Singapore Expats

I'll agree Singpost queues suck badly... It's much more tolerable if you go to the main office at Paya Lebar. Luckily, that's not too inconvenient for me.

My local courier had dropped off packages as late as 8pm. If my number ison the package, he'll even call me before hand. Maybe I'm lucky, or maybe you guys are unlucky. As much as I like to complain, I can't about Singpost. It's still way better than USPS.

ZZM, maybe it's because we are used the a crappy system like the USPS prior to coming here? But I'll take Singpost over most and the little inconvenience with queues is made up for by somewhat reasonable postage costs. (relatively speaking - not what I think it should me!)

I remember the mail would get delivered twice a day, every day here, including Sunday. That's no longer the case, but that's fine of course, given email.

Singapore local postage rates are still ridiculously cheap, though. I know Singapore is small and all that, but my home country isn't that all that much bigger, yet they've made sending a simple letter locally absurdly expensive. And they're still losing money on all fronts. In fact, they've just decided to reduce the number of delivery days as well as the number of drop-off boxes.

So, yeah, mostly full marks for SingPost as far as I'm concerned.

But they're dropping the ball big-time when it comes to their post office service, agreed. It's like stepping into an episode of The Twilight Zone: time just doesn't matter there, the whole scene around you unfolds in agonizing slow-mo.

The other day I had to buy stamps and when it was finally my turn, the lady had to hit her keyboard 2 gazillion times for her 640 x 480 screen to come up with the cost of 3 stamps! And I hope I'm wrong, but her software looked like it was DOS-based

I was so impressed with the service quality of the Speedpost that 4y ago I practically stopped buying online from the shops using EMS as the only delivery option because this is handled locally by Speedpost.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:ZZM, maybe it's because we are used the a crappy system like the USPS prior to coming here? But I'll take Singpost over most and the little inconvenience with queues is made up for by somewhat reasonable postage costs. (relatively speaking - not what I think it should me!)

Since getting back, I've found USPS service to be very good... in spite of the financial woes they are experiencing... not of their own making but because of Congress... and right now, in particular, Darrell Issa.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/173823/co ... udget-woes#

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung ... -business/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/opini ... .html?_r=0

I've always liked the USPS flat rate boxes, never liked Congressman Issa.

I have to agree with some of the other posters about how the SingPost delivery people will just leave a note saying they tried to deliver when they didn't even ring your doorbell. I think it depends on the delivery person because sometimes they'll actually ring and I'm like "Hooray!"

On New Year's Eve I needed to pick up a Christmas present at one of the post offices. I checked online for SingPost hours and found no New Year's Eve listing so I assumed it was regular hours but took precaution and called SingPost anyway to find out what their hours were for that particular post office (because I didn't want to get there and have it be closed).

Before the SingPost person would answer my question about hours, he demanded my name, address and phone number JUST TO ANSWER A SIMPLE QUESTION! He then got irritated said they were open regular hours and told me this information is online and gave me the web site. I told him nicely that I checked online and that's what I thought but just wanted to call and double check because it was the eve of a major public holiday. He was very irate about having to answer this easy question. Hopefully my name isn't on their shi* list.

I think one of the components in this study had to do with being customer focused.

I also liked the Flat rate boxes an used them extensively to ship my belt buckles over here. 18 months ago, for the International Small Priority Flat Rate it was USD$16.95 and a standard airmail small padded packet/envelope (a single buckle) was 6.70. Now they are up to $23.95 and around $13 or $14 dollars for standard 1st class Airmail. Currently waiting on one that took 3 days to clear the US instead of the normal days. I'm finding the costs are going up and the service is going down USPS.

BedokAmerican wrote:I have to agree with some of the other posters about how the SingPost delivery people will just leave a note saying they tried to deliver when they didn't even ring your doorbell. I think it depends on the delivery person because sometimes they'll actually ring and I'm like "Hooray!"

That should stop if you call the supervisor.

The "service" is not what it used to be (especially compared to 10-15 years ago), but they still care when they get complaints.

maneo wrote:

BedokAmerican wrote:I have to agree with some of the other posters about how the SingPost delivery people will just leave a note saying they tried to deliver when they didn't even ring your doorbell. I think it depends on the delivery person because sometimes they'll actually ring and I'm like "Hooray!"

That should stop if you call the supervisor.

The "service" is not what it used to be (especially compared to 10-15 years ago), but they still care when they get complaints.

call centers are outsourced and overseas. I had a running fight for address redirect, and the call center guy kept telling the name is ok, mails will come, and I told him the mails are still going to the old address .. in frurstration, asked to speak to a supervisor, the supervisor is ALSO outsourced and overseas .. gave up ..

ecureilx wrote:

maneo wrote:

BedokAmerican wrote:I have to agree with some of the other posters about how the SingPost delivery people will just leave a note saying they tried to deliver when they didn't even ring your doorbell. I think it depends on the delivery person because sometimes they'll actually ring and I'm like "Hooray!"

That should stop if you call the supervisor.

The "service" is not what it used to be (especially compared to 10-15 years ago), but they still care when they get complaints.

call centers are outsourced and overseas. I had a running fight for address redirect, and the call center guy kept telling the name is ok, mails will come, and I told him the mails are still going to the old address .. in frurstration, asked to speak to a supervisor, the supervisor is ALSO outsourced and overseas .. gave up ..

Speak in Tagalog; the call centers are in the Philippines.

nakatago wrote:
Speak in Tagalog; the call centers are in the Philippines.

My Taglish is not upto standard .. and if I am not mistaken, the call center staff aren't allowed to speak in taglish Good or bad, English it has to be ..

ecureilx wrote:

nakatago wrote:
Speak in Tagalog; the call centers are in the Philippines.

My Taglish is not upto standard .. and if I am not mistaken, the call center staff aren't allowed to speak in taglish Good or bad, English it has to be ..

Now I'm wondering how the service would be if the call center is in-country...

ecureilx wrote:

maneo wrote:

BedokAmerican wrote:I have to agree with some of the other posters about how the SingPost delivery people will just leave a note saying they tried to deliver when they didn't even ring your doorbell. I think it depends on the delivery person because sometimes they'll actually ring and I'm like "Hooray!"

That should stop if you call the supervisor.

The "service" is not what it used to be (especially compared to 10-15 years ago), but they still care when they get complaints.

call centers are outsourced and overseas. I had a running fight for address redirect, and the call center guy kept telling the name is ok, mails will come, and I told him the mails are still going to the old address .. in frurstration, asked to speak to a supervisor, the supervisor is ALSO outsourced and overseas .. gave up ..

I am very surprised that the call centre for Singpost is outsourced!

the lynx wrote:I am very surprised that the call centre for Singpost is outsourced!

I may be charged for slander, and don't wanna say anything .... I know a lot of Singpost stuff are running super efficient (read: extreme cost cutting measures) .. They are a private company, as is Singtel who also outsources a lot of service, and unless you are a corporate customer, for Singtel, the attitude is 'who cares' .. even if you have been a client for 10 years, they can dump you with no second thought .. when you run up a minor dispute.

Now, when Singpost is a subsidiary of Singtel, wanna guess if things go differently, in that side of the business ?

Nope

for my exasperating case, I escalated and the next one also was overseas and had a tough time telling them 'we will resolve it in a month' will not work .. and their insistence that letters are being redirected is wrong, and when I told my old land lord was calling me for letters, the answer was even more thrilling, "you could still collect from the old house right ? so don't worry .. " and "since you can pick up from old address, do give us some more time .. " hello ? why Do you think I pay singpost ? It is not like Sengkang is very near River valley, for me to go and check letters every day ..

Unlike previously, when there was mistakes, they fixed it within a day .. now it takes a 'while' before things get sorted.

For the last case, Desperately, I wrote in a letter and then promptly a local staff called be, and apologised and voila, it was done instantly, and the guy assured me he will call and check with the post man to retrieve letters in my old address, if they had been deposited wrongly .. and they retrieve and sent me a week's worth of letters in the old address post box .... which is what I was asking the call center to do, as they wrote my name wrongly .. (even that, i can't figure out as a copy of my IC was attached .. how could that happen ?? )

Cost of efficiency/outsourcing ..

Now, if my name was Western Sounding, I doubt call center would have been so lackadaisical .. I may be wrong there though ..

Singpost has been fined:
http://bit.ly/166F0ug

Overall I like Singpost, compared to some other institutions (e.g. Banks) I generally find the staff to be helpful and well trained. Regardless of branch I am always served with a smile and efficiency. They even give me a call whenever my po box is getting full.