UK Post Office branches will sell a comprehensive range of financial services as part of a sweeping commercialisation of the UKs network of branches, Allan Leighton, chairman of Royal Mail revealed today at the National Federation of Subpostmasters conference in Scarborough. The first, an unsecured personal loan, will go on sale from October with a national roll out targeted for January/February 2004.
Post Office reinvention is now truly underway. David Mills, the chief executive, and I want it to be based on the entrepreneurial skills of our subpostmasters backed by new products, new incentives and new advertising. Post Office branches will offer additional financial services in the way that supermarkets currently do, but they will be more accessible, offered with a more personal touch and backed with a real community brand, Mr Leighton commented.
The other part of the formula is certainty so well speed up the rate at which were changing the network. By the end of the summer David Mills will start to unveil area by area plans of the future urban branch network, so that subpostmasters and customers can get a realistic picture of Post Office services in every town and city, he added.
Mr. Leighton revealed that, in addition to personal loans, over the next eighteen months customers will be able to take out a Post Office credit card, savings account and get motor and life insurance. These financial products will add to the sales of foreign currency, travellers cheques and travel insurance.
Three hundred more Post Office branches will sell euros and US dollars on demand from July, and an additional 1,000 branches will be selling MoneyGrams from later this month. There will also be a trial giving pay-as-you-go internet access with easyInternetcafe in the next two months. A TV, radio and newspaper advertising campaign starting on Boxing Day will promote these new products.
Other changes to make Post Office branches more attractive to customers will include extended or more flexible opening hours, with subpostmasters deciding when their branches should be open to attract most customers. As part of giving subpostmasters a greater say over the running of their branch, Post Office Ltd will also give them a greater incentive to make a profit.
Filipe Samora
2003-06-17
Em Foco – Empresa