Lordship Lane Post Office (library end) closing at the end of August

[ED - NAGAIUTB]

FWIW - WH Smiths business model has been on its arse for years. They only survive because of their airside business. The FH branch has been a fetid hole for years.

If the PO Master is retiring then why doesn't someone take on the position themselves rather than treating us to the usual diatribe. Taking pressure off the overstretched bus services? Never heard such tripe (even from the usual suspect). The buses are largely empty after 9:30am.

[Louisa]

ED - NAGAIUTB Wrote:

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> FWIW - WH Smiths business model has been on its

> arse for years. They only survive because of their

> airside business. The FH branch has been a fetid

> hole for years.

>

> If the PO Master is retiring then why doesn't

> someone take on the position themselves rather

> than treating us to the usual diatribe. Taking

> pressure off the overstretched bus services? Never

> heard such tripe (even from the usual suspect).

> The buses are largely empty after 9:30am.

Why not just accept that some people, especially older people, would like to keep certain local resources within close proximity to their home, for reasons that are personal to them. I want this PO or another similar to remain nearby because we are already losing one major branch in Peckham and it is inevitable that pressure will be put on remaining branches nearby, including the already busy LL main branch.

Louisa.

[Sue]

Louisa Wrote:

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> > Why not just accept that some people, especially

> older people, would like to keep certain local

> resources within close proximity to their home,

> for reasons that are personal to them.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/post-office-jobs-under-threat-as-39-branches-set-for-privatisation

Once you've got a business whose priority is making money for a few people rather than providing a decent service to all its customers, you can say goodbye to any consideration of "older(and other) people who would like to keep certain local resources within close proximity to their home."

Look at the abysmal train service we now have in this country.

[BrandNewGuy]

Yes, the rail franchise system is crap, but passenger numbers are twice what they were at privatisation. It's difficult to see successive governments having made the necessary investment in British Rail over that time to cope with that growth. After all, governments had been cutting rail investment for years. And yes, Southern is abysmal but most services aren't - though the fare system is crap too.

[Jennys]

Louisa Wrote:

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> I think this is disgraceful for anyone living this

> end of ED and I for one am very disappointed and

> angry about this move. Some people aren't in a

> position to have to walk or jump buses when they

> need a PO and some of us have better things to be

> getting on with than desperately trying to find a

> parking space around LL of an afternoon when all

> we want is to pay a bill or send off a letter,

> collect pension or whatever it is you do on one of

> their branches.

>

> Can we not do something about this? It is becoming

> unacceptable. Rye Lane and now this one. The

> queues are long enough in the LL main branch as it

> is. Disgraceful.

>

> Louisa.

I am surprised you cannot manage to get to the main Lordship Lane post office when you apparently always shopped at Iceland which was in the same parade of shops as the Post Office.

[Louisa]

Jennys this isn't just about me and my habits. It's about a community resource for this end of ED, which already lacks a number of resources, and a PO closing would further isolate some of the community who struggle to make it to LL main PO.

I shopped at Iceland for a destination shop a few times a month, sometimes more sometimes less. The PO is a different ball game altogether. I can often pay multiple trips to the PO and do shopping whilst at it too.

Louisa.

[Bic Basher]

I live near the Grove and it took me less than 10 mins to get to the main PO on LL on the 176 on Monday. Since the shop formerly known as Costcutter took over the PO franchise, I've been going to 76 LL or WHSmith Forest Hill. It's not a major hassle, although the Forest Hill one is awful.

[bil]

They are both awful. The queues are so long! I loved the previous PO because I never had to wait that long and the guy behind the counter was always so nice.

[Louisa]

I agree Bic Basher the FH PO isn't amazing. But then remember it's the only one for some distance around so will inevitably attract higher footfall.

I don't understand why banks can't house PO counters, or perform the same functions at least. Sub contracted out of course. Or how about the Sainsburys local?

Louisa.

[Burbage]

Louisa Wrote:

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> I don't understand why banks can't house PO

> counters, or perform the same functions at least.

> Sub contracted out of course. Or how about the

> Sainsburys local?

Simply because (a) the PO and banks are in direct competition and (b) the PO contracts are so one-sided that only the 'self-employed' (mostly 50+ individuals with no likelihood of a job offer elsewhere) are desperate enough to take them up.

The PO isn't really in the business of selling stamps. Most of its money comes from the commission it gets from flogging rebadged financial services, such as mortgages, credit cards and funeral plans, which is what the banks do already. And, these days, that can be best done online.

Second, the new 'local' branches seem designed to fail. Sure, parasitising the overheads, staff and float of an existing business might look like a sensible 'efficiency' drive. But it's a lot more than that. For a start, the fixed element (usually less than ?1k per month) doesn't apply to 'local' branches, which have to survive on commissions (2% on stamps) and meagre handling fees. This is, clearly, unsustainable except in prime locations (where the PO's own Crown Offices, and Smiths, are taking the low-hanging fruit), which is why so many are giving up. In short, despite all the government money supposed to keep branches open, most sub-offices are getting more vulnerable.

The peculiar hollowing-out of the 'offering' is at odds with government's 2012 committment to 'explore' mutualisation. But you can see why. Head Office won't see any benefit from mutualisation, but will see big benefits from turning 'Post Office' into an online reseller of financial services. And as mutualisation is dependent on the 'success' of the 'network transformation', and Head Office are in a unique position to affect the chances of that success, you'd have to be extraordinarily charitable to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[Penguin68]

The most useful service sub Post Offices offer today is the pricing and posting of packages and parcels, including registered and guaranteed delivery etc. Most other services can either be offered on-line, via other service providers (such as banks) or through other retailers (stamps). Sub Post Offices are also used as delivery points for PO Parcels, which can be convenient - but other outlets could be as well (as they are for Hermes etc.). The Post Office already does outsource some parcel handling to non-Sub Post Offices.

Occasional services, such as handling passport applications, are also useful, but are hardly day-to-day requirements for most customers.

For an area as well served as ED is - having a main post office as well as several sub post offices - the economic demand for these is at the margin. It is always sad to lose something you have liked and is convenient for you - but social need has to be a great deal more in evidence to allocate tax funds to maintaining uneconomic sub-post offices in an area like ours. In rural locations where the next office may be miles distant, without very regular bus services, the argument is different.

[Bic Basher]

I live close to the current sub PO. A quick check of the Branch Finder brings up these four alternative branches.

Forest Hill Road

42 Forest Hill Road, East Dulwich, London, Greater London

SE22 0RR

Dulwich Village

47 Dulwich Village, London, Greater London

SE21 7BN

Forest Hill

Forest Hill Station, Devonshire Road, London, Greater London

SE23 3HD

East Dulwich

74 - 76 Lordship Lane, London, Greater London

SE22 8HH

As I don't drive, the first option is either a brisk walk or I have to catch the 363 from Underhill Road.

[titch juicy]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> The most useful service sub Post Offices offer

> today is the pricing and posting of packages and

> parcels, including registered and guaranteed

> delivery etc. Most other services can either be

> offered on-line, via other service providers (such

> as banks) or through other retailers (stamps). Sub

> Post Offices are also used as delivery points for

> PO Parcels, which can be convenient - but other

> outlets could be as well (as they are for Hermes

> etc.). The Post Office already does outsource some

> parcel handling to non-Sub Post Offices.

>

> Occasional services, such as handling passport

> applications, are also useful, but are hardly

> day-to-day requirements for most customers.

>

> For an area as well served as ED is - having a

> main post office as well as several sub post

> offices - the economic demand for these is at the

> margin. It is always sad to lose something you

> have liked and is convenient for you - but social

> need has to be a great deal more in evidence to

> allocate tax funds to maintaining uneconomic

> sub-post offices in an area like ours. In rural

> locations where the next office may be miles

> distant, without very regular bus services, the

> argument is different.

And even the parcel service is (or should be) more or less redundant due to their pricing points and convenience.

There are much cheaper and more reliable parcel services such as My Hermes. They offer a courier service for a much cheaper price than the PO's track and trace parcel service and there's usually a local convenience store, open late that acts as a drop off point for sending parcels. You can book it all online, including printing the labels.

The Royal Mail's prices are frankly disgusting.

[LondonMix]

Louisa! When did you get out of confinement? Welcome back :)

Louisa Wrote:

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> No Lowlander it is not snobbish, and if you read

> back over what I wrote I was saying I am not

> adding pressure to existing bus services which

> others rely on, I choose to walk or drive because

> I am able to do so. Would you rather me clogging

> up the buses when I don't need to then? Anyway,

> back on topic. The PO is a resource for everyone

> not just car or bus passengers.

>

> Louisa.

[Bic Basher]

The post office didn't look like it was open today, the shutters were half down with a lot of building material outside. The fruit stall was still open outside though.

[Louisa]

LondonMix Wrote:

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> Louisa! When did you get out of confinement?

> Welcome back :)

>

> Louisa Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > No Lowlander it is not snobbish, and if you

> read

> > back over what I wrote I was saying I am not

> > adding pressure to existing bus services which

> > others rely on, I choose to walk or drive

> because

> > I am able to do so. Would you rather me

> clogging

> > up the buses when I don't need to then? Anyway,

> > back on topic. The PO is a resource for

> everyone

> > not just car or bus passengers.

> >

> > Louisa.

Many thanks LM. It's great to be back. Admin decided it was appropriate for my confinement break to come to a close, on the proviso that I do not talk about anything class related, outside of the Lounge. I am therefore not going to be dragged into any class/gentrification related topics whatsoever, and I would appreciate it if others do not poke at me like a bear with a stick, trying to get me to perform on this particular topic.

Louisa.