Throughout the UK the Post Office is closing branches left, right and centre, luckily my local Post Office is still open. Like most Post Offices there is always a queue as I experienced today as I had a package to send to a friend. The local Post Office is at the back of “Martins” (a local newsagent) and while queuing I noticed all the odd things you can buy – raffle tickets, “L” plates, birthday cards, balloons, string, pens, accountancy books. Of course, the one thing that most people want from a post office is stamps and oddly something that I have never thought about before, is that you can only buy stamps from the counter. I wonder why you can just pick them up with a card and pay at the till. Must be something to do with the Queen being printed on them. Anyway, after queuing for 20 minutes while a lady in front changed up a big bag of coins in to Cypriot Pounds for her holiday, she was leaving tonight by the way. Finally got to the front and got my stamps for my package. Job done.
No wonder there is always a queue – not only is there always only ever two people working (no matter what time you go there) but they have way too many products that you can buy and get from the Post Office. Credit cards, bank accounts, TV licence, get money from your pension, travel insurance, broadband, car tax and stamps. Considering most local Post Offices are in small convenience shops, the amount of other stuff to pick up from milk to newspapers is amazing. I do feel sorry for the elderly who have to travel miles to buy stamps because their local branch has shut but the Post Office could really do with a bit of a face-lift. More staff especially around lunchtimes and Saturday mornings (I can’t believe they still shut on Saturday afternoons) could be a start. At least I know now where to buy raffle tickets… should ever need them!
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