Royal Mail: (Answers after Mktg has been passed around its automated system for five minutes before reaching a customer adviser.) Hello, my name is (name), how can I help you?
Mktg: I'm trying to find out about the job cuts Royal Mail has announced, and the closure of a South London mail centre. I'm wondering whether this means my post is going to be late on a more regular basis?
Royal Mail: I can't actually tell you anything until everything has been finalised, but mail should be with you by 3pm every day. Staff leaving should not affect your deliveries.
Mktg: Are people who live in the areas where the centres are closing more likely to face problems?
Royal Mail: Well, we won't expect them to have problems. We have to deliver mail to everyone by 3pm, so I don't see that changing.
Mktg: But surely if you have fewer people working in the area it's going to have an impact?
Royal Mail: We have to hit our delivery targets and things wouldn't change so much that we didn't achieve this.
Mktg: Aren't postage stamp prices going up as well?
Royal Mail: Yeah, they are going up on 4 April.
Mktg: I don't understand how you're charging more for stamps but reducing staff numbers.
Royal Mail: As you're probably aware, the current climate for business isn't very good and our revenue over the past year has dropped by £1bn, so the company has to find cuts to ensure that it makes what it needs to make, which a lot of companies are doing. We're the same as any other company.
Mktg: So, are prices going to go up again soon?
Royal Mail: No, probably not. (Explains forthcoming price changes.)
Mktg: Do you know when the cuts will be finalised?
Royal Mail: No, I couldn't say when that is due to go through.
Mktg: OK, thanks.
Royal Mail: Thanks. Bye.
Verdict
Although he provided sufficient answers to my questions, the call-handler seemed bored and a tad grumpy dealing with my protestations. He was well-prepared for complaints about job cuts and price rises, but rolled out stock answers about delivery times rather too often.
Score: 5/10