Coming to a Post Office near you.
Coming to a Post Office near you.
Author
Discussion

merc_man

Original Poster:

1,926 posts

231 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
Well of course that's assuming you even have a Post Office anymore and not just a shoddy corner of a supermarket/branch of W H Smiths.

Anyway, I digress. The new system just introduced at Reading Post Office has to be the brain child of one of the most disingenuous fkwits I've yet to have the displeasure of meeting. Beforehand the queues could be fairly long and they still insisted on sending two thirds of the staff to lunch during the peak lunchtime period.

But it was almost bearable.

Now however they appear to have turned the place into a branch of Argos. You now take a ticket and wait for your number to be called. Of course the inevitable delay caused by the cashier waiting for a minute until she realises that ticket 92 has in fact got pissed off with waiting and left the building has now increased the waiting time for everyone else. What kind of retard ever thought that this would be a better system than a simple queue?

Edited by merc_man on Monday 26th January 12:29

spitfire-ian

4,210 posts

257 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
Been in some Post Offices for ages!

jamoor

14,506 posts

244 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
"Cashier number two please"

A1GOY

1,521 posts

231 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
jamoor said:
"Cashier number two please"
I feel slightly wrong that I really want to be the person/voice that says that. Just for a day...

merc_man

Original Poster:

1,926 posts

231 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
jamoor said:
"Cashier number two please"
Reminds me of a sketch on an Armando Iannucci Radio 4 show.

Worlds smallest Post Offices: Number 43 - Nether Wallop

Cashier No 1 please.

.
.
.
.
.
.

Cashier No 1 please.

Hyperion

16,952 posts

229 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
The Post Office queue was the other reason I stopped selling stuff on eBay.

Dogwatch

6,381 posts

251 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
Came across this system in Palma which initially confused us as we couldn't fathom where the queue was!

Fair enough at the supermarket deli as you can wander off and do something useful whilst waiting. Don't see much point in a main post office except to draft a letter of complaint. frown

grumbledoak

32,565 posts

262 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
They really do seem to be retarded.

I now have a fifteen minute walk to my nearest Post Office. For a 20 minute queue. And 15 mins back. So, guess what, I don't send anything bigger than a christmas card by post unless it is absolutely necessary. Way to drive away business, guys!

Risotto

3,933 posts

241 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
The sooner they get rid of them the better as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping it's only the popularity of eBay that's keeping them afloat. Never in all my life have I come across such an incompetent, unhelpful, rude and sarcastic bunch of people. Their attitude is typical of an organisation where the staff get paid regardless of their performance.

Thankfully, I can now buy car tax and stamps online in seconds rather than having to cross the threshold of one of these little oases of bureaucracy.

Puggit

49,789 posts

277 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
At least the Market Square branch is open at lunch, not like the Henley Road branch in Caversham!

Must agree though, the old queue worked 'well' in the Reading branch.

Munter

31,331 posts

270 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
scratchchin Couldn't they change to an automated cashier for most things. Like self service at the supermarket. Ram the place full of self service booths. Package on the scales. Put the postage fee in the slot, put sticker/stamp on package. Put package in the shoot to the basement/conveyor belt to the back.

elise2000

1,981 posts

248 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
Munter said:
scratchchin Couldn't they change to an automated cashier for most things. Like self service at the supermarket. Ram the place full of self service booths. Package on the scales. Put the postage fee in the slot, put sticker/stamp on package. Put package in the shoot to the basement/conveyor belt to the back.
They already have self-service machines like this at the main post office in Bristol. Don't know if they have them anywhere else though?

andmole

1,594 posts

240 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
grumbledoak said:
They really do seem to be retarded.

I now have a fifteen minute walk to my nearest Post Office. For a 20 minute queue. And 15 mins back. So, guess what, I don't send anything bigger than a christmas card by post unless it is absolutely necessary. Way to drive away business, guys!
Take it from someone who used to own a post office, the only ones who have fked up the the business have been the government.

grumbledoak

32,565 posts

262 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
andmole said:
the only ones who have fked up the the business have been the government.
Wouldn't surprise me at all. Why, on the other hand, remains a mystery.

AJS-

15,366 posts

265 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
A1GOY said:
jamoor said:
"Cashier number two please"
I feel slightly wrong that I really want to be the person/voice that says that. Just for a day...
Well they do always sound very cheerful in their work, especially the rise up to the number "cashier number two" and then the relaxing, harmonious and satisfied "puleeease"

It's almost like they climax on the number.