prioritising fresh foods, medical supplies and cleaning products to help combat Covid-19
• Significant staff shortages in customer service and operational services which could lead to delayed deliveries and slower response time to enquiries

For further updates on the operational status of UKMail, please visit: https://www.ukmail.com/news

Tuffnells

Tuffnells have ceased to provide Saturday deliveries until further notice

Palletforce

Nothing to report

Scotland

We have received news that XDP are experiencing delays in Scotland. The current forecast is that parcels are being delayed by 24 to 48 hours. We request that all of our Scottish customers remain patient when awaiting delivery of goods.

If you do have any concerns, please contact us at sales@sohocommercial.com

As we move into the Easter break, we welcome the opportunity to contemplate the challenges that we have, thus far, faced, and consider what difficulties may yet emerge from this ever evolving situation. Yet, despite all the uncertainty, we have much for which we can all be thankful. With that in mind, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all of our customers who have remained patient and loyal during this extremely challenging period of time, as well as our staff who have worked incessantly to continue providing a high level of service.

With weather forecasts predicting good weather and the temptation to relax current restrictions increasing, we urge all of our customers to continue following Government guidelines; to stay indoors, maintain social distancing, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol rub, and do all you can to protect your loved ones and the NHS.

From all at SOHO Commercial