CONFERENCE CALL 25TH NOV 15:00

[PO1]

There's a BM's conference call on Thursday 25th November 15:00 with Richard Barker "talking about the Crown network's immediate and future priorities" with Q&A's on "these and any other subjects you'd like to raise".

Should be interesting and worth a listen to don't you think?

Phone: 0844 335 1195
Passcode: 981 651#

I'd listen in on mute if I were you....

[billyhayes]

I am in all day tomoz so no chance of me doing it. If any one here is able to dial in please post the 'highlights' as has been done on here before.

Cheers folks.

[The BFO]

I am in all day tomoz so no chance of me doing it.

Ditto. Anyway, I did the last one, for which I think I deserve a medal. I suspect it will be about how to fill the AEI Tent with Christmas Novelties...

[PO1]

Main points made on call:

Sales
Currently not quite there, standard income on target but we know we have real issues with travel money. Struggling with life insurance but the likes of etop ups and everything else are at about 95%. We just need to be consistent with everything, but overall at the moment, we’re just ok.

Parcel 24/48 and international products really good at the moment but Special Delivery we need more. When we have conversations we improve the number, just need to have more conversations as there is still time to improve things.

Between now and Christmas focus on express mails, retail and savings.

Q4
Concentrate on life insurance as well as travel. Winter holidays and winter skiing so get the momentum going.

Q Buster
Thank you all. Improvement in waiting times is fantastic, at 70% within 5 minutes. Target for December is 70% and as of next week no one is on leave. (??) Floods of volunteers on the way to branches from next week.

Compliance and Accreditation
A big thank you to you all. Now it’s up to branch managers to develop your relationship with your FS and the FS with branch colleagues.

New SCM Roles
There are twenty of them and they have been informed by now. They will be dedicated to the effective development of sales model and improving sales capability.

We are more or less on target for ATM availability, cash holdings, losses and sick leave and as for impressions count – FANTASTIC!

Longer Term
New funding doesn’t arrive until 2012. There will be a Crown Office network for the foreseeable future but it is unacceptable to be unprofitable. We aim to get the Crown Office network in profit by 2015.

Some of the more interesting questions raised:

Pay rise? Answer: Still in discussions with CWU it will be the new calendar year before it moves forward.

Any closures? Answer: We need to get into profitability and one way is franchising, but there are all sorts of options… we think it will be a mixture but at the moment we don’t know about more franchising.

Later/earlier opening hours? Answer: Only applies to agency network though could see an advantage to the shifting of hours in some offices such as opening at 8:00am and shutting earlier.

Environment not suitable in most Crowns for what you want us to do, any plans for improvement? Answer: No cash at the moment for any more improvements. Most customers understand that we’re not a bank so their level of expectation is not as high. We just try to make the best of what we’ve got.

AEI booths just been stuck in offices, some in strange places. Why? Answer: We admit it’s a bit of a bolt on in a lot of offices and it doesn’t look great. It’s part of our front office for government so we aim to be making a lot of use of it and getting more staff trained up and CRB checked for it.

I don't know about life insurance... I need to get a life (my comment)

[The BFO]

Thanks PO1 for your efforts.

Is there one of these smiley face things with a yawn on it?

[Mad Max]

300 crowns to go outside next year

100 to WH Smith
100 Wilkinsons
100 to another, not sure who

[PO1]

Do you have a source in the know?

It's just that ordering a few cases of champagne at this time of year is a tad expensive.

[billyhayes]

100 to another, not sure who

Woolworths?

[subbie]

300 crowns to go outside next year

100 to WH Smith
100 Wilkinsons
100 to another, not sure who

Apparently the 100 "others" is to go to Poundland, with Iceland taking up any shortfall.

honest.

Subbie

[billyhayes]

300 crowns to go outside next year

100 to WH Smith
100 Wilkinsons
100 to another, not sure who

Apparently the 100 "others" is to go to Poundland, with Iceland taking up any shortfall.

honest.

Subbie

POUNDland you say? At least there will be parity with subs on the price of a 2nd class stamp.

A pound. Just in case you didn't get it...

I'll get me coat.

[The BFO]

100 to another, not sure who

Woolworths?

I have contacts within the highest echelons of Post Office Management and can exclusively reveal the identity of the partner for the remaining 100 offices:

Ann Summers.

Remember, you heard it here first.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

100 to another, not sure who

<font style='color:black; background-color:Red;'>Woolworths</font>?

I have contacts within the highest echelons of Post Office Management and can exclusively reveal the identity of the partner for the remaining 100 offices:

Ann Summers.

Remember, you heard it here first.

That explains the Suns exclusive http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... owner.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[billyhayes]

Ann Summers.

Remember, you heard it here first.

This I can confirm. We will be selling 12" black rubber coc#s to our grannies.

We're already run by cu#ts, so it should be a perfect fit.. Ahem

[The BFO]

This I can confirm. We will be selling 12" black rubber coc#s to our grannies.

Inspired by this thought, I yesterday decided to start practising my ‘Conversations’:

‘We have a fantastic range of Super Nobbly Easy Grinders out at the moment. If we could give you more satisfaction, and save you money, might you be interested? We have Omar available, he cannot give you advice, but he can certainly show you a good time…’

Or;

Do you shop around for your lube?

Most of the replies I got were, ‘not today dear, it’s too cold’…

[Mr Love Pants]

Brilliant