Publications
The postal consumer perspective: An overview
11 April 2013
Both Royal Mail and Post Office Limited (POL) are going through a period of unprecedented change to deal with the continuing challenges they face to become sustainable networks. Royal Mail has to meet the challenges associated with falling mail volumes and the Post Office network is being restructured to become financially stable despite declining customer [...]
A ‘front office’ for government services – The Post Office in Northern Ireland
30 April 2012
This discussion paper looks at the general case for promoting the post office as a ‘front office’ for government. It looks in particular at the context of Northern Ireland where the responsibility for public services is configured differently from elsewhere in the UK. It describes what government services are currently accessible via the Northern Ireland [...]
Letter Lockout
15 March 2012
The report examines the nature and extent of mail delivery problems experienced by domestic mail consumers in Northern Ireland. Specifically, it assesses how flats with shared access can present particularly intense delivery obstacles affecting Royal Mail and householders alike. It looks at how householders respond to these problems and makes proposals for a way forward [...]
Consumer Focus Post response to the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft Programme for Government 2011-15
22 February 2012
Although the responsibility for postal services is reserved to the UK Parliament, both mail services and post offices fulfil an extremely important social and economic function in Northern Ireland. Therefore it is important that the Northern Ireland Executive, as part of the Programme for Government 2011 – 15, looks at how it can further support [...]
Consumer friendly post offices? Access, environment and service quality in Northern Ireland’s Post Office network
6 February 2012
This report examines the consumer experience of post offices throughout Northern Ireland and in doing so focuses on three themes. These include the: • Accessibility of post office branches across Northern Ireland for consumers with disabilities. • Post office environment in terms of signage, presentation and layout of premises • Quality of service provided during [...]
‘Sorry, you were out……’ The unsuccessful delivery of your mail
18 November 2010
This paper examines the Northern Ireland postal consumer’s experience of Royal Mail’s delivery network and in particular its Enquiry Offices. This experience is of increasing relevance to large numbers of postal consumers since, with the growing levels of online shopping and changes in consumer lifestyles, Royal Mail is handling an unprecedented level of fulfilment mail. [...]
First Class mail… Next working day service?
1 September 2010
A priority for Consumer Focus Post has been to evaluate the performance of mail services in and out of Northern Ireland – to establish the ‘connectedness’ of Northern Ireland’s social and business consumers with the neighbouring communities and economies in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. In March 2010 we published our research findings [...]
Outreach or out of reach?
24 May 2010
Consumer Focus Post is working to ensure that Post Office Outreach services in Northern Ireland provide a sustainable range of post office and banking services in safe, pleasant and accessible surroundings and over convenient hours which match the needs of rural communities and businesses. In May 2007, following a national public consultation, the Government announced [...]
Cross-border post: Improving mail services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
15 March 2010
Despite the proximity, Northern Ireland postal consumers face an average delivery time of between two and three working days when posting or receiving mail from the Republic of Ireland a major new Consumer Focus Post study, Cross-border post, reveals. Consumer Focus Post is calling on the main postal service providers, Royal Mail and An Post, [...]
Northern Ireland Annual Postal Survey
22 February 2010
Omnibus Survey Results 2008 – baseline data on the views of Northern Ireland consumers in relation to postal services. The key objectives for the research included the following: To establish current customer usage in relation to Post Office Services Postal/Mail Service To capture attitudes in relation to changes in the postal sector and identify what [...]
