Post Office & W H Smith

[osprey]

Not really sure where to post this, but here goes... what do people make of the intention of the Post Office to close many of its branches and open in W H Smith instead? Here in Swansea, they intend to close a Crown Post Office where close on 3,000 people use it every Monday and over 2,000 on other days and open up an office in what is now the top floor of W H Smith with much less floor space and obviously worse access than they have at present. If this nonsensical proposal goes ahead it will mean that Swansea will be the only city in Britain without a Crown Post Office and there is major protestation against this happening.

[dot.hawkes]

If it means that on a Monday you aen't queuing behind 50 pensioners waiting to use their withdrawal card to get money out when all you want to do is post your weekly paperwork on the guaranteed next day delivery scheme, then what's the problem, why have they introduced a card withdrawal system for pensioners yet they still want them to q at a post office? it shouldn't be the PO job to pay money out! Banks can do that, a Post office should be for posting stuff. How can you make any money and run a business when you cannot access the Post Office service for people on benefit queuing to get the cash out to get to the offie or the bookies. Ridiculous, anything that streamlines the service is a positive step in my book.

[aristotle]

I think Dot has missed the point. She will still be queing behind the pensioners but it'll be in WH Smith as the Post Office won't be there any more.

[dot.hawkes]

but surely this is the point that the benefit claimants should be given a card to use at a bank hole in the wall, as how are they all gonna get up the stairs anyway?

[osprey]

What about the infirm, elderly, and mothers with prams, etc how are they going to be able to cope with the stairs and the one small lift? Many pensioners, etc look forward to meeting the same people at the PO weekly and it is the only place that many of them feel able to pay their bills. How can they do that from a hole in the wall? Just to give an example of how well (huh!!!) this has been thought out in Swansea, a spokesperson for WH Smith was quoted as saying that if the elderly or infirm weren't able to get upstairs then there would be staff available to them to get their money for them if they would give them their card and the PIN !! I am not making this up

[dot.hawkes]

osprey the staff should point blank refuse to do that as it would be putting them in a compromising position.

[he who dares]

does it really matter where the post office services are obtained?what matters surely is that the sevice is efficient and reasonably quick.at my post office its slow because its swarming with dossers on benefit and i dont mean the elderly with their pensions

[heathfield]

In the USA, they have Post Offices in supermarkets. Makes sense for many, (except for pensioners who don't drive and where there's no bus service).
The Post Office in the UK complained that the government's intention of paying pensioners directly via a bank account would deprive the Post office of income - 'cos they would no longer be paid for doling out pensions.

[Robinia]

Another bright idea from the fit & able 'let's get it done yesterday' brigade.....well it's not the pensioners who hold up the queues in my (small) PO - they know what they want, they grab it &.... whoosh..... they're off across the road to the cake shop!
(worst annoyances are car tax & 'can I get my Euros here?')

[cockneyexile]

cant wait for kingsway post office swansea to close the staff are lazy rude and ignorant something wh smith staff will not be if they want to hold on to they,re post office franchise. also it will be of more benefit to people including oap,s in being more centrally located in the quadrant centre

[osprey]

It may be more centrally located, but that doesn't mean that it will be more convenient if it is in a smaller location, upstairs rather than on the ground floor and only a small lift for those with wheelchairs, prams etc. Also, in the paper today, it was stated that the P O current staff will either be made redundant or offered jobs elsewhere (not in Swansea) with the jobs in WH Smith going to less well trained people on little more than the minimum wage. This doesn't seem to be making the service more efficient does it?

[beejaybee]

My mother is 86 & can not get to her bank, which is 8 miles away, to draw out money. She can just about manage to get to the post office. If this closes, how is she expected to get money ? And as for climbing any stairs she can not.