Post offices offer a first-class experience

‘Post offices partnered with retailers is a successful model,’ says Paula Vennells. Photograph: Tim Ireland/PA

I read the article “How did we allow our post offices to become so grotty?” (22 September) with some disappointment. It is not a true reflection of the more than 11,500 branches across the UK, serving millions of customers each week.

Post offices partnered with retailers is a successful model – for communities, retailers and, most importantly, customers. It makes our services more convenient and accessible: 93% of people in the UK live within just one mile of their nearest post office, and with 200,000 extra retail opening hours added across our branches, they’re open earlier, later, and on Sundays too.

Through an arrangement with almost all UK banks, customers can access their high-street bank account through any post office branch. And business banking customers can use their local post office too: we’re seeing cash deposits from them growing exponentially, as our role in supporting local economies and businesses becomes increasingly critical. We’re investing in our branches to help provide these vital services to their communities, and we’re asking the banks to support us fully in this, as they continue restructuring.

Like all businesses, we can do more to improve. But from a loss of £120m four years ago to successive year-on-year profit growth, I’m proud of the transformation of the Post Office – we are freeing taxpayer money to be spent on more needy areas.
Paula Vennells
Group CEO, Post Office

• Patrick Collinson must be very unfortunate in his experiences of post offices. I do not recognise his description. Here in Headcorn we have a bright, cheerful post office. Service is quick and courteous. In the surrounding towns, the standard is very similar.
Peter Koenig
Headcorn, Kent

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