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Operations Manual article page
Banking: National Savings/ NS&l Guaranteed Equity Bond
Bank of England products promotional items ~ withdrawn 1 3
Welsh NS&i brochures ~ distribution 2 3
Bill Payments:
Automated Payments booklet 1 Automated bill payments ~ process correctly 3 4
Financial Services Post Office Growth and Equity bonds ~
application and despatch errors 4 4
Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond Issue 3 ~ withdrawal 5 5
Government Services:
Department for Worl A&LID Docket (G6311) ~ distribution 6 6
Gov Services: DVLA - Application Packs (D1 and D1W) ~
UK Photocard Driving Licences last ordering date for current stock 7 7
Horizon System New Horizon Cash Declaration entry ~ ATM entry 8 7
Post Office procedures:
Stores Ordering Brown Cash Account Pouch (P6268/60) ~ annual distribution 9 7
Postal Services: Inland mail services Exam papers ~ acceptance clarification 10 3
Postal Services:
Postage and other mail services Franking Machine resetting ~ withdrawal of service VW 8
Travel Services:
Bureau de Change on-demand Internet Orders ~ customer collection errors 12 9
Travel Services:‘United Kingdom
Passport Service (UKPS} Passport applications reversals ~ clarification 13 10
Miscellaneous
Operational Publications Operations Manual ~ distribution of revised
Automated Payments booklet 2 14 10
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NS&lI Guaranteed Equity Bond promotional items ~
withdrawn
In 2005/06, Post Office branches will not receive any Customer enquiries
promotional items (brochures, leaflets posters etc) for the
National Savings & Investments (NS&) Guaranteed Equity
Bond (GEB).
® Handie customer enquiries about all savings products,
including GEBs, carefully.
Please remember We cannot recommend savings
products, and can only provide information on
products advertised or on sale through the Post Office.
This decision has been taken to avoid any conflict with the
Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond (GEB).
NS& will now only offer their GEB to customers directly. ® Issue customers with enquiries about the Post Office GEB
© Please destroy locally, any remaining stocks of the with our latest brochure.
‘Guaranteed Equity Bond: Don't miss out- register now for * Refer customers with enquiries about NS&! GEB to NS&
the next issue ‘leaflet (X781), which allowed customers to i
register their interest in NS&l's GEB between issues.
...._:_.=.
Welsh NS&i brochures ~ distribution
Welsh versions of the following National Savings & Investments brochures are currently being distributed to all branches
in Wales:
Item code Item description
NS&i 761W0501 investment Account brochure
NS&! 762W0501
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I Fixed Interest Savings Certificates brochure
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“NS&l 7630501
NS&I 7650501
NS&! 767W0501
NS&I 768W0501
NS&I 769WO501
Premium Bonds brochure
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I Index-linked Savings Certificates brochure
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Income Bonds brochure
I Capital Bonds brochure
I Children’s Bonus Bonds brochure
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NS&! 773W0501 I Pensioners Bonds brochure
IS&l 777W0501 Fixed Rate Savings Bonds brochure
_ NS&778W0502 I Cash Mini ISA brochure
r Nealgsswosor ee I easy Access Savings cant ake
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Sub Post Office branches will receive ten of each brochure, all other branches will receive 20.
If you have not received your new brochures by Wednesday 1 June 2005, contact the NBSC on
selecting option 6 for RML Swindon.
® Please display and make the brochures available to customers on receipt.
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IS ISSUE 18 26 MAN HUNG F005)
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Destruction of old brochures
® Only brochures with codes ending 0501 or 0502 must be displayed.
© Please destroy locally, any previous versions of Welsh NS&I brochures held at your branch.
Please note: If a
stomer present an older version of the application you must still accept it, but you must not
ask the customer for identific
Automated bill payments ~ process correctly
Some branches are not following the correct procedure Arecent survey conducted by the NBSC highlighted that
when dealing with Automated bill payments schemes. 58 per cent of staff in branches were not aware of the
correct process to follow when dealing with this type of
Latest information shows that an average of 6,000
Littlewoods transactions per month are incorrectly
processed as Transcash payments.
transaction.
® When presented with a bar-coded bill you must follow
the procedure for dealing with Automated Payments as
Other clients whose automated payments are also being detailed in the Operations Manual, Autornated Payment
incorrectly processed are: Birmingham City Council and Booklet 1, para 4.1 page 8.
Bristol and Wessex Water.
Post Office Growth and Equity bonds ~ application and
despatch errors
Over 15 per cent of Post Office Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Equity Bonds (GEBs) applications are received with errors.
These errors cause delays to customers’ applications and can lead to the application being cancelled.
© Please make sure you have the latest items on display (Operational Focus issue 1 article 4 refers).
Application errors
The three main application errors are:
Incorrect payee on the customer's cheque
Cheques must be made payable to ‘Post Office Savings - A/C (customer name)’
Cheques must not be accepted if the payee is just the customer's name or Post Office Ltd.
identity recorded for one applicant only
When itis a joint application, two forms of identification must be provided and recorded for each applicant.
Banker's draft accepted
Banker's drafts are no longer acceptable as payrnent for GEBs and Growth Bonds (Operational Focus week 45 article 5,
and Issue 1, article 3, refer).
OCHS FSS LORE MATT RARE
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Despatch errors
The three main despatch errors are:
Wrong envelope used
® You must use the dedicated Despatch Envelope (PL605) for despatching GEB and Growth Bond applications
(Operational Focus week 48, article 2 refers).
Please ensure that you have supplies of this envelope at your branch. if not, order immediately from RML Swindon.
Do not use any other envelope under any circumstances.
No cheque enclosed
The customer's payment, which must be a personal cheque drawn on a personal bank or building society account,
must be included in the despatch envelope with the application forms.
Do not send cheques for GEB or Growth Bond applications to the EDS Processing Centre.
Identity not despatched for a child applicant
® A child applicant's identification document must be despatched with the associated application form and cheque
(Operational Focus issue 1, article 3, and the new Growth Bond brochure PL654A5, or PL655W Welsh version refer).
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Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond Issue 3 ~ withdrawal
On Wednesday 1 June 2005, Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond (GEB) issue 3 will end.
Counter procedure
Withdrawal
*® Accept applications for Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond issue 3 until your final mail collection on
Wednesday 1 June 2005.
® Advise customers who try to apply for them after your final mail collection on Wednesday 1 June that the issue 3 has
now been withdrawn. Do not accept the application under any circurnstances.
Despatch
® Despatch Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond issue 3 applications in the blue dedicated GEB & Growth Bond despatch
envelope (PL605) with your final mail collection on Wednesday 1 June 2005. Do not keep them for despatch the next
day.
3 that arrive at the Bank of ireland
Please note: Any applications for Post Office Guaranteed Equity Bond
after Thursday 2 June will be rejected and returned to the customer.
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LONAL FOCUS ISSUE TR G6MAY- UNE 20S) 5.
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Destruction of items
® At the close of business on Wednesday 1 June 2005, please destroy the following items locally:
I Item code
ae so — I ie a
All branches
A &LID Docket (G6311) ~ distribution
When despatching bundles of paid DWP Cashcheques:
® a Horizon Weekly Green Giro Report printed from the Counter Weekly screen must be wrapped around the relevant
Girocheques
® an Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Office Identification Docket (G6311) must be placed at the front of the bundle
and secured with an elastic band.
From early June, RML Swindon, will distribute stacks of the ID Docket (G631 1) to all Post Office Branches.
This will be a phased distribution and the date you receive your stock depends on the area code section of your Post
Office branch (FAD) code.
Your area code is the last three digits of your Post Office branch (FAD) code.
For example: If yo
code is 123 456 X, 456 is your area code.
I Area codes To be received by
/ 001 to 134 Tuesday 14 June
136 to 306 "Tuesday 21 June
/ 309 to 407 I Tuesday 28 June
“a0 to 546 Tuesday 05 July
/ 548 to 820 I Tuesday 12 July
(824 to 948 “Tuesday 19 July
© If you have not received your stock by the date listed above, or if you require further supplies, please contact: Tony
Fleet at Alliance & Leicester ont GR =
Please do not contact RML Swindon.
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Application Packs (D1 and D1W) ~ last ordering date for
current stock
On Friday 15 July 2005, DVLA will introduce revised Application Packs (D1 and D1W).
More details regarding the changes and withdrawal of existing items will be published nearer the time.
Ordering current stock
The final date for ordering stocks of the current Application Packs (D1 and D1W) is Friday 10 June 2005.
No further stocks of Application Packs (D1 and D1W) will be available after this date.
© Please ensure you have enough stock to last the six week period (Friday 10 June 2005 to Friday 15 July 2005) only.
Please note: If you need extra stock to fast until Friday 15 July 2005, please try not to order more than is
necessary, as any remaining stock cannot be recycle ¢ to the plastic photo patch.
a
New Horizon Cash Declaration entry ~ ATM entry
From Monday 13 June 2005, a new ATM Notes entry will appear in the cash on hand declaration and stock balance
screens.
The new entry will appear on the third screen of the declaration above the foreign and mutilated denominations.
Please note: Only branches that use Post Office notes in Alllance & Leicester ATM machines must use the ATM
Notes entry,
Enter your daily ATM cash holdings to your Cash on Hand declaration each night using this entry.
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Brown Cash Account Pouch (P6268/60)
~ annual distribution
The annual Brown Cash Account pouch (P6268/60) distribution to all branches will commence at the beginning of June
2005.
® If you have not received your pouches by Wednesday 15 June 2005 please contact the NBSC o'
selecting option 6 for RML Swindon.
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Further supplies
if you need to order further supplies please order thern from RML Swindon in the normal way, using the following details:
_ Item code Description Unit of issue
Exam papers ~ acceptance clarification
You will shortly see an increase in the number of exam paper parcels despatched by schools and markers using Contract
Parcelforce Worldwide Services.
Please remember: Only branches with an auth
by Parcelforce Guaranteed Services.
ised contract number are allowed to accept exam papers sent
Customers will have their own Parcelforce Worldwide stationery and the acceptance procedure is unchanged from
previous years.
*® Please refer to the Operations Manual, Inland Mail Services booklet, para 15.13 page 129, for full acceptance and
accounting procedures for exam papers sent by Parcelforce Guaranteed Services.
© Please ensure these items are added onto table 10g and are despatched from your branch on the day you accept them.
Franking Machine resetting ~ withdrawal of service
On Wednesday 29 June 2005, Royal Mail will withdraw the Franking Machine resetting service from ail Post Office
branches.
At the end of May, they will be writing to their customers to inform them.
® If acustomer enquires about how they will be able to reset their Franking Machine after the withdrawal date, please ask
them to contact the Royal Mail Franking Adminstration Centre on
Further information will be published closer to the withdrawal date.
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Internet Orders ~ customer collection errors
Currently 33 per cent of Internet Orders, are processed incorrectly.
Over the next few weeks we will be publishing articles highlighting the correct processes for the main Internet Order errors
made by branches.
Please remember: For full details on processing internet Orders, refer to the Operations Manual, Bureau
Change On Demand booklet, para 6.3, page 32.
Customer collection
When the customer cails to collect their order
© ask the customer for their order reference number
® check the reference number against the one shown on the order you have
® if the customer cannot supply a reference number, ask them for their name, address and order details and check them
against the details shown on the customers receipt that accompanied the order
Please remember:
the order is not collected within seven days, contact First Rate Travel Services for advi
® open the clear plastic pouch in front of the customer
® confirm the customers preferred method of payment.
® agree the contents of the pouch against the details of the enclosed custorner receipt
® accept payment from the custorner
Please remember, if payrnent is made by debit/credit card then ensure you follow the instructions shown under
‘Debit and credit card payments’in the Operations Manual, Bureau de Change On Dernand booklet, para 6.3,
page 35.
© if applicable, advise the customer to sign any Travellers Cheques in top left hand corner
mber: if the order is not what the customer requested, contact First Rate Travel Services on
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° complete the Acknowledgement of Receipt of Order Form (P4821)
® cross out the words To Pay’and annotate with ‘Paid with Thanks’
® ask customer to sign the Acknowledgement of Receipt of Order Form (P4821)
® enter the transaction on Horizon
refer to the Operations Manual, Bureau de Change On Demand booklet, para 6.3, page 35.
{ONAL FOCUS ISSUE 18 (6 MAY. HINE 2089)
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Passport applications reversals ~ clarification
Product and Branch Accounting (PBA) Chesterfield have reported that 12 per cent of branches have incorrectly carried out
reversals of Check & Send passport application transactions causing reconciliation and settlement problems.
You must not reverse a Check & Send transaction after the application has been despatched.
® If acustomer returns to your branch to cancel a Check and Send transaction after the application has been despatched,
you must advise the customer that:
- you cannot deal with the refund
- they must contact the Passport Office directly.
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Operations Manual ~ distribution of revised Automated
Payments booklet 2
From Tuesday 31 May 20085, a revised version of the Automated Payments booklet 2 Operations Manual (COMB 40/8) will
be distributed to all Post Office branches and to other Operations Manual users.
* If you do not receive your new booklet by Wednesday 8 June 2005, please contact the NBSC on
option 6 for RML Swindon.
When you receive your new booklet:
remove the previous version, Automated Payments booklet 2 (COMB 40/7), from the Volume 4 binder (Bill Payments/Local
Schemnes/Travel Services)
® insert the new booklet (dated May 2005) into the same place according to the order on the binder cover
* destroy the previous version (dated April 2003) in accordance with local instructions for paper disposal.
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Please note that this table is unlikely to contain details of every action you will need to take during this week.
You will need to continue to read all relevant Operational Focus articles, and plan your actions in the sarne way
you normally plan for changes.
I Product. Change Date Article ref
t
I Swindon Meals on New voucher Monday 30 May I Issue 7,
I Wheels I article 8
I Telephone services New T-Mobile E-Top Up: I Monday 30 May I Issue 9,
I and E-Vouchers I articde 13
Trooping the Colour - First Day Envelopes and Tuesday 31 May Issue 4,
I special issue Royal Mail Stamp Cards I I article 9
I A&L Flexisaver account I On-line banking services I Offer on-line services Tuesday 31 May Issue 9,
I available article 1
New definitives
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I Presentation Packs emove from sale at Wednesday 1 June I Week 47,
I close of business article 7
I Horizon Pensions and Allowance screen no longer required I Wednesday 1 June I Issue 9,
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I screen removed I article 6
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I Smarthelp Information updated heck the ‘Whats New Thursday 2 June I Issue 4,
I I article 8
creen
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