Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
10 September 2009
17:0828722#1
Many people are quick to slate Royal Mail but I beg to differ. About 4:45pm today the door bell rang and it was my regular postman which somewhat confused me as we'd had the post earlier in the day. He was working overtime as he is going on holiday for 2 weeks tomorrow and spotted a parcel for me at the depot and thought he'd drop it off - how's that for service?!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
10 September 2009
19:3728734#2
i have never had any problems with the postal delivery system, some of the stuff that has arrived with me that has been badly addressed, proves how diligent the frontline sorters and deliverers are.
should anyone think that our service is bad, it may be best to talk to anyone from other parts of the industrialised world, and get an opinion from them.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
11 September 2009
02:3428752#3
I love the Royal Mail to pieces and have always had a fantastic next day service. Something to be deeply proud of and to treasure, from the wonderful red and yellow vans to the red postboxes, the royal crown insignia and the dedication of the posties.
Interesting bit of info from my postie this morning: frogs can scream. His cat caught one last night and the poor creature was screaming. He managed to save it before it croaked! In return for this nugget of information, I was able to tell him all about "boiling frogs," the business world expression referring to a problem which grows so gradually that nobody notices it until it is full blown. Derived from the apocryphal belief that a frog can be put in a saucepan of cold water and the temperature slowly raised without it realising and jumping out, until it eventually boils to death. Don't try this at home.
The Royal Mail is the latest great British institution to be in grave danger of being flogged off to be run by another country. Not much left now so we all need to resist this with every sinew. One day perhaps we can buy it all back and take charge of our own electricity and gas and water and railways and airports and seaports and so on again.
Somewhat disconcertingly, our own Charlie Elphicke is leading the campaign to sell off the Royal Mail, describing it as a "Get out of jail card" to pay off some of our debts.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/6142962/Conservatives-float-plans-for-massive-privatisation.htmlGuest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
11 September 2009
13:0328789#4
Charlie boy is he back in Dover? not seen him for at least 6 months
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 September 2009
15:0928798#5
He is seen around Dover these days a lot more than you Keith! (and Gwynn come to that)
These proposals, Ed, are emminently sensible. We have been left with huge debts thanks to GB's mismanagement over 12 years and this money has to repaid somehow. Better to have a sale of assets than to raise taxes, though public spending cuts are better still. The latter will take a while to reap the benefits, leaving the other two options. Raising taxes should only be, 1) the last option 2) the minimal possible and 3) temporary, simply because we are already overtaxed and need taxes to be cut below the present level.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
11 September 2009
16:3428799#6
People say that the post office is awful and expensive but to get an envelope to the other end of the country for a small cost (so small I don't even worry to think what it is) is still rather impressive !
Been nice knowing you :)
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
11 September 2009
16:4528800#7
Mr Elphicke really needs to drop his 'Monopoly' analogy. It really is deplorable.
Couldn't agree more Ed. The Royal Mail really is an institution and it defines us and the progress that made us great. When people talk about being proud of being British and national identity (or lack of it) we should remember these institutions form our self-image as a nation. I'm sure the Conservative party could get their heads around this if it were possible to place a financial value on national pride...or perhaps pick some up from the 'Community Chest'
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
11 September 2009
19:2428809#8
surely with the post office or whatever they call it, the old cliche "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" should apply.
reading this thread it seems that most people share my view that they do a wonderful job overall.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 September 2009
21:0928823#9
Actually howard that old saying does not apply. Royal Mail are having a much harder time of competing in the international marketplace and will be left behind if it does not change.
12 September 2009
09:3228838#10
I can only agree: outdated 1970's union ideology simply doesn't work these days. Please, now, shoot me.
12 September 2009
09:3528839#11
Reality check: I am still rampantly socialist, just taking a real picture into 2010. Whatever our politics, we have to respond to and influence what we have in the here and now!!
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
12 September 2009
10:2928842#12
Yes Bern, respond to the present and make changes. That is very different from handing it over to the private sector. If the response is that we don't actually need the service then let's get rid of it. If we do need such a service as a nation (which I suspect is the case) then why sell off something that has value (not just financially) to 'us'.
The NHS is another system that does still offer (some) excellent service. It is still not doing all it could/should but I refuse to accept this rather short sighted defeatist attitude. How long before this rot sets into supporting our liberties and freedoms? (both actually negated if we do not have the health to enjoy them)
The war in Afganistan, in this souless approach of systems analysis, is not going 'great' but do we use this as an argument for us giving up?
12 September 2009
10:5828843#13
Actually, I agree. We need state-sponsored and monitored protection to our health and social welfare. I am less convinced that a poorly managed, poorly staffed monolith such as the PO is necessary to our corporate well being! I am not convinced, either, that simply selling off the family silver a la Thatcher is the answer. Boringly, I envision a middle way in which we, corporately and nationally, retain control of and benefit from the business, but that it is managed by people who know the business and have a stake in it - not selling it off, but part-ownership and incentivising. Now, shoot me again!!
