Assessment of the Urban Network Reinvention Programme

Culture

New research carried out by MORI on behalf of Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services, shows that 94% of customers are migrating to alternative branches following a post office closure. However, customers experience varying degrees of inconvenience and many have to undergo significant changes in behaviour as a result.

 

New research carried out by MORI on behalf of Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services, shows that 94% of customers are migrating to alternative branches following a post office closure. However, customers experience varying degrees of inconvenience and many have to undergo significant changes in behaviour as a result.

The research also reveals that Post Office Ltd's method of predicting the alternative branches customers will use following a closure is largely accurate, although it is not an infallible model and cannot replace important local knowledge.

Among the findings of the MORI research are:

  • 94 per cent of customers continue to use a post office, following the closure of the post office they used to use;
  • 82 per cent of customers rate the helpfulness of staff at the 'new' post office as good;
  • 71 per cent of customers rate the appearance of the 'new' post office as good; and
  • 82 per cent thought the range of services available at the new office was good.
  • 50 per cent rated parking facilities as poor;
  • 35 per cent considered facilities for disabled customers to be poor;
  • fewer customers now walk to their new post office (42 per cent down from 70 per cent); more customers drive (44 per cent up from 26 per cent) or use the bus (11 per cent up from 1 per cent)

Technical details

MORI interviewed 2,576 respondents outside of post offices that had been selected for closure. Interviews were conducted face-to-face at 30 locations throughout England and Wales between 14 -- 26 July 2003.

Subsequently, MORI re-interviewed 911 of these respondents after the post office they had used had closed. Follow-up interviews were conducted by a combination of telephone (750 interviews) and face-to-face, in-home (161 interviews) between 14 -- 30 November 2003.

The research conducted by MORI for Postwatch can be viewed on the Postwatch website www.postwatch.co.uk. The site also includes a Postwatch summary of the research.

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