Post offices could disappear like Woolworths, Sussex report claims (From The Argus)
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Post offices could disappear like Woolworths, Sussex report claims
4:35pm Sunday 20th December 2009 in
The Post Office network could head the same way as Woolworths unless urgent action is taken to stop it declining, a Sussex study has claimed.
Its authors said there was an undeniable sense of loyalty for the Post Office, dubbed by one respondent as a “British institution” and trusted by 92%.
But they said further degradation of the service would lead to the network sliding to an “irrevocable tipping point beyond gradual decline”.
The 14-month study, published by the University of Chichester and West Sussex County Council, is said to be the most comprehensive conducted in the UK on the impact of Post Office closures.
The 100-page report said that by stripping away the Post Office's key benefit of convenience, management was losing the goodwill of customers who would look elsewhere.
The study, carried out Dr David Cooper and Dr Jo Horwood of the University of Chichester, involved more than 400 residents and 200 businesses in West Sussex.
The report follows a study earlier this month which found Post Office customers are waiting longer in queues than a year ago.
Consumer Focus visited more than 400 branches and found average waiting times of six minutes seven seconds, compared with five minutes 40 seconds a year ago - an increase of 7%.
The West Sussex report looked at the impact of Post Office closures in Bognor, Worthing, Horsham, Washington, Graffham and Haywards Heath, which lost 36 Post Offices last year.
Comments(11)
stan bailey
says...
5:19pm Sun 20 Dec 09
Forbes Coleman
says...
6:36pm Sun 20 Dec 09
Gentleman Jim
says...
7:35pm Sun 20 Dec 09
Is there one of the main parties that will support the Post Office if they win the next election
wexler53
says...
10:38pm Sun 20 Dec 09
However, the reasons Post Offices are closing are that most run at a loss - no business can sustain that - the customer numbers are in strong decline as the services offered become less and less relevant to the clientele, and competition has grown considerably.
In addition, government policy (labour and conservative) has failed to support the Post Office, and has actually driven closures.
cheezburger
says...
7:54am Mon 21 Dec 09
heavenscentrose wrote:So would you prefer them to stay open later than closing time just to serve you and get no wages for it? Dont forget it is a job. Would you be happy to stay later for no money at your job? You say what other business would turn customers away rather than serve them? All of them when it comes to closing time.
The attitude of some Post Offices leaves a lot to be desired. It is now policy that if they deem they will not be able to serve all customers before closing time, they deny entry to potential customers. I have experienced this on two occasions over the Christmas period and, when complaining to Post Office Counters, they confirmed that this is their policy. What other business, particularly in a recession, would turn customers away? They need to remember that they are a service industry and that they should look after their customers, for without customers, there will be no business and no jobs for them.
Tye
says...
8:18am Mon 21 Dec 09
Forbes Coleman wrote:I doubt whether ALL Post Offices are going to close just because of the way it has treated you.
Any other business that offered the customer service standard the post office workers offer would have closed YEARS ago.
Stamps at shops, payments now via your bank account and car tax via the electric interweb - thats why they're closing and the fact that russian billionaires (who have highly placed friends in the labour party )have no chance to make more money out of them .......
davyboy
says...
8:47am Mon 21 Dec 09
cheezburger wrote:every business has opening and closing times, so if you cannot get there between those times, tough. yes, they are a service industry, but have to adhere to certain times. banks also have opening and closing times, but i don't hear anyone here complaining about that! the post office where i live has moved from its own building into the co-op, but they are still busy, yet probably saving money on rent. they offer a good service, and at busy times have all 4 counters open. you normally only queue for a few minutes, except when someone comes in with a bag full of small parcels to send to all corners of the world. much of their business has been removed by other means, but they are still the best for parcel delivery, and reasonably priced too. i sent a large box from abingdon to preston(lancs) for around £8 recorded delivery. most courier companies start at £20.
heavenscentrose wrote:So would you prefer them to stay open later than closing time just to serve you and get no wages for it? Dont forget it is a job. Would you be happy to stay later for no money at your job? You say what other business would turn customers away rather than serve them? All of them when it comes to closing time.
The attitude of some Post Offices leaves a lot to be desired. It is now policy that if they deem they will not be able to serve all customers before closing time, they deny entry to potential customers. I have experienced this on two occasions over the Christmas period and, when complaining to Post Office Counters, they confirmed that this is their policy. What other business, particularly in a recession, would turn customers away? They need to remember that they are a service industry and that they should look after their customers, for without customers, there will be no business and no jobs for them.
tilburyre
says...
9:23am Mon 21 Dec 09
Why is so much fuss made about post Offices closing, at least in big towns? You can buy stamps elsewhere, you can send parcels via various courier firms, you renew your road tax and TV licence on the internet (and elderly people can, and frequently do, learn how to use the internet). There really is very little you need the Post Office for today.
Old Dog
says...
12:08pm Mon 21 Dec 09
Gentleman Jim
says...
2:02pm Mon 21 Dec 09
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heavenscentrose says...
5:07pm Sun 20 Dec 09
It is now policy that if they deem they will not be able to serve all customers before closing time, they deny entry to potential customers. I have experienced this on two occasions over the Christmas period and, when complaining to Post Office Counters, they confirmed that this is their policy.
What other business, particularly in a recession, would turn customers away?
They need to remember that they are a service industry and that they should look after their customers, for without customers, there will be no business and no jobs for them.