27 May 2005
BRUSSELS – Complaints to the Belgian post office jumped 46 percent last year to total more than 11,000 irate customers, according to figures just released.
The bulk of the complaints concerned mail distribution but they also addressed new charges at the post office bank as well as the disappearance of some services.
The “DoMyMove,” a service offered by the postal service to those who move, scored particularly low marks among consumers.
Post office spokeswoman Truus Lostrie told La Libre Belgique newspaper that the postal service is in transition and its employees have to adjust.
“The new work methods have considerably changed daily life for both the public as well as the personnel and consequently generated a surge in recriminations,” she said.
In total, the post office received 6,027 written complaints (a 62 percent rise) and 5,200 by telephone (up 31 percent).
Broken down by language, 4,616 complaints were in French, 6,570 in Dutch and only 41 in German.
Some 2,147 complaints were declared invalid, mainly because they concerned subjects outside the realm of the post.
Among valid complaints, some 65 percent were resolved with a positive judgment in favour of the consumer.
Johnny Thijs, the head of the postal service, promised that the post office would do better.
He used the press conference about the annual report to announce a series of new concrete measures, including a new central number (02 201 2345) for all complaints.
[Copyright Expatica 2005]
Subject: Belgian news