Post Office Lunchbreaks

Seamus

I've just spent an hour driving around trying to find a post office to post a recorded delivery letter. I came across three (just outside Bradford city centre) and they were all closed for lunch.

I assume they think everyone who wants to use the post office is either unemployed or retired and can come at a more convenient time so as not to impact the post office employees lunch break.

Also, whilst I'm getting this off my chest, why is it so hard to find a post office that issues car tax discs ? Why can't they all do it ? Would having a small pile of blank tax discs cause major overhead ?

I feel better now.

webmasterpolo

I agree, it's a crazy system. I think supermarkets should have a PO counter next to their fag counter and have the same opening hours. Closing for lunch is just a stupid idea as like oyu say it's the only time a lot of people can go.

highwayman_2

It's even worse when you find a Post Office open but only 4 of the 10 counters are open and the world and it's mother in law seem to be wanting to get their pensions and benefits at the same time.

Mumstheword

HWM, you've hit the nail on the head there....why does anyone want to go and stand in a queue to get paid in cash? ??? i would think that it would make it nice and easy for the muggers!
and why are they always in front of me waiting for it >:(

i would have thought that the safest and easiest way to receive benefits would be direct into a bank account, one where you can use a cashcard at the post office for those who are unable to get to a cashpoint elsewhere.

okay, so it's not the crime of the century if people really do prefer to do it that way, but it's also holding up others who have no other way going about their business, eg tax discs, recorded delivery post, etc.

perhaps without those regular customers, the small post offices wouldn't be able to continue in business.

Lucie_2

I don't know any other company who still provide such a limited service - 9 til 1 then 2 til 5 at most (plus a half day closing). No wonder they're all being closed down (3 of my closest post offices have closed down in the last few months) .

On the plus side I had to go post a parcel today (present for a new baby) & the lady in front of me in the queue asked if I'd like to go first cos I looked like I had to go back to work & she had all day, being a pensioner. How rare is that?

Poppy9

A reason why some people might like to get cash from the PO for their benefits is that if they are robbed they just go to the Police get a crime number and the DSS gives them their benefits again. :-[

A local post office in a small nearby village that closed for lunch had it's PO taken off it despite a petition from villagers because it closed for lunch.

Spendless

HWM, you've hit the nail on the head there....why does anyone want to go and stand in a queue to get paid in cash? ??? i would think that it would make it nice and easy for the muggers!
and why are they always in front of me waiting for it >:(

i would have thought that the safest and easiest way to receive benefits would be direct into a bank account, one where you can use a cashcard at the post office for those who are unable to get to a cashpoint elsewhere.

okay, so it's not the crime of the century if people really do prefer to do it that way, but it's also holding up others who have no other way going about their business, eg tax discs, recorded delivery post, etc.

perhaps without those regular customers, the small post offices wouldn't be able to continue in business.

Cos you get elderly like my gran who doesn't want to change the way she has always known. She doesn't trust cashcards - as she thinks the person behind looks at your number - oh and she thinks the new post office accounts are just a way for the Government to know how much money she hasl ::)

jellyhead

perhaps the post office staff get given a proper lunch break to make up for them having to work saturdays?

Savvy_Sue

I find it's mostly the smaller PO branches which close for lunch, and I don't think it's unreasonable that their staff should have a lunch break. Plus at one time I think the PO said when they could and could not open and they HAD to shut for lunch. I don't know if that's still the case.

I wish I still had the 'inconvenience' of the PO over the road from work closing for lunch. It's gone completely, and the three nearest branches don't shut for lunch. But they are all a nasty walk away when I'm carrying cash.

And yes, without people withdrawing cash on a regular basis from the PO it stops being a viable business, which is why they've all closed!

Plus the reason why not all POs offer all services is not just a matter of stocking forms, but carrying out legal checks. There is a lot of fraud around car tax discs, and the restriction on where you can buy your disc is supposed to mean the staff are well trained and carry out thorough checks.

Mumstheword

How's about a compromise...... benefit withdrawals at certain times only (generous hours, i won't be stingey!), so that i know what time i can go for other things and not have to wait in the queue!! ;D

I've got a lot of time and respect for older people who want to carry on as they always have done, it's fair enough and doesn't do me much harm, just a longer queue, but I'd love it if someone offered for me to go first when i'm waiting with 2 toddlers and have 1001 other bits to do before collecting from school! I'm the one in supermarkets who always lets you go first if you've only got an item or two and i've got a full trolley ;D

mum

Lucie_2

Maybe there should be a "fast track" queue just for stamps/postage?
Or how about a "road tax only" queue on the last day of each month?
It is really helpful when post offices put a "you can tax your car here" sign in the window. There is nothing worse than queueing for ages, to get to the front & be told "sorry, we don't do that here"
I don't begrudge the staff getting a lunch break, but why do they have to all go at the same time?