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Miscellaneous - Post Office

PostTo coincide with the launch of a new postal regulator, The Post Office changed its name to Consignia at a cost of £2 million. The new name was designed to show that the Post Office does a lot more than deliver mail. The Post Office will also become a plc, which was described by Chief Executive John Roberts as a "major opportunity" for the business. There was little visible change for customers, because delivery workers still worked for the Royal Mail and high street and village outlets were still called Post Offices.

After just 16 months the Consignia name was changed to Royal Mail PLC because, according to a Consignia spokesman "the chairman Allan Leighton doesn't like the name Consignia, and it's the intention to change the name of the organisation" adding, " we have no intention of spending very much money on rebranding. We would like this to be as inexpensive as possible." He said its name change was justified on the grounds that it suited its goal of becoming an international postal operator. The decision followed a £500,000 consultation with Dragon Brands. The spokesman said the £2 million spent on its previous makeover would have been incurred anyway following the Post Office's evolution into a PLC. The postal services group is expected to report a £1.1 billion full-year loss.

Company bosses at Consignia spent £15,000 on a Christmas Party hours after cutting 30,000 jobs. The Post Office firm's top executives and guests enjoyed a champagne reception at London's exclusive Liberal Club. The company chief executive defended the bash saying, "It was a reception and dinner held for a wide range of opinion-formers. It was part of our normal corporate entertainment and lobbying of MPs and individual customers." The cost of the event dwarfs the £13,000 starting salary of a postman. The company is losing £1.5 million each day.

The Irish post office said the reason up to a million Christmas cards did not get delivered on time was because many were the wrong shape. A new mail sorting system designed to cope with regular, business post material rather than square or different shaped cards was being blamed, along with late posting and increased volumes. The possibility of earlier posting deadlines next year was being considered.

A survey by consumer group Postwatch revealed that more than 14million items of mail are lost every year, with 60% put through the wrong letterbox, but only 10% of us complain. Postwatch chairman Peter Carr urged more people to complain saying, "If the problem isn't reported it won't be put right." A Royal Mail spokesman said, "We support Postwatch's campaign. Every letter matters to us."


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