Postal Services
The Postal Service is provided for all staff and departments within the University of Lincoln across all campuses.
An internal mail service is in operation to ensure that mail received at the University post room is distributed throughout the University in a secure, efficient manner and that outgoing mail is collected and dispatched in the same way.
Postal Service Responsibilities
All incoming mail will be delivered to each university building specified in the Delivery and Collection Schedule
The Postal Services Team aims to process all mail that is delivered to the post Room on the same day, if this is not possible, on the next working day
The Postal Services Team aim to ensure that:
- 100% of items are handled carefully and respectfully
- 100% of items are sent via the most cost efficient manner
- 100% of items that have a requirement to be sent the same day will go the same day
The Postal Services Team are happy to advise staff on the necessary arrangements for bulk mail jobs dependant on volume of job
The Postal Services Team are not responsible for the security of mail from the point of delivery (for incoming mail) or the security of mail once in transit (for outgoing mail)
The Postal Services Team will advise any member of staff or department on the most cost effective and efficient format for sending outgoing mail
The Postal Services Team reserves the right to reject any incoming or outgoing mail they perceive to be hazardous, damaged or inappropriately/incorrectly addressed
Staff Responsibilities
Staff are responsible for ensuring their details are up to date and correct on the Staff Directory, and must update any office changes, dates and contact details as necessary
Staff are responsible for ensuring the correct and current postal address is used for all outgoing mail, including for bulk mail jobs and large mail outs
Staff should ensure the correct forms and information is provided to the Postal Services team when sending outgoing mail
Staff are requested to ensure that all outgoing mail is placed in the outgoing mail crate prior to the arrival of the Postal courier
Staff are responsible for ensuring the security of their mail from the point of delivery (for incoming mail) and up to the point of collection (for outgoing mail)
Staff must raise a Planon job with a minimum of 72 hours notice for any bulk mail job of 50 items or more, and ensure that any supporting forms are emailed to postalservices@lincoln.ac.uk quoting the Planon ticket number
Staff must ensure they comply with appropriate use of the Postal Service and failure to do so may result in the delay of outgoing or incoming mail
If necessary, staff must take their own items to the sorting office to ensure same day processing. This is not something the Post Room team will undertake on behalf of staff.
Postal Service Team Contact Details
The Postal Services Team is a two person team who manage all incoming and outgoing mail for the University of Lincoln.
They will assist with queries, quotes and provide guidance for all services the Post Room offers.
Email: postalservices@lincoln.ac.uk
Telephone: 01522 886171
Postal Planon Requests
Any job that consists of bulk mail, heavy, large or expensive outgoing jobs should be pre-booked with the Postal Services Team via Planon request.
This is to allow for the Postal Services Team to put resources in place to accommodate the request.
Further details on Planon requests can be found further down on the page.
Services Provided
Outgoing mail Royal Mail collections are currently Wednesday and Friday each week. Collections may be subject to change based on volume and requirements. Any changes will be communicated on the Estates Website.
As standard practice, all mail will be sent via 2nd Class, unless otherwise requested by the department sending the item.
- Royal Mail 1st Class – Small letter / Large letter / Small parcel / Medium parcel
- Royal Mail 2nd Class – Small letter / Large letter / Small parcel / Medium parcel
- Royal Mail 24 – Large letters and Parcels only. Aim to deliver next working day and tracked to delivery
- Royal Mail 48 – Large letters and Parcels only. Aim to deliver in 2-3 working days and tracked to delivery
- Royal Mail Free Post – Used to returning items to the University. Cost not charged to the recipient but may be chargeable to the requesting department
- Click and Drop Returns Label – Used for returning items to the University. Cost charged to the recipient but can be charged to the requesting department
- Whistl – 250 items minimum. 2nd Class delivery only. Does not provide services for 1st Class, Special Delivery or Recorded Delivery items
- DHL – UK Parcels and International Letters and Parcels
Prices for services will vary greatly depending on the size, weight, destination and class of item. To obtain the most accurate price for items that cannot go through the Franking Machine prior to taking items to the Post Room, quotes can be obtained directly from the Royal Mail and DHL websites.
For items that can go through the Franking Machine, please contact the Postal Services Team for prices.
UK Letters and Parcels
UK mail should be kept separate from International mail.
The full UK address needs to be given with as much detail as possible.
The address should be typed or written in block capitals.
Any job that consists of 50 or more items should be pre-booked with the Team via Planon request a minimum of 72 hours in advance and must be accompanied by a UK Mail Information Sheet.
For jobs with 10 parcels or more, a UK Mail Information Sheet must accompany the job.
The sheet must be emailed to postalservices@lincoln.ac.uk along with the Planon ticket number if relevant.
International Letters and Parcels
International mail should be kept separate from UK mail.
The full international address with as much detail as possible should be used and typed or written in block capitals.
Staff should check the address format for their destination country prior to sending.
Any job that consists of 50 or more items should be pre-booked with the Team via Planon request a minimum of 72 hours in advance and must be accompanied by an International Mail Information Sheet.
For jobs with 10 items or more, an International Mail Information Sheet must accompany the job.
A CN22 form may be required to accompany items being sent via ParcelForce. It is the responsibility of the staff member sending out the job to provide the completed CN22 form if it is needed.
The sheet must be emailed to postalservices@lincoln.ac.uk along with the Planon ticket number if relevant.
Customs charges will be charged to the department the item originated from using the details provided on the Mail Information sheet or CN22 form.
Large items that staff are unable to move themselves must be taken or collected from the Post Room by the Porter Team. A Porter request for Relocation of Items must be raised to accommodate this. Items will not be moved without a prior Porter request.
Items need to be collected as soon as possible once they are delivered for incoming mail and taken to the Post Room in the morning of their collection for outgoing mail.
The Post Room does not have capacity to store large items or bulk mail jobs for long periods of time.
Franking Machine
The Franking machine can process mail sizes DL, C5 or C4, that are less than 5mm thick with their entire contents inside.
It can be used to process bulk mail outs or large jobs quickly and efficiently, where items are all of the same size and weight.
The Franking machine can also be used to send out parcels but is more suited to individual parcels or very small volumes of parcels. Larger quantities of parcels should be sent via DHL or Royal Mail, the Postal Services Team can advise on which sending process would suit your job.
A Planon job will need to raised for bulk mail outs or large jobs of 50 items or more along with the relevant Mail Information sheet.
Prices for Franked Mail can be obtained by contacting the Postal Services Team.
Items need to be in the Post Room by 10.00 to ensure same day collection on Wednesdays and Fridays
Couriers
Courier services will vary in their requirements for presenting items depending on the courier used.
The Postal Services Team will be able to advise on which courier is most suited to your item and requirements.
Couriers will only collect outgoing parcels from the Post Room and will not go inside buildings to collect. Staff will need to ensure that their items are in the Post Room ready for collection prior with any relevant supporting information required by the courier.
The only exception to this is if the item needs to be collected from the Isaac Newton Building or if the item is too large or cumbersome for the Porter Team to move to the Post Room.
Whistl – Items need to be in the Post Room by 12.00 to ensure same day collection
DHL – Items need to be in the Post Room by 13.30 to ensure same day collection
Incoming Mail
- Orders placed by staff for delivery to the University, must ensure the details of the intended recipient are correct the address section when placing the order. This is to direct the item to the correct department when it arrives
- Failure to do this may result in a delays receiving items, or alternatively the item may be deemed undeliverable and returned to sender if recipient details are unclear. This is applicable to any items coming into the Post Room
- The Postal Services team reserve the right to reject any deliveries they deem hazardous, damaged or inappropriately/incorrectly addressed
- Large, heavy or large volumes of items should be delivered directly to the building of the recipient. It is the responsibility of the department ordering the items to ensure there is someone available to receive the delivery
- Couriers will not go inside any buildings to deliver parcels. If an item is due to be delivered, notify the Post Room team as soon as possible of it’s intended delivery time and date and ensure the item is collected as soon as possible following delivery
- It is not the responsibility of the Post Room team to maintain knowledge of the status or tracking details of the delivery
Personal Mail
Personal items will not be processed at all by the Postal Services team and will be returned to the member off staff
The Postal Services team will not accept any incoming personal mail items or process any outgoing mail items
Breaches may result in further action being taken
Hazardous Items
The Postal Services team will not handle deliveries or collections of hazardous items
Staff are required to make arrangements for a courier to collect or deliver any items of a hazardous nature directly to their building, ensuring a member of their team is available to accept delivery
Any deliveries to the Post Room of a hazardous nature will be refused and returned to sender
If staff need to send hazardous items via courier, please ensure the Royal Mail guidance or DHL guidance on hazardous items has been read. If seeking advice from the Postal Services Team, further questions may be asked to provide additional information and detils of the items being sent, this is to ensure the safety of those who will be handling the hazardous item and to ensure it is packaged in the correct manner.
Large and Heavy Items
The Postal Services team request that for items that are larger, heavier or there are a lot of items in one delivery or collection than is normal, arrangements are made with the courier to have them delivered directly to or collected from the building of the department who placed the order
It is the responsibility of the member of staff organising to ensure that a member of their team is available to facilitate this process
The Post Room does not have capacity to store items of such nature
A Porter Request can be raised to move individual items if required, however there are some items that do not fall within the Porters remit; robotic equipment, ICT equipment, specialist electrical equipment or any item that requires the use of a forklift or specialist machinery to move. These items should be collected in situ or delivered directly to their intended location
The Postal Services team are able to process some heavier or larger than normal items that can be sent via courier or Royal Mail, if the items adhere to the guidelines of the specific provider. A Planon request will need to be raised providing notice to the team of this type of job. A minimum of 72 hours notice needs to be given for jobs of this nature
Bulk Mail
Staff are required to raise a Postal Planon request for any bulk mail jobs
Bulk mail jobs consist of 50 items or more
A minimum of 72 hours notice is required to accommodate each Bulk Mail job request to allow for additional equipment or material to be supplied.
If the job misses the 72 hour notice period window, the Postal Services team cannot guarantee the job will be processed by the date requested and a delay may occur
It is the responsibility of the department to ensure the Postal Services team have all the information required in order to process the request, including the relevant forms, addresses and any additional details needed. This information should be emailed to postalservices@lincoln.ac.uk
Details on raising a Planon Request are given below
Expensive Items
A Planon job will need to be raised for any items that are of a greater value than £250 and a Mail Information Sheet will need to be included with the Planon request
Outgoing Mail Planon Requests
Postal Planon requests are for informing the Postal Services Team of any outgoing mail items that will be arriving in the Post Room for processing.
For mail items that require relocating around Campus, to and from the Post Room, please raise a porterage request for Relocation of Items.
- Follow the button link below or go to the Estates Support page to raise an Academic Building Request
- Choose your building and office that you are located in
- Select the job you need from the POSTAL options available
- Provide brief details of the job in the Additional Comments section
- Send a supporting email to postalservices@lincoln.ac.uk, quote the Planon ticket number in the subject line of the email and provide any additional details that would assist the Postal Services Team in fulfilling the job.
- Remember to attach the supporting Mail information sheet and CN22 customs form if required
Additional details should include:
- Date job needs to be collected
- Description of items being sent
- Manner in which the items will be sent e.g. Royal Mail 1st Class Signed For
- Weight of individual items
- Number of items being sent
- Date job will be brought to the Post Room
- Member of staff responsible for the job and their contact details
Jobs should be raised a minimum of 72 hours prior to requirement to give enough time for the Postal Services Team to arrange for additional resources if needed.
For any jobs that are received within 72 hours, it may not be possible to fulfil the request by the date required.
Staff are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that all outgoing mailing addresses are up to date and that all items are correctly packaged and sealed prior to going to the Post Room for processing.
Staff are responsible for ensuring their items arrive at the Post Room in good time for processing and collection, whether via Porterage request or taken directly by staff.
For any queries relating to raising Planon requests for Postal jobs, please contact the Postal Services Team.
Postal Services Planon Description Options
1. POSTAL - Bulk Letter Mail Out: 50 - 250 items
For bulk mail jobs of letters that are being sent within the UK
Requires UK Mail Information Sheet
2. POSTAL - Bulk Letter Mail Out: More than 250 items
For bulk mail jobs of letters that are being sent within the UK
Requires UK Mail Information Sheet
3. POSTAL - Bulk Parcel Mail Out: 50 - 250 items
For bulk mail jobs of packets or parcels that are being sent within the UK or abroad
Requires UK Mail Information Sheet or International Mail Information Sheet and an additional CN22 Form if sending via Royal Mail
4. POSTAL - Bulk Parcel Mail Out: more than 250
For bulk mail jobs of packets or parcels that are being sent within the UK or abroad
Requires UK Mail Information Sheet or International Mail Information Sheet and an additional CN22 Form if sending via Royal Mail
5. POSTAL - Bulk International Mail Out: 50 - 250 items
For bulk mail jobs of letters, packets or parcels that are being sent abroad
Requires International Mail Information Sheet for all International jobs and an additional CN22 form if sending via Royal Mail
6. POSTAL - Bulk International Mail Out: more than 250 items
For bulk mail jobs of letters, packets or parcels that are being sent abroad
Requires International Mail Information Sheet for all International jobs and an additional CN22 form if sending via Royal Mail
7. POSTAL - Heavy or Large Items
For heavier or larger than normal items that can be sent via courier or Royal Mail, if the items adhere to the guidelines of the specific provider
Please check the specifications allowed prior to raising a Planon job as if they are deemed too large or heavy or awkward to move, arrangements will need to be made to have the items collected from the building
A Mail Information Sheet will need to be included with the request
8. POSTAL - Expensive Items
A Planon job will need to be raised for any items that are of a greater value than £250
A Mail Information Sheet will need to be included with the Planon request
