Forum Topic

Acton Post Office - Who knew it could get worse?

So I popped up to the high street this afternoon to do some posting, thinking 'well, it's Thursday afternoon, it probably won't be busy...', into the main post office I go only to find a queue 3 lines deep (almost as busy as at Christmas!), and the usual 3 out of 12 windows open for service (why have all those windows, are they just decorative?)...3 new self-service machines, two of which were stuck on a password screen & bleating for assistance (no one in sight to help, even supermarkets have someone manning the self-service machines!), the drop & go counter closed and basically no-one/nothing moving anywhere.  Glad to see the renovation has had such a 'positive' effect!!  And you'd have thought they could have at least sorted out the lighting out, that giant cavernous room never seems more than half-lit!Honestly, with the impossibility of getting actually served inside 40 minutes at the Acton PO just about matching the slow service at the Ealing Broadway branch, and the Ealing Common branch reaching new levels of rudeness/incorrect charging, looks like I'm heading further afield to post in the future!

Cas Baker ● 4541d7 Comments

Ditto.Was in Weds pm.Only2 windows open - but manager as per normal was marching up & down trying to sell his PO wares to a captive audience.When asked as to the lack of staff he didn't answer but tried to sell me an ISA !Fat chance.

Roger Foreman ● 4541d

Likewise - I was in there a couple of weeks ago with only 2 windows open.  Another customer was quite vocal towards the inept manager, who eventually opened a third window.  Meanwhile, the manager kept pacing around doing absolutely nothing and counter staff were wasting time trying to sell credit cards.  When I complained that the self service machine was out of order and the pre-paid drop-off point was closed, he just said "I know".  The branch needs a new manager.If you're on Twitter, tweet @PostOffice as they do claim to take things up with the management.

Ben Smith ● 4541d

I didn't realise the wandering man was the manager as he's only ever tried to sell me insurance/credit cards/anything but a stamp in the past!  He's never seemed even remotely concerned by the lengthy queues usually found there...except, he did used to try & direct people to the till at the side if they were just wanting basic postage, pity that's now been replaced by the seemingly completely useless self-service' machines as there's now no way to get out of the counter queue!I've emailed the Post Office complaints address with my thoughts, not sure I could quite squeeze it into 140 characters on twitter...

Cas Baker ● 4541d

I did make a complaint earlier this year to the Post Office, but in spite of two or three Emails to them got no reply. I generally find the one in Acton Vale is pretty good - and the staff, a friend of the man who used to run the Churchfield Road Post office, are helpful and efficient.

Nina Battleday ● 4541d

I would also like to praise the Post Office in the Vale.  We prefer to use it whenever possible and it takes a fraction of the time that the Main Post Office  takes.  It is also nice to see Mr Tank from Churchfield Road there from time to time when he helps out during holidays.  However, I do miss the free entertainment at the main Post Office when the punters get really irate and start shouting. (Not)!

Kathleen Chapple ● 4540d

One of the problems is that the Post Office is convinced that no one needs to use it because,of greater use of Email etc. But I 've never found a way of sending a parcel by email,or posting something that is too large to go through the self service machine.

Nina Battleday ● 4540d

Alternate post offices in Acton Vale, as mentioned, up Horn Lane just before the railway station, West Acton, Ealing Common, if you wish to avoid the main P.O.

Kim Bobsin ● 4540d