Postal service MUST deliver

Oct 26 2004 By Helen Logan Evening Gazette

The term snail mail certainly has applied to deliveries around Teesside over recent months.

Cutting deliveries from two to one a day has seen some local companies receiving post as late as 4pm.

This can mean a day lost in dealing with what could be important correspondence and that delay could perhaps cost firms dear if it leads to them losing out on a piece of work or lucrative deal.

So business people on Teesside will have welcomed the news that mail bosses are to recruit 170 extra front line staff in the North-east - including 60 locally - following the volley of complaints about the quality of its services.

And the likes of the North East Chamber of Commerce - which has called the Royal Mail to account over the problems - will be following what happens in the coming weeks very closely.

Let's hope things do improve because if they don't Royal Mail will end up being the loser.

Already I have heard of firms that no longer use Royal Mail unless they have no alternative.

Instead they are turning to hi-tech methods such as e-mail and the Internet.

People did not mind the postal service's virtual monopoly when it provided a good service.

But if postal problems persist surely the pressure will mount for more competition to be allowed to enter the marketplace.