is it just me - Post office counter staff

techspec

greybear40 wrote: »

Can I just say as a Post Office sales assistant we have to ask those specific questions as we are being mystery shopped by Royal Mail so we can't reword it or not ask at all or we fail. Worked in the Post Office for 7 years now and seen so many changes it's crazy what with large letter, small and medium parcel and the price of stamps rocketing (all my fault) but still love my job and wouldn't want to do anything else If an ebayer has lots of parcels I just ask what is in them at the beginning and show them the laminate to make sure nothing from there is in any of the parcels. We have special labels for perfumes/aftershaves, lithium batteries, aerosols, nail polish and other items and also these can not be sent abroad either. I remember the good old days when we used to just ask how would you like to send it!! Christmas was crazier than ever this year! The rules have been made by Royal Mail I'm afraid, we just have to take the grief for it Most customers are lovely and understand we are just doing our jobs and I am always friendly and polite to all customers even if they are abusive to me. Life's too short to take things personally

Ive used many post office lately - and a pattern forms.

Crown Post Offices - a pain in the rear , no common sense, ask stupid questions, try get you to buy services you don't need - and try sell you insurance etc - with no regard for people who are queueing out the door

None crown Post Offices - use common sense, don't ask stupid questions, don't bully you into upgrading and don't sell you crap.

Thats why when Crown staff recently asked me to support their strike - i refused to accept their leaflet. They arn't fit to lace my local PO's boots - but get paid more.

My PO stopped asking what was in parcels after a week - and just have the signs all over. They don't give a crap about mystery shoppers.

Mail should be private. You shouldn't have to tell everyone behind you in the queue what you are posting. What next - reading out your letters?

Money-Saving-King

techspec wrote: »

Mail should be private. You shouldn't have to tell everyone behind you in the queue what you are posting. What next - reading out your letters?

Mail should be private but this thread is about parcels. They're a completely different thing. I think the floor in your what's next question is it's obvious what's in mail - paper!

greybear40

In a sub post office it is easy not to ask all the relevant questions but I work in a Tesco franchise and have management standing over me making sure I ask the relevant mail questions and offer the relevant post office services. You will find the same in banks. This is the way things have gone and we have no choice but to comply as jobs are not easy to come by nowadays and all retail is the same anyway. We get paid well for supermarket staff but nowhere near as well as Crown staff and do exactly the same job

philatio

techspec wrote: »

Ive used many post office lately - and a pattern forms.

Crown Post Offices - a pain in the rear , no common sense, ask stupid questions, try get you to buy services you don't need - and try sell you insurance etc - with no regard for people who are queueing out the door

This.

I refuse to go into our main post office anymore. You have to queue for AGES (I say queue.. now you take a number and just stand around in a disorganised rabble) and then when you finally get to the counter its endless "when does your holiday insurance run out?.... do you want a credit card?.... have you heard about our broadband offers?..."

Morons!

mr_sharma

ithinkyourcrazy wrote: »

I posted a load of eBay items the other day, all clothes. I said to the lady before she asked me that they were all dresses.
Before I put a parcel on the scale the lady behind the counter said "what is in the parcel?" and I had to say SEVEN times "a dress, all my parcels' are dresses." After the 7th time it did start to grate! I have heard quite a few people get stroppy over Post Office counter staff asking what they are posting. I do wonder though-sometimes I use self service and there is nothing on there asking you what is in the parcel you are posting.

It might have been the way you said they were all dresses before you were asked anything. I think being asked seven times insinuates sarcasm.

greybear40

philatio wrote: »

This.

I refuse to go into our main post office anymore. You have to queue for AGES (I say queue.. now you take a number and just stand around in a disorganised rabble) and then when you finally get to the counter its endless "when does your holiday insurance run out?.... do you want a credit card?.... have you heard about our broadband offers?..."

Morons!

We have no choice but to ask these questions. We have sales coaching and we have days where we HAVE to ask EVERY customer specific questions whether it be regarding insurance, homephone, savings or whatever post office want us to promote. In the crown offices there is a bonus for this but not all franchises get a bonus and that includes us in Tesco. When I asked where is the incentive I was told it's called keeping your job!

NBLondon

greybear40 wrote: »

We have no choice but to ask these questions. We have sales coaching and we have days where we HAVE to ask EVERY customer specific questions whether it be regarding insurance, homephone, savings or whatever post office want us to promote. In the crown offices there is a bonus for this but not all franchises get a bonus and that includes us in Tesco. When I asked where is the incentive I was told it's called keeping your job!

Well - I got so fed up of this with one particular Crown Office that I complained. OK - I understand you are ordered to ask the questions but when the customer answers the first time with "No, I don't need anything else." you should be able to abandon the script and get on with the service they actually asked for.

Maybe if enough of us complain, the bosses might allow the staff to use some judgement as to when to upsell.

custardy

NBLondon wrote: »

Well - I got so fed up of this with one particular Crown Office that I complained. OK - I understand you are ordered to ask the questions but when the customer answers the first time with "No, I don't need anything else." you should be able to abandon the script and get on with the service they actually asked for.

Maybe if enough of us complain, the bosses might allow the staff to use some judgement as to when to upsell..

So explain the scenario you see where the staff member sees an opportunity to sell insurance? (for example)
This is a company trying to generate income

Ilona

The ladies in my village post office are very nice. They ask what's in the package, and I tell them. Easy peasy really.
Ilona

creativemieu

The obvious is missed here. No matter how the question is asked or answered there is nothing to stop someone who really is sending prohibited items to say it is something else in the package. Asking the question is like asking a terrorist what he/she has in their bag and expecting them to answer truthfully.... er a bomb!?