Belgian Post expands services after damning criticism

Belgian Post will expand its services from 6 June following a damning report from consumer watchdog Test-Aankoop. The watchdog said a recent study revealed services offered by the postal authority have declined in recent years. In response, The Post has decided to keep 800 post offices open in future until 7pm one day a week. It also promised to reduce waiting times at its branches. Test-Aankoop inspected 210 post offices across the country, assessing them on opening times and access for disabled people. It also evaluated the information staff gave customers over the counter. The consumer watchdog said 9 percent of the 210 post offices gained a rating of fair or good, compared with 29 percent in 2002. Some 179 offices or 85 percent were given a rating of satisfactory, while 12 others (6 percent) were given a rating of poor. Test-Aankoop said the quality of information over postal or financial services is inadequate. It gave a negative assessment to 90 percent of the offices for the information supplied about financial services.

Belgian Post To Expand PostPunten Network
Belgian Business Digest 05-26-2006
Belgian postal services company De Post/La Poste will open PostPunten sales counters at Belgian railway operator SNCB/NMBS Group, food retailer Delhaize Group, in retail units of news periodicals distributor Press Shop and in the offices of Belgian bank Fortis, it was reported on May 23, 2006.

Additionally, the postal services company will base its sales counters in the supermarkets of French retailers Cora and Carrefour. The De Post/La Poste external partners will offer the basic postal products, including stamps and postcards.

(Editor’s note: De Post/La Poste will close 45 post-offices by June 2006. The company plans to compensate for the closures by opening about 130 PostPunten sales counters at banks, supermarkets and news stands in 2006, the Belgian News Digest reported.)