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WH Smith & Post Office, Forest Hill
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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #61
18-03-2008 03:46 PM

Posting larger items I accept. Many apologies

If you have to pay cheques into other UK banks as opposed to Abbey and Barclays you would have a number of options.
I bank with HSBC and either post cheques or go to nearest branch.
Surely rather than queue up at Post Office one could equally post or pay into one of the two banks that are based here.

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nevermodern


Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
Post: #62
18-03-2008 04:33 PM

Things get lost in the post. And I bank with an internet bank so there's no branch. And I never find the queues that big, to be honest.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #63
18-03-2008 05:13 PM

I went in there this pm and they were in a right state; the queue was long with only one person serving despite it being a busy time with people with business mailbags wanting to catch the last post. During the ten minutes I spent browsing the books section (yes they do have that many) the same person was still waiting to be served. The sole counter person spent 5 minutes squabbling with her boss in the enclosed travel money area but you could still hear and see that both were having a barney. The staff clearly have not had training to deal with most situations as they had to keep running back and forth to their boss ,and having two staff on the counter does not seem to be adequate at peak periods.

The shop floor was a mess with empty boxes and trolleys everywhere. I say I was browsing but in truth it was so badly lit next time I'll take a headtorch.

Nightmare. I'll give it six months.

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #64
19-03-2008 10:13 AM

I went to the Post Office in Smiths in Bromley last weekend and was very impressed. Note that it was a Saturday afternoon - under the old system, the PO would not have been open. They do have quite a lot of space though and I have not, as yet been into the FH one, so I don't know how they would compare.

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Theotherbrian


Posts: 95
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #65
26-03-2008 05:23 PM

Public service? What a quaint idea! In our free market and accountant driven world, we need to remember that although we are called "customers". we are never right. We are there to spend and to expect no more than someone who is employed to take our money. feeling staff and customers feel valued might divert resources from those who really count - vis directors and shareholders. It was also so nice to see WH Smith make such an effort to smarten up the branch ready for its new role.

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Theotherbrian


Posts: 95
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #66
26-03-2008 05:25 PM

Sorry "Making staff and customers feel....." not "feeling" - I doubt if that would be welcome!!

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nevermodern


Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
Post: #67
26-03-2008 05:54 PM

Personally I'd welcome a bit more competition: to be able to choose where I post my packages without experience that badly managed place. Where's the manager there? It's like a youth club half the time: teenagers sitting around chatting while there's rubbish on the floor and unpacked boxes, their mates hanging round the front door. I interrupted one of them eating a packet of quavers behind the counter last week Sad

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #68
24-06-2008 08:12 PM

Seething. Beware of this place and certainly be very wary before handing over your passport to the #@%&$ people behind the counter.
This continues to be a mess. My husband went in to apply for a child passport and the Assistant Manager insisted that my passport went in with the application as they would decide whether to put our child onto my passport or to issue a new one. My husband knew no different and handed over the passport to a complete stranger - no receipt for the passport was issued to him.
Everyone knows that a separate passport for any individual child has been policy and practice for some time and that the mothers passport is not required. Everyone, apart from the people who need to know to provide a reliable service, apparently, and those who are running the joint. I hope that the Passport Agency will realise that an error has occurred and will return my passport along with that of my child, but effectively what has happened here is a pretty serious breach of procedure and is certainly not what anyone could call competence.

There , rant over. For now.

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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #69
25-06-2008 05:48 PM

Sorry to hear your tale of woe, Roz. They have clearly got confused with the extremely complicated Passport Agency system. If you (the mother) have a British Passport then the number and issue details need to be added to the form, and it doesn't need to go anywhere. If you have a non British passport, then it usually needs to be included as you child's nationality and eligibility (or not) for a British passport may be decided depending on what is stamped on yours (e.g Indefinite Leave to Remain etc.)
These are the things that will take far more training than any of those staff will have received, and no doubt test your patience!
Serious suggestion- ring the PO helpline to complain. They do follow these things up and it should prompt a refresher session for their staff.

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #70
25-06-2008 06:16 PM

You say ring Post Office Helpline. I may be wrong but gained impression staff at F Hill are employed by W H Smith and Sons.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #71
25-06-2008 07:52 PM

Thanks, Ann for the advice. However I cannot see how the PO can charge ?7 for a check and send service when staff clearly do not have the knowledge, training and experience to do a competent job. From one reading of the Passport Agency information I feel I knew more than they did, especially something so basic as each child needing their own passport.
This branch has been open now for 4 months and something as simple and common as a check and send service ought to be carried out with more competence than it is, especially if being carried out by someone with a badge saying, ' Assistant Manager'. I spoke to the Manager himself today and even he does not seem to know the basics. If they don't have the expertise, they should be open about it and say that they can't offer that service at present.

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junegapi


Posts: 106
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #72
29-06-2008 12:26 PM

I have stopped using the PO at WHS, FH and, instead, use the one in Forest Hill Road, opposite the Doctors' Surgery. This is a newsagent type shop with a PO at the back. The person behind the grill has been there for a long time and knows her job extremely well. Not everybody can get down to this PO, but it is possible to park outside, unlike the WH Smith branch in Forest Hill. Also there is no awkward lift for the mothers with buggies and children (there are no 'top shelf magazines on display) or the less agile.

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china girl


Posts: 35
Joined: May 2008
Post: #73
29-06-2008 10:52 PM

Probably a bit late to reply to an earlier comment about the helpfulness off ex-employees of the post office, but as a former regular customer I found most of the staff really amenable. (And a valuable asset to the local community - I liked the personal service even if it was cutting it fine to catch the last post!)

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robertlondon


Posts: 15
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #74
01-07-2008 08:30 PM

I went for the first time this weekend for car tax renewal.
Surprised the total change of staff (compared to the old PO).
I found them to be quick and efficient.
Thumbup

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #75
10-07-2008 05:13 PM

This entire place is Incompetence City.

THE POST OFFICE
I have to say that my opinion is still low and has sunk to completely different depths this evening having just found out that our passport application for our child has been refused on a technicality which should have, apparently, been blindingly obvious to the person checking it at this post office for which we paid a ?7 fee for what is meant to be a thorough service. Ours was apparently checked twice, first by the counter staff, who had got things wrong and after making a fuss it was checked by the manager. ( see my post of a few weeks ago for the full saga). Seemingly he also hasn't got the first clue.
It also allegedly arrived at the passport office without the photographs which were noted as ' missing' on receipt.

We have now lost three weeks in the process and are at risk of losing money on our holiday in two weeks time if this is not sorted out in time.

From this experience I have to say trust this bunch of staff at your peril , as they clearly do not know the basics. Most certainly don't let them sell you a pension or life insurance or anything really important. I'll probably let them sell me a stamp or an envelope, but thats about it. I won't be relying on them for anything more.

WH SMITH GROUND FLOOR TILL
I bought some things this afternoon and could not believe the total sum so I queried this before handing over any money. One item clearly marked ?2.99 rang up as ?4.49. Quite a difference. If I hadnt stopped to check I would have been out of pocket. The item in question was clearly marked ?2.99 on the product , had always been ?2.99 so it wasn't a question of something being wrongly labelled. Check before you leave the shop.

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robwinton


Posts: 335
Joined: Jun 2006
Post: #76
22-07-2008 11:06 AM

Apparently the thing we foretold/feared has come to pass (already)

The lift, the only decent way for the elderly, disabled and those with pushchairs to get to this key local resource, has not been working well at all

I am told that an elderly couple were in there today and were VERY angry. The lift was out of action and has had to be serviced pretty much every other day for the last two weeks!

Not a great start for something that has been there less than 6 months.

Has anyone had any experience of this?

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #77
22-07-2008 12:08 PM

Serviced every 2 weeks. Breaking down ecery 2 days or so. Why
A good friend of mine checks lifts throughout South London including places like Kings College H and even there only usually once a month.
What is the make. Are they Schlindler as they are top quality German product.
I have been upstairs many times since their introduction but being able bodied left lift for those that need them.
Why was not the Post Office at the back downstairs, papers and mags at front and cards , books etc upstairs.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #78
22-07-2008 07:12 PM

We had the recent experience of no lift plus a pushchair. We left it plus nappy bag downstairs having been assured that the security guard would look after it but on return there was no one around, so anyone could have taken it/gone through the bag. I had to stand upstairs in a queue with my 22 pound baby for some time however was offered a seat in the end .To be fair someone did offer to carry it up and down but I did not feel that was fair on them.

This lift is nothing more than a raised platform which relies on simple mechanics to get it working. They have this at Kings and many shops to get around accessiblity issues. It should not be so unreliable however perhaps it is just not meant to be used quite so much on a regular basis.

The fact however remains that such a public service should not be placed somewhere so inaccessible however many would argue at least it means the service is retained rather than lost.

I am not clear what the alternatives are or indeed whether we have any although the best place for the post office counters is always at ground floor level.

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Foresters


Posts: 212
Joined: May 2006
Post: #79
18-08-2008 04:28 PM

I seem to recall mention that there had been a planning application submitted to get a post box located outside our 'new post office'.
Having not seen this appear, I tried to check to see the status of the application - but cannot find mention of it anywhere.

Does anyone know anything about this?

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Satchers


Posts: 262
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #80
19-08-2008 06:11 PM

I've found the staff helpful and quite efficent when I have got up there a number of times recently.

The problem is getting up there when the lift is frequently out of order with small children and a buggy! I can't believe this is an acceptable arrangement.

One time I was even offered help by a WHS employee to carry the pushchair up the stairs, without having to ask!

It really does need a postbox outside.

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