Post Office upsell

JJ_Egan

(I googled this since and there are numerous results on the net and even from money expert forums that people experienced this upsell technique)

The ones that have not been upselled never post .

KatrinaWaves

MarkN88 said:

KatrinaWaves said:

MarkN88 said:

BethRobinson said:

Which service got it delivered within 12 hours? Simply not possible.

I beg to differ. I’ve sent letters, cards, etc to my mum and tend to post between 3 and 4pm and she gets them the next day by noon. Granted she only lives 25 miles away but it is possible as I’ve had it happen frequently. 

I mean that’s more than 12 hours 😂

Miscalculated on my part agreed.

Don’t see the need for laughing though. Bit disrespectful. Can’t all me maths geniuses. 

It’s all meant with good humour. You’re taking a correction too seriously and an emoji far too personally. Youd made a daft mistake. I corrected you with a bit of jest. It’s really not that serious. 

KatrinaWaves

Anyway back on topic, aren’t post offices franchises? No? Maybe I’m wrong, probably an. I just know when my local closed before it moved into a shop, I ended up going to the one in the next village and the postmaster was ALWAYS on his phone. Everytime I went in he would be talking on his mobile. Maybe I went in at the right time everytime but it was constant! To me, I’m not bothered, I’m the same I suppose, as long as he took my parcel and my money I didn’t care, but for someone like my mum who is constantly telling me to be off my phone she’d definitely have been put off by that.

maybe that was just him as a manager but yeah, I imagine diff managers will require up selling and some will be more chill etc 

robatwork

I think there is something in this, based on my experience yesterday. I went to post something Signed For "Please send this Signed For"...."Are you sure you don't want Special Delivery for this?"

Don't remember being upsold last time I went probably a year ago.

Just a village post office not main branch.

Pollycat

KatrinaWaves said:

Anyway back on topic, aren’t post offices franchises? No? Maybe I’m wrong, probably an. I just know when my local closed before it moved into a shop, I ended up going to the one in the next village and the postmaster was ALWAYS on his phone. Everytime I went in he would be talking on his mobile. Maybe I went in at the right time everytime but it was constant! To me, I’m not bothered, I’m the same I suppose, as long as he took my parcel and my money I didn’t care, but for someone like my mum who is constantly telling me to be off my phone she’d definitely have been put off by that.

maybe that was just him as a manager but yeah, I imagine diff managers will require up selling and some will be more chill etc 

I think they are, Katrina.

We have 2 post offices inside shops in our small town.

The one I used to use, which was on my way to Aldi (walking) hacked me off because the man who was often serving was incredibly rude. I think he was the 'postmaster'.

He would break off in the middle of doing my parcels to serve someone else who was buying something from the shop e.g. milk. He'd go off to answer the phone. Then he'd have to ask me again what service I wanted.

He'd point peremptorily to the queue he wanted people to join.

He'dhuff and puff as though it was all too much trouble for him.

Awful man, not deserving of my time and money.

I now use the different one and they are very pleasant.

barbiedoll

My larger PO branch closed a couple of years ago and I now have to use another local one, which is abysmal. Even before Covid, they were never open on time, I've queued up for half an hour outside on a Saturday morning, before giving up and going elsewhere.

I ordered a couple of cheap dresses online, which didn't fit, so I had to send them back. I was quoted £2.95 postage on the website, if I sent them back via PO. At the counter, I just said, " Can I send this, cheapest option, it's nothing of any value".  I bought some stamps at the same time, and as I have no idea how much stamps cost now, I didn't query the total amount that I was asked to pay. When I got home and looked at my receipt, they'd charged me almost six quid! The dresses only cost £7.99 each, so I was well miffed. I won't be making that mistake again 😠

NBLondon

I think it varies from PO to PO - possibly whether the counter staff are being monitored/incentivised on upselling.   Some years ago I was regularly sending work documents from a certain main PO and despite me saying clearly "1st Signed For", they always tried to upsell to Special Delivery and then half the time asked if I wanted to buy travel insurance while I was there.  I actually started marking them down vigorously on the online feedback.   At the two I use now - I am known as a regular and get precisely what I ask for.  So they get better feedback for that.

Paully28

"no thanks"

Pollycat

Paully28 said:

"no thanks"

And making sure you know exactly what service you want before going in to the Post Office.

The information is clearly available on the RM website.

I use it regularly.

jon81uk

Selling the incorrect product such as large letter when they could go as standard is mis-selling, not upselling.

But as has been said, just saying the "cheapest option" isn't always useful, as your item might be worth £50+, or you want it to arrive next day or something else. Someone who then gets the item sent standard second class might then be moaning when their expensive item goes missing and they only get £20.

I go in and ask for the product I want, so second class large letter, second class small parcel or signed for (to get £50 cover).