Post office inconsistant service

bartelbe

I was going to put poor, but I don't think that is fair. Like alot of people selling online I spend quite a bit of time in the Post office, and I have found their standards of service all over the place.

My local branch generally has two members of staff working when I use it. One is very helpful, she always listens first time when I specify what sort of postage I want, will take the trouble to put me on the cheapest rate (checking if boarderline packages could be large letters), and fills out proff of postages correctly (actually puts a postal code on them)

The other member of staff I dread. You can ask her two or three times for second class, she still tries to send it first. In fact she will generally try to get you to send it the most expensive way possible. Large letter? Forget it, unless it is really small, she always sends it as a package. As for proof of posting, it feels like trying to pull teeth, she will do it begrudgingly and thinks thrusting a bunch of computer printouts at you, with no indication of which belongs to which parcel it good enough.

I decided to write this after an experience in a branch other than my local one. As usual with the post office, only two of the four counter were open, at the busiest time of day. One member of staff was busy with a massive set of parcels. At which point his colleague simply wanders off. Ten minutes later she comes back with a cup of tea, by which point the queue has reached epic proportions.

Were is the commonsense in that? Deal with the queue, then go for a break when it is quiet. At least wait till your colleague is actually free to serve people.

I just wish the post office could be consistant. It is not much to ask. Fill out proof of postage properly, get customers on the cheapest rate, take your breaks when there isn't a huge queue.

RFW

Not that I use PO counters very often but I have seen Post Office overselling on post and often giving out wrong advice to get more out of one item (recorded delivery items do not get there faster).

It would be an interesting study for Which or Trading Standards, or even this website. Send letters, parcels to various destinations and see the different charges between post offices.

Obviously_the_best

I've found that the Smaller Post Offices generally offer better service than the larger ones, as there are less people coming in, so they seem actually pleased to see someone.

soolin

I had to go to our local crown post office today and notice their TV 'adverts' are showing the wrong info. It states items over £41 need to go by enhanced service , not sure where they got that figure from.

bartelbe

RFW wrote: »

Not that I use PO counters very often but I have seen Post Office overselling on post and often giving out wrong advice to get more out of one item (recorded delivery items do not get there faster).

It would be an interesting study for Which or Trading Standards, or even this website. Send letters, parcels to various destinations and see the different charges between post offices.

It doesn't surprise, it really does seem to depend who is on the counter. Some are brilliant, really helpful, others either don't give a damn or don't know what they are doing.

bartelbe

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

I've found that the Smaller Post Offices generally offer better service than the larger ones, as there are less people coming in, so they seem actually pleased to see someone.

To be honest I have found the opposite. Our local big Post Office is really well run. The more local smaller ones tend to be the worse. Two of the staff were actually having an argument about breaks right in front of the customers in my local branch.

paulofessex

I find it best to know exactly the service you require, l place the item on the scales and automatically state what service l need i.e. 2nd Large Letter

Not only does it in my opinion speed the process up a little as they don't need to read out the different services available, l feel it also indicates that you are not a novice who may be upsold to.

I refuse to use one local PO to me any more due to a number of reasons. They repeatedly refuse to accept parcelforce items, by this l mean you go in and pay the PO, not a pre-paid parcel. I complained to Parcel Force about this and the area manager called me of course the PO refuted my claims.
This same PO also on several occasions tried to say my items for standard parcels were oversized when they certainly wasn't, it transpired after standing my ground that the issue is with the post man who collects from the PO, he is only given a small van. Not the customers issue but do they care No! Also very often l would hear them upselling Special Delivery to OAP's without any questions regarding contents.

I now go to another PO who are quite happy to accept my money for Parcel Force items.

bartelbe

paulofessex wrote: »

I find it best to know exactly the service you require, l place the item on the scales and automatically state what service l need i.e. 2nd Large Letter

Not only does it in my opinion speed the process up a little as they don't need to read out the different services available, l feel it also indicates that you are not a novice who may be upsold to.

I refuse to use one local PO to me any more due to a number of reasons. They repeatedly refuse to accept parcelforce items, by this l mean you go in and pay the PO, not a pre-paid parcel. I complained to Parcel Force about this and the area manager called me of course the PO refuted my claims.
This same PO also on several occasions tried to say my items for standard parcels were oversized when they certainly wasn't, it transpired after standing my ground that the issue is with the post man who collects from the PO, he is only given a small van. Not the customers issue but do they care No! Also very often l would hear them upselling Special Delivery to OAP's without any questions regarding contents.

I now go to another PO who are quite happy to accept my money for Parcel Force items.

I have noticed the thing about sales, trying to push special delivery whether it is needed or not. I do wonder if they have targets or commision? It can be hard work to get one of the counter staff at my local PO to send anything second class/standard parcel.

To be fair, once in the system they have never lost anything of mine.

Crowqueen

soolin wrote: »

I had to go to our local crown post office today and notice their TV 'adverts' are showing the wrong info. It states items over £41 need to go by enhanced service , not sure where they got that figure from.

Very old film, it was £41 a few years ago IIRC. Reading Crown PO used to be a bit crusty, strip lighting, dirty carpet and junk that would make Woolworths blush, but about four years ago they tore everything out and started again and it makes for an awful lot more pleasant service when you go in. I don't use it that often but the staff there are ultra-professional. I also use the self-service stamp kiosks as they encourage people just looking for simple postage facilities to use the stationery counter or the machines.

My local sub-PO is very well used, the proprietor built it up from scratch as when he took over everyone suddenly fled to the next village. Three years on he's repaired a lot of the problems and there's usually quite a good queue.

I've never had a problem with them overselling, they always charge me the right amount, and will usually make sure the item is really packet size before charging me for it. There's been once or twice I've asked for packet but they have insisted it was LL and they were right.

I guess it's because they had such low standing when they took it on they had to work very hard to get customers coming back (as we are a rural village and they are Asian there is probably also some ...xenophobia in the mix too). They are also experienced shopkeepers with 14 years' experience of running a shop, allegedly without a holiday in all that time (in fact when I worked for them they actually expected me to work for two weeks on the trot without a day off - I thought I could handle it because for a lot of those days I was working only a couple of hours in the evening - but I burnt out, fainted and had to go home one day and then they gave me at least some complete days off!).

They work hard and it's paid off and we are very lucky to have the shop where it is because it's a long walk to the next place.

RFW

paulofessex wrote: »

I find it best to know exactly the service you require, l place the item on the scales and automatically state what service l need i.e. 2nd Large Letter

As I said I rarely use counter services but occasionally do for personal post and it infuriates me when I ask for a service and they try and sell me a different, more expensive one.

bartelbe

RFW wrote: »

As I said I rarely use counter services but occasionally do for personal post and it infuriates me when I ask for a service and they try and sell me a different, more expensive one.

That irritates me as well, especially if you get all the speil about it won't get there next day, when you didn't ask for next day delivery. Sometimes you have to ask more than once, because they keep changing it back.