Is the Post Office truly crap?

msmicawber

Yes, I've been having problems with Royal Mail, especially over the past 3 months or so. I've received lots of mail that not only isn't for me, but isn't even addressed to my house. I've not received various letters that people have sent including the log book for my car. I also received a letter last week and was completely baffled by the contents for some time until I realised that the letter was dated 13 December, not 13 January and had already been dealt with. My elderly mother has also been concerned that her bank statements keep going astray or taking a very long time to arrive, according to the post mark. I could go on ....

buxtonrabbitgreen

No I think they do an amazing job. I get christmas cards from old friends delivered with an assortment of previous surnames, some with no surnames on, and very few with the postcode. They all arrive. The postwoman comes to my back door with parcels and is always very pleasant. All my freebies arrive too.

dzug

gt94sss2 wrote: »

if you are talking about the Post Office - they could do with some serious investment in modern technology to modenise their service..

Regards
Sunil

Care to give some examples? Just about every counter service is mechanised - there's very little left that is purely manual.

DaveHemmerman

Royal Mail spent millions a few years ago in a system called Horizon every office has this and it is updated when needed, recently all the offices have got new printers which are supposed to be more efficent and a lot quieter!

People complain about queues as they only use it 2 weeks before christmas but still expect loads of staff behind the counter when they go in.

As they keep saying use it or lose it!!!!!

Pennywise

DaveHemmerman wrote: »

People complain about queues as they only use it 2 weeks before christmas but still expect loads of staff behind the counter when they go in.

I wouldn't expect anything other than queues close to christmas. What is unacceptable is long queues at virtually all other times of the year as well. Our local main post office is a nightmare - you can be waiting for up to 30 minutes throughout the day - they have about 10 windows but only two are ever used.

custardy

Pennywise wrote: »

DaveHemmerman wrote: »

People complain about queues as they only use it 2 weeks before christmas but still expect loads of staff behind the counter when they go in.

I wouldn't expect anything other than queues close to christmas. What is unacceptable is long queues at virtually all other times of the year as well. Our local main post office is a nightmare - you can be waiting for up to 30 minutes throughout the day - they have about 10 windows but only two are ever used.

unfortunatly as they close more and more po's the demands rise on the others.
BUT with RM cutting costs the staffing levels are just no there

Scarlett.1974

I've never had a problem with RM, have always been one of the first to sing their praises.

However.... we moved almost 3 weeks ago and arranged to have our mail re-directed for 6 months. H went to the old house yesterday for something and came back with at least 30 letters that had slipped through the net somehow. Some of them were VERY important and I was (and still am) absolutely fuming.

What's the bloody point in paying for re-direction when clearly SO much of it isn't being re-directed??? Luckily (I guess) we're only 5 minutes away from the old house and CAN pop around there to check for mail, but that's clearly not the point. What if we'd moved 100s of miles away?

Obviously I'm going to call RM in the morning about this, but my faith in them has took a severe knocking and despite the fact that we have paid for re-direction I feel like we're going to have to check back at the old house once a week or so, because if it can happen once (or 30 times actually) then it can happen again.

Sorry, rant over now.

gt94sss2

dzug wrote: »

Care to give some examples? Just about every counter service is mechanised - there's very little left that is purely manual.

Just off the top of my head - after spending 20minutes in a queue on Saturday to post a recorded delivery item.. in order to get shorter queues for when other people do need to talk to PO staff, I would like to see is:

-Some sort of ATM machine/supermarket self service type machine with scales attached. Therefore if someone has to post a letter they can simply put it on the scales - press the appropriate tariff/destination, pay (by debit card or cash) and receive a sticker/stamp for their mail.

- 'drop off' boxes' in Post Offices for sending recorded/special delivery mail - so its not necessary to queue just to get a 'proof of posting' sticker - some form of barcode reader could be used when you put an item in those boxes.. I actually think the 'drop off' boxes idea is under consideration by the Royal Mail given a survey I filled in some time ago on their website though they may be planning to only limit it to people who print their own stamps and the survey was asking how much extra I would be willing to pay for such a facility (should be free imho)

- I would actually like people to be given a 'discount' if they print their own stamps..which would encourage people to take up that service as well - just as businesses do with franked mail.

Also, sometimes when I post things at a counter they will print off a sticker and attach it to the item (I presume this is the 'newer' system) - at other times, they start hunting through their stamps to attach the correct combination (as they always have)

Regards
Sunil

baileysbattlebus

My pension remittance for December has never arrived, my pay advice for the week before Christmas never arrived, one credit card statement in December didn't arrive. All parcels arrived - even small ones delivered by the postman.
Like many others all my credit cards are on direct debit for the minimum payment because I was absolutely useless at sending the cheque off on time, not because I didn't have the money, it was more a case of I'll do that tomorrow (we all know what happens to tomorrow!!) and often incurred a late payment charge

jedk

I use the Royal Mail every week to post parcels, they always get there its convenient and its pretty good value. Those of you who complain should try sending/receiving parcels from the other courier's out there -they are awkward, expensive, employ surly people who drive dangerously, and are not convenient. Long live the Royal Mail.