Memo to An Post: listen to customers

THE financial crisis at An Post is no surprise. They have been guilty of inefficient work practices for more than 50 years. Their effort to mend things by increasing stamp prices is laughable.

Complaints from the public range from late deliveries to a diminished service in parts of the country. The effect is to reduce consumer confidence and force people to seek alternatives.

Business people are not pleased with the special delivery service (SDS) which is only accessible through main post offices. This is unworkable for small businesses trading in remote areas. The solution would be to make services available at all post offices.

The redundancies expected in the SDS over the next few years should be a wake-up call for An Post to take customer complaints more seriously. Unfortunately, corrective action has not come about quickly enough, resulting in customer losses and reduced cash flow. No realistic attempt has been made to restructure the SDS, despite being in operation since 1989.

An Post have also crippled themselves by failing to make international agreements with other post offices. To take one instance, international postal orders are not available between An Post and the US mail service.

Executive salaries are staggering in a mediocre service that’s reducing the overall competitiveness of the economy - while the work practices are a relic of the early days of the state. The Government must take immediate action to keep the service from going under.

Maurice Fitzgerald

Shanbally

Ringaskiddy

Co Cork