Longer opening hours and new counters: Lansdowne post office to get an update

5:00pm Saturday 16th February 2013 in News

THE post office at Lansdowne in Bournemouth will be the latest in the area to be updated.

It will be changed into a new ‘main’ style branch with longer opening hours.

There will also be three new screened counters.

The branch will close for refurbishment on Saturday, March 9, at 12.30pm and reopen a week later at 8.30am.

During the closure customers can visit the post office in WH Smith in the town centre or at 292 Holdenhurst Road.

Post office regional network manager for Wales and West England Tony Jones, said: “We understand how important having a post office is to residents in Lansdowne and we are confident that this new modern post office service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.

“This modernisation is part of a three-year investment programme, which is the largest in the history of the post office, that will see around 6,000 branches – about half the post office network – converting to new-style branches.

“This investment makes a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”

Following the refurbishment, opening hours will be 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

Comments(20)

guisselle says...
5:12pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Good a lot of people rely on the post
office!

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guisselle says...
6:13pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Good a lot of people rely on the post
office!

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guisselle says...
6:21pm Sat 16 Feb 13

My eldest son's Dad worked in the
Bournemouth Post office rd branch in
1973 and my friend works in Turlin moor
Hamworthy branch. We rely on the Post
Office for a lot of services. They are so
friendly and helpful!

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ab8 says...
6:31pm Sat 16 Feb 13

The waiting time at this PO is awful, so good that they are getting three new counters but what would be even better would be if they could have a special opening once a week (say at about 7a.m.) for all the benefits claiment people that tip up there from the hostel up the road, would be much nicer for the 'normal' clients!

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guisselle says...
6:35pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Oh can't they get their benefits paid
into their bank accounts?

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guisselle says...
6:38pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Not everyone goes to the Post office
for their benefits there is the parcel
service, postal and bills that can be paid
at the counter.

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guisselle says...
6:39pm Sat 16 Feb 13

ab8 wrote:
The waiting time at this PO is awful, so good that they are getting three new counters but what would be even better would be if they could have a special opening once a week (say at about 7a.m.) for all the benefits claiment people that tip up there from the hostel up the road, would be much nicer for the 'normal' clients!
Oh dear what neighbourhood is that?

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aerolover says...
6:56pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Need a counter for ebay sellers with multi parcels. Charminster road has lots of sellers that take an age to weigh and stamp sometimes 50 parcels, good business for the PO but rubbish for those waiting to post a letter.
I remember the Lansdowne PO when it was a cigar shop.

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woby_tide says...
8:17pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Still not enough personally. For the amount of services offered they should be able to open them into the evenings and longer at weekends (even if they have less counters open to cater for the staffing). Christchurch One Stop branch has the right idea. From next week it will be open 7 days a week and be open into the evenings during the week by combining the counter with the main till bank so the staff can cover both. Be interested to see how it works but I applaud the change to opening hours to cater for those who can't get to a branch 9-5 normally.

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ashleycross says...
8:37pm Sat 16 Feb 13

The post office in the dolphin centre is open good hours and the people running it are really helpful, can't recommend it enough. You can post stuff there before you start work. I'd suggest some of the shops in the dolphin send their staff in there to learn what customer service is all about.

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awsokend says...
9:41pm Sat 16 Feb 13

I like getting a new biro from the post office also postage stamps which are always a fair price, not forgetting you can post letters in the outside box even when they are closed.

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awsokend says...
10:17pm Sat 16 Feb 13

I also like the post office in the Dolphin
you can get your boots repaired soled and heeled in the shop next door whist your waiting in the queue to buy a postal order.

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ab8 says...
12:03am Sun 17 Feb 13

guisselle-
the neighbourhood is the Lansdowne and I doubt if many of the benefit claiments have bank accounts.

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Lord Spring says...
8:43am Sun 17 Feb 13

Should have stayed in Lansdowne Road., another Dr Beeching experience.

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BIGTONE says...
10:39am Sun 17 Feb 13

guisselle wrote:
Not everyone goes to the Post office
for their benefits there is the parcel
service, postal and bills that can be paid
at the counter.
Don't forget the dossiers. They can stay warm for longer.

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BIGTONE says...
10:40am Sun 17 Feb 13

Or dossers even.

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spooki says...
12:45pm Sun 17 Feb 13

woby_tide wrote:
Still not enough personally. For the amount of services offered they should be able to open them into the evenings and longer at weekends (even if they have less counters open to cater for the staffing). Christchurch One Stop branch has the right idea. From next week it will be open 7 days a week and be open into the evenings during the week by combining the counter with the main till bank so the staff can cover both. Be interested to see how it works but I applaud the change to opening hours to cater for those who can't get to a branch 9-5 normally.
You are joking. These type of services are in the olden age like libraries, council offices and GP surgeries where you can only need them between 9-5 and weekdays though some do Saturdays now too! In 2013! Can you beleive it???

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tommytoyou says...
3:54pm Sun 17 Feb 13

I liked the headline of 'longer opening hours' but an extra 30 minutes on Friday and not closing early on Saturday isn't too impressive.
Winton PO stays open until 8 weekdays and is open on Sundays. One in the town with those hours would do well.
Also, new counters will be helpful only if they have the staff to run them any time it's busy. Will that branch be employing 3 extra staff members or do they have staff now that don't do anything..?

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ShuttleX says...
6:28pm Sun 17 Feb 13

tommytoyou wrote:
I liked the headline of 'longer opening hours' but an extra 30 minutes on Friday and not closing early on Saturday isn't too impressive.
Winton PO stays open until 8 weekdays and is open on Sundays. One in the town with those hours would do well.
Also, new counters will be helpful only if they have the staff to run them any time it's busy. Will that branch be employing 3 extra staff members or do they have staff now that don't do anything..?
Quote from tommytoyou:- "Also, new counters will be helpful only if they have the staff to run them any time it's busy. Will that branch be employing 3 extra staff members or do they have staff now that don't do anything..?"

Excellent question. Go into any bank you like, and count how many of the windows are unstaffed. Extra windows and extra hours are useless without extra staff to run it.

Aerolover has hit on another point. I stopped using our local Post Office because of the long queues waiting for people to post multiple parcels. Not their fault I agree, but it got silly some days. I wonder if some of them realise you can pay for your parcels in the comfort of your own home, then take them round to the delivery office to drop off? I tax the cars online now. I do the passports etc online too. If the Post Office wants to survive long term, then they have to remember the three golden words of trading "Service, service, service"

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s-pb2 says...
10:33pm Sun 17 Feb 13

ShuttleX wrote:
tommytoyou wrote:
I liked the headline of 'longer opening hours' but an extra 30 minutes on Friday and not closing early on Saturday isn't too impressive.
Winton PO stays open until 8 weekdays and is open on Sundays. One in the town with those hours would do well.
Also, new counters will be helpful only if they have the staff to run them any time it's busy. Will that branch be employing 3 extra staff members or do they have staff now that don't do anything..?
Quote from tommytoyou:- "Also, new counters will be helpful only if they have the staff to run them any time it's busy. Will that branch be employing 3 extra staff members or do they have staff now that don't do anything..?"

Excellent question. Go into any bank you like, and count how many of the windows are unstaffed. Extra windows and extra hours are useless without extra staff to run it.

Aerolover has hit on another point. I stopped using our local Post Office because of the long queues waiting for people to post multiple parcels. Not their fault I agree, but it got silly some days. I wonder if some of them realise you can pay for your parcels in the comfort of your own home, then take them round to the delivery office to drop off? I tax the cars online now. I do the passports etc online too. If the Post Office wants to survive long term, then they have to remember the three golden words of trading "Service, service, service"
With the ebay stuff I imagine its because they need proof of posting in case the recipient claims they did not receive the package. So you may as well get it all done at the PO if you are going there anyway. Its all business for POs which can only be a good thing.

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