WH Smith - the Post Office - and the social fabric of daily life

On September 1 2006, I wrote Post office to move into WH Smith

Outlining the strategy to move local post offices into WH Smith

The high street retailer is set to enter an agreement that would see the Kingsway branch office moved.
The Post Office said the plan was good news for customers, while a watchdog said more details were needed.

The Commercial Workers Union said staff would have to take voluntary redundancy or transfer to another branch.

The Post Office said under the proposal WH Smith would take over the running of the main branch from its store in the Quadrant shopping centre - 280 yards away from the existing Kingsway site.

Programme director Byron Roberts said: "This partnership between two trusted organisations is good news for customers and will enable us to both safeguard and enhance their post office services in the future.

I wrote

Personally I would say that this is such a blatent strategy by WH Smith to shore up what will be its inevitable decline. I want to see Post offices in the village shop where they support and are part of the local community.

WH Smith is not interested in the community - it has no role to play in the social fabric of our lives

And so it comes to pass, a comment left on CDB begins

Our general post office is now in WH Smiths And they are useless! You wait for ages in the long queue. Then on arrival at the desk only to be told "We dont do 2p stamps anymore."On going to one of the last remaining local Post Offices I find that "Of course we are still doing 2p stamps" This was only one of many complaints I have experienced

At the old style Post Office the queues were activated rapidly with staff who were efficient and friendly. Nowadays you are met with someone who is obviously harrassed and probably as fed up as you! What I would like to know is who do we complain to? I have been told to report to a young man as the manager who looked as if he should still be in short trousers.

Kate my advice is to complain to the WH Smith board  contact details here

WH Smith said

that there was a "natural fit" between its brand and the post office which had been demonstrated by the pilot scheme.

"Customers quickly saw the benefits of the move to WH Smith, including the convenient location in the heart of the town's shopping area, the modern and inviting post office environment, shorter queues, improved service and additional services, such as longer opening hours

But that does not seem to be the case. In fact this is being rather economical with the truth. A post office is part of a community, as I said, WH Smith is an out and out commercial operation, its management team demonstrate that. It must return a maximum profit and it has been struggling.

This represents the decline of a valuable service. Moreover the economics of village life means, when the post office closes - the village shop closes. People are forced into their cars, old people are forced to travel, or are cut off.