Friday, September 03, 2010

Focus on core services, SingPost

Letter published in St Times Online

I REFER to Monday's letter by Mr Andrew Soh ("SingPost should focus on core services") and regret to say that our postal service is going from good to bad.


Since I wrote about having to walk 800m and climb two overhead bridges to post a letter and to solve the mailing woes of condominium residents last year, SingPost removed that mailbox in River Valley Grove early this year for no apparent reason. 


Now I have to walk a longer distance to post a letter. I still believe that collecting and delivering ordinary mail from condo residents increases productivity.


The stated mission of SingPost on its website is to provide services for its customers through the most reliable and efficient domestic and global networks. I am not sure whether the move to withdraw delivery on Saturday, reducing the number of postboxes and offering declining quality services to customers work towards that mission.


 The latest financial report of SingPost revealed that despite its efforts to expand its retail and logistics service businesses to boost revenues, the return was about 45 per cent of its total revenues.


Would it be better if SingPost leaves the retail and logistic services to the respective key business players and focuses on improving its core services for customers?


Perhaps SingPost should ramp up its postal service operation to rival international competitors like DHL and Federal Express.


Paul Chan
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_574084.html

My view
It is better for some services to be considered as public services. I will be writing an article about the role of public services, the need to be efficient and operate on cost recovery basis.They should not be turned into profit oriented enterprises.


5 comments:

  1. If u notice, the large sign / billoard at Post Office or its advertisements in the press are NOT its CORE and public role of postal service. Instead, its on Financial loan etc. Over the years, instead of focusing on its MONOPOLY and PUBLIC postal delivery service, it shifted away, allow private companies to surpass it.

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  2. I agree that Singpost service is now the worst. I use them extensively for my business and ever since the instituted the 5-day collection/delivery scheme, my packages are either late or missing.

    Just today I found a Delivery Advice in my mailbox saying that they were unable to deliver my parcel.. but the funny thing is.. I was home the whole day! The postman did not even bother to climb the stairs & knock.

    And add to that, when I contact them via phone or email.. the customer service is substandard. No action, no resolution but canned replies.

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  3. Singpost always screw up. It been getting worse over the years. Their hotline is man by operators who read off their screen and give standard replies. Might as well get a parrot to do their job. Today delayed 4th day already and still no news on my parcel.

    This is the result of monoploy with lack of competition and top management oblivious to what is happening on the ground.

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  4. Hi Mr Lim Ho Kee,

    i am sorry to intrude but i thought i should let you know of my experience with speedpost the last 2 days.

    i have an incoming parcel from hong kong that arrived on the 31jul. between the 1st and 2nd of august, i made 7 calls to speedpost hotline. the reason for
    the calls was to bypass the notoriously sluggish delivery that speedpost has been know for by arranging self collection. on each and every of those calls, i was told that the item status was not updated and its whereabouts unknown and that they would call me back. as of now 5.29pm 2nd august, i have not received
    any calls from singpost. my subsequent request to have a supervisor/manager contact me was needless to say, futile.

    i thought you should know first hand what is really happening at singpost

    brgds/xxxxxx

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