As I wait here for deliveries, and am greeted by my unfailingly cheerful postie, I wonder how he must feel working for such a hopeless company. My local post office (popular, busy) was closed down. Now I have to go to what is probably the only hybrid Post Office/ knick-knack shop/ mobile phone unlocker/ chicken shack in the country, opposite King’s Cross Station. It’s a scum-hole.
Luckily, for a few pence more, there’s a smart, clean private company nearby with no queues, so I use that for all outgoing mail. The Times recently called the ‘Royal’ Mail Britain’s worst company here. So this year I’m not sending cards, but will donate to charity instead. With any luck I’ll break the Royal Mail habit completely.
Hmm, I met a similar outlet in that neighbourhood but it was /internet access rather than /chicken shack. No space was set aside for warehousing stock so you had to feel your way around boxes of Beefeater pattern ties, telephone box pencil sharpeners and miniature bobbies. We have a similar situation in Canada where postal outlets have been ‘privatized’ and share space with lottery kiosks, flats of Red Bull, and condom displays. It works alright but there’s certainly no “Royal Mail” feel to it. There isn’t even a Canada Post/Poste Canada feel to it.
Privatization is not the answer. They need to fix what’s wrong with service and keep it government owned to ensure people will have access to a reliable and reasonably priced letter/parcel service. Look at the fiasco with the privatization of the national rail system, which is basically being re-nationalized at great expense to the taxpayer.
All privatization has ever done is make a few people a ton of money and in the end cost the government ergo the taxpayer a fortune. Some basic services such as mail/public transport/utilities should be government owned and controlled.
I know that post office monstrosity opposite King’s Cross and it is indeed truly grim. Our local one sells an excellent range of Polish food but the staff are very grumpy.