On Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:11:39 +0000, "
wrote:
The Royal Mail has undertaken a redesign of its branches. Instead
of
queuing in a line, you take a number from a machine for the type of
service that you require and approach a counter when your number is
called.

The Swiss do that, and it's a good system as it means you can prepare
paperwork more easily while waiting.

Neil

--
Neil Williams, Milton Keynes, UK

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:56:00 +0000, Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:11:39 +0000, "
wrote:

On 13/02/2012 10:03, Lüko Willms wrote:
Am 13.02.2012 08:52, schrieb Arthur Figgis:
unsure whether they are adopting post office queueing or not

what is meant by "post office queueing" in this context?


Cheers,
L.W.

The Royal Mail has undertaken a redesign of its branches. Instead of
queuing in a line, you take a number from a machine for the type of
service that you require and approach a counter when your number is called.

At least I think that's what it means.

Yes - _MOST_ people do confuse Royal Mail with Post Office Ltd
(formerly Post Office Counters Ltd) , which is a quite separate
organisation.

Separate as in wholly-owned by Royal Mail Group Ltd.

Post Office Ltd run the outfit with places where you can queue up, buy
stamps, queue up, bank, queue up, hand in parcels for delivery etc,
whereas Royal Mail are the folks who trudge around the streets most
mornings (or afternoons!) shoving stuff through letterboxes.

That is Royal Mail Group Ltd. which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Royal Mail Holdings plc.

On 13/02/2012 22:21, Arthur Figgis wrote:

On 13/02/2012 10:03, Lüko Willms wrote:

what is meant by "post office queueing" in this context?


Cheers,
L.W.

The Royal Mail has undertaken a redesign of its branches. Instead of
queuing in a line, you take a number from a machine for the type of
service that you require and approach a counter when your number is
called.

No.; one queue feeding multiple windows/tills/etc.

Does the ticket based model have a name - I've heard it called
deli[catessen] style? It seems to be common at foreign railway station
travel centre style ticket offices.

And at fish counters in some Spanish supermarkets!

In message , at 21:11:39 on Mon,
13 Feb 2012, " remarked:
what is meant by "post office queueing" in this context?

The Royal Mail has undertaken a redesign of its branches.

Only some of its branches, as I've not seen this in any of them.

Instead of queuing in a line, you take a number from a machine for the
type of service that you require and approach a counter when your
number is called.

At least I think that's what it means.

I'd call that delicatessen queuing.
--
Roland Perry

On Feb 14, 12:08*am, "
wrote:

No idea. I just use the automated postal machines when and where I can,
mainly to avoid surly staff.

I use online services and the "print your own postage" service these
days. Covers most things except registered post and the likes.

Neil

Mizter T wrote:

Yeah, sorry about that - a lot of people seemed reluctant to take me
up on my offer, perhaps it was my fragrant breath and slight slur -
but worry not, I got enough for a whole 3 litre bottle plus some
change for the one armed bandit in the chippy, and a number of
saplings got watered too. MK - town of the future.


Sharply observed. You've obviously been there. ;-)


Not sure about the
milk from those Fresians though.


The udders are a bit hard on the hands. ;-)

Charles Ellson wrote:
Frank Erskine wrote:
Yes - _MOST_ people do confuse Royal Mail with Post Office Ltd
(formerly Post Office Counters Ltd) , which is a quite separate
organisation.

Separate as in wholly-owned by Royal Mail Group Ltd.

Post Office Ltd run the outfit with places where you can queue up, buy
stamps, queue up, bank, queue up, hand in parcels for delivery etc,
whereas Royal Mail are the folks who trudge around the streets most
mornings (or afternoons!) shoving stuff through letterboxes.

That is Royal Mail Group Ltd. which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Royal Mail Holdings plc.


In the past, the Post Office owned the Royal Mail. More recently, the
Post Office has been *owned by* the Royal Mail.

That's all about to change, or may already have changed. The two are
to be permanently separated.

Royal Mail is due to be privatised soon while Post Offices will remain
in the public sector. A ten year agreement has just been signed
between Royal Mail and the Post Office covering their new commercial
relationship as separate entities. In future, Post Office counter
services will be supported by the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills.

In message
, at
02:23:03 on Tue, 14 Feb 2012, Neil Williams
remarked:
I use online services and the "print your own postage" service these
days.

That'll be the online postage system which was offline for weeks last
December?
--
Roland Perry

Neil Williams wrote:
On Feb 14, 12:08*am, "
wrote:

No idea. I just use the automated postal machines when and where I can,
mainly to avoid surly staff.

I use online services and the "print your own postage" service these
days. Covers most things except registered post and the likes.


I try to use Post Offices wherever possible. But if I lived in Milton
Keynes I might print my own postage. Over the last few years, I must
have spent many hours in queues in the Centre MK and Bletchley POs,
the latter being particularly slow after being reduced from nine
counter positions to three. :-(

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:39:53 +0000, Bruce
wrote:

Charles Ellson wrote:
Frank Erskine wrote:
Yes - _MOST_ people do confuse Royal Mail with Post Office Ltd
(formerly Post Office Counters Ltd) , which is a quite separate
organisation.

Separate as in wholly-owned by Royal Mail Group Ltd.

Post Office Ltd run the outfit with places where you can queue up, buy
stamps, queue up, bank, queue up, hand in parcels for delivery etc,
whereas Royal Mail are the folks who trudge around the streets most
mornings (or afternoons!) shoving stuff through letterboxes.

That is Royal Mail Group Ltd. which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Royal Mail Holdings plc.


In the past, the Post Office owned the Royal Mail. More recently, the
Post Office has been *owned by* the Royal Mail.

That's all about to change, or may already have changed. The two are
to be permanently separated.

Royal Mail is due to be privatised soon while Post Offices will remain
in the public sector. A ten year agreement has just been signed
between Royal Mail and the Post Office covering their new commercial
relationship as separate entities. In future, Post Office counter
services will be supported by the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills.

"Supported by" ? I detect more meaningless HMG guff.