You’ve got (no) mail
If we’re relying on Australia Post, Christmas is most definitely not coming early. It’s not even December yet, but my letterbox has been as empty as a politician’s promise for weeks now.
Then suddenly, last Friday, my post runneth over – with mail dated from more than a month ago.
Had I offended my postie? Was someone holding my letters hostage? Did they mail me the ransom note but it, like the rest of my post, was undelivered?
I immediately rang Australia Post, where the recorded message told me they’re too busy to take my call, but to just leave a message online.
Like that will ever get delivered.
Look, it’s not like there is anything addressed to me but bills and prize home brochures, but that is besides the point.
For a company whose motto is “we deliver”, they really don’t.
And, quite frankly, I’m tired of hearing everything from the pandemic to the silly season as an excuse. Surely this First World nation can deliver a first-class postal system.
Unfortunately, according to my postie source, I’ll be waiting for that service to improve for far longer than my actual mail.
Ever since the dawn of Covid-19, Australia Post has used the pandemic as an excuse for fewer deliveries.
Since April 2020, the Gold Coast has been subject to alternate day deliveries, meaning the best we could hope for was three mail drops per week, with just two drops every second week. Which just makes no sense. Why, in a time of unprecedented online shopping and parcel delivery, would they halve their service? Why, in a time of job insecurity, would they halve their service?
While the company is ramping back up to daily deliveries across the city, progress is slow. And, more importantly, employees are few.
Despite actively recruiting, my postie spy says Australia Post, at least on the Gold Coast, is still suffering a staff shortage. Meaning that when someone is ill or away, deliveries often are parked. Australia Post has announced the hiring of more than 4000 Christmas casual team members this festive season, as well as weekend deliveries, but my postie says these moves should be made permanent.
Meanwhile, Australia Post is now warning of ongoing delivery delays as the postal service, already groaning under lockdown shopping spikes, is hit by a flood of online sales events and preChristmas purchasing.
First came the online Click Frenzy sales event on November 9, and in less than two weeks comes Black Friday and Cyber Monday from November 26-29.
Ben Franzi, the general manager, parcel and express services at Australia Post, says these events mean “the busiest two weeks of the year from an online sales perspective and logistics perspective”.
Instead of warning of delays, why didn’t Australia Post prepare for this?
Indeed, Paul Zahra, the CEO of the Australian Retailers Association, describes the online retail surge as a “perfect storm for retailers and consumers”.
Unfortunately, the fallout of that storm affects not just customers waiting (and waiting) for the post, but the posties themselves.
In fact, my postie tells me that it’s actually residents who are now going “postal”.
She says customer abuse is disturbingly common. From verbal tirades to threats of physical damage, it’s the posties who are paying the price for delayed deliveries.
I guess long gone are the days when we’d leave a sixpack out for our postie come Christmas.
All of this frustration has lead to the creation of social media pages like Facebook group Australia Post Complaints.
Interestingly, the community-run page states:
“We are not part of Australia Post, however, some staff have already joined the cause to help you find the answers that you are after.”
Which is a lot more service than I received from the Australia Post helpline.
Look, I’m sure everyone is doing the best they can in these trying times, but being ignored by an automated helpline sure doesn’t increase customer peace and goodwill.
But it does at least give me a great excuse for everything from unpaid bills to missing Christmas gifts.
The cheque was in the mail.