Calls to end queuing in UK post offices

Following UK-wide survey of post offices, Consumer Focus urges the Post Office to put an end to long queues.

Nearly a quarter of customers in Crown post offices are spending 10 minutes or more queuing, and over a third wait for more than 5 minutes, according to new research released by Consumer Focus.

The figures come from a UK-wide survey of 424 post offices and have prompted Consumer Focus to call on the Post Office to put an end to these long queues.

According to the survey, nearly a third of the post office counter staff surveyed were found to be issuing customers with incorrect proof of posting documents – leaving customers with insufficient proof with which to claim compensation for lost or undelivered mail.

The same survey found that despite the highlighted problems, the overall customer experience across all post office types has improved since last year’s survey. The demeanour and attitude of staff at Crown post offices was rated highly, with 94 pct of customers considering advisors to be polite and helpful. And the amount of time spent advising customers increased slightly.

Consumer Focus is calling the Post Office to:
– Agree a programme of targeted improvements to deliver a consistent, high quality of service across the entire high street network – including publishing a schedule for the promised modernisation of Crown post offices and the introduction of queue management techniques.
– Set targets so at least 90 pct of customers are issued with the correct Certificate of Postage within the next six months. Progress should be monitored using Post Office’s own internal mystery shopping exercise and the results reported to Consumer Focus.
– Draw up urgent and targeted action plans – the post office equivalent of being put in ‘special measures’ – to deal with the rump of poorly performing ‘problem branches’.