Spill the beans... on cutting Post Office queues (revisited)

goldcd

I *hate* the Post Office.
I like the idea of it, but the reality drives me up the wall. I've printed my postage online, I've renewed by Car Tax with the quite wonderful online system they have (well as wonderful as anything that separates me from my money can ever be).
The Post Office tends to become the place I'm forced into because I don't have another option - sending a recorded letter or something.
I have a small one on my way to work. I go in and am subjected to a queue of clueless people taking an age infront of me to ask the most mundane questions.. and then have a little chat for a while. I have my package, it has a nice barcoded label on it, all I want is my stamp to say it's entered the system - 20 minutes.
My bank seems to be capable of having a drop-off slot for my cheques - why not my post office? My main office seems to have gone queue crazy - there aren't just one, there are many! One for currency. One for 'passport checking' (!!!!!! how on earth have they managed to get away with charging to see if a form is filled in correctly) etc. I JUST WANT TO GET MY STAMP ON MY FORM SAYING YOU HAVE MY LETTER.
To sum all of this up, I want the function of the 'Post Office' however it is provided, but I do not want the 'community centre' dimwits keep blabbing about. The 'community' appears to consist entirely of luddites infront of me in the queue demanding their benefits in cash - and then entering into a conversation about their grand-children.

Random

frub5 wrote: »

ONE THING I HAVE TO SAY IS;
If you all continue to do your postage through ebay online,
buy your stamps at superdrug,
pay your bills by direct debit,
tax your car online,
etc,
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE dont moan when Post Offices across the country are being closed down....IF YOU DONT USE IT-YOU LOSE IT!!!!!
:mad:

More or less what I was going to say. I don't really agree with the idea of this thread, to divert as much Post Office business as possible just to save a few minutes waiting. I still insist on paying all my bills at the PO, get my car tax there, insist on keeping my PO card account, and I post my parcels there... because I want there to still be a Post Office.

marky-g

it won't be long before all the whining individuals are complaining about the lack of post offices,whilst continuing this thread about how to avoid them

cazpost

frub5 wrote: »

I feel I have to comment.....as someone who works in a post office I can tell you all the best way to avoid queues is on a Saturday morning before 10. Most people have a lay in on a Saturday and dont get to town much before 10. Also about 3pm on an afternoon is good, but as mentioned before Wednesday afternoons are best avoided as we balance the office.
ONE THING I HAVE TO SAY IS;
If you all continue to do your postage through ebay online,
buy your stamps at superdrug,
pay your bills by direct debit,
tax your car online,
etc,
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE dont moan when Post Offices across the country are being closed down....IF YOU DONT USE IT-YOU LOSE IT!!!!!
:mad:

As a Post Office employee for over 20 years,I agree totally .
My advice would also be,make sure you have got everything you need before you go in,e.g. insurance,MOT,money,forms,letter you are posting,etc. While you are waiting,get the stuff out of your bag,ready to do the transactions!Talk to the people you are queuing with,you might enjoy yourself.If we tell you we can't do the transaction because you have the wrong documents or whatever,don't waste even more time arguing with us-we ARE highly trained ,we DO know what we are talking about,and shouting at us WON'T make us help you.Crown Offices now often have a 'meeter/greeter' or floorwalker,so if you are not sure about what you need to do,ask them for advice BEFORE you join the queue.Also,if you go to the Post Office thinking you will have to wait,you will be pleasantly surprised when you don't.Don't go to the PO unless you have got time to wait,then you wont get stressed,and don't park on double yellow lines outside and then complain that you got a ticket!

UNCLE_SCROOGE

My first post....
This is a great thread.
I tend to use My local rural post office as much as possible.
I sell a lot of stuff on e-bay much of it is similar (CD's) so I buy the LL Stamps in bulk.(you can't get them at Superdrug)
For overseas post I ask for a supply of Air Mail stamps and Customs labels,which they are more than happy to give Me Free of Charge and apply these berfore I go in.I also write on the envelope 'Small Packet' as this saves them the chore of doing it on top of the 100's of other times a day.
I usualy go between 1pm and 2pm as people seem to think they are shut for lunch.!
I have been into the PO in Bath with the new Meat Market tickets and I will NEVER go into that one or any other again with that system.It is the worst idea ever.No-one Knew what the devil was going on and the 'floorwalker' would have been more use getting behind a till and serving some customers.!!
:beer:

carolynw

I agree with many post office supporters. Please don't abandon using your post office branches or even more of them will close giving lots of old people problems as well as those at home without use of a car. I use mine as much as possible. If you really can't cope with the wait in a town one then find the nearest village post office where there probably isn't a queue and where they will be very glad of the custom. USE IT OR LOSE IT!!!:cool:

cyberbob

daysleeper23 wrote: »

Post Office's make very little when you use Paypal pre-paid postage, and apparently still need to go through the proof of posting process to get any credit. If we all did that we wouldn't have any local/sub post office's left.

According to my PO that is a myth. If the PO puts the Paypal postage through correctly they get paid the same amount.

pre123

Why oh why do people still insist on purchasing their car tax on the 30th, 31st and the 1st.. When they can tax it from the 5th of the month

PO balance the office on wednesday afternoons so avoid
Pensioners tend to go before 10am
Then between 11 - 3 they PO have lunchs so avoid
4-5 business posts so gaps inbetween are best

Plus i find the sub posties staff are rude, sour faced and always charge the wrong price for things (packet for everything) and they even question me posting special deliverys... STRANGE

plus i work in a crown so know what they should be doing

pre123

Cougargb wrote: »

I think most of my thoughts on Post Offices have been well stated!

In Wellingborough I use the main Crown Office and the only other sub-post office.

One thing not mentioned is the annoying practice in the Crown Office of selling everything other than postal services. The counter staff will spend 20 minutes explaining and trying to sell, all types of insurance, telephone services and credit cards, even when there are 20 people in a queue and there are only 2 others serving and one of those does foreign exchange!

As for using online postage, which I love, it's great, the labels print easily and any amount can be put on a credit card.

HOWEVER my local sub-post office refused to let me put pre-paid items into their sacks saying they HAD to check the weight and ensure the correct postage has been paid!

You can't win!

The sales side is something being introduces across the crown post offices and then eventually across the whole network.. and its called STEP
SELL TO EVERY PERSON.. basically i refer to it as harrassing but just say you already have it n they will shut up..:j

flipper_2010

When are we getting these mobile post offices that were supposed to be coming out? I'm getting a bit fed up of having to travel 5 miles to post my items. Our local one closed about 11 years ago