Cambridge - Customers deliver bad tidings to Post Office

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Customers of Cambridge’s new main post office have complained about “inefficient” levels of staff and a “lack of waiting space” at the branch, city councillors say.

The post office re-opened in smaller premises after swapping locations with a Barclays Bank branch in St Andrew’s Road earlier this year. It moved from 9-11 St Andrew’s Street, premises covering 800 square metres, to the considerably smaller building at 57-58 on the same street, which covers around 270 metres.

Despite the smaller premises, bosses said the new facilities were better. But Cllr Tim Bick, city councillor for the Market ward, said the reaction from customers has not been good.

He said: “The feedback we have received bears out our fears that the smaller premises were unlikely to deliver the level of customer service that is expected

“Any problems need tackling before the summer when the influx of visitors could stretch everything even further.”

Last week one frustrated reader sent a letter to the News complaining about the long wait she faced.

Kimberly Cole, of Leys Road, Cambridge, said: “I spent over 30 minutes just waiting to send a card. When I got my number there were 21 people ahead of me and there were only five cashiers at the 11 tills. Time is money and we are paying for this service, so how about an improvement?”

Councillors say customers visiting the post office have complained of “inefficient service resulting from insufficient staffing of counters at peak times, and a lack of waiting space in the branch”.

They have complained about congestion at peak times and the process of channelling different types of business to different desks is inefficient.

City centre ward councillors have scheduled a meeting at the end of the month with the Post Office’s area manager and the Cambridge branch manager together with a representative from the customer watchdog, Consumer Focus.

Cllr Bick added: “I want to appeal to the general public to share more of their experiences of the new post office with us, so we can put the evidence on the table when we meet the management.”

A Post Office spokeswoman said: “We continually monitor all aspects of customer service at our branches to help us make improvements and respond to any customer concerns as delivering a high standard of service to our customers is hugely important to us.

“I would also add that Post Office representatives are happy to meet with the city councillors to talk about Cambridge post office.”

Customers wishing to comment can do so by visiting: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZRGK79L" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, via the city council website, or by writing to Cllr Bick at the Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ.