To think it's outrageous my Post Office queue is 50 minutes long

[LaPaz]

And this is in the middle of the day, not lunchtime or 5pm.

Arrived at Post Office at 2.40. Got to counter at 3.30. Asked the man why the wait was so long, he said 'Operational difficulties.' This is in a big centre of town type branch.

It was the same last week as well.

And yet the government wants to CLOSE the smaller post offices near us and make people go to the big one - it can't cope as it is!!!

Makes me so mad.

Very similar situation in my city. I HATE the main post office! YANBU

Same situation here. "Operational difficulties", yeah right. Sounds like somewhere I worked where we were not allowed to say we were short staffed.

I think operational difficulties is a way of saying 'we have trouble distinguishing our posterior from our elbow'!

I try to avoid the PO if I can - there is just something about the place that makes my two hit the 'seriously misbehave' button...

I was in the same position on Saturday morning - wondering why my village post office has been closed and I now have to queue for ages.

Go to a smaller post office - no parking issues and brings much needed income into the villages and suburbs - might even help keep them open for the older residents and people on lower income. I definitely intend to do that in future.

Grrrr I hate queues, I tut & sigh a lot when I'm in a queue, I do not like people stood behind me, I wonder if I have dandruff

also beware that WH Smiths is absorbing/ franchising a number of the main city centre POs. So you will go from 12 counters to say 6 counters in the basement/ upstairs in a cramped space with no room for buggies/ wheel chairs/ walking frames.
can't say what I do but am v involved in the national programme of PO closure- its v tricky.

oh no WHSmiths is the worse place to queue.

the CWU don't like it either cos it means that instead of trained PO crown office staff to serve you will end up with smiths own min wage people so worse service.

no offence to smiths people here- but am unsure that you will be given sufficient training to say check passport applications etc.

Oh no, not WHSmith! "Would you like a half price toblerone/chocolate orange/box of maltesers/tube of pringles/obesity inducing giant size snack with your first class stamp/tax disc/premium bonds/passport?"

haha crackinggoodegg

also- even though they are having counters put in.... they don't have to guarantee any staff to man the counter at all.

Would advice all PO users to look on the Post Office website to find out when the period of public consultation is for the closures in their area so that you can see what is planned. When it is your area in consultation write/ email in (and copy in postwatch the consumer watchdog for postal services)- to share your views as to why your local office shouldn't close. If you don't write in, they think you don't care.

no impressed with post office either post didn't come today till gone 3pm, our solicitor posted our contract details first class friday night and we only received them today grrrr.

and the queues in the branches are just as bad!

What also annoys me (apologies for rant) is that if you need to buy an envelope or something you have to queue twice. Once to buy the envelope and again to post the bloody thing. And if you suggest that maybe they do everything behind one counter like most 21st century shops and service they look at you like you're crazed!

Man has been to the moon and back and yet the British Post Office network still can't work out how to let you buy and post something at the same counter.

Tis the same where I live. I now buy any presents online and have them sent directly to where they need to be. Life is too short to queue in a post office for half an hour.

Unfortunatley where I live (Edinburgh) most of the post offices were shut a couple of years ago. They used to provide a great service which is now sorely missed.

Same here - 10 minute queue today, to get a postal order. Six counters, only one manned. I have never seen more than three people on at once, even over Christmas when it took over an hour to get to the front . And yes, this is the only post office serving a population of 8000 .