When the snow disrupts Colissimo
As each winter, Santa Claus has had some failures in 2009. This year, because of snow, the quality of service has declined slightly in December from ColiPoste, a subsidiary of La Poste's parcels. That snow disrupts activity, this has not happened since 2003. "We finished the month of December having delivered almost 90% of Colissimo within 48 hours, our time commitment," says Le Figaro Francois Copigneaux, CEO ColiPoste. On a full year, our quality of service is the order of 93%. But because of the snow, we ended the year slightly below 90%. On 17 December, four highways were blocked simultaneously. We had never seen that. "
ColiPoste should achieve 1.4 billion euros in turnover this year, 80% through Colissimo, its delivery service within 48 hours.In all of 2009, it has delivered nearly 250 million packages, 24 million would do it in December.
Thus, 7% of late, with such volumes, is … 14 million Colissimo which were not delivered in 48 hours this year and ultimately 28 million disgruntled because a package that can not Time makes two disappointed: the sender and recipient.
"Every year we spend 1% of our turnover to compensate customers for delays Colissimo said Francois Copigneaux. Approximately 14 million euros. It is integrated into our general sales conditions: in case of delay, we offer our customers a voucher for one free package. "
Peak activity
And when the snow paralyzes the roads? "Our general conditions of sale provide that if force majeure Post is exempt from its commitment period.Our customers can therefore not entitled to compensation, "said Francois Copigneaux. The end of the year is traditionally the peak activity ColiPoste. "Internally, this is called" period ". Christmas for us, it is 9% of the activity of the year, said Fran?ois Copigneaux. It is preparing up to six months in advance by using more sub-contractors for logistics, because we have no heavy weight of its own. "
The entire month of December, 600 trucks ply therefore all ColiPoste to France, instead of 400 the other months of the year. In 2009, the peak of activity was recorded December 15: 1.364 million Colissimo have been treated, against 800 000 in average on a normal day.
The 21 and 22 December were still intense two days, with 1.298 million and 1.154 million Colissimo delivered."To date, volumes rose 7% from last year, welcomed Francois Copigneaux. The snow has just complicated things, but the French received their gifts in time for Christmas. "