An Post admits it must improve on delivery times

AN POST has admitted it needs to improve its service after figures revealed it fails to deliver a quarter of its mail on time.

A survey conducted for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) found 76% of letters are delivered the working day after posting, well below the 94% on-time target set by the regulator.

“This latest report does show a modest improvement, but at this stage it is statistically impossible to achieve the 2003 target,” said a ComReg spokesperson.

The figures follow from a previous report which found many consumers and businesses had little confidence in the Post Office and will be a further blow to the State-owned company, which is facing massive financial losses over the next couple of years.

“An Post has assured us the revised strategic plan provides for the achievement from mid 2004 of improved quality of service,” ComReg said.

An Post spokeswoman Anna McHugh said the company was taking steps to improve its delivery times.

“We are pleased it is moving in the right direction, but it is nowhere near what we want,” she said.

She said the company was undergoing major changes and that was adding to quality of service complaints. But there will be no repeat of the fiasco of last Christmas, when millions of letters were delayed for weeks.

She also urged people to put a return address on the top left-hand corner of letters so they can be returned quickly if necessary.