Postal Department is attempting to regain its lost glory by implementing and monitoring its traditional services through Project Arrow and digital network that make all at every level of service accountable. Until the introduction of the courier service in the country people had no second choice than going to the Post Office to get their postal business transacted. At that time, the officers and the employees were much sincere and cooperative as far as possible in providing service to the clients. But the Post Office service began to deteriorate when the courier service landed in the country, situation further declined when instead of giving quick and better after sale service, the department officials showed one kind of lethargy, which is one of the reasons to divert the customers to the courier service.
It is complained that the post offices situated in the rural areas do not open on time. Clients here wait patiently because rural customers still do not have other option except to use Post Office. Sometimes, Post Offices are managed single handed because some of the employee do not agrees to go to the rural areas to serve. This trend was required to be checked by the officers of the department in order to give more emphasis to the rural sector where the department has potential to serve but unfortunately here the pace remain very slow. While serving the people of rural area department can generate substantial revenue from Micro Insurance and cross selling of SB accounts to MGNREGS beneficiaries. Some times in rural area, it is seen that treatment to first class mail is given to that of second class for which letters do not reach destinations in time. Sometimes, letters and parcels arriving from other post offices are not or cannot be delivered in time, which put the receivers in great anxiety. Despite these odd situation people’s hope still lie with the Post Offices over the courier so we must catch it by providing better service. Now-a-days department is using extensive technological tools. It is fact that all the departmental Post offices through out India have already been computerized and connected through WAN or broad band connectivity. Besides, there is planning to equip the Extra Departmental Branch Post Offices with ICT devices. With the continuing improvement in the quality of services through the facility of track and trace, our premium products i.e. Speed Post and EMS is contributing significantly to the revenue of the department. Increased booking of International Parcels and sale of Flat Rate Boxes can turn out to be major revenue earners for the Department.
We have post offices and a delivery system which comes in contact with every household every day. Our primary objective should therefore be to utilize the network optimally to create and provide new service without effecting core operation and traditional service. It has to be a well managed diversification. One thing that the Post Office requires is the freedom to work under such condition that it can react quickly to the demand of the customer. To address the challenge of aligning access to postal retail services with customer needs, the Postal Service has to expand access in deprived areas and squeeze its size in over served areas—but the Postal Service does not consider this criteria. If this happens it may be able to close facilities and adjust access to retail services according to customer needs.
Still it is hoped that future is likely to favour the post office if it can mobilize resources and technology to create new products and services, use its network for a variety of services and improve the way existing services are delivered. By doing so it would have also defeated the dire predictions that email would make physical mail obsolete. All that is required is a serious commitment to all managerial level in the circles, division of work by creating new jobs as is being done in banks, aggressive marketing, proper training, human resource development and close monitoring at every level to curtail the expenditure and increase the revenue resources. The officers should listen to the worker by shunning their bureaucratic approach.
Source : Punjab Circle Blog
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