Knaresborough Post Office shut by shortages

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.knaresboroughpost.co.uk/knar ... 5488988.jp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

KNARESBOROUGH’S only Post Office was closed for business last Saturday after staff shortages meant it had to shut an hour earlier than it should.

The High Street Post Office is situated at the back of the Spar supermarket. It closed at 11.45am - 45 minutes before its Saturday closing time of 12.30pm.

One local businessman was left without any means of paying in takings. The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “I arrived at the Post Office at 10.30am with my three young children to find only one member of staff on duty and the queue literally back through the entire store to the entrance door.

“I came back at 11.45am as I knew the post office was open till 12.30pm only to find it had closed. The member of staff said he had no-one else to help him and he had books to complete before 12.30pm so he therefore decided to shut the Post Office.

“This is not acceptable, already Knaresborough’s only Post Office has been declassified from a crown to a sub post office. Many people need to use the Post Office on a weekend and to have staff shortages on a Saturday is hopeless.

“Needless to say, I went back on Monday morning to pay my business takings in, and there were three members of staff on duty.”

The manager at the High Street Post Office when contacted would not comment on the situation, however a representative from the Royal Mail Group said this week: "Due to a staff shortage, Knaresborough Post Office was forced to close early on Saturday, July 17.

“We apologise to customers for any inconvenience this caused."

In the last six years, Knaresborough has lost four post offices. Scriven closed in 2003, Calcutt in 2006 and last year, both Stockwell and Aspin Lane post offices closed, leaving one High Street Post Office for a population of 16,000.

Residents had fought a fierce campaign to prevent the closure of Aspin Lane with thousands signing a petition but the decision was taken to axe the branch, in favour of keeping Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road post office open instead.

[Lounge Lizard]

http://www.knaresboroughpost.co.uk/knar ... 5488988.jp

KNARESBOROUGH’S only Post Office was closed for business last Saturday after staff shortages meant it had to shut an hour earlier than it should.

The High Street Post Office is situated at the back of the Spar supermarket. It closed at 11.45am - 45 minutes before its Saturday closing time of 12.30pm.

One local businessman was left without any means of paying in takings. The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “I arrived at the Post Office at 10.30am with my three young children to find only one member of staff on duty and the queue literally back through the entire store to the entrance door.

“I came back at 11.45am as I knew the post office was open till 12.30pm only to find it had closed. The member of staff said he had no-one else to help him and he had books to complete before 12.30pm so he therefore decided to shut the Post Office.

“This is not acceptable, already Knaresborough’s only Post Office has been declassified from a crown to a sub post office. Many people need to use the Post Office on a weekend and to have staff shortages on a Saturday is hopeless.

“Needless to say, I went back on Monday morning to pay my business takings in, and there were three members of staff on duty.”

The manager at the High Street Post Office when contacted would not comment on the situation, however a representative from the Royal Mail Group said this week: "Due to a staff shortage, Knaresborough Post Office was forced to close early on Saturday, July 17.

“We apologise to customers for any inconvenience this caused."

In the last six years, Knaresborough has lost four post offices. Scriven closed in 2003, Calcutt in 2006 and last year, both Stockwell and Aspin Lane post offices closed, leaving one High Street Post Office for a population of 16,000.

Residents had fought a fierce campaign to prevent the closure of Aspin Lane with thousands signing a petition but the decision was taken to axe the branch, in favour of keeping Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road post office open instead.

That's only to be expected when crown offices are closed and replaced by cowboy operators like the local spar store.

[DGP1]

In any other business I've worked in the managers always covered if they could not get the job covered

[Lounge Lizard]

In any other business I've worked in the managers always covered if they could not get the job covered

Yes, but in a Spar shop if the tobacco counter is more profitable than the Post office counter then that's the priority.

[DGP1]

In any other business I've worked in the managers always covered if they could not get the job covered

Yes, but in a Spar shop if the tobacco counter is more profitable than the Post office counter then that's the priority.

There's no money in cigarettes and usually the PO is kept seperate from the shop, each having their own staff.