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A DROP in footfall could lead to the customer service point at Bournemouth’s Royal Mail delivery office closing as part of a company-wide review of its services.
The customer service point at Royal Mail’s office in Wellington Road, behind Lansdowne’s Lidl, has been named as a contender to close as the service looks to reduce costs.
A review said customer footfall has fallen by around 50 per cent at its 1,200 customer service points and that it is conducting a review to determine an “optimum number of locations”.
The review seen by the Echo said: “Royal Mail has introduced a range of new delivery options designed to improve our first time delivery rates.
“This includes free redelivery, the option to leave parcels in a safeplace and in-flight redirection through the App and website.
“With customer footfall down around 50 per cent at our c.1,200 Customer Service Points compared to pre-pandemic, we are conducting a review to determine the optimum number of locations, taking into account efficiency and changing customer preferences.”
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A spokesman for Royal Mail said: “It is in that context that we are reviewing our entire network of Customer Service Points (CSP) at our delivery offices, and the one on Wellington Road would fall under the terms of that nationwide review, but it would be wrong to conclude from that that we’ve finalised any decisions about the closure of specific CSPs. The review is also just of the CSPs, not of delivery offices more broadly.”
The uncertainty of the future is sure to worry Bournemouth’s Royal Mail workers, many of whom have been on strike recently.
We have contacted the union representing postmen and woman Communication Workers Union (CWU).
Members of the CWU staged a series of strikes late last year in a bitter row over jobs, pay and conditions.
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It has recently been agreed fresh talks will be held in a bid to resolve the long-running Royal Mail dispute.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail is committed to reaching an agreement to resolve the current pay and change disputes to secure the company’s future and its employees’ long-term job security.
“The talks will commence on Monday January 9 and run through to Friday January 20.”
