Where Have Our Customers Gone?

[Running Man]

During one of the increasingly frequent quiet times at the counter today we were discussing why so many people seem to have stopped using us.

We came up with four BIG reasons why Joe Public doesn't want to visit us anymore.

1. People have finally woken up to the fact that they can access most of the things that they want to by other means, especially the internet.

2. Our customers are sick of spending THEIR time in OUR queues. (Despite the best efforts of Q-Buster!!! Enough said).

3. We have finally driven large numbers away by bombarding them with a multitude of unrelated products that they simply do not want and are sick of being asked about.

4. Post Office Card Account withdrawals can now be made at any Post Office ATM.

These are just the reasons that we came up with. Has anybody out there got any other that we may have missed?

[subbie]

2 and 3 are probably your answers.

Subbie

[bigjames]

Obviously the turning point was the removal of benefit work, namely pension & benefit books, from the counter - 40% of our business wiped out a stroke.

I would contend that the economy plays a big part, people have less money, so spend less in a multitude of places. How many of our products are 'must-haves' as opposed to 'nice-to-have'? With the exception of tax discs and car insurance, what amongst our other products can honestly claim to be 'essential'? Judging by the TV reports of uninsured and untaxed cars on the road, even that is viewed as non-essential these days.

Exchange rates for our Bureau de Change can be blamed too, in part. Our rates are currently so un-competitive that even Barclays Bank beats us on a regular basis in our locality, so you can imagine how far away we are from M&S and the bucket shops. Our rate board is visible from the door, so once the rates have been clocked, is it unlikely the customers will be in to buy.

Interest rates are low generally, thus driving away potential savings business, and the state of the Irish economy does nothing to help, even with all the guarantees that are promised. We have genuinely had customers who have told us they would rather put their mopney in a tin under the bed than invest in the Bank of Ireland.

Cheap internet deals mean people can e-mail and even video conference/web chat or whatever rather than write letters.

Probably the only 'growth' industry driving people into our offices is e-Bay.

I don't work in London any longer, I have drifted out into the suburbs, but one thing strikes me as being present in the majority of offices I have worked in, and that is that there are a massive amount of customers who only visit us twice a year. Once to get their car tax (twice if we are lucky) and once to post their Christmas items. These customers are also some of the ones who are more likely to complain about the length of the queue/time waiting/number of clerks serving etc. They will always point to the number of empty positions and ask why they are not manned. I have pointed out to some of the more obnoxious ones that the Post Office is like corner shops and milkmen, if you don't use us we will disappear. You cannot expect to wander in twice a year and have an army of staff all waiting for your arrival. Sometimes the customers do not take it in perhaps the spirit it was intended and moan even more, but some do get the point, although I cannot guarantee they come in more often.

[Running Man]

Thanks bigjames for an excellent response.

I think everything you say is right and it makes you wonder just how long we can continue with our present network of crown offices.

Personally I have no idea where the next piece of decent new business is coming from. By decent I don't mean the new driving licence (AEI) work because that's hardly likely to have customers heading for post offices in their thousands!

[Lounge Lizard]

And before the 1980s Post Offices were the only place that sold stamps.

[The BFO]

The end is undoubtedly nigh…

[billyhayes]

The end is undoubtedly nigh…

Does anyone know the load limit on a Ford Cortina boot? I got a s**t load of £500 bags of coin I need to shift...

[PO1]

[billyhayes]

The end is undoubtedly nigh…

Does anyone know the load limit on a Ford Cortina boot? I got a s**t load of £500 bags of coin I need to shift...

Quick update folks...

Got me hands on a 1968 MKII Ford Cortina estate.

It's got lowered suspension with the high-tune GT 1600 Kent engine, luxury trim featuring a burr walnut woodgrain-trimmed dashboard and door cappings, bucket seating, sports steering wheel and full instrumentation inside, with; black grille, tail panel, front fog lights and plated Rostyle wheels featured outside.

According to wikipedia, "much was made at the time of its class topping load capacity."

A bag of coin weighs about 5 kgs... I can tow at least 1500kgs... Time to get me hands on a cheap trailer.

Keep you posted.

[PO1]

Sod the coins, just fill it with notes if we don't get a decent VR sum!

[billyhayes]

Sod the coins, just fill it with notes if we don't get a decent VR sum!

That's where POL have got the jump on us old chum... Why do you think they keep so little cash in branches?

No way I'm off with only £4000 in mixed notes.

[PO1]

Take the bureau then. There's bound to be loads of that as no one buys it at our crap rates

[billyhayes]

This may suit my needs. Bit flashy though. Must remember 'did not get payrise this year'.