[rrussell1962]

I think the issues with Australia Post stem from a few things. Firstly, over the past 20 years or so, their customer base for letter delivery has been eaten away by use of email. As an example, many years ago we thought about moving, looked at a few properties and were subsequently targeted by letters from real estate agents, now we get email updates. Secondly, their customer base for parcel delivery has been reduced because of online purchasing and consequent use of couriers such as Startrack, TNT etc. Thirdly, and this is a guess on my part, they have a charter that compels them to offer a minimum service level. Economies of scale come into play. It takes the same basic local infrastructure to deliver 1000 deliveries a week as it does to deliver 5000 deliveries a week. You still need a depot, you still need a postie. As a result Australia Post has cut costs at the support level such as the major sorting depots and tracking. Plus they have, I suspect, been starved of funds to automate more processes so are possibly more labour intensive than their competitors. I admit that the last few sentences are conjecture on my part, but plausible I think.

My local Australia Post contractor is great! They know I do shift work. If I am expecting a parcel that needs a signature I leave a post-it note on the door asking them to leave the parcel somewhere safe, power box, lean over the fence and leave it on the pool box etc.

Just my thoughts....

Just a bit of comment on service. A few years ago I shipped over a few things from the UK from a deceased estate, nothing valuable, just sentimental stuff. Came via DHL. I stuffed up paperwork at UK end. Phone call from DHL in Brisbane asking me to come to the old international terminal at Brisbane airport with the following documents......park in loading zone, security know I will be there. DHL had redone my paperwork with the correct customs codes and forms, copied and witnessed my documents while I was there, cleared customs that afternoon. No extra charges. Australia Post doing that? I suspect not!