Victory for NZ Post customers
New Zealand Post has reinstated bill payment services at the Four Square in Titahi Bay after what it says was a communication error.
Titahi Bay resident Ben Tredrea said it felt like a triumph when he received a call apologising for the problem.
‘‘It felt bloody good. I was rapt. I couldn’t believe it,’’ he said.
Nine years ago, Tredrea, 72, helped petition New Zealand Post to be able to pay phone and electricity bills at the Four Square in Whitehouse Rd.
He was surprised when two weeks ago he learned the service would be discontinued. KapiMana News highlighted the issue in our July 8 edition.
Not one to be stopped by a little bureaucracy, Tredrea started rallying the masses and petitioned New Zealand Post.
He said he was concerned for elderly, like himself, who relied on the service and did not like using the internet.
He initially got a short response saying the decision was final, but New Zealand Post has since said there was an in-house communication breakdown.
New Zealand Post general manager of store network Jon Andrews said miscommunication had led to the bill payment services being cut off for four days and he had personally called Tredrea to apologise.
‘‘I think it got caught up in some of the other changes we have been doing,’’ he said. ‘‘It [the reaction] did recount to us the importance of that service at Titahi Bay.
‘‘The business we’re in changes constantly, so I can never guarantee a service will be here forever, but certainly in the foreseeable future I cannot see us changing that service in Titahi Bay.’’
Andrews said residents would still have to pay the $1.20 to $1.50 fee for paying bills by that method, because it was put in place by utility companies.
Tredrea said he was not bothered by the fee, because it was still cheaper than a $7 return bus trip to Porirua.
‘‘I think they [residents] will get used to it. It’s a fact of life.’’
About 50 people a week pay their bills at the store.
Mana MP Kris Faafoi said it was a win for residents and gave him hope for talks about Mana PostShop, which will be merging with another store this year.