New report: ‘UK post offices in danger due to lack of support’

Rural post offices in the UK set up in shops, community centres and mobile vans are in danger of closing because of a lack of support from Post Office Limited, according to a new report. In its latest tracking report of outreach post offices, called ‘Sink or Swim?’, Consumer Focus says many risk closure unless Post Office Limited takes action to improve the reliability and range of services they offer.

Hundreds of the outreach post offices have been set up, often in rural areas where there were not enough people to support a full time branch, since the last closure programme in 2007.

Opened in places like village shops, community centres and mobile vans, the outreach post offices provide services on a more ‘part-time’ basis but are essential for their thousands of users.

According to Consumer Focus, customer satisfaction with outreach post offices is good, with two thirds of users saying they were satisfied with the service.

However, one in three people not using their local outreach say it is because the opening hours or location is unsuitable. Similarly, a third of those not using their outreach service say they were unaware it existed.

Consumer Focus says Post Office Limited is taking a ‘one size fits all’ approach to outreach services by failing to listen to their customers and the sub-postmasters who run them. This means outreach post offices are losing customers as they are unable to meet or respond to demand, for example for different opening hours or new services.

Andy Burrows, postal expert at Consumer Focus, said: “Outreach post offices are providing vital services to many isolated communities. If they shut, it will be much harder for people to access services they rely on, for example to collect their pension. If they are to survive, Post Office Limited must stop treating outreach post offices and their customers like they are a poor relation.

“Outreach post offices need to be allowed to change and meet local demand for new services. With proper support, outreach post offices can thrive to become the heartbeat of the areas they serve.”

The report sets out a series of ways Post Office Limited can help outreaches become more viable so they play an important role in creating a sustainable network of post offices across the country. This includes outreach post offices being covered by the same Post Office Limited requirements that mean regular branches have to give advanced notice of any planned closures or changes to opening hours, and have better contingency plans for technical or operational failures.

However, when contacted by Post&Parcel, Post Office Limited said it “totally refutes” the claim that it takes a “one size fits all” approach.

A spokesperson said: “Together with our core subpostmasters, we have worked very hard to set up Outreach services tailored to rural communities which may otherwise not have easy access to Post Office products and services, and there are currently over 700 of these outlets operating nationwide, serving 50,000 customers every week.

“We totally refute the claim that Post Office Ltd takes a “one size fits all” approach to these Outreaches or any suggestion of “neglect” – in fact we give Outreach services every support in getting established and they operate with at least the same level of support available to other Post Offices and, as the report points out, the large majority of customers are satisfied with the service they provide.

“We are also very grateful to our core subpostmasters for their ongoing support.”